False.


You cant compare - if you want to compare time at a given HR you can do that with a basic HRM - your cardio vascular system does not care if you are in the water on a bike or on a run...it will provide oxygen in any state. To say that X miles in the pool = X miles on a bike is voodoo magic as there is no way in that calculation to quantify your exertion and effort in the given distance at the given task.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Perhaps I should elaborate....I am RD to an indoor triathlon in Seattle:

shameless plug:
registration:
http://www.active.com/...inman-triathlon-2010

here is our website: (soon to be updated)
http://www.trifreak.com/SeattleRainmanTri.html

The format is a 15 minute swim, then 30 minute bike on a trainer, both for maximum distance, followed by a 2.5 mile run. I am trying to work out a formula whereby we can take the distances from the first two and the time from the run and create a ranking system. I welcome all input and feedback, as I am still in the learning curve of being an RD. Thanks!

im not quite sure about cycling, but...

1mile run is approximately 500 yards or 400m of swimming

multirace in Miami is putting on an inaugural "balanced tri" in October with distances of 1.5k / 27k / 6.5k ... they balanced based on gap between top and median athletes if memory serves, and while I have no interest in the race (nor do the bike studs on here), it is interesting!

400yd Swim / 3mile Bike / 1mile Run seems about right.

Maybe about 500yds better, so for those of use who think metric it's more like 400m Swim / 5k Bike / 1500m Run.

One variant to consider:
Plain and simple ranking after each event; lowest score wins
1st place swimmer gets 1 point, 2 place gets 2 points, etc
Same for the next two disciplines
The drawback is that no one can compare their results from one year to the next.
You would have to decide on a tie-breaker system also.

Okay, based upon what I've read and my own thoughts, here's what I've come up with:

Use the distances from oly tris to create equivalent distances:

1500 m/ 24000 m/ 10000 m

the multipliers:

16 / 1 / 2.4

Take the distance covered from the first two events, multiply by the above factors. Then take the distance from the run, multiply by factor and add to the first two. Take the total time for each person (45 minutes + however long they take for the run) to get an equivalent speed. Person with the highest speed, wins.

How does that sound?

And while we're on the subject of RD, does anyone know where the bike racks for the ITU/some IM races come from? Those slick black plastic units with a slot for each bike's front tire? thanks.

Why not just multiply out Dan's points?

Bike 1 mile: 1 point
Run 1/4 mile: 1 point
Swim 100m: 1 point

(I think that's accurate, if not search will find it for you).

-Jot

Use the distances from oly tris to create equivalent distances:
\\

Only problem here is that you have not gotten an approximate equivalent distance, but a scaled down version of olympic distance..Olympic distance is not even close to equivalent distance....

I think Dan's formula is pretty close for most folks...

Look at the splits for the winner at Kona. Roughly, :50 , 4:30 and 3:00 (yes, that's not a fast run, so sue me). Determine the distance per half hour in each: 2.34km, 20km, 7km. Use those ratios in your triathlon distances, scale accordingly. Then watch the fishes line up, and everyone else find another race.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Use the distances from oly tris to create equivalent distances:

1500 m/ 24000 m/ 10000 m

the multipliers:

16 / 1 / 2.4

Anyone looking for an Oly PB needs to do this race... ;)

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blood, sweat...and big gears

I hated every minute of training, but I said, ''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.''
- Muhammad Ali

oops. unit conversion.

Yes! That is what I was looking for. Thanks.

There are at least 2 ways to come to 'equivalence' in the sports.

For instance, it has always seemed to be to be a 4 to 1 ratio between cycling and running from the standpoint that a typical 26.2 mile run is emotionally equivalent to a bike race of ~100 miles or maybe ~200km. And the same could be figured out for swimming although I'm not that well versed in swimming and don't know if pool or open water disciplines should be used...

The other is equivalent duration. How far can the world's fastest swimmer go in 1 hour? The world's fastest runner go in 1 hour? World's fastest cyclist go in 1 hour? And use those ratios.

You are getting all kinds of advice here, but as I read through this thread, I think you need to clarify what you mean by "equilavent"? Do you want olympic equilavent distances, ironman ones, equal time ones, equal distance ones, equal calorie expendeture ones, ect...If you do that, perhaps you can get more specific advice...

If it were me, and was doing an indoor tri like this, I think I would opt for the equilivant time/distance model.. So a 400yd swim, 5 mile bike, and 1 mile run or so..But it is your race, do whatever you think people want....

How are you going to accurately measure the distance in the pool at exactly 15 minutes...doubt many will be right at the wall...I would think it would make more sense to have a set distance in the pool and then you can have a timed bike and run for distance..just my two cents, seems like you would have spot on accurate distances at that point.

Such as 600m swim/ 30 minute bike/ 20 minute run

Why did you schedule the same day as the Columbia Center "Big Climb'?

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Steve

Sorry! Honestly, I wasn't aware of the other event going on. I know of at least one person who has signed up for both though.

We hope to have more of these, though. Either later in the early spring (april), at the end of the year (nov/dec) or next year.

I am leaning towards this idea. It is, as the poster said, plain and simple.