What Would You Want in Tri101 Course??
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TriOnLife posted 1 year ago.
Most of us panic a little at the beginning of the first tri so a good description of the 'washing machine' and how to cope in that environment would probably be helpful.
- A 21st Century Mom who is tri-ing to get better instead of just getting older
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Anton posted 1 year ago.
Course etiquette. A brief explaination of rules.
Just to focus on the fun the first time out...
Since many first time folks races are made or ruined in the swim...as the others have mentioned...discuss that.
Race day nutrition.
A friend of mine, who is a newbie, went to a clinic like this two weeks ago and related her story...be prepared for the IM vet or Kona qualifier who will show up to add their two cents...she had one..."Well...when I qualified for Kona I did..."
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
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bluebirdbiker posted 1 year ago.
Just some topics I think alot of people are nervous about and we have had discussions about in the past that were of concern to beginners:
1) Transition do's and don'ts (clothes changing, trans. bag stuff... etc.),
2) "Normal times",
3) Gear checklist,
4) Bricks (how far how much),
5) Taper (how much),
6) Pedals,
7) Socks/no socks,
8) Rx glasses after coming out of water
Hope this helps!
BBB
There are no excuses - so don't look for them. As a product of your own choices, you directly determine your life outcomes.
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Pete L. posted 1 year ago.
Tell them not to let their goