TL Triathletes

After finding out that virtually nobody in the Health and Fitness Initiative thread does anything other than lift heavy weights and post about it I decided to seek out other endurance athletes on TL, specifically triathletes.

I thought it would be interesting to find some like-minded individuals who have competed, are currently competing, or plan on competing in triathlons right here on TL. Because I will probably be doing most of my training on my own I thought it would be a good idea to reach out to other for support, guidance, and motivation. It is always easier to have people going through the same things you are rather than being 100% solo.

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There is a thread from 2005 and a blog from 2009 that I found here. If anyobody from those are still around and wish to share their experience or wisdom that would be awesome.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=29278
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=89050

I feel like people are often compelled to compete in triathlons because of the degree of difficulty it takes to not only complete one, but complete one fast. You have to focus on three different sports and perform one right after the other, each physcially exhausting. You have to posess a great deal of aerobic endurance, physcial strength, and mental toughness to be a good triathlete. This challenge can only be welcomed by those who are tough and/or crazy.

Triathlons are generally broken up into four different distances. There are also small differences for each specific event depending on the race; meaning that it is not uncommon for the swim, bike, or run to be a little shorter or longer than the distances listed below.

Sprint distance:
750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run

Intermediate (Olympic or Standard) distance:
1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run

Long Course:
1.9 km swim, 90 km bike, 21.1 km run

Ultra (Ironman) distance:
3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km (marathon) run

Links to training tools:
http://www.triathlon.org/
http://www.trifind.com/
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/triathlon-training.html

I really hope this can become a home for people who want to talk all things thriathlon. All past, present, and future triathletes, as well as prospective or just interested people are welcome to participate in some discussion. I would rather not feel alone in my journey and challenge others to make a commitment to give the race a try.

AirbladeOrange United States. August 04 2011 16:59. Posts 2065

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My Deal:

I have been a competitive distance runner for about ten years. I began my running career during modified outdoor track in junior high school. I got so much out of it that I continued throughout high school and even competed for five years in college.

Near the end of college I got a really bad stress fracture in one of my tibias. Since then I have never been able to train properly without heading down the stress fracture road again. Because I haven't been able to run as much as needed to be in peak shape for distance racing again I have felt a void in my life. I am a competitive person by nature and love to test my own limits both physically and mentally.

To try and fill this void with I am signing up for a few sprint triathlons next summer. I will be buying a road bike shortly and getting a good feel for it until winter hits. Then in the winter I will be focusing on learning to swim properly and building some muscle with a solid lifting program. Throughout the rest of summer, fall, and winter I will still be running a fair amount as well. I will be making a more structured plan as well as short and long term goals in the next few weeks.

Last edit: 2011-08-04 17:01:17

AirbladeOrange United States. August 14 2011 14:32. Posts 2065

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For all the zero people besides myself who have have participated in this thread I have some news. I just picked up my road bike. It is a Specialized Allez Sport. It is red and beautiful.

I have never felt that comfortable on bikes because I crashed bad one time when I was little that left some scars on me physically and emotionally. I sold my bike shortly after that and grew the rest of the way up without one. It's not like I need to learn to ride again but I still need to get used to riding again and I also feel pretty nervous about crashing. But that's why I picked up a helmet I guess.

I will spend the next few weeks hitting the roads with my new red baby to get used to her and running easy 2-3 times per week. I have been reading up on cycling but I still need to learn more about shifting gears, taking turns, and other stuff. I have to start thinking of a name for my bike now.

EAGER-beaver Canada. August 15 2011 11:54. Posts 2694

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I've got a buddy I run with who does the long-course tri-athlons, I'd like to try one of those events but bikes are a big investment and I'm a bad swimmer, so I'm going to just stick with regular marathons. I feel the same way about the health and fitness tl thread, alienated because no one seems to care about endurance/training just lifting weights to look pretty. There's gotta be some other endurance athletes out there on TL, I see a lot of similarities between starcraft and the mental fortitude it takes for an endurance event.

Simon and Garfunkel rock my face off

eshlow United States. August 15 2011 12:07. Posts 5004

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I wouldn't mind adding triathlete (or any other stuff to the TL H&F thread). My sister competes in some.

I just haven't had anyone type up up information for me, and I don't have the time to research it myself. But yeah, there is the problem of wading through a lot of posts to see stuff.

Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength

Yug August 15 2011 12:42. Posts 12

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I have a few friends that have been doing triathlons and marathons for about a year or two, and they recently did a HIM (half ironman) not too long ago. They've inspired me to change my whole lifestyle by quitting smoking after 7 years, and training harder in all 3 sports for the past month. I've decided to do my first sprint triathlon in October and I'm pretty nervous because I can only do about 1-200 meters swimming before I feel like I can't get enough air, and I start flailing around in the water.

I'm saving up for this bike to replace my road bike. It'll pretty much force me to train or else I'll have a $2,000 piece of equipment just wasting space in my room

me_viet Australia. August 15 2011 13:31. Posts 1260

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lol i wish there's an event where it only includes biking and swimming. I can pretty much swim non-stop having done a 12km swim and then a 5hrs non-stop (~17km). I can ride a bike fairly well lol.

