Okay, so you've obviously got the aerobic engine to pull it off, can ride damn fast, and since you didn't mention it, I assume you know how to swim. That's a far better start than most of us had. ;)

A 5k run should be just fine assuming you have a decent pair of running shoes and no outstanding medical issues that might warrant a somewhat gentler introduction to running. Just pace yourself off the bike and settle into a rhythm. If you're feeling good after 3k, you can start to pick it up a little.

As far as transitions go, T2 (the bike-to-run one) is pretty easy. Stop at the line where there will be someone telling you to dismount, and run over to the rack. Keep the lid on until you've racked your bike. (With such a short amount of time before your first race I wouldn't recommend trying to learn the barefoot/shoes attached to bike stuff yet). Then slap on your running shoes, make sure your race number is facing forward (it should be facing backwards on your bike), and go! T1 in a sprint is similarly simple - run from the pool to the transition area, put on cycling shoes, jersey & race number (facing backwards), don the lid before you unrack your bike, and run to the mount line. Then get on the bike and tear. Ride right/pass left, yadda yadda yadda... Stay out of the draft zone, and pass quickly and with authority. (Somehow I doubt that will be a problem for you)

Most of all, have fun out there!

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

I would be very careful. You risk to like it so much that you may consider dropping the cat2 races to focus on triathlon!

Seriously, go for it. The run should not hurt too much. The key to a quick transition is preparation. Make sure that you know how to find your bike from the swim exit, then know the best way out from the transition area. Same goes to rack your bike and find the way out for the run. Also, on the last stretch of the swim, mentally go through the next steps: remove goggles and wetsuit, put and buckle helmet, sunglasses...

Another thing: the swim start may be a little rough with everybody fighting for the best position. You may consider giving up a few seconds by staying out of the way of the fastest swimmers.

Definitely do it, and have fun!! Word to the wise, stay away from other riders. Not just because of the drafting issue. Sprints are havens for beginners (that's good) many of whom have poor bike handling skills exacerbated by the fact that they will be very tired (that's bad). Not the caliber of athlete you're used to racing with. Be courtious and give them alot of room when you blow by at mach 2.

I don't know if you run much at all. I'm guessing no. I'd be curious to hear how the first .25 mile of the run treats you. That was the hardest/funniest thing for me to get used to in triathlon. I always felt like I was trying to run while completely drunk with my shoes tied together.

One more thing, I'd go all out and absolutely hammer on the bike if I were you. Don't conserve a thing.

Andrew, be careful!

You didn't say whether or not you are currently running. If not - no way would I jump into a triathlon where I have to engage my legs in a new, abusive activity when they're already tired from kicking and turning circles. No way would you find me doing this. No way. No way. No way. I tend to be cautious when beginning new athletic endeavors - connective tissue takes a long time to heal.

However, if you're running even a few miles per week - by all means, give it a go. Its likely that even 60 percent of your cycling ability will match the top tri-cyclists so save that energy and enthusiasm for the run. Go get'm tiger. Let us know how it works out.

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Elivis needs boats.

I predict that since you are cat2 you should be able to win at least an AG award at a sprint triathlon. If not an overall award. Provided you don't drown in the swim :-)

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**********************
I was, now I will tri again!
...
Any time is a good time.
God Bless you my friend.

We definitely will need a race report on this one. Sounds like a fun experiment. I would take it easy at the start of the run, and have the courage to quit/walk if something like a calf or achilles seems to be really hurting, so you don't risk messing up the rest of your cycling season.

If you're not running on a regular basis at the moment, I wouldn't bother running at all until the race, as your legs are likely to hurt a bit for the next few days as you use different muscles.This is not ideal prep for a race on Sunday.My running days are over now unfortunately due to the state of my knees. The only time I run now is when I race 3 or 4 Olympic tris and a couple of sprints per year. The 10 km hurts like hell and I'm lucky if I can break 38mins these days, but the 5 km runs are a blast and not too painful. I normally can't walk properly for about 3 days after each race but what the heck, you only live once eh? and it's nice to get a break from the roadies and mountain bikers who, on the whole, seem like a VERY strange bunch of people.

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Put the bunny back in the box.

Thanks for all the advice! I think it will be an interesting experiment, I will definitely post a race report on Sunday!

A little more background info on me. I have been lucky enough to excel at all three sports individually. I grew up swimming, moved on to running (high-school & college), and now cycling. When I was 15 I did a few triathlons but nothing since then.

Yesterday, I decided to give the running a shot. I rode my bike home from work (30min) and then put on the running shoes for a short run. I ran around the neighborhood for 12 minutes.

A few interesting conclusions: I forgot how hard running was :) The first 5 minutes were a little rough but I felt pretty good by the end of it (However I was more concerned about how I would feel this morning). This morning I was a little sore but overall I felt ok. On my way to work I drove the route that I ran. To my surprise it was 1.9 miles! I did not think I was going that fast….I guess a good engine is a good engine no matter what sport you are doing.

Today I am going for a quick swim and another short run. Some time off the bike this week will give me a good mental break and fire me up for the rest of the cycling season. Mt Washington here I come!

Dude, that's a background equal to or better than most pros. If you don't podium, you've got some splainin' to do! ;)



Have a blast out there!

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

I agree. My experience from the cat2's around here is that they would generally make a sprint look like a walk in the park. (given they don't drown in the swim) See my post from yesterday above^


Bike racing at that level is much harder than the competition that you should encounter in a sprint triathlon. Heck I can hardly keep up with the cat3's


>Dude, that's a background equal to or better than most pros. If you don't podium, you've got some splainin' to do! ;)

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**********************
I was, now I will tri again!
...
Any time is a good time.
God Bless you my friend.

I hit the pool this afternoon. I warmed up with a few hundred yds including some kicking and then did a timed 500. I did it in 7:40. Hopefully that should keep me within range of the leaders. Can someone convert that to an open water lake swim for me? Does race day energy make up for the wall push off?

My legs are pretty sore after the run yesterday. I did 10 minutes on the treadmill today and did not feel that good. I think I will just let my legs recover and get back on the bike tomorrow for a little spin. This is a rest week in my training so doing these short efforts is good. Hopefully the soreness in my legs will go away quickly. (Noggin, I probably should have taken your advice and just not hit the run until raceday....oh well)

Pooks, I agree that I should go flat out on the bike and hold nothing back. From reading a few other posts this seems to be the right strategy. I do a local TT series on Thursdays and my averages are between 28mph (16miles) and 28.5 mph (8miles) so I figure I should be able to gain some ground on the bike ;)

7:40 is about what I swim in the pool, I find the open water swims to be much the same time as a pool swim. But then I have quite a bit of experience in OW swimming. Depending on how much time you spend sighting/getting beat up in the swim, you may slow down a bit. But that time will be within a minute or two of the leaders, you shouldn't lose much. Then you destroy them on the bike.. have fun out there

Andrew,

I checked out your team website and I must say that you and the website are very impressive and inspiring. You may be the fastest cyclist in this forum. I see your team race schedule is open for the 4th of July weekend, which tri are you entering? I wish you where in my area so I could get some cycling and training pointers from you. Good Luck in your tri.

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**********************
I was, now I will tri again!
...
Any time is a good time.
God Bless you my friend.

Andrew,

Your swim sounds good and should keep you near the front in the sprint. You better hope so, because if anyone is out of T1 ahead of you, they will not be for long. Depending on the race, I echo the cautions mentioned earlier regarding blocking and lack of bike handling skills in the sprint races. Depending on the wave swim starts, you could be passing some folks at a differential of +15 mph.

We've all been there, traveling up the Northway out of Albany heading toward the nice mountains around LP on a beautiful, sunny day. Look in your rear view mirror and see a set of headlights about a mile back, decide to pass the 18 wheeler ahead, just to look back again and see the Porche Boxer laying on his brakes to keep from giving you an enima. You might want to clamp on some halogens for this one. And maybe change out those brake pads. Keep us informed.

Steve

Hi Andrew,

I have to disagree with your idea of going flat out on the bike. I train with Cat1/2 guys on a regular basis and have watched/assisted a couple who were interested in racing a sprint triathlon. I realize you have a background in swimming/running, but don't underestimate the lactate accumulation from an all-out effort for 10 miles. I am a pretty good triathlete in my little neck of the woods and I don't go flat out. Peg it at 90-95% and save some for your run, or a lot of people who you blew by on the bike might be seeing you again. Use a higher cadence as well (slowtwitch vs fasttwitch muscle fibers...). Also stay under your LT in the swim or your first couple miles of the bike could be an exercise in frustration.

However, you could be a freak and manage to swim/ride/run the red line all the way to the finish line, and none of the above will apply...

good luck and enjoy,

Marty

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Marty Gaal, CSCS
One Step Beyond Coaching
Triangle Open Water Swim Series | Old School Aquathon Series
Powerstroke® Freestyle Technique DVD

Cool....lot’s of interest in my experiment! I will try and respond to everybody in one thread.

<doug> Good, that makes me feel a little better it is a small tri so I hope there won’t be too much trauma in the swim.

<Goodtime> Thanks for the compliments on the web site and team! I worked really hard this winter putting everything together but it has certainly paid off. In a short amount of time we have made a good name for ourselves on the New England circuit. Web development is my profession (for now at least ;) so the site had better be good! I don’t know about being the fastest cyclist….I am sure there are some smokin people that lurk around here.

The team is taking the 4th off. Racing every weekend can wear you down so it is important to take some time off, especially after Fitchburg. That was one insane race! I live in Burlington VT and am going to do a local tri here: www.racevermont.com

<chubby hubby>

Luckily this is a small race with just one wave run on quite Vermont roads. Hopefully I can get out an settle into a good pace.

<marty> Thanks for the advice and I agree with what you have said.

Let’s talk about my HR for a little bit. My max is 201 and my LT is right around 180 (+-1 bmp). When I averaged 28.5mph for the 8 mile TT 3 weeks ago my HR average was 183. I definitely got up in the high 180’s for a little while but I think with something that short you need to push it a little higher. For the 16 mile TT I averaged 28mph with an average HR of 180. During this effort I made sure that I never got over 185 and tried to lock it at 180 for most of the ride. Both courses are rolling (nothing is flat here in VT!)

For Sunday I think I will try and run the HR at 175-180 this should keep a little in the bank to make the run more enjoyable :) thoughts?

IMO, there's only one way to race a sprint assuming that you aren't dramatically deficient in any one area (which you are obviously not). Start strong, build to hard, and end it full out, balls to the wall. I don't imagine that you're going to lose much time in the swim. Frankly, for a ~400m swim it's tough to lose more than a minute or two. You may lose a bit of time in transition to those who are well practiced at the art, but I predict that you will catch everyone by the halfway point of the bike course. Treat the bike like you would a 40kTT (or whatever the distance), only rather than pushing at the very end of the ride, ease up a touch. Spin a slightly higher gear to let your HR drop a tad, and to loosen up those legs. When ylou start the run, take the first k fairly easy - quick, but not anywhere near all out pace. It's only a 3 mile run, so as soon as your feeling comfortable take that HR up to LT and give'er. When you hit the 1/2 mile to go mark, take it up another notch. Glance around you to see where the competition is, and always finish with the biggest kick you got - even if you're dead alone. I've never failed to gain at least a position or 2 in the last 100m of a race, which never sits well with those who ease up when they see the finish line. ;) Give it everything you got, and cross the line at 201bpm.

Then write up a nice race report telling us how you got hardware, are hooked, and will now have to focus on splitting up you next race season to focus on tris more.

