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

well done clairet.

yeah it was great thanks kattiep, as clairet says, the transitions were ridiculously long. spent over 5 minutes in T1 as well, and over 3 in T2. The ride had an extra 2.2k of "pit lane" that counted as timed but not as transition and i'm sure the swim was longer than 750m just judging from everyone's times.

i should have pushed much harder in the run and lost all of my swim/bike based lead and was passed by my mates on the second lap.

it was a lovely course though and well organised day. we've already decided to do blenheim sprints and the olympic distance dextro next year.

Blenheim sprint is an awesome race. You'll love it.

I am in difficulty - yesterday I think I agreed to do a bi-athalon thing, so no swimming - just the running and cycling, just.....the two..... #holdsheadinhands

I am in difficulty - yesterday I think I agreed to do a bi-athalon thing, so no swimming - just the running and cycling, just.....the two..... #holdsheadinhands

Any one in particular?

I can share my duathlon strategy if you like (die on the first run, spend way too much time in T1 recovering, have a good bike leg and overtake a few people on the hills, die a bit more on the second run, come in at a mediocre but not utterly humiliating time, thanks only to an ok bike time). I have 3 before the end of the year, and fully expect to do this in all of them. Or you might want to ask someone who actually does ok.

Maybe a 'duathlon', unless it's going to be a bit chilly and you have a gun.

I have no intention of getting my weapon out, that's for sure #phnahphnah

KT Bee - PM coming your way!

Not best pleased-
Shoulder popped out during a swim- not total, just indication that the injury I'd been protecting and rebuilding hasn't recovered at all.

Hurts like all fuckery right now- ice and ibuprofen....

well done clairet.

yeah it was great thanks kattiep, as clairet says, the transitions were ridiculously long. spent over 5 minutes in T1 as well, and over 3 in T2. The ride had an extra 2.2k of "pit lane" that counted as timed but not as transition and i'm sure the swim was longer than 750m just judging from everyone's times.

i should have pushed much harder in the run and lost all of my swim/bike based lead and was passed by my mates on the second lap.

it was a lovely course though and well organised day. we've already decided to do blenheim sprints and the olympic distance dextro next year.

Thanks! I recommend Blenheim, great course and a good atmosphere (plus you get nice photos with a palace in the background).

I'm thinking of doing my first olympic distance next season, and think I'll end it with the London triathlon in September. Best get that entry in, think it'll sell out really quickly again.

Round at some friends last night and admired their collection of Bishop Castle Tandem Triathlon coasters and pondered giving it a go. The gf is doing well at tri's I would need to learn to swim properly and run properly.

Well, your a 3rd of the way there!
I'm ashamed I signed up for nothing this year. I am lacking fitness and wish I entered something just to make me be motivated. Next year for sure.... AND I might find some commitment this time round.

So, Ironman World Champs at Kona this weekend... anyone got any thoughts/predictions.

For me it's got to be between Raelert, Crowie, Vanhoenakcer and Weiss in the men. I'd guess they might even come in in that order. I'd like to see Vandoodah on the podium after he lapped me on en route to the world best time at Austria (even if Weiss beat it a week later and the course was probably short!). Also keen to see how Tom Lowe gets on.

In the women it's hard to see past Wellington (even after her crash the other week), but I'd like to see strong showings from the other brits in the form of Dibbens, Morrison and Cave any of whome could podium. Miranda Cafrae seems likely for a podium too but I'm going to go for CW, Morrison, Dibbens based on nothing more than nationality.

Excited :)

HELL YEAH inc. Cave (3rd), Joyce (4th), Morrison (11th) and Dibbens (DNF, but fastest bike split in 4:44:15). Tom Lowe (11th) wasn't bad neither.

some of my club mates wrote race reports on their efforts to watch at home last night. 2 dnf's, one agonisingly close at 20miles on the run. They're now looking at training plans to help so they can stay awake until the finish next year...

I DNF'd at about mile 24 in the mens race too. I put it down to a combination of poor technique and nutritional issues.

Next time I will ensure I don't watch from bed, and have a stronger supply of caffeine.

I
and have a stronger supply of caffeine.

this^

completely random and off topic, but did anyone see a poor guy throwing up 6 times during the Henley Challenge Ironman distance swim? that was my uncle... finished in 13hrs 40something, 2 hours off his PB, not good :(

I DNF'd at about mile 24 in the mens race too. I put it down to a combination of poor technique and nutritional issues.

Next time I will ensure I don't watch from bed, and have a stronger supply of caffeine.

this^

Our club champ recommends, Pizza, Ice Cream and laptop hooked into TV in Lounge

completely random and off topic, but did anyone see a poor guy throwing up 6 times during the Henley Challenge Ironman distance swim? that was my uncle... finished in 13hrs 40something, 2 hours off his PB, not good :(

He finished. That's good.

He finished. That's good.

that's what we were telling him, but when you've trained for two years for the big day, i think it was a bit of a let down. imo, an ironman is probably the ultimate sporting event as far as the training and commitment you have to put in, i've got loads of respect for all ironman atheletes. i hope one day i'll be one of them!

that's what we were telling him, but when you've trained for two years for the big day, i think it was a bit of a let down. imo, an ironman is probably the ultimate sporting event as far as the training and commitment you have to put in, i've got loads of respect for all ironman atheletes. i hope one day i'll be one of them!

With a good endurance sport base it's doable off 6 months prep, of which only ~16 weeks need be mega focused. I think Olympians on 4 yr cycles (Hoy for example) have it much tougher!

If he's done 11h4x before, 13h4x will feel a bit empty in comparison I'm sure. Tell him to do another to put it right. Do it with him. Everyone will be happy.

He finished. That's good.

Well said. Ironman will always be a lottery.

Some days awful, many days much worse...

Tell him to do another to put it right. Do it with him. Everyone will be happy.

Its his second of this year, and i think he's decided to do one a year to give him something to aim for, fitness-wise. I would do one, but i'm not allowed to do half marathons let alone ironman's (17yo wannabe alert). Its health and safety gone mad if you ask me, i run, cycle and swim miles each week and yet i'm not allowed to do a 13 mile run...

In general I'm dead set against H&S rubbish but can see its benefit for endurance sport. TBH, most 17year olds probably wouldn't have a problem with training and racing a half marathon (and it's the volume of training that is more likely to cause problems than the single race event) but from my own experience, everyone matures physically at a different rate - based on metrics such as bone fusion (I'm sure there is a proper term) I was physiologically 13yo when I was actually 18. The idea of running a half never crossed my mind back then but I think that it would have been very unwise for me to have considered it.

A guy I know won the 20-25cat at CH-Henley and is coached by Tom Lowe (11th in Hawaii). Despite huge talent everyone is telling him to steer clear of full distance for several years - the younger you start the sooner you burn out. I think the same advice was given to Phil Graves after his win at IMUK in 2009.

CH Henley is also a pretty tough course, so depending which course your uncle set his PB on the 13hours may not be as bad as first appearances.

Pizza, ice-cream, lounge and coffee it is next year. Actually I might set my Turbo up in front of the TV and do an uber session... that would be fun :)

I suppose part of it is anti-training to make sure people concentrate on exams etc. I understand that, but a half marathon is a bit excessive imo... it would be nice to have something to aim for thats longer than a 10k, which i run most weekends. I appreciate running in an event such as the London 10k just because you're with lots of other people who are all working towards the same thing and its encouraging. In general i think triathlons are more regulated because of the multiple discipline element.

we could get into chatter about coaching pathways and long term athlete development plans, but essentially younger you are should be more focus on skills and enjoyment. Once body fully developed combine with the skills and enjoyment to kick ass.