Any triathletes out there? - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[Christina]

Any trainers out there compete?

I'm training for my first. Probably will be a sprint, maybe an olympic. Would love to connect with other trainers who are triathletes.

Christina

[muscletrainerdh-NSCA CPT]

So this is way old, and you've probably found an on-line resource.

But here it goes.

Check Out:
www.beginnertriathlete.com

[Christina]

Yep, already a member of this one! Great resource!

Christina

[grooviegirl]

Hi Christina,

I just joined the forum and saw this thread. I started participating in triathlons 2 years ago through Team in Training. Before my first race, I had an intense fear of drowning (bad experiences in elementary school P.E.!) and have worked VERY hard to overcome it. I have since completed 7 races and am gearing up to train for the inaugural Ironman 70.3 (half Ironman) in Calgary next summer. I absolutely LOVE triathlons - the atmosphere, camaraderie, and (of course) the personal challenge.

What race are you/did you train for?

Abena

[rfulton]

New to the site and saw your post. I compete. Just started this year. I was marathoner before but kept injuring. The cross training of triathlon really helped me and made me a faster runner than I ever was before, though I was running less distance per week. I have never had more fun competing before starting triathlon. So enjoy!

Rusty
http://befitcoaching.com
rfulton@befitcoaching.com

[Christina]

Hi Guys! Fantastic to hear from triathletes! I began training over the summer but I stopped when the temps and humidity became unbearable. (I live in Houston and I HATE running and biking indoors. It was not the best time of the year to begin training.) The weather is beginning to cool and I am ready to get back into the swing of things.

Grooviegirl, I've heard the open water swims are really difficult for a lot of people. A lot of folks are caught completely off guard when they get into a lake or ocean. Very cool that you were able to overcome your fear of drowning from when you were young.

How did you guys begin training? Did you follow a schedule or did you just get out there and start training for all 3 events? Did you join a tri club? Do you do a lot of strength training? If so, what sorts of exercises?

Thanks for any tips/advice!

Christina

[rfulton]

I actually used an on-line coach to help me figure out the correct mix of training. I was training each sport, 3 times per week. Within each sport I mixed up the intensities and duration, just like you would normally do for a single sport. I made sure that the long session run was not the same weekend as the long session bike.

Swimming is definitely the gotcha for a lot of people. It got me. Don't make your first open water swim the race. A lot of people freak out. Just stay out of the pack and take your time. The first race you are not going to be trying to win it, just survive it and learn.

You can train less than this for a sprint tri. I was doing this level to do an olympic distance. Total per week was about 9 hours.

[grooviegirl]

I trained for my first 5 races with Team in Training, as both a participant and a mentor. In addition, I'm a member of the Los Angeles Triathlon Club, and took advantage of their resources (rides, open water training, discounted coaching) when I lived there. I trained twice a week for each discipline.

Now, I'm training on my own (using an online plan), but plan to join a local triathlon club in January.

Overcoming the fear of drowning is one of the things I'm most proud of! And now, I actually prefer open water swimming to swimming in a pool. I agree with Rusty; I always start away from the pack in races....I don't need to add to my anxiety level. That way I can get into my groove. For me, the race doesn't start until the bike!

[Christina]

Yeah, the open water swim is supposed to be tough for a lot of people. I remember I was swimming in the Virgin Islands many years ago and started to freak when I realized the water below me was a couple of hundred feet deep and there was nowhere to rest! I had always been a good swimmer and was confused why I had reacted that way. After hearing from several triathletes I now realize it's pretty common for people to panic during open water swims.

Another question: at what point did you guys invest in a tri bike?

Christina

[rfulton]

I actually have yet to invest in the tri bike. I was told from the start to go get a decent quality road bike and from it I will learn what I really want in a bike. I am happy I took that advice. I learned a lot from my year of tri and now feel better prepared when I have the funds to go get my tri bike. I did put a set of aero bars on my road bike and it does great for me in the shorter races I have done so far.