Any Fellow CFers Triathletes?

**CykoAGR** · 05-20-2010, 01:08 PM

I am partaking in my first tri this year at the Hy-Vee tri.

I am starting to get nervous about all of the little things. I have been training 20 weeks (Jan) and I think I will be OK if I dont drowned or get hurt or have equipment issues.

Any advice from experienced tri ers would be great.

And for those of you who reccomend skipping it I alread spent a butt load on registration/bike/other gear so not an option.

**brianhos** · 05-20-2010, 01:10 PM

Have you practiced swimming in a toilet?

Only thing holding me back from a Tri is swimming in the local lakes, ponds, sewage ditches that the local tri's have you in.

**Sevey** · 05-20-2010, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by CykoAGR

I am partaking in my first tri this year at the Hy-Vee tri.

I am starting to get nervous about all of the little things. I have been training 20 weeks (Jan) and I think I will be OK if I dont drowned or get hurt or have equipment issues.

Any advice from experienced tri ers would be great.

And for those of you who reccomend skipping it I alread spent a butt load on registration/bike/other gear so not an option.

Not a triathlete myself, but my son-in-law won the HyVee amateur race last year. It is a really cool event and I admire your effort to train for the race. My son-in-law will be running as a professional in the elite race this summer. Hope you have fun and good luck in the race!

**jmb** · 05-20-2010, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by CykoAGR

I am partaking in my first tri this year at the Hy-Vee tri.

I am starting to get nervous about all of the little things. I have been training 20 weeks (Jan) and I think I will be OK if I dont drowned or get hurt or have equipment issues.

Any advice from experienced tri ers would be great.

And for those of you who reccomend skipping it I alread spent a butt load on registration/bike/other gear so not an option.

I have done every distance including IronMan.

Ask away or PM me. Hy-Vee run course is VERY hilly-very. Swim is fine but narrow'ish. Blue Herron Lake is a murky 'lake' very limited sight lines beyond your fingertips. Bike is a long slow easy grade out...VERY fast in, as typically you will have a west wind pushing down towards t2.

Run is a suffer-fest. Fast finish if you don't burn all of your matches as it finishes down hill.

jmb

**JP4CY** · 05-20-2010, 01:21 PM

I am not a triathlete but my sister is and usually does the HyVee and has even done an Ironman. The thing that I've noticed is that you have to get used to the lake swimming and the tide it may have versus a pool for training in. Also it might be good to have a few people swim next to you so you get used to flailing arms and legs kicking you.

**l2alphmacchio** · 05-20-2010, 01:24 PM

Is the Hy-Vee the first and only one you're going to do this year? I've got Bluff Creek this weekend and Copper Creek on June 6th. Have you done an open water swim yet? If not, that would be my biggest piece of advice. Its a whole different world in open water compared to the pool. Another would be to always be aware of who is around you, not only in the water but on your bike and run as well, not only will it prevent a collision, but help to strive you not to get passed.
Brian, the water isn't too bad. Do you go anywhere to have water activities besides a pool? If not, I suggest you buck up at least once and try it, its not too bad.
Did anyone do the Scheels DUathlon last weekend? They had 100 more people than they did last year, and I think it was run even more smoothly. Its a great starter for the season. I even cut 10 minutes off my last years time.

**jmb** · 05-20-2010, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by johnpkelly81

I am not a triathlete but my sister is and usually does the HyVee and has even done an Ironman. The thing that I've noticed is that you have to get used to the lake swimming and the tide it may have versus a pool for training in. Also it might be good to have a few people swim next to you so you get used to flailing arms and legs kicking you.

Rest assured blue heron lake has no 'tides'. It is a gravel pit. The 'tide' will be from swimming with 150 of your newest-bestest buddies. Kinda what I imagine swimming in a washing machine would be like.

**jmb** · 05-20-2010, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by l2alphmacchio

Is the Hy-Vee the first and only one you're going to do this year? I've got Bluff Creek this weekend and Copper Creek on June 6th. Have you done an open water swim yet? If not, that would be my biggest piece of advice. Its a whole different world in open water compared to the pool. Another would be to always be aware of who is around you, not only in the water but on your bike and run as well, not only will it prevent a collision, but help to strive you not to get passed.
Brian, the water isn't too bad. Do you go anywhere to have water activities besides a pool? If not, I suggest you buck up at least once and try it, its not too bad.
Did anyone do the Scheels DUathlon last weekend? They had 100 more people than they did last year, and I think it was run even more smoothly. Its a great starter for the season. I even cut 10 minutes off my last years time.

There is also a race in Indianola this weekend...

**JP4CY** · 05-20-2010, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by jmb

Rest assured blue heron lake has no 'tides'. It is a gravel pit. The 'tide' will be from swimming with 150 of your newest-bestest buddies. Kinda what I imagine swimming in a washing machine would be like.

Yeah that's what I meant. I've watched when it was down at Grays and now on the west side. For "real tides" the worst one I've ever seen her do was the Escape from Alcatraz in the SF bay. A steamboat took all the people out there and they just jumped from it and had to start swimming immediately in some choppy water.

**CykoAGR** · 05-20-2010, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by jmb

I have done every distance including IronMan.

