my first oly tri was a 2:17 something. My PB for an oly is 1:54:13.
Not trying to be selfish, but I wnated to bump this yup to the top to give some others a chance to post in this. Not that peole have to b/c I wrote it, but I think this will lead to some really good do’s and dont’s type of advice.
It won’t be advice from some genetically gifted person with no job, it’ll be advice from folks just like you and me, only with more/less success.
Please join in.
As a swimmer:
first time 100m free - short course:- 1:07 ish
pb 100m free: 53 flat short course
pb 200m fly: 2:08 short course.
That was over 10 years ago, haven’t swum competitively since.
As a triathlete:
Best sprint distance: 1:05 (750/20/5)
Best (and only half ironman) 5:08
Oly distance, can’t remember, its been a long time since I’ve done one and I’ve never paid too much attention to the times anyhow.
- What was your finishing time in your first event (in your major area)?
At 12 y/o I did a 5k fun run in 21:17
At 15 y/o I did a Marathon with no specific training in 3:07
this is when I could run - What was your finishing time in your latest event (in your major area)?
Back on the bike I did a 11.77 flying 200M, a 1:12.86 kilo, a 5:16 4k, a 54:22 40k this year
I no longer have the shape to run - What is your PR in an event (in your major area)?
4:33 1600M
16:34 5000M
27:04 8000M
34:10 10000M
again, 50 pounds ago…
I used to love to run, so I did it alot, actually too much. Hobbies can be easy to kill if they begin to run your life. It is hard to love a sport you did in college and even harder to restart once you realize you’ll never be as good as you used to be.
I’m better prepared on the bike now with 5000 miles a year than I was when I rode 12,000 miles a year.
-SD
Hey, as a fellow rookie here’s what I’m doing…
swim::25 - i just ordered the total immersion book and video. i have never taken a swim class before. i’d like to try doing some specific workouts. for my first tri i just swam…back and forth no “workouts”…i can’t really afford personal trainning so i thought the t1 would help me technically and give me an idea of some workouts instead of just swimming back and forth…suggestions??
A coach is a pretty good idea. I just did the TI workshop and though it was very helpful. One problem with just having the book/videos is that it’s often hard to know what you’re doing right or wrong. Even if you meet with a coach every few weeks it will probably help to get some feedback on your stroke.
bike:: - i’d like to get my average up above 20mph but frankly i don’t know what to do to get faster. my legs aren’t too strong so i was gonna do some weight training twice a week. AND i was gonna try to get my cadence up to 85-95 (i have no idea what my current cadence is but it is slow)…
Get an indoor trainer and use it - you’ll get faster. Weights are fine intitally but after a couple of months reduce it to once a week (maintenence) and do more cycle-specific strength training (heavy gear, low rpm). If you do one-leg drills you’ll quickly figure out what you need to do to keep the crank moving smoothly. Then try to use that spinning motion all the time. You can find cycle computers with cadence but I don’t know which work on trainers… it’s probably pretty easy to count your rpm’s using a stopwatch to get an idea of what ~90rpm feels like.
run:: ugh!! i ran twice before (maybe 6miles)my first tri so i’m running now 20min a day. the thing is the outter part of my knees HURT the next day it’s not serious pain but not just soreness. i’m trying to go real slow and then stretch out (if anyone knows a good stretching program i’d really appreciate it)my plan is just to run 20min 6 times a week until my knees get stronger and then move up to 30min and so on…if anyone knows a training protocol to get your knees stronger i’d really appreciate it…also i’m trying to use a high cadence when i run and i run on the grass only…if anyone know a good sourse for beginner runners that would be great…