Active Community : All Content - Newbies (New Triathletes)

First Time Triathelete, Injury Recovery?

guest — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:46:49 GMT

I'm currently i week 3 of 10 training for the LateBird Triathlon in Whitewater, Wisconsin. I took a pretty big spill on then bike yesterday. It's not to bad, a little banged up, the worst seems to be a severe thumb strain (probably hooked it on the handelbars as I went over) which isn't to bad except I can't grip anything. This limits weight training and biking.

I'm looking for advice on recovery from injury, or how I should modify my schedule.

Thanks, I'm really looking forward to competing!

-Jason

I Have A Triathlon Training Journal I'm Giving Away.

guest — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 16:03:32 GMT

Tracking your training? I'm giving away a training journal to 1 lucky winner. Check it out. #Triathlon http://goo.gl/RJ0sk

35 yr old SAHM attempts triathlon... can it be done?

guest — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:08:09 GMT

I am a 35 yr old SAHM who started running to shed a few lbs last may of 2011. Liked it cause it got me out of the house (alone time from the 1 and 2 year old ;~/). I then made a goal of doing a 1/2 marathon by the end of the season. Furthest I had ran was 8 miles prior to completing the 1/2 - in 2:15. I had been also doing P90X the whole summer.

This year I am doing P90X2, still running about 4 - 6 miles on my off days from working out at a 9 - 10 min mile. I finally purchased a used bike yesterday (I am signed up for a triathlon June 10th - LOL). Took it for a ride today. Did 10 miles at an average of 11 mph. Could have definitely gone further but time restraints made me have to stop.

Swimming I don't believe will be a large issue. Used to be on a swim team. Did do some indoor swimming recently just to get a feel. I was able to swim 40 lengths of the pool that was not 25 yards but how ever many meters... I believe it ended up being a little over 1 mile.

How will I do? What should I add to my training? I need help, I am very very very nervous!!!!!!

Dumb (?) Question from a first-timer

guest — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:30:24 GMT

I've signed up for my first sprint tri next month, and I had a thought...do I need some sort of ankle strap for my timing-chip? I'm used to tying it on my laces during races, but obviously I won't be wearing shoes in the swim. Any help would be welcome!! Any other advice on getting through my first would be great also!!

Help Anyone.

guest — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:44:23 GMT

I am pretty good at getting out of my shoes on the bike and dismounting,and pretty good at getting on the bike with shoes clipped in but fumble

a lot getting into my shoes,just cant seem to get into them fast,takes a lot of wiggleing,any tips would help.

Any other slow, overweight newbie triathletes?

guest — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:28:42 GMT

I am training for my first triathlon in this large, overweight body. Plus I'm slow at everything, with average runners and swimmers usually finishing twice as fast as me. As for biking, I am only now just starting my bike training, and I'm very slow at that too. However, I'm doing my swim-bike-run training as an excellent way to burn calories (and lose weight), and training for a sprint triathlon is just a bonus to help me target my training.

So I'm starting this thread to invite all of those wanna-be potential triathletes to enter into a discussion about starting tri-training. You know who you are - runners or bikers who do one or both of the other activities as cross-training, and you've thought about doing a tri. Or you are slow or overweight like me, and would never think of even tackling such an event in your "condition". Well, think again. Just cause we're not primed to win, doesn't mean that when we participate in a tri that we aren't winners! Your thoughts?

My first sprint-tri is June 5th. Anyone else game?

Thinking About Trying This Thing

guest — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:03:15 GMT

Hi there. I am a 35 yr old mom of two. I have an office job where I sit for very long periods, which has taken a toll recently. I am trying to get back in shape. I have been getting back to the gym the last couple of weeks, and it feels great. My body really craves it. I recently came across info on the Iron Girl Sprint Triathlon...it will be in a location just a few hours away from me at the end of August, so I got to thinking...could I do that? IDK. Par tof me really want to do it, and it would be a great motivator for getting in shape. I haven't ridden a bike or swam in years, and I am not a runner. Am I crazy for even thinking about it?