Ask away or PM me. Hy-Vee run course is VERY hilly-very. Swim is fine but narrow'ish. Blue Herron Lake is a murky 'lake' very limited sight lines beyond your fingertips. Bike is a long slow easy grade out...VERY fast in, as typically you will have a west wind pushing down towards t2.

Run is a suffer-fest. Fast finish if you don't burn all of your matches as it finishes down hill.

jmb

jmb- thanks for the input ( I think

) I have heard that the run route is a . . . challenge.

Obviously swimming is concern #1 because I can "rest" as easy as I can in the other portions. I have also never swam competitavely before now so my form and speed are poor. I will partake in as much of the "open swim" as possible in the days leading up to the race to get accustomed to the open water but man I hope the water warms up soon because I am refusing to spend any more money to rent/buy a wetsuit (for now).

I admire you for the commitment to participate in an IM. I have a hard time juggling the training schedule for the Oly distance and I dont even have kids!!

I am luck to have my wife and a group of friends that I conned into signing up way back in Jan to train and share the experience with.

**linkshero** · 05-20-2010, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by jmb

Rest assured blue heron lake has no 'tides'. It is a gravel pit. The 'tide' will be from swimming with 150 of your newest-bestest buddies. Kinda what I imagine swimming in a washing machine would be like.

I didn't know lakes have tides......

I'm not a triathlete, but someone wants to borrow my bike for it. I have bindings on my bike, is that what most of them use, or just clips, or regular pedals?

**jmb** · 05-20-2010, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by linkshero

I didn't know lakes have tides......

I'm not a triathlete, but someone wants to borrow my bike for it. I have bindings on my bike, is that what most of them use, or just clips, or regular pedals?

I was saying there are no tides...however, Lake Michigan definitley does have a 'tide' like feel.

**CykoAGR** · 05-20-2010, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by l2alphmacchio

Is the Hy-Vee the first and only one you're going to do this year? I've got Bluff Creek this weekend and Copper Creek on June 6th. Have you done an open water swim yet? If not, that would be my biggest piece of advice. Its a whole different world in open water compared to the pool. Another would be to always be aware of who is around you, not only in the water but on your bike and run as well, not only will it prevent a collision, but help to strive you not to get passed.
Brian, the water isn't too bad. Do you go anywhere to have water activities besides a pool? If not, I suggest you buck up at least once and try it, its not too bad.
Did anyone do the Scheels DUathlon last weekend? They had 100 more people than they did last year, and I think it was run even more smoothly. Its a great starter for the season. I even cut 10 minutes off my last years time.

The Hy-Vee will be my first of the year. Not ruling out doing some later in the year (Big Creek maybe possibly others) I just dont want to have any negative experiences prior to the hy-Vee that will make me not want to do it or even worse get injured so close to the "Big Race".

As I mentioned previous I havent done an open water yet still waiting for the temps to come up a bit but I will get as much practice in as possible.

Thanks for the advice

**jmb** · 05-20-2010, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by CykoAGR

jmb- thanks for the input ( I think

) I have heard that the run route is a . . . challenge.

Obviously swimming is concern #1 because I can "rest" as easy as I can in the other portions. I have also never swam competitavely before now so my form and speed are poor. I will partake in as much of the "open swim" as possible in the days leading up to the race to get accustomed to the open water but man I hope the water warms up soon because I am refusing to spend any more money to rent/buy a wetsuit (for now).

I admire you for the commitment to participate in an IM. I have a hard time juggling the training schedule for the Oly distance and I dont even have kids!!

I am lucky to have my wife and a group of friends that I conned into signing up way back in Jan to train and share the experience with.

My wife is very cool about it as well. My kids are pretty tolerant as well as they have been able to travel to some cool places. i have a couple of treamills in the basement and while I am running they will join me on the other...good times.

**mikeiastat** · 05-20-2010, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by brianhos

Have you practiced swimming in a toilet?

Only thing holding me back from a Tri is swimming in the local lakes, ponds, sewage ditches that the local tri's have you in.

I would either practice swimming through seaweed while having the neighbor kid throw rocks at you, or wear a hockey mask to the swim. Be prepared to get kicked a little. Don't let it get under your skin, it just happens.

The swim is pretty safe, just can be a little painful, depends how competitive you are. Ther are plenty of kyaks and other lifeguards in the water near you. I would practice in watter that you can't see through. ie. a lake to get used to it, and make sure that you have good new goggles. fogged goggles on the race are really tough to manage.

It's a lot better if the race is big enough. I presume that you won't be winning the whole thing, so if there are speed classes try to be as accurate as possible, so you're not passing a lot of people and they're not passing you. Either can be frustrating if you got someone crawling up you back it doesn't get you in the face, but you won't know it's coming. You can avoid getting kicked in the face, if you don't care about every last second. And the different tiers are accounted for with an adjusted time so don't get too wrapped up in what tier you're in. Give yourself some space before you cross the start if it is chipped with a run-in, but the run in is usually just estimated start time. If the chip isn't going to track your start time then try and get one tier slower than you think you'll be and try to be out front of your tier.

While the swim IS safe, after the swim, its always a lot easier after that for me.