Put your hand up who's a Triathlete!

[loops]

I did my first sprint this year and am planning do do more next year with the goal of a standard towards the end of season...have recently had a lesson to learn to freestyle but don't seem to be able to swim for more than a length without needing CPR

 

[007fair]

i started swimming again a year ago after nearly 20 years and had no decent freestyle technique and like you could only manage 2 lengths . i used you tube videos to improve (Google Swim smooth) and now swim 1k 3 times a week
Beware , open water swimming is very different to swimming laps in a pool . Although a wetsuit will aid bouyancy panic attacks are common in open water events.

Good luck

I can imagine. I am terrified just thinking about it. I want to be able to swim 1000 meters pretty easy before trying an open water Sprint Tri
There will be some practice sessions in nearby lochs - once I get the wetsuit!

Whoever decided to include this Discussion/Subject in the chatrooms - Well done

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Flying Monkey, what happened. The website has no reports of how it went.....

http://tritillicry.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/the-main-event/

http://tritillicry.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/the-main-event-continued/

 

[gambatte]

Pugneys, thought about that one.....
I've been thinking about it for the last 12 years, since I was part of safety cover at one on Rother Valley. Couldn't have thought of actually doing it it then, sat in my kayak, with a fag hanging out of my mouth.
Anyway, packed up the fags 5+ years ago. Been running 3 years. Commuter cycling on and off. Its time to give it a go. My swimmings rubbish though. I could do 40 lengths+, but it was all breaststroke. Freestyles getting sorted now, with the help of local clubs and plenty of work in the local pools. Slow, but it'll get there.
Got a new bike this year as well.... although SHMBO made me get rid of one first :-(
I've signed up for a series of 6 aquathons over the winter, of which I did the 1st last weekend. 400m + 4(ish) miles and the tri clothings just starting to roll in.
I'm targetting a sprint and hopefully one or two olympics for next year, up to a half the year after and a IM the following year. Idea is I turned 45 this year, lets see about an IM by the time I'm 50.

 

[pash]

Been doing triathlons since 2008 and have done from sprint up to half iron distance and all sorts in between. Happy to answer any questions and would also point any first timers to tritalk website.

 

[dellzeqq]

(looks around, cautiously) ah, so not a fisting thread! As you were!

 

[Ghost Donkey]

First proper season this year doing a couple of sprint and olympic distance. Signed up for two half IM distance races next year so see how that goes and maybe the full IM the next year.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

Never done one before, but decided not to fanny around and have signed up for a 70.3 (half iron-man) next year. I haven't got into structured training at the moment - just trying to shift some weight and get general fitness levels up. In the New Year, I'll start training more systematically.

I sense already though that the bike-run transition is the tricky bit and getting enough food in on the bike to survive the run.

If you've not got sa swimming background I'd recommend getting involved with a swim or tri club where possible. I could barely do two lengths front crawl last September (although I'd done a sprint tri doing breast stroke) and by May could swim 4K open water after working on technique at the swim and tri club and getting beasted at another tri club session. Spent so much time trying to learn to swim and run efficiently my cycle training largely stopped

 

[User169]

If you've not got sa swimming background I'd recommend getting involved with a swim or tri club where possible. I could barely do two lengths front crawl last September (although I'd done a sprint tri doing breast stroke) and by May could swim 4K open water after working on technique at the swim and tri club and getting beasted at another tri club session. Spent so much time trying to learn to swim and run efficiently my cycle training largely stopped

Thanks Ghost Donkey - that sounds like good advice! Time to find a club, I think..

 

[threebikesmcginty]

(looks around, cautiously) ah, so not a fisting thread! As you were!

 

[fimm]

I would second very strongly Ghost Donkey's advice to get proper swim coaching if one is not from a swimming background - swimming is very technical and just bashing up and down a pool won't get you anywhere if your technique is poor. I started out not being able to do proper crawl about 4 years ago - I'm still not very good, I need to spend more time swimming!

 

[gambatte]

I would second very strongly Ghost Donkey's advice

3rded(?) from me. I'm currently flitting between 2-3 tri clubs. Getting as much coaching as I can, when I can.
Theres also the "swimsmooth" site http://www.swimsmooth.com/ which has a nice feature of seeing an animation of 'correct' stroke from a variety of angles and speeds.
I've also bought 'Total Immersion' and imported one of the DVDs from the states

Hmmm.... guess I'm intent on improving

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I would second very strongly Ghost Donkey's advice to get proper swim coaching if one is not from a swimming background - swimming is very technical and just bashing up and down a pool won't get you anywhere if your technique is poor. I started out not being able to do proper crawl about 4 years ago - I'm still not very good, I need to spend more time swimming!

Absolutely. I was very lucky in that when I started swimming in February / March last year, I had one of the world's greatest endurance swimmers, Vicki Keith, train me once a week (because she was the one leading the event for which I had signed up). You need training of some kind if you are not really a swimmer because of the three disciplines, it is the one where technique matters most of all.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

Whilst a cyclist of some 30+ yrs, I enjoy swimming, but loathe running. Haven't dome a tri since 2004, but have signed up for a Sprint tri this May. Already enjoying the running (jogging) training!

 

[Danny Rose]

I got into Triathlon last year after being talked into it by a mate. Just had to learn the front crawl swim and was away. Did Southwell sprint last May and then Iron distance Outlaw in Nottm in July..Loved them. Doing ironman again this July....So much to work on doing all 3 disaplines...