feel great!

you did it wrong then, triathlons aren't meant to leave you feeling great.

you're meant to swim through your own vomit, after being kicked viciously in the throat, and inhaling a near fatal amount of freezing lake water.

you're meant to put so much effort in the tedious road cycle stage that you collapse in agonising cramp 12 minutes into the 10k running stage.

you're meant to feel totally humiliated, and vow to return after spending at least £10,000 on kit.

i didn't do any of the above, which is why i came dead last, and found myself enjoying most of it, apart from the coming dead last bit obviously…

I am thinking about attempting a triathlon this year.

…now all i need is to learn to swim again and a road bike.

well done
I did two last year but gave up as didn't like the running bit.

Well done there fella. What were the distances?

I am thinking about attempting a triathlon this year.

Me too. The "T" at the end of my GPS watch thingy suggests "Triathlon". I'm shit at swimming. I could do a fantastic doggie paddle though.

Nice one! Did my first last year too – all off road/open water. Sadly there aren't that many similar ones down here and the one I did isn't on this year.

Which bits went well? I guess most on here are strongest at cycling?!

I'm shit at swimming.

Same here. I can do a good 'not drowning' and that is about it.

I guess most on here are strongest at cycling?!

I would say running for me at the mo.

most on here are strongest at cycling

I'd probably be better at running than grinding out road miles tbh.

Same here. Never really enjoyed it…

What are you planning to do about it? I'm so inefficient that I'm shagged after a couple of lengths… 🙁

I was thinking taking some proper lessons and practising…but that just seems like hard work.

I think I'm running first then swimming then cycling – my DH speed lets me down.

Was a beach lifeguard and surfed all my life which helps – but hate pool swimming. Has to be open water. Breathing every third stroke really really helps (a lot breath every 2nd or 4th).

Has to be open water.

That's how I want to do mine but….

I'm not sure I can do a…

good 'not drowning'

in open water 😯

And the ignominy of being pulled spluttering out of the water would destroy me 🙂

And the ignominy of being pulled spluttering out of the water would destroy me

…but would make others laugh, so stop being so selfish 😉

I tried a couple of off road ones last year, thought they were a good laugh, doing my first road one this weekend, can't see it being as much fun, but worth a punt I thought.

My run lets me down though, partly because I don't enjoy it, so don't tend to train!

I've never had a "DNF" by my name…I'm not about to start now!

I keep thinking about a tri. Problem is, my running is terrible. Although not as bad as it once was, after changing my style.

I just figure that I'm a decent swimmer, should clean up on the bike, then just hope for the best on the run! Should be fine on sprint tris, maybe less so on full distance!

I found the swim ok – although not the same as a pool swim with all those arms and legs flaying around. Bike was good although the run was rubbish. Probably didnt help by lack of preparation to do a 10k after all that other stuff.

I was coming third after the cycle leg of the first ever British full Ironman triathlon in 1985. However my excertions meant I finished near last after the marathon.
The London Triathlon was good, but my favourite was called the Jordans Triathlon in Bedfordshire.

Same here I suppose. How'd you do yesterday Njee?

I'm well and truly addicted to Triathlon. It doesn't need to be expensive, though it is very easy to be drawn into kit to speed transitions etc…

mtb with slick tyres, some tri-shorts, goggles, running shoes… and that's about what you can get away with. use a bike jersey on the bike & run. The first two I did, I wasn't too bothered about transition speed – I was more interested on being quick in the actual swim/bike/run bits. Transitions are sped up no end with a tri suit… but I didn't want that expense back then.

I would highly recommend going to a running shop and getting some shoes for you – I didn't enjoy running until I got some well fitting shoes, and now really enjoy it.

Swimming – lessons at your local pool are a good way to get the basics, but most tri clubs cater for beginners as well, and usually have swim training sessions, again, catering for beginners all the way through the ranks.

freeform – what was your event?

I've got one more pool based Olympic distance (800m pool swim) before I enter the world of open water olympic – Dambuster in June! eeek.

..now all i need is to learn to swim

of the ones I've done, its only the top 20% who are anything like decent swimmers

and a road bike.

seen lots of MTBs and hybrids

my running is terrible

Bet its not as bad as mine.

I think that for a sprint distance, swim speed makes bugger all difference because its relatively short, so if you are average for the other 2 then you won't be last by a long way.