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

Andrew,

Khai mentions transitions and since you have done some tri's in the past you probably know what to do. But, just thought I'd mention elastic laces, race belt and body glide in the shoes. Run through a few practices. You can lose serious time in transition. I'm sure the neighbors think it's pretty weird when I run into my garage in a wetsuit, come out on my bike with helmet and shoes, turn around in the street, back in the garage and come running back out in running shoes; repeat several times. :)

Go get 'em

Paul

Andrew,

my gameplan in your situation would be to cruise the swim sub-LT, then on the bike I'd go 170-175 for the first 2 miles, ratchet it up to 179-180 for 5-6 and rake everyone in, then drop back down to 170-175 for the final couple and spin out the last 400 yds. If you were regularly cross-training I'd say keep it at 179-180 but that's not the case.

hopefully this will keep your legs somwhat flushed and able to turn it over on the run. I'll be curious to see what a former collegiate runner who hasn't trained for the run in a while can crank out. good luck and enjoy,

Marty

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Marty Gaal, CSCS
One Step Beyond Coaching
Triangle Open Water Swim Series | Old School Aquathon Series
Powerstroke® Freestyle Technique DVD

Preparation before the race:
On Friday I went out and practiced some hills on my Mt. Washington bike. I went pretty hard for 2 hours but it helped to loosen up my legs which were still sore from my run on Wednesday!

On Saturday I rode the course and scouted out the hills and what kind of gearing I wanted to use. Overall the course is pretty rolling. By Vermont standards I would call it flat but then again I think anything is flat when I am not using my 12-25….for this race I went with my 12-23 (53/39 up front)

Saturday night I worked on some of my transitions. T1 was going to be difficult; I decided I wanted to ride in my bike stuff as this is what I have been used to (bad idea). T2 I got down pretty well as I was just going to change my shoes.

Race Day

Swim (500yds): The swim was a wet start so it was not crazy. I had a pretty good swim, came out of the water in 9:30. The first guy was out in 8 minutes so I figure the course was a little longer than the advertised 500yds. I made one mistake in the swim: I stood up way too early. It was not until after the race that I was told to swim all the way until your hand hits the bottom.

T1: This was terrible! The leader’s official swim split was 9minutes. Mine was 11:30, so not only did I loose 1:30 in the swim but I lost 1 minute in the transition. This was a little frustrating as I had hoped to be closer than that.

Bike (15.6mile): This went well. I passed most people in the first few miles. This opened up the road and I was able to get in a rhythm. I passed everybody on the bike except for the leader. I came within 30 seconds but needed a few more miles to catch him. My official bike split was 35.13 (26.57mph).

A few notes from the bike:
I had a little problem with my butt cramping up in the first few miles of the bike….was not expecting that!
I had difficulty getting my heartrate up…most of the time it was low 170’s (I usually TT at low 180’s).
I felt “ok” on the bike not great…..a bike leg is a little different that a flat out TT!

T2: This went fine. Took the helmet off, got the running shoes on and I was off!

Run (5k): I left the run 30 seconds down on the leader but never got any closer. The run actually felt ok from I was really surprised that the first half mile was not bad at all. My stomach was not great but I think that would improve with some “brick” workouts. My official run split was 21:20 (6:53 pace). I ended up holding my position; finishing 2nd overall and winning my age group (25-30). The winner was Tim Watson who I found out later was a former pro. He ended up running 6 minute pace and smoked me on the run.

Overall, it was a fun day and hopefully I will get to do another tri in September. I will definitely get some Louis Garneau tri-gear and swim/bike/run in all the same clothing. God that T1 was bad. Nothing like trying to get your bike jersey on over a wet body…that is just asking for problems. I feel a little sore now….hopefully I won’t be too bad tomorrow.

thanks for reading,

Congratulations and thanks for the report. Glad to read that you are already thinking about the next one. You did a great job!

That's great man, glad to hear that you had a good time and that you're already starting to think about how to shave time off your next race. A good tri suit will help a lot for that first transition, as will simply doing a lot more.

Now you're officially hooked! Muhahahahahahaha...

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

As I predicted on July 1st, an AG win and overall placement. :-) Good Job Andrew!

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**********************
I was, now I will tri again!
...
Any time is a good time.
God Bless you my friend.