I’ve been doing two to three sprint triathlons per year for the last three years. I’ve definitely been a back of the packer, just trying to have some fun and make some progress. First two years, trained sporadically, didn’t loose any weight and felt good just for finishing. Last year set some more aggressive goals (finish in bottom third instead of bottom 10%) and lost some weight. After the season work got busy, stopped training and gained the weight back. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated!!
37 yrs old, male, 205 lbs (should be 180) 5’10’’ Current 5K pace: 36Min, swim pace 2:00 per 100, bike speed: ave 14 mph. I have started following the slowtwitch beginner triathlon plan, modifying it so that I’m starting with longer runs than are suggested. My bike is a stock Trek 1000, about 3 years old. I live in New Hampshire, so biking outside is still a few weeks off (at least for me).
I’d like to continue with the sprint’s for now, and while I’d like to get to be a mid packer soon, I’d rather make sure that I’m building a foundation to be continue to get faster rather than fizzle out like I did last year.
I don’t have clipless pedals, so I would appreciate any advice for an entry level pedal system that I could put on for this year.
First. Make sure you shave your legs this year. That’s the first step to getting faster.
Second. Entry level pedals tend to be similar. I’d recommend either some Shimano spd’s or the almost identical, Ritcheys. They’ll keep you well under $100, and they should work fine with whatever bike shoe you choose.
And third. The number one way to get faster. Train more. Lance Armstong used to say, he hated going for short bike rides, because anything less than an hour a day is a waste of time. I’m not sayng you have to go out and bust your rear-end every day, but it’s something to think about.
You can’t run with the cleats , but they’re cheap and offer a big platform to push down on. You’ll just have to put you rshoes on after you cross the bike mounting line, or learn how to get in your shoes with them still on the pedals.
I’d vote against getting the double sided, moutain bike type pedal. I find it offers too small of a platform to push down on.
You’re going to need shoes too. Get some that are Look compatible and hopefully will not have laces, just velcro straps.
I think that a lot of times a mountain bike pedal is a good choice for a first time clipless. The dual-sided entry makes it easy to get used to. I used Time ATAC’s.
As for the training, you know the magic word: consistancy. Find some sort of training plan and stick to it. Here is a good first plan: Rethink your diet a bit and hop on the trainer for 1 hour a day until the weather gets nice. I’ll bet you’ll have lost a good chunk by then.
And third. The number one way to get faster. Train more.<<
Actually, I’d swap out the word MORE with CONSISTENTLY. Do something every day, even if it’s just a short run. That consistency builds on itself and what the heck, it works!
For many newbies, it is hard to come up with a training plans that works or has any rhyme or reason, and it is also hard to plunk down bucks for a coach when you know what you have to do: train more.
May I recommend buying the following book:
Training Plans for Multisport Athletes (Ultimate Training Series) by Gale Bernhardt (Paperback)
It’s $12 at amazon, and has generic plans for all distances, sprint to iron. Plans also range from 6 weeks until race, all the way to a year round training plan. The plans are generic enough that they will transfer from newbie to hardened and consistently fast triathlete. I have been using the plans for several years and with slight modifications, they have made me a MUCH faster athlete, with a few AG podiums.
Some detractors will say that the plans are too generic and that you need a coach who can meet your specific needs. I say: my friend, you need volume and consistency before a coach can even begin to challenge you. If knowing what to do is your problem, get this book and live it for a year then get a coach. If motivation is your problem, get a training partner, join a tri club, or get a coach that can convince you to get up early each morning.
I’ll second that book by Gale Bernhardt and add swim workouts in a binder too. It’s got many different swim workouts so you should never get bored in the pool.
As for the weight gains, there will have to be a lifestyle change to keep the weight off, sorry there isn’t a way around it.
hey buddy - a good read for newbies and all time-constrained agers is Gordo on the 3 P’s at http://www.xtri.com/article.asp?id=1367. Get your “week” together, stick with it, and really work on consistency and nutrition - because that is where you can make huge huge gains in race performance and body comp and you don’t even have to break a sweat! think long term (patience) so don’t get discouraged. The more you think of it as a long-term lifestyle thing (who you are), the less likely you are to let it all go to pot in “the off season” (not that you have to be drilling yourself training all the time, but just living and enjoying a healthy active lifestyle.)