Triathletes

[DOD]Asprilla · 9 May 2010 at 20:14

I know there has got to be more than just me starting / doing triathlon on here. Just wondering what events people are doing this year and if anyone wants to share hints and tips?

This year will be my first tri and it's only a half olympic. If I enjoy it (and I'm really enjoying the training) then I'll sign up to another in September and a full programme next year leading to a half Ironman.

Training at the moment has been around 200 miles a week in the saddle, plus two spin sessions, 3km a week in the pool an between 10 and 15km run at the weekend. Last weekend I started openwater swimming with a 1.5hr training course and this weekend was my first brick: 16km ride, 1km lake swim, 16km ride and 5.5km run.

I wasn't busting a gut in transition, taking my time and the roads were terrible so the ride wasn't quick, but it was a good morning; same again next week.

Gym at work is being refurbished at the moment so I'll be going back to the weights once that is done. Anyone got any advice on that? Most tri advice is for two sessions a week of full body workout (no day of chest / back, etc) using compound exercises with a full range of motion; any ideas on a decent routine?

BennyC · 9 May 2010 at 21:06

Can't offer any advice except for the weights.

I'm guessing you'll want to be working in your endurance range and pushing your lactate threshold. So whatever you're doing make sure you keep the reps high. Some power work every so often probaly wouldn't go a miss.

Try to keep it as aerobic as possible so during your full body if you can work areas that aren't adjacent to each other the demand on your heart to supply blood is harder. For example instead of working chest, then your shoulders, then your back and then your core, then legs. Mix it up and start with legs, then hit your shoulders, then your back then your chest etc. Should get you sweating

[DOD]Asprilla · 10 May 2010 at 10:59

Cheers for that BennyC. Not sure about the aerobic session, I think it's just power that I should be looking at. If you consider that 2 hours on the bike each day at 90rpm I'm effectively doing over 10,000 reps, I'm not sure that some additional light reps in the Gym is going to have much improvement in aerobic capacity.

BennyC · 10 May 2010 at 19:32

You'll be suprised if you sit yourself on the leg press or get under a bar and squat till failure how much lactate build up you can get. It'll help increase your VO2 max too.

Some HIIT (explosive intervals) would be good for helping your recovery too. My resting heart rate plumeted after 2 months of HIIT & circuits. Might help somewhat if your heart becomes more efficient

platypus · 13 May 2010 at 15:05

I want to get into triathlons, and have been preparing but my swimming is so poor at the moment it's not worth my while. A serious effort this summer and winter should hopefully see some fruition next year.

Oh and for VO2 Max, drink beetroot juice.

BennyC · 13 May 2010 at 18:44

platypus said:
Oh and for VO2 Max, drink beetroot juice.

Be interested to know how drinking beetroot juice can increase the bodys ability to use oxygen during exercise? Genuinely, not being saracastic

Myxo · 13 May 2010 at 19:17

platypus said:
I want to get into triathlons, and have been preparing but my swimming is so poor at the moment it's not worth my while. A serious effort this summer and winter should hopefully see some fruition next year.

Oh and for VO2 Max, drink beetroot juice.

You should consider joining a club (If you aren't already) to improve your swimming. When I joined my triathlon club I hadn't swam in over 4 years, but thanks to some coaching I have my 400m to under 7 minutes. Also great for motivation as well but the only downside is that they tend to have rigid schedules which isn't always good when you have busy days.

This is my first season, and I'm extremely looking forward to the club relays in august!

[DOD]Asprilla · 13 May 2010 at 20:03

Fortunately, in my younger days I swam competitively and coached a little stroke correction, so my stroke is pretty good. I just need to work on my stamina (slowing down would help, it's not a 50m, it's a 750m) and my breathing. At the moment I'm still breathing every two stokes, when it should be every three.

I'm also struggling to get my bike set up correctly at the moment and I've only got a week until my first. If the worst comes to the worst I'll use my long distance bike.

Mad old tory · 13 May 2010 at 21:00

I'm intrigued by tri. Always like cycling and did a lot of swimming while I was younger. Running is great fun too so it seems perfect.

[DOD]Asprilla · 13 May 2010 at 21:57

Apparently it's the new midlife crisis. Well that's probably why I'm getting I to it.

Mad old tory · 13 May 2010 at 22:42

I'm only 23

WantoN · 14 May 2010 at 08:59

Two googles for you my friend.

Endurance perioidisation and Lactate Threshold Training.

Come back with questions abound

Ant

[DOD]Asprilla · 14 May 2010 at 10:03

I'm aware of lactate threshold training and both my running and my cycling include sprint intervals. That's something I've been doing for years for half marathon training.

As for the periodisation, that's out the window for this year, especially as I'm only doing one, maybe two tris this year anyway. If anything, this whole year is going to be base training as I generally increase my running and cycling mileage. A period of complete rest is difficult, since the minimum exercise I can do is 170-250 miles cycled a week. I guess I need to increase my base to the point where I can redefine 'rest periods'.

clv101 · 21 May 2010 at 12:36

I've done a few triathlons. In fact this weekend I'm doing the Swashbucker. At 1.9km OW swim, 80km bike and 22.5km run it's approximately half ironman distance. The swim is ~30m long, the bike ~6 miles short and the run ~1 mile long.

Next month I'm doing the M-dot UK Ironman 70.3.

platypus · 21 May 2010 at 13:06

BennyC said:
Be interested to know how drinking beetroot juice can increase the bodys ability to use oxygen during exercise? Genuinely, not being saracastic

Can't link to any research at the moment Benny, but some scientists at Manchester are researching into this and their results have been quite interesting

.

platypus · 21 May 2010 at 13:08

Asprilla, might you consider listing the events you're doing? I'd be interested.

[DOD]Asprilla · 21 May 2010 at 13:09

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/news/title,37371,en.html

At the moment I'm only signed up for the Eton Half Olympic, which is tomorrow!

I'm in wave 6 starting at 10.55 and I'm aiming for around 1hr30

platypus · 21 May 2010 at 13:11

Well there you go. Knew it was something to do with the nitrates, didn't realise Exeter were looking at it too.

[DOD]Asprilla · 22 May 2010 at 17:02

1hr 19mins 42sec. 10 minutes under target and very happy! It was very happy and I had to take on a lot of fluid on the bike leg.

Where to improve:
Swim - breathing and sighting. I managed around 13 mins but got held up by other swimmers. If I could have spotted a route round them and been able to breath both sides I could have save time

Bike - Cadance. I went to pot and for some reason I decided to lower my saddle my a cm as I racked the bike even though I've done 200 miles getting the set up perfect. I then spent the first 10k mashing in to high a gear, particularly in the head wind sections. The low saddle contributed to be firing from the quads instead of the glutes. Changed down and span up from 90rpm to 115rpm for the second 10k. Much better.

Run - Run more, get faster.

Mad old tory · 22 May 2010 at 21:27

Nice one!

Is the breathing both sides purely for the visibility or are there speed benefits from it as well?

I know when I used to swim more, people would advocate breathing both sides (3 stroke cycle I guess would be the term?) but I could never get on with it.