RunningAHEAD - Topic: Want to start competing in Triathlons!!!

mscaffardi

posted: 11/3/2006 at 7:55 AM

Does anyone have any advice for someone who has never competed in a triathlon. I am looking for a nice beginners training program. I come from a running background. It is the swim and bike that concern me the most. Any help would be appreciated.

"The will to win, is nothing without the will to prepare"

Wingz

Professional Noob

posted: 11/3/2006 at 8:33 AM

You might want to check out www.beginnertriathlete.com. IMO, it's not as nice as here, and you have to wade through a lot of commercialization and ploys for money, but there is some useful info on the site. I'm sure there are other, better resources out there. That's just the one I'm familiar with.

Roads were made for journeys...

Scout7

posted: 11/3/2006 at 9:43 AM

I am a member of BT, and have found that it's a pretty decent site. I'm actually signed up for the Philly Tri in June '07. It is free to use the logs, and there's even free training plans for you to use. I am not a paying member, either. The community as a whole is pretty decent, I've found them to be quite supportive, very active, and pretty knowledgeable. There's also ontri.com. I use it to log workouts, but I'm not very active on that one so much. Didn't like the interface as much.

ttmalek

posted: 11/3/2006 at 11:52 AM
modified: 11/3/2006 at 11:55 AM

Don't swallow the water in the Schuylkill Dead

!! I plan to do my first in the spring/summer of 2007 also. I completed the Northeast Triathlon in September, but the swim leg was cancelled...thus I am still a virgin.

Scout7

posted: 11/3/2006 at 2:33 PM

Oh, the Schuylkill's not THAT bad. Generally speaking. Bel Air? My parents live in Perryville. Thinking about doing the Diamond in The Rough, too, since the run course goes right past them.

ttmalek

posted: 11/3/2006 at 8:21 PM
modified: 11/3/2006 at 8:22 PM

Bel Air is a couple of exits past the toll in Perryville. The Diamond in The Rough is definately on my radar. The hills on the bike course are said to be tough. I spend a lot of my training time working on transitioning from the bike to the run, switching gears. I don't swim often, but I was a competative swimmer as a teenager, so I have solid mechanics in the water. My plan for my first is to use two strokes, freestyle and breaststroke, to just get out of the water. Training for the bike and run just mean putting in the time. By the way, Scout7, I grew up and lived most of my life in places like Glenolden, Boothwyn, and Kennett Square...not far from you. I still have my EAGLES season tickets, even though I live in RAVENS country now.

JakeKnight

posted: 11/4/2006 at 11:22 AM

Me too!!! Looks like a lot of fun. But I heard there's a swimming requirement. And you get all wet. Plus, I think you have to, like, buy a bike. Is there a way to compete in triathlons but skip those parts?

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
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poose

posted: 11/5/2006 at 5:37 PM

my favorite tri site is www.trinewbies.com. They also have beginner training plans for distances from sprint to half IM. Only advice at this point of the year is to focus on swimming now -- this is the prime time to concentrate on form and efficiency. Swimming is the only tri discipline that pushing harder doesn't necessarily mean you're going any faster-- water is much denser than air, so working on efficiency in the pool is key. I usually increase swim fitness during the winter and then just maintain throughout the year.

mscaffardi

posted: 11/6/2006 at 8:12 AM

Great site. Thank you very much.

"The will to win, is nothing without the will to prepare"

Scout7

posted: 11/6/2006 at 8:51 AM

Quote from JakeKnight on 11/4/2006 at 11:22 AM:

Me too!!! Looks like a lot of fun. But I heard there's a swimming requirement. And you get all wet. Plus, I think you have to, like, buy a bike. Is there a way to compete in triathlons but skip those parts?

Don't know yet about the swim, but I have a plan for the bike. The rules say that you have to finish with the bike. If it happens to break in the first, say, quarter-mile, well, I just throw the shoulder straps on the bike, and truck off down the rode.

joe_h

The voice of mile 18

posted: 11/6/2006 at 2:02 PM

another vote for trinewbies.com but also check slowtwitch.com they might have a beginners plan. did the philly oly last year and it's a great event. can't wait to try the swim this year. are you doing the sprint or the oly?

Tri Rule #1 of Triathlon Training/Racing - If Momma ain't happy nobody is happy

Scout7

posted: 11/14/2006 at 8:34 AM

I'm signed up for the Oly.

Want to start competing in Triathlons!!! (Read 1254 times)