More lots of newbie questions

guest — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:36:01 GMT

Sure you guys get asked the same basic stuff a lot, but I wanted to kind of personal the questions with my own information to get better answers.

I'm a 29 year old female, had a baby last May and started getting back into shape around Jan 1 of this year. A few years ago I ran a 16k and I am training to do it again on May 21 of this year (which is also my son's first birthday- yeah!- I'm at 13k right now). I am considering signing up for a local triathalon that is on July 21 of this year. I really need to focus on my running for the next month so swimming and biking would be taking backseat until after my race. Because of my son, I usually work out a the gym (because they have childcare) but manage 2 outdoor workouts per week.

The triathalon I am considering is a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run. Currently I don't really swim (but have grown up swimming in the local lake which is very calm, it is a parallel shore swim as well). I do a 75 minute all-terrain cycle class at my gym each week (we use the tension to simulate hills etc, the tri bike is a flat, paved ride the website describes as 'easy') and I currently get in 2 outdoor runs a week (one around 6-7km and one 10-13 and building km). My plan is to focus the next month on hitting about 18km before my race. After my race I would start using my 2 weekly outdoor exercise days as brick training days, swimming at the local YMCA (not my gym so no childcare) until the weather gets nice enough to start practicing in the lake and doing runs and bikes outdoors. I would try to focus my gym workouts on running and cycling (no pool at my gym)

I am also currenly about 50lbs overweight (I have lost 34lb since Jan but still have a ways to go). The weight situation is only going to get better before July, but it still does make it harder on me physically.

My real question is- am I nuts to think I can do this? If I already have the running up to par, and cycle 75 minutes/week, is 2 months of training long enough to get the swimming up and get the combination and endurance strong?

If it's at the end of Jule and the lake is normally about 21 degree celcius (70 degrees Farenheit) do I still want/need a wetsuit? If it will be a financial strain is it really necessary?-

I really like group exercise classes. If I do 1-2 longer outdoor cycles a week, is doing a 60-75 minute group cycle class several times a week helpful to my training as well, or do I need to use a stationary bike by myself without the 'class'?

I currently aim to workout 6 days a week (Sometimes I do only hit 5 of them) but I would try a workout schedule like this for the 2 months before my tri:

Monday-60 minute step class, 60 minute weight lifting class (I know this isn't tri related but I'd hate to cut it because I enjoy it)

Wednesday- 6-8km run and 1hour of swimming laps (mostly in pool but in lake when warmer- when in lake can extend time too)

Thursday- 1h cycle class (could probably add some treadmill time after most of the time)

Friday- 75 minute cycle class

Saturday- 30 minute step, 30 minute weight lifting, 30 minutes aerobic and 30 minutes core training- (this is another fun combo of classes I enjoy at my gym)

Sunday-bike to YMCA or lake (about 7.5km ), swim as long as I can (try to work up to 2km) and then bike home and longer as I progress (is it bad that I have to bike to get to the pool? then swim, then bike again? It would be a pain for my husband to load the baby in the car and give me a ride over to the Y so I could swim and bike home)

Thanks for any help or advice

New to TRIATHLONS-lots of questions!

guest — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:21:51 GMT

New to TRIATHLONS with TONS of questions!!

Help! I am thinking of signing up for the SheROX Tri at the end of August. I am a frequent flyer of 10milers and 1/2 marathons but don't consider myself much of a swimmer and have only biked once or twice for leisure. I'm not too worried about the training, although I would love any guidance you could give me on that. Is it possible to train on my own without a personal trainer? When I said I'm not much of a swimmer, I meant I pretty much suck at it! What kind of equipment do I need? wetsuit? bike recommendations? (don't have more than a 10 speed lol), special goggles?, shoes? etc. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Training buddy in Chicago?

guest — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 03:46:43 GMT

Just signed up for my first tri ever! I will be doing the sprint distance in the Chicago Tri in Aug 2012. I was wondering if there is anyone out there who is new to the sport who is sort of slow who would like to train with a buddy. I know I enjoy working out more if I have someone there with me. Let me know if you're interested!