Which bits went well? I guess most on here are strongest at cycling?!

not for me, i cant run, but i train a lot for cycling and swimming.

How'd you do yesterday Njee?

Had a hard training week, so went into it with tired legs, as evidenced by my rubbish, but very consistent lap times! Enjoyed the course though, much better than the Southern they had there. Saw you did alright.

We got a road bike last year (just a basic Allez Elite) so we can do a few with road bike sections. A shame as I really enjoyed the MTB bit (about 10 miles, very technical in bits, all very much off road).

Did the Sprint category of the EnduranceLife South Devon tri last year – Was 5th after the swim, 4th after the ride, 1st after the run so pleased with that but their were only about 45 in my group (500m swim in force 6 wind, 10 mile cycle, 4 mile coast run) . Under no illusions I'll do as well this time around though but it was certainly fun.

It was quite funny – everyone had full on tri wetsuits and goggles and many had tri suits. I had a surfing wetsuit and no goggles then "normal" cycle and running gear.

If anyone know of any fully off road tris, please let me know!

XTT is a good event, Hawley Lake, just off the M3, in September. There's an MTB enduro on the Sunday too if you want a make a weekend of it.

There were about 200 people last year in the triathlon IIRC.

took me about 6 months to learn to swim crawl to a good enough standard to survive the swim.

(700m in derwent – i even enjoyed it)

swimming in a dedicated wetsuit really helps – the extra buoyancy is noticable – especially in your legs.

the hardest bit about the swim was learning how to deal with the way cold water on your face sends your breathing all screwy*

*this is a natural reflex – you can't control it. it lasts a couple of minutes, when you get in the water take a breath, stick your face underwater, try and control the breath out, raise your head out of the water, breathe in, face in the water, control the breath out, repeat a dozen times, each one should get easier.

Yeah I found that too!

If you live near London I'd recommend a session in the Serpentine, I used to cycle down there as they would look after your bike.
I can't recall how long a length is in there but it beats 72 lengths of a pool and you'll get used to cold open water.
Also Hemel Hempstead has an open water pool which is freezing so you'll always have it to yourself.

njee – I know Hawly Lake. A bit far but will see!

Try rescuing someone in big surf – my god that's hard work. But I love sea swimming and the waves help you get back in. The seawater is also a bit more buoyant which is handy.

Had to swim back in in big surf twice after snapping a leash – fine in a thin Summer wetsuit, REALLY hard in a 5mm Winter suit – there are just too buoyant so you legs float too much. Tricky.

Triathlons.
The perfect opportunity to swim through a cloud of other people's p1ss. 😯

nah, it's mostly vomit.

Saw you did alright.

Cheers, I actually had a fairly good race – defended my position on the climbs, attacked the bits I was good at, reeled in my targets.. however it was all conducted at a far slower pace than it should've been! First step on the ladder of regaining form.

Sorry for the hijack 🙂

Isn't there an off-road triathlon at Afan usually?

I'm well and truly addicted to Triathlon. It doesn't need to be expensive, though it is very easy to be drawn into kit to speed transitions etc…

Personally think the entry fees alone make it expensive, especially for sprint triathlons

Off road triathlons

http://www.ukmtbtri.co.uk/
http://www.durtytriathlon.com/

Sprint distance ruined it for me, trained ten times harder and longer than the race.

doing my first in august in bideford.

got back in the pool for the first time yesterday, still got the speed/power just not the endurance.

i'll be doing mine in my surfing wetsuit, a borrowed roadbike and normal running gear.

as far as I'm concerned I'll be happy coming in second to last, as long as my mate who talked me into it is last….

did a pool based sprint one: did it in 1hr 8mins which was ok, could have pushed harder on the bike but worried about the run. olympic open water coming up in july, 1 mile open water should be fun!

How were you running after the bike ride?

Mol – I nearly cramped up three times but just managed to stave it off on my run. Gained a few places so was happy but cramp would have ended it. Legs wouldn't coordinate for the first half a mile – most odd!

East Grinstead has a 26k bike leg rather than 20, which is nice, gives me 6k to reel in a few more stragglers and get some distance before the run!

Never done a pool tri. Training in a pool bores me to tears. I cant imagine racing in a pool is much different.

Open water triathlons are the way forward!

Essential training advice here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3S0wu4Zbfk