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

Hi Ed. How's things? Thanks for the response, yes Windsor is correct, first ever tri so am a bit nervous about it. Will be hoping for nice weather

Gilet? You can always plan to ditch it with the family who (I assume) will be watching.

All good thanks, not doing Windsor this year but I’ll be out riding in the area and will keep an eye out for you.

Windsor is really well run and a pretty good race, the addition of castle hill in the course for the run has made it quite a lot tougher than it was as you go up it 6 times in the course, worth getting a few hills in between now and then to hone technique and build strength...

Good idea. They'd better be watching 😁

Glad to hear it.
Hills hmmm. I've been running around North London, it's the hills that screwed me up (runners knee) I better start tackling them again.

Thought about joining the local tri club, to join in some group track & swim sessions

£330 annual fee? That's almost seven times more expensive than my previous club.

Get. To. Fuck.

Settling on the idea of Weymouth 70.3 in 2020 (too fat and unfit this year). Heard good things about it (despite paying for the IM brand) and my parents live 30 miles away which makes the logistics a bit easier.

Should give me enough time to sell the Aravis and the Colnago to fund something like a Planet-X Stealth TT (SRAM) either new or 2nd hand.

a Planet-X Stealth TT (SRAM) either new or 2nd hand.

How tall are you?

5'9"

So PX sizing says a Small for me.

just over 6 weeks to IM Austria for me, despite having a sproglet at end of march training is going well, comfortably riding 100 miles and doing short runs off the bike, swimming is painfully slow at the moment, but I've got time to get up to 3.8k outdoors not killing me at least and then its just the mental side of things.

aim is just to go out and enjoy the day, worry about times in the last 10k of the marathon, as everything up to that point is just surviving in one piece!

Racing the New Forest Middle Distance Tri on Sunday, it’ll be my first tri in 5 years, and I think my 2nd in 8 years! So, just hoping to take it (sort of) easy although I think I’m in reasonable shape.

Just noticed they say a lot about btf rules which I obviously haven’t read in years. So, are there any stupid rules that might catch me off guard? I don’t mean obvious stuff like drafting etc, but do I remember something about them trying to ban calf guards or something? Anything else?

I’ll be out early on the bike tomorrow am so will try and cheer you on. Still on the P3?

Awesome, on a cervelo p2 with generic black castelli tri suit and a blue giro selector.

1 Attachment

How did it go?

House move clear-out - Anyone want a free Orca tri belt? (used, zip is a bit stiff)

1 Attachment

The guys I’m coaching to do Ironman all had a great hit out at the Marlow classic middle distance yesterday, including what was officially 4th spot and 1st vet but looking at the top three they all have some odd results, with first place managing sub 2 hours on a hilly bike course (his previous performances at Ironman distance do not suggest a bike superstar by any stretch) second place running 39 minutes for 10 at Windsor Tri last year and somehow running 1:14 this year for a 19.5 ish k run and 3rd place seemingly clocking 3min 55 for the run... hopefully this will get cleared up but there surely should be some logic applied to results on the day...

https://www.stuweb.co.uk/race/270/splits.html

Edit: second place seems legit, data on strava and did a 2:35 at London marathon this year...

Good thank you. Hard, but good.

According to the results I was 12th out of the swim, 9th after the bike and then back to 14th after the run. It's a small field (100 I think) but by far my best placing in a tri so I'm pretty happy with my first attempt in 5 years.

I think doing a few years TTing means my bike position is pretty slippery and so flatters my physical ability. I created a segment for the whole bike course for comparison and I seem to be going faster than my close competitors for much less power. Once we got off the bike this really showed as 5 people ran past me. Incidentally I think something similar happened on the swim… I put myself on the front line at the start and worked hard to keep my place for the first 5 minutes or so before I let myself relax and drop back onto some fast feet. Once I had some feet to follow I could just relax into an efficient stroke and only had to sight occasionally, but again I think I lost 3 or 4 places as soon as we got out onto the long run from swim to transition.

Entered for Helvellyn Tri in September but I won't be able to rely on aerodynamics there...

1 Attachment

First ever triathlon this Sunday, the Royal Windsor Olympic Distance. I have been training well and consider myself well prepared by I am a bit nervous about the swim bit. I am a strong swimmer (in a pool) but have never really swam in a river before. Any tips from seasoned pros for a first timer like me?

I am really looking forward to it and am prepared mentally but it is the fear of the unknown more than anything I guess.

I am a strong swimmer (in a pool) but have never really swam in a river before. Any tips from seasoned pros for a first timer like me?

The biggest difference is the lack of a little rest (however short, even with a fast turn) at the end of each length.

Go off a little slower than you normally would, especially if you don't want to be part of any swim biff.

(Not a seasoned pro but have done a fair bit of open water swimming over the years.)

Thanks, yes I definitely intend to hang back at the start of the swim and not get involved in all the kicking and face slapping :D I like calmness

Good luck Mike.

The flow in the river will be pretty rapid, so on the way downstream (first leg) keep as central as possible as that’s where it’s fastest, you turn at the bridge and you’ll be travelling quite fast so move over and prepare for the turn nice and early, then on the upstream hug the bank as close as you can, as the water flow is slowest here, if you aren’t touching the boats you’re not close enough!

Thankfully with the current course you do about 80% downstream and 20% upstream so the fast flow should help you more than hinder you!

Then Enjoy the bike!

Thanks Ed. That's the opposite of what I'd come to believe actually. The first leg you swim East towards London and then you turn back at the bridge. I figured the leg towards London would be upstream, but you're saying it's the other way around?
Good luck in your IM too, that's great stuff.

Actually ignore that I'm being an idiot, of course it flows towards the estuary 😄
Should make things easier then

Actually ignore that I'm being an idiot, of course it flows towards the estuary

Is it tidal that far up?

It also depends what they're doing betweenb Teddington lock and Richmond lock, I think, as to what the water is doing.

hehe. I guess I'll find out once I'm in there :)