But when it comes to running....GG. Can't run 400m w/o feeling like the weight of the world is attached to my feet haha

NationInArms United States. August 15 2011 13:39. Posts 1534

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I'm a cross country and distance runner, but I recently acquired IT Band Syndrome...which sucks. So basically, I can barely run 3 miles with out by knee exploding in pain and I need to massage my thigh muscles everyday after practice. I would love to triathlon, but I can barely swim. (._.)

BW for life | Fantasy, MMA, SlayerS_Boxer | Taengoo! n_n | "Lelouch vi Britannia commands you! Obey me, subjects! OBEY ME, WORLD!" | <3 Emi

Catch United States. August 15 2011 14:06. Posts 584

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Shame that we can't include everybody in the TLHF; it really is just a bunch of us lifting fools. I'd love to have some endurance/running athletes in there from time to time.

Not to say I love running (No input on swimming or biking

). On the contrary, I hate it. I have tons of respect for it though after watching the Badwater Ultramarathon: Running on the Sun documentary. In the spring I do plan on trying out couch to 5K or some other beginner running program. Would anybody recommend any other specific program?

Anyways, good luck with your triathlon goals in 2011 :D

Victory Loves Preparation

AirbladeOrange United States. August 16 2011 07:20. Posts 2065

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On August 15 2011 12:42 Yug wrote:
I have a few friends that have been doing triathlons and marathons for about a year or two, and they recently did a HIM (half ironman) not too long ago. They've inspired me to change my whole lifestyle by quitting smoking after 7 years, and training harder in all 3 sports for the past month. I've decided to do my first sprint triathlon in October and I'm pretty nervous because I can only do about 1-200 meters swimming before I feel like I can't get enough air, and I start flailing around in the water.

I'm saving up for this bike to replace my road bike. It'll pretty much force me to train or else I'll have a $2,000 piece of equipment just wasting space in my room

That's great to hear you have been inspired and are committing yourself to a healthier lifestyle! I would like to know what kind of training program you are on and how it's going. Keep me updated because I would like to hear other peoples' experiences, especially newbies. I know swimming will be my toughest part as well so I will be taking my time with it and learning properly this winter.

On August 15 2011 13:39 NationInArms wrote:
I'm a cross country and distance runner, but I recently acquired IT Band Syndrome...which sucks. So basically, I can barely run 3 miles with out by knee exploding in pain and I need to massage my thigh muscles everyday after practice. I would love to triathlon, but I can barely swim. (._.)

I had a really bad IT band problem a few years ago when I went to a running camp in the summer. I was not training much before camp and I was placed in a group that ran much faster and longer than I was used to. It was tough but I kept up with the group for a few days then all of a sudden my knee just became useless and I couldn't run for the rest of the time there and instead just limped around.

I hope you heal fast and well.

On August 15 2011 14:06 Catch wrote:
Shame that we can't include everybody in the TLHF; it really is just a bunch of us lifting fools. I'd love to have some endurance/running athletes in there from time to time.

Not to say I love running (No input on swimming or biking

Couch to 5k plans can be really impressive. You will be amazed what running easy a few times a week can do for you. And it's not really the plans that are anything spectacular it's how quickly most people can adapt to running long distances if they put in the time.

I recommend anything by Jack Daniels. If you need any future advice with running feel free to ask me. Thank you for your good wishes and good luck with your training as well.

Bango United States. August 16 2011 07:23. Posts 102

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i run cross country at my high school and swim + bike on my own lol. and i think i can complete the intermediate course, and with training i can actually complete the long course. o:

ello x]

EAGER-beaver Canada. August 16 2011 11:17. Posts 2694

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People will amaze themselves with how far they can run if they put a little work into it. When I started I could barely make it a block, I was horrifyingly out of shape. The first month of trying light jogging (under 1 km) was pure torture for me, but it quickly got easier and easier and I felt stronger and stronger. Just run a few times a week and try to go a little bit farther every time. The thing is to keep at it, some days you'll feel terrible, lethargic, tired, whatever, just run anyway, you'll feel much better afterwards.

Running went from a thing I did because I was disgusted with the shape I was in to a great release after work. After 9 hours a day spent at a desk job down town, running for an hour or 2 after work in peace and solitude in the woods is a great way to balance things out.

Simon and Garfunkel rock my face off

Weird United States. August 16 2011 11:57. Posts 649

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Airblade, love your opening about the fit thread, it's so true, not that lifting heavy things is bad...

I've kicked around the triathlon idea in my head since I got out of the Army, but like others here I am not a big swimmer, and don't currently own a bike. I do plan on running my first marathon in April, so that seems like a good place to start.

AirbladeOrange United States. August 24 2011 06:13. Posts 2065

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I have had my road bike for a little over a week now and have ridden it once every day that I have been able to, which is 6 or 7. I have only have been going for around 15 minutes at a time to get used to it and get the feel of braking, turning, and shifting gears. The biggest issues I have run into is the burning in my quads and sore hands.

My aerobic capacity is fine but my quads are pretty weak. I will be focusing on improving quad strength as a main aspect of my lifting plan. But sore hands I'm not sure what to do. Maybe get some cycling gloves? I have tried adjusting my hand position and do so throughout my rides but hopefully my hands will just get used to it. I think my abs and back are engaged enough but I should have someone check out my form for me sometime.

On August 16 2011 11:57 Weird wrote:
Airblade, love your opening about the fit thread, it's so true, not that lifting heavy things is bad...

I've kicked around the triathlon idea in my head since I got out of the Army, but like others here I am not a big swimmer, and don't currently own a bike. I do plan on running my first marathon in April, so that seems like a good place to start.

Lifting heavy weights is great and I enjoy doing it myself. My issue though is that I lift heavy weights as a means to be better at endurance sports rather than for the sake of lifting heavier weights in the future, getting a hot bod, ect.

What marathon are you planning on competing in?

duk3 United States. August 24 2011 06:41. Posts 806

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My uncle (46) did the Ironman, it was incredible.
I'd love to do something like this eventually, but I don't know how fast I will be at swimming, and I own a mountain bike, not a road bike, which is another obstacle.
I have been kind of kicking around the idea of lifting some weights, but I just can't enjoy that as much as hiking/running/mountain biking/skiing/soccer, it just seems boring to me.

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

OutlaW- Czech Republic. August 24 2011 06:54. Posts 3228

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I'm 3 weeks in and it's amazing, do try.

Horrde Canada. August 24 2011 07:15. Posts 302

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I've run 3 marathons, countless half-mara's and even more 10 and 5k's than I can count. I've got to say that running a full marathon should be part of everyone's bucket-list. The feeling of satisfaction after crossing that line for the first time is amazing. I'd like to stress though that you must respect the distance, and at least put in a solid 2 months of regular training runs if it's your first... it'll make all the difference between simply surviving it and enjoying it.

Getting into the triathlons is something I've been wanting to do for a couple years. They are generally shorter in time completion and more varied. Plus the training must be a riot. Maybe during the spring of next year will I train.

Lifting weights on a proper strength program will only assist your endurance training. Do a couple months of it and watch what happens to your times. Infact, it's quite beneficial to any sport really.

Mithrandir United States. August 24 2011 07:44. Posts 99

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On August 24 2011 06:13 AirbladeOrange wrote:
I have had my road bike for a little over a week now and have ridden it once every day that I have been able to, which is 6 or 7. I have only have been going for around 15 minutes at a time to get used to it and get the feel of braking, turning, and shifting gears. The biggest issues I have run into is the burning in my quads and sore hands.

My aerobic capacity is fine but my quads are pretty weak. I will be focusing on improving quad strength as a main aspect of my lifting plan. But sore hands I'm not sure what to do. Maybe get some cycling gloves? I have tried adjusting my hand position and do so throughout my rides but hopefully my hands will just get used to it. I think my abs and back are engaged enough but I should have someone check out my form for me sometime.

Show nested quote +

It's not that your quads are "weak."

You don't need more strength... it's just that the fatigue in cycling is more localized to your quads than in running. Of course, a small amount of heavy lifting can be good for endurance...

Something like 2 sets of 5 reps, twice a week is good.

And cycling gloves are a good investment.

Last edit: 2011-08-24 07:46:27

SnetteL Belgium. August 24 2011 07:55. Posts 467

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One of my goals is to complete an entire marathon once. I always thought of doing it after college since i really can't train during exam periods.

I bike(d) a lot, and a run a lot. I have started training swimming a couple of times, it's great at first but really gets boring after a while.

Anyway i just came here to brag about my bike (which i payed for myself)
[image loading]

I should post her in boyfriend/girlfriend thread <3.

I also wanted to remind you guys to make use of your cycling skills! I always go on a roadtrip with a friend of mine, if you can bike about 100-200 km's a day you can see a lot on the road. It's always the most awesome experience (pretty cheap holiday too).

Last edit: 2011-08-24 08:02:02

Caps lock is cruise control for cool.

Sm3agol United States. August 24 2011 08:00. Posts 2005

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On August 16 2011 11:17 EAGER-beaver wrote:
People will amaze themselves with how far they can run if they put a little work into it. When I started I could barely make it a block, I was horrifyingly out of shape. The first month of trying light jogging (under 1 km) was pure torture for me, but it quickly got easier and easier and I felt stronger and stronger. Just run a few times a week and try to go a little bit farther every time. The thing is to keep at it, some days you'll feel terrible, lethargic, tired, whatever, just run anyway, you'll feel much better afterwards.

Running went from a thing I did because I was disgusted with the shape I was in to a great release after work. After 9 hours a day spent at a desk job down town, running for an hour or 2 after work in peace and solitude in the woods is a great way to balance things out.

THIS.

I went from being barely able to run a mile to cruising a 5k in under 20 minutes in about 5 months. I'm kind of naturally built for running....really skinny and tall, but still a decent accomplishment imo.

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