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

probably, weren't you in the tennis team with some joker off something?

I was in our school tennis team, but we always got beat as we always played posh kids at private schools

sure sure...

Tennis club?
Posh kids?

You mean POSHER kids. Any school with a tennis team is posh.

Aren't Triathlons generally for people who arent very good at riding bikes?

yes

I'd be shit at Triathlons, I can only swim about 200m and I'm fucked

right fuck it, I'm doing a middle distance at some point before university starts again.

most triathletes can only swim about 200m and theyre fucked

this is true.

but it dosent matter cos theyve got a cervelo they unloaded off the Audi estate earlier waiting for them

that reminds me...
I was driving back from nottingham or something, and stopped and saw one of those 4x4 audis, loaded up with two pristine titanium time trial bikes (set up for triathlon usage- as they had a sticker for some triathlon or something), with new zipps and what I thought was Di2 on them also.

The person who got out... did not match the bikes, but I spent the entire stop wishing that I could own them (they were matching even) and just left on the roof of a car, in a service station off the M1 (or M42)

Is anyone doing the 'steelman' triathlon on 3rd July? It is based at Dorney Lake near Windsor. And has anyone done a triathlon at Dorney Lake before? I'd like to know what the bike and run sections are like. I have a feeling that I will struggle to keep track of the laps - 8 laps cycle and 4 laps run. Anyone got any tips for this?

Oh, and I haven't ridden my geared bike for nearly 2 months - I hope I pemember that I can use gears and can freewheel if needed !!!

Cheers, Rich.

Oh, my son is doing the children's triathlon at Dorney this Sunday - has anyone here got any kids taking part in it?

Is anyone doing the 'steelman' triathlon on 3rd July? It is based at Dorney Lake near Windsor. And has anyone done a triathlon at Dorney Lake before? I'd like to know what the bike and run sections are like. I have a feeling that I will struggle to keep track of the laps - 8 laps cycle and 4 laps run. Anyone got any tips for this?

Oh, and I haven't ridden my geared bike for nearly 2 months - I hope I pemember that I can use gears and can freewheel if needed !!!

Cheers, Rich.

tape on the handle bars and rip off for each lap completed.
for running I can normally just count fine-
maybe try pebbles?

Thanks soperRiva

Is anyone doing the 'steelman' triathlon on 3rd July? It is based at Dorney Lake near Windsor. And has anyone done a triathlon at Dorney Lake before? I'd like to know what the bike and run sections are like. I have a feeling that I will struggle to keep track of the laps - 8 laps cycle and 4 laps run. Anyone got any tips for this?

Oh, and I haven't ridden my geared bike for nearly 2 months - I hope I pemember that I can use gears and can freewheel if needed !!!

Cheers, Rich.

They have about two triathlons a week at dorney lake.. everyone has done one there.

The bike section is completely flat and smooth tarmac you will fly along.
Run is also completely flat on a well travelled path
Boredom is your biggest hurdle with Dorney

Thanks tommy. My son did his triathlon at Dorney today - yes it is very flat and will be a bit boring for me next week, but I am doing this one as I didn't get into the Windsor triathlon.

The children's triathlon was very competitive today, and it was the parents who were the most competitive. We sam ome dads shouting at their sons / daughters, making their 8 year olds cry - this seemed so wrong to me, and was not a good introduction to the sport from them. My son came 6th in the 13 / 14 year old 'fun' category. There were about 60 in his race, he was about 40th after the swim, but 10th after the cycle and passed a few more people to come in 6th. the boy that came first was fantastic, he put a good few minutes distance between him and the others.

most triathletes can only swim about 200m and theyre fucked

You should've been down at Avon Tyrrell the other week - the Deca guys cranked out 38 000m. Mind you, they were fucked for the last 37 800m of it.

Apologies for a bit of a breach of etiquette but I just posted here about changing a tub in a race. There are lots of experienced racers in this thread and since I'm in a mad panic about getting packed already I was hoping to nudge my question in the direction of some of the people who might have a bit of practical experience.

(posted in this and the TT thread, apologies for cross posting, but huge gratitude in advance for any useful suggestions)

solution = ride clinchers

or practice tub changing so you know what to expect.

hope Austria goes well.

I thought it was a long shot - getting a little dark and chilly I guess!

Cheers - Austria is unlikely to be anything but a disaster - since 01/01/11: 4hours a week cycling, 1 hour a week running (when I'm not injured which I have been for the last month or so) and <1 swim per week. I haven't worn my wetsuit or swum open water since IMCH'10. On the plus side I set a PB for a 10m TT the other week and I'm still looking forward to it! :)

how'd you do?
The world record was set at 7:45 somthing - wasnt you was it?

Ha no but I saw Vanwhatshisnacker Weiss and Lowe out on the run course lapping me. It was a fast day on a fast course and lots of records ended up being broken - World Record (Vanwhatsit), British Record (Lowe) and Women's American and debutant's (Ellis).

From my perspective the swim was an utter disaster- the worst swim I've ever had. Massive headaches from about halfway, stopping to wretch, more headaches and complete loss of power and energy - I honestly thought I was going to stop the whole race then and there. In the end I had to stop about 20m from the swim exit and completely emptied my guts and almost drowned in the process.

I'm not entirely sure why I even got on the bike - I think I just followed everyone else, and then the ice lady was helping me off with my wetsuit and putting my bike shoes on my feet. After a slowish transition I set out with utter fury on the bike. I was so angry I needlessly and uncharacteristically screamed at some other british rider for coming across my line in the first few km (Sorry Andy -whoever you are). Anyway, I knocked the first lap out at an average of about 35/36kmph (I'll check the garmin data) and then realised I needed to chill out and so I reigned myself back for the next lap. 112miles on the bike done in 5:13.

I popped a few painkillers for the knee before I finished on the bike and then set out on the run. By this point any race plan I had had was blown way out of the water so I ran by feel for the first 10km or so. By then I had settled into a rhythm and decided to hold onto that pace for as long as possible. At some point I sprung a leak in my nose so apparently I looked a little ... er... grizzly with blood all caught up in my beard and sprayed down my front. About 10km out I had a notion that I might be on for sub 10 (my target was sub 11) so I just went for it. I'm not sure I've ever hurt so much and I was right on the edge of collapsing for the last 1500 or so but but in the end I dipped in in 9:54.

Over the line I was too exhausted to feel much elation, and I'm somewhat frustrated that I managed to do so well off so little training - I have a slight case of the "what ifs" but in the end training for an IM around having a life is always going to be a struggle and I'm absolutely delighted with the way I was able to push myself during the race and handle its ups and downs. In the end what with everyone else breaking records it would have been a shame if I hadn't had a pb.

(incidentally my target was 11 hours roughly split 1hr swim (inc T1) 6hour bike, 4hour run (inc T2).)

I just got back from a few days recovering in Croatia but I'll post the Garmin data when I have a moment. In the meantime my results are here: Race number 617

that a seriously impressive age grade placing!

my bro did it in 9:48, but is in an older grouping so way down compaired.

Here are the garmin data if anyone is interested:

Bike: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98073498

Run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98073514

and the FB album with some of the photos in: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.714090215931.2349839.61000900&l=da3be0b876 (I think that is the link to share albums publicly... IMAT photos should run from 46 - 64 )

Just signed up for the Leybourne lake Saturday sprint next weekend time. For shits & giggles & see if I can actually do one of these things.

I've been thinking of doing this as well. Ever since I started running. I've lost some weight and am a bit fitter since, and I now know I can run and cycle that distance no problem, but I've never swam 750m. I don't even know if my swimming form is correct (never had lessons, but swam a lot in lakes growing up). I mean, 750m doesn't sound like too much, but I'd probably drown.

Plus mixing up my training would probably be good as all I'm doing now is running and riding my bike to pubs and polo.

Sprint triathlon does get my boaty floaty