My First Tri in May

Cam Wilson <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I am *SO* pumped for this race!!!

I just registered for my first tri, a Try-a-Tri race at a May event with another longer tri, a
relay, and a duathlon. Since this is to be my first, I felt that the short race for beginners
would be appropriate. As it stands right now, I *could* handle a longer race, though I haven't
gone through transitions and all of the finer details of a tri yet.... so a short, easier-going
race is the way to get familiarized with things.

I should be able complete the race in under an hour. I know my swim time roughly, as well as my
run time, but am unsure about the bike. I HAVE been cycling, but have not yet checked my time for
the distance that'll be covered in the race. It is a 100m-12.1km-2K race.

I figure I can move fairly quickly and confidently through the swim, with a surge over the last
50m and all out on the last 25m... then just pedal the darned bike for 12.1k (no strategy to the
bike yet - any tips?), then take a couple of minutes on the run to get the legs in run mode and
then go full out for the ridiculously short 2K. Hell, I've done a number of half marathons, and
one marathon, so 2K will be nothing.

But the overall experience should sufficiently blow my mind, and hook me into this sport. I've
been a fan, watching races on both TV and live, watching and learning transition strategies, etc.
I have mentally gone through the whole race several times already, and have done a couple of
bricks just to test how the bod handles the switch from sport to sport. Now that the roads are
bare around here (snow's melting), I'll tune up the bike and get out there for better quality
rides. It's just been the stationary bike all this winter.

All right, tri... here I come!

Cam

Have you practiced T1, the swim to bike transition? That's another spot that trips up many 1st
timers. Just run through it a couple of times so you've got the steps down and know what works for
you. Have a great Tri!

You'll have a great time, Cam. It's a wonderful sport and a good race.

Harry

Cam Wilson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I am *SO* pumped for this race!!!

I just registered for my first tri, a Try-a-Tri race at a May event with another longer tri, a
relay, and a duathlon. Since this is to be my first, I felt that the short race for beginners
would be appropriate. As it stands right now, I *could* handle a longer race, though I haven't
gone through transitions and all of the finer details of a tri yet.... so a short, easier-going
race is the way to get familiarized with things.

I should be able complete the race in under an hour. I know my swim time roughly, as well as my
run time, but am unsure about the bike. I HAVE been cycling, but have not yet checked my time for
the distance that'll be covered in the race. It is a 100m-12.1km-2K race.

I figure I can move fairly quickly and confidently through the swim, with a surge over the last
50m and all out on the last 25m... then just pedal the darned bike for 12.1k (no strategy to the
bike yet - any tips?), then take a couple of minutes on the run to get the legs in run mode and
then go full out for the ridiculously short 2K. Hell, I've done a number of half marathons, and
one marathon, so 2K will be nothing.

But the overall experience should sufficiently blow my mind, and hook me into this sport. I've
been a fan, watching races on both TV and live, watching and learning transition strategies, etc.
I have mentally gone through the whole race several times already, and have done a couple of
bricks just to test how the bod handles the switch from sport to sport. Now that the roads are
bare around here (snow's melting), I'll tune up the bike and get out there for better quality
rides. It's just been the stationary bike all this winter.

All right, tri... here I come!

Cam

In a race as short as that one, you can move ahead of a lot of people by just making sure you have
fast transitions. Practice them.

Have fun and let us know how it turned out.

"Cam Wilson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am *SO* pumped for this race!!!

I just registered for my first tri, a Try-a-Tri race at a May event with another longer tri, a
relay, and a duathlon. Since this is to be my first, I felt that the short race for beginners
would be appropriate. As it stands right now, I *could* handle a longer race, though I haven't
gone through transitions and all of the finer details of a tri yet.... so a short, easier-going
race is the way to get familiarized with things.

I should be able complete the race in under an hour. I know my swim time roughly, as well as my
run time, but am unsure about the bike. I HAVE been cycling, but have not yet checked my time for
the distance that'll be covered in the race. It is a 100m-12.1km-2K race.

I figure I can move fairly quickly and confidently through the swim, with a surge over the last
50m and all out on the last 25m... then just pedal the darned bike for 12.1k (no strategy to the
bike yet - any tips?), then take a couple of minutes on the run to get the legs in run mode and
then go full out for the ridiculously short 2K. Hell, I've done a number of half marathons, and
one marathon, so 2K will be nothing.

But the overall experience should sufficiently blow my mind, and hook me into this sport. I've
been a fan, watching races on both TV and live, watching and learning transition strategies, etc.
I have mentally gone through the whole race several times already, and have done a couple of
bricks just to test how the bod handles the switch from sport to sport. Now that the roads are
bare around here (snow's melting), I'll tune up the bike and get out there for better quality
rides. It's just been the stationary bike all this winter.

All right, tri... here I come!

Cam

"Tom Henderson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have you practiced T1, the swim to bike transition? That's another spot that trips up many 1st
timers. Just run through it a couple of times so you've got the steps down and know what works for
you. Have a great Tri!

What is the trick in this transition. Do people bother to dry off or do you just accept cycling in
wet trunks and all the chaffing that must cause?

Why don't they do triathlon the other way round - personally I would prefer run, cycle, swim! This
is the way I've been training for my first one in June.

In article 3xJfa.204145$F1.10543@sccrnsc04 said:

In a race as short as that one, you can move ahead of a lot of people by just making sure you have
fast transitions. Practice them.

Have fun and let us know how it turned out.

thanks for that tip. i've gathered that much from watching races. some people do a complete clothing
change and really slow down during transition. i plan on wearing the same shorts/tights throughout
and will just throw on a singlet for the bike and run. oh, and the shoes.

i've already gotten used to using the elastic quick-lock shoe laces, which i now swear by just for
sheer comfort.

Cam

Cam Wilson <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<cam_wilson-

Quoted message said:

I figure I can move fairly quickly and confidently through the swim, with a surge over the last
50m and all out on the last 25m...

One thing I learned at my first tri:

Spiking the heart rate at the end of the swim=bad.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Dr. Harry Johnson) said:

You'll have a great time, Cam. It's a wonderful sport and a good race.

Harry

thanks, Harry. I'm really looking forward to this. after a few years of running some fairly long
distances, i'm realizing my body won't handle much more of that pounding on the pavement, so i am
seeing that tri is a better fit for me. a bit of running, but the swimming is excellent conditioning
and cycling is added fun.

Cam

In article <[email hidden]>, Tom Henderson

Quoted message said:

Have you practiced T1, the swim to bike transition? That's another spot that trips up many 1st
timers. Just run through it a couple of times so you've got the steps down and know what works for
you. Have a great Tri!

no, i've only ever practised T2 a couple of times, but i see what you mean. the way i see it:

jog, don't run and trip... to the bike shirt, helmet, sunglasses ON race bib belt ON sit down and
quickly dry feet sox and shoes on grab the bike jog to the line and mount the bike get out of there!

Cam

[email hidden] (Jill) wrote in news:2b0b9381.0303241853.7acbfd11 @posting.google.com:

Quoted message said:

Cam Wilson <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<cam_wilson-

Quoted message said:

I figure I can move fairly quickly and confidently through the swim, with a surge over the last
50m and all out on the last 25m...

One thing I learned at my first tri:

Spiking the heart rate at the end of the swim=bad.

I discovered that the fine motor skills department had taken the day off after a hard swim. Couldn't
tie my shoes, and putting on a shirt seemed incredibly complicated!

The order is for safety. Do you want to konk out on your bike and fall over, konk out in the water
and sink, or konk out while running and walk?

Tom

"Broooz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Tom Henderson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have you practiced T1, the swim to bike transition? That's another spot that trips up many 1st
timers. Just run through it a couple of times so you've got the steps down and know what works
for you. Have a great Tri!

What is the trick in this transition. Do people bother to dry off or do

you

Quoted message said:

just accept cycling in wet trunks and all the chaffing that must cause?

Why don't they do triathlon the other way round - personally I would

prefer

Quoted message said:

run, cycle, swim! This is the way I've been training for my first one in June.

"Cam Wilson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article 3xJfa.204145$F1.10543@sccrnsc04 said:

In a race as short as that one, you can move ahead of a lot of people by just making sure you
have fast transitions. Practice them.

Have fun and let us know how it turned out.

thanks for that tip. i've gathered that much from watching races. some people do a complete
clothing change and really slow down during transition. i plan on wearing the same shorts/tights
throughout and will just throw on a singlet for the bike and run. oh, and the shoes.

i've already gotten used to using the elastic quick-lock shoe laces, which i now swear by just for
sheer comfort.

Cam

I found the quick-laces to be a real blessing! I put body glide on my heels and ankles before the
swim, it makes getting socks on wet feet very easy. Also put baby powder inside your socks,(feet dry
faster, no blisters) roll the socks so they are ready to pull on and set them inside your shoes.
stack everything in the order you want to put it on. Tri-shorts dry FAST, no chafing on the bike.

Practice T1. Before a ride, soak your body down with a hose and practice T1. It helps.

At the race, after you mount your bike on the rack, go to the entrance of T1 from the swim and find
your bike. Then go to the entrance of T2 and find the rack where your bike will go. My first tri was
Danskin and with 2300 bikes in the transition area you had to know where your bike was, especially
since many first timers were a bit disoriented coming out of the water.

Keep a bottle of water in transition and on your bike. tape power-gels to your bike.

Good Luck and have a blast!!!!!

jojo

In article <[email hidden]>, "jojo"

Quoted message said:

I found the quick-laces to be a real blessing! I put body glide on my heels and ankles before the
swim, it makes getting socks on wet feet very easy. Also put baby powder inside your socks,(feet
dry faster, no blisters) roll the socks so they are ready to pull on and set them inside your
shoes. stack everything in the order you want to put it on. Tri-shorts dry FAST, no chafing on
the bike.

Practice T1. Before a ride, soak your body down with a hose and practice T1. It helps.

At the race, after you mount your bike on the rack, go to the entrance of T1 from the swim and
find your bike. Then go to the entrance of T2 and find the rack where your bike will go. My first
tri was Danskin and with 2300 bikes in the transition area you had to know where your bike was,
especially since many first timers were a bit disoriented coming out of the water.

Keep a bottle of water in transition and on your bike. tape power-gels to your bike.

Good Luck and have a blast!!!!!

hey thanks for the cool ideas. these should really help me motor through T! and T2. i could even
practise T1 at home in my apartment! step into the shower for a soaking, then hop out and do the
clothes change 🙂

i am thinking of trying a trick to finding my bike at T1.... inflate a helium balloon and tie it so
it floats above my bike on the racks. then i just look for the balloon after the swim... and hope
nobody popped it.

Cam

In article said:

Cam Wilson <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<cam_wilson-

Quoted message said:

I figure I can move fairly quickly and confidently through the swim, with a surge over the last
50m and all out on the last 25m...

One thing I learned at my first tri:

Spiking the heart rate at the end of the swim=bad.

oh yeah? hmmm, well maybe i'll heed your words rather than put them to the test. what did you
experience with the HR spike?

Cam

Cam Wilson said:

(Jill) said:

One thing I learned at my first tri:

oh yeah? hmmm, well maybe i'll heed your words rather than put them to the test. what did you
experience with the HR spike?

probably that he saved 10 seconds, but nearly threw up dashing out. If anything, you want to be
slowing down as you exit the water.
--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

Cam Wilson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I am *SO* pumped for this race!!!

I just registered for my first tri, a Try-a-Tri race at a May event with another longer tri, a
relay, and a duathlon. Since this is to be my first, I felt that the short race for beginners
would be appropriate. As it stands right now, I *could* handle a longer race, though I haven't
gone through transitions and all of the finer details of a tri yet.... so a short, easier-going
race is the way to get familiarized with things.

I should be able complete the race in under an hour. I know my swim time roughly, as well as my
run time, but am unsure about the bike. I HAVE been cycling, but have not yet checked my time for
the distance that'll be covered in the race. It is a 100m-12.1km-2K race.

I figure I can move fairly quickly and confidently through the swim, with a surge over the last
50m and all out on the last 25m... then just pedal the darned bike for 12.1k (no strategy to the
bike yet - any tips?), then take a couple of minutes on the run to get the legs in run mode and
then go full out for the ridiculously short 2K. Hell, I've done a number of half marathons, and
one marathon, so 2K will be nothing.

But the overall experience should sufficiently blow my mind, and hook me into this sport. I've
been a fan, watching races on both TV and live, watching and learning transition strategies, etc.
I have mentally gone through the whole race several times already, and have done a couple of
bricks just to test how the bod handles the switch from sport to sport. Now that the roads are
bare around here (snow's melting), I'll tune up the bike and get out there for better quality
rides. It's just been the stationary bike all this winter.

All right, tri... here I come!

Cam

When it come to transitions, there are a lot of tips and tricks... unfortunately, it seems that
experience is the best teacher. What ever you do... take it easy, don't rush... only after many T1's
and T2 do you find a method and rythm that works.

For reference, Pro's T1 times are usually less than 20-30 secs. (without wetsuit). With wetsuit, you
might add 10 secs. (unless it's a Piel wetsuit). Good amateurs will finish under 1 min. Beginners
can take up to 2-3 mins.

I think it's important that you don't try and hurry...have fun...and, just maintain a steady pace
(i.e., HR and effort). Triathlon is a single event sport that happens to have 3 different
activities. Your best training involves treating all three events as one. Training for one and
hoping you will just wing it throught the other 2 will make it more difficult than it should be. At
any rate, good luck and have fun.

FWIW Joe M

Cam Wilson <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, "jojo"

Quoted message said:

I found the quick-laces to be a real blessing! I put body glide on my heels and ankles before the
swim, it makes getting socks on wet feet very easy. Also put baby powder inside your socks,(feet
dry faster, no blisters) roll the socks so they are ready to pull on and set them inside your
shoes. stack everything in the order you want to put it on. Tri-shorts dry FAST, no chafing on
the bike.

Practice T1. Before a ride, soak your body down with a hose and practice T1. It helps.

At the race, after you mount your bike on the rack, go to the entrance of T1 from the swim and
find your bike. Then go to the entrance of T2 and find the rack where your bike will go. My first
tri was Danskin and with 2300 bikes in the transition area you had to know where your bike was,
especially since many first timers were a bit disoriented coming out of the water.

Keep a bottle of water in transition and on your bike. tape power-gels to your bike.

Good Luck and have a blast!!!!!

hey thanks for the cool ideas. these should really help me motor through T! and T2. i could even
practise T1 at home in my apartment! step into the shower for a soaking, then hop out and do the
clothes change 🙂

i am thinking of trying a trick to finding my bike at T1.... inflate a helium balloon and tie it
so it floats above my bike on the racks. then i just look for the balloon after the swim... and
hope nobody popped it.

Cam

People also use sidewalk chalk in the TA. Remember to figure out where you'll enter the TA after the
swim and orient yourself from there.

Cam Wilson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Spiking the heart rate at the end of the swim=bad.

oh yeah? hmmm, well maybe i'll heed your words rather than put them to the test. what did you
experience with the HR spike?

Nothing with visually explosive results or anything, I've just discovered that it's just not much
fun to be getting on the bike already wheezing for breath. It's so much nicer to start the bike when
you're feeling calmer and more in control. I feel like I can jump into a nice steady pace tat way,
instead of having to treat the first bit of bike as recovery from the swim.

Jill

In article said:

Cam Wilson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Spiking the heart rate at the end of the swim=bad.

oh yeah? hmmm, well maybe i'll heed your words rather than put them to the test. what did you
experience with the HR spike?

Nothing with visually explosive results or anything, I've just discovered that it's just not much
fun to be getting on the bike already wheezing for breath. It's so much nicer to start the bike
when you're feeling calmer and more in control. I feel like I can jump into a nice steady pace tat
way, instead of having to treat the first bit of bike as recovery from the swim.

Jill

and i guess the other side of this is that i'm not the strongest swimmer out there.... a 2:39 best
in the 100m. no point in knocking myself out there - as you say, better to save the bod for the
bike, where i can make more of a difference.

thanks,

Cam

In article said:

Cam Wilson said:

(Jill) said:

One thing I learned at my first tri:

oh yeah? hmmm, well maybe i'll heed your words rather than put them to the test. what did you
experience with the HR spike?

probably that he saved 10 seconds, but nearly threw up dashing out. If anything, you want to be
slowing down as you exit the water.

point taken. got it, thanks.

Cam