Tri / Triathlon / Triathlons - do they float your boat?

Make sure you shave your legs and never smile again.

Tattoo? Never.

2 more weeks of training to go before the taper starts for Ironman Wales, i managed 23hrs and 38 minutes of training last week, it was very tempting to just go out and do the final 22 minutes to make it a full 24 hours of training but i'll leave that for my final week of training.

the effect of the last 9 months of training is really beginning to show, as despite feeling knackered, i was still able to push all day on the bike on saturday and still get off the bike and push out a 22 minute 5 k run.

A slightly easier week of training this week, with a bit more of a focus on running and swimming before I go all out for the final week, so back to 1-2 sessions per day rather than 3-4!

Oh and i'll put this in writing now, i'd never get the tattoo...

im not a tattoo person anyway, but it looks naff.

Your right Ed..
Thankfully the instructions they sent out today reminded me, I needed getting around to book some accommodation.

Everywhere seemed booked up... already.
Most stressful.
Luckily found a static caravan site 5 miles out of town with a pool = win

Training has been going well.
Although I think im taking a different approach to you.

My body fat is hovering around 10%
I've got my 5km ergo time down below 20 minutes = win.
Then I do a 40km bike for an hour at 250watts
Worked on my swimming a bit, still not fast but can work on that while tapering.

Running.. haven't done much running.
5km time around 22 minutes right now.

Did a 12 hour bike ride yesturday, but that was a combo of coffee stops and the wind pushing me backwards.

In light of these gains ive upgraded my targets to include.

Finish before dark
Beat Gordon Ramsay

Oh and tattoo.

The only question is where?

Calf, forehead or shaft?

Well I get Paul Calf and John Shaft but is there an iconic character called Ian Forehead I don't know about?

ok its acceptable to get a tattoo if you get one on your face or shaft...

Sainsburys_Ed that is some impressive training there, what are your goals for game day?

Have fun, race hard, finish, drink beer!

Don't forget Gordon... after doing Kona he might be a little handy.

he's doing Kona again this year, so good for him, I don't get all the hate, he's a talented restauranter/businessman, and is using his fame to get to do the things he wants to do.

No one complains when celebrities get the front row seats at sports events, i personally wouldn't want to go to Kona unless I qualified, but other people get there through the lottery, charity, whatever.

The hand wringing on the tritalk forum about it though.

Fuck me.

And the mistake you made there was...?

True, that.

Had a great Sprint race on Saturday. It was a modest performace, coming in the top 3rd of finishers, but compared to the previous month's sprint (same course), I improved by about 40 placings.

Really happy with the ~13min 750m sea swim (sans wetsuit) and improving my 5k run by a couple of minutes. Those Bike>Run brick sessions definitely help.

13 mins for 750m is certainly respectable, I can't hit that even with a wetsuit.
IM wales is a sea swim, worried by how cold it might be in three weeks if the weather doesn't change.
I've shed weight in preparation for the hills but it leaves me vulnerable to the cold in the water.

I did my first triathlon (sprint) on Monday. Despite a lack of training, recently being ill and diabolical weather I absolutely loved it. I came in the top 35% for my age group, which I thought was okay for my first attempt.

I learnt some useful lessons too:

• Don’t eat beetroot the night before.
  
• Take food to the start if there might be a wait (I had breakfast at 5:20... finally started swimming at 8:30)
  
• Don’t make bike adjustments when the swim has started.
  
• Put Vaseline under your ankle timing band or risk chafing.
  
• Don’t panic in the pool, it’s ok if someone overtakes.
  
• Pack a towel.
  
• Don’t try putting tights on when you’re wet or you'll fall over backwards.
  
• Find out where transition ends/the race starts.
  
• Practice bike mounts.
  
• Don’t faff about with garmins in transition.
  
• Don’t faff about with clothes so much, it’s not a fashion show!
  
• If the forecast is torrential rain, you probably don't need sunblock and sunglasses, so it's just more mess in transition.
  
• Don’t leave clothes all over transition, including your clean clothes for post-race, especially if it is raining and you have to cycle to meet a friend for brunch and nearly get refused entry to the restaurant for being so wet.
  
  

Really want to do another one now.

Was it the Thames Turbo?

Yep.

You do not need to worry about cold in the water - the sea is extra super warm this year, and water temperature peaks later than on land. You could do an IM swim non-wetsuit until October off south Wales.

Nice one Hats! As a newcomer to the sport, I find it quite addictive. I think it's because there are so many components that need to be spot-on and even after a decent performance there's always something I think I can improve on.

I've gone and booked up a lot of the upcoming weekends with running races, so haven't got time for any Tri's for a while.

Club champs tonight - sprint at dorney lake...

Butterflies - hoping for top 5 and not to get chicked...

Hope you enjoyed it. I did the late August one last year too. All I remember is me bollocksing my knee and very slowly cycling home afterwards. Oh and getting up at four a bloody clock to get there.

4th In the club, after one of my training buddies pulled out a bike that was only 20 seconds slower than me, and then a 17 minute 5k, thought I was relatively safe for third at the 1/4 way turn based on who i could see!

1.02.44, with splits of 12.42, 29.34 and 19.11 for the 750/20/5 distances, which according to my garmin were just about right, although the bike was closer to 19k...

Oh well, good to get a final race under my belt before Ironman, i probably didn't push hard enough on the bike, but otherwise happy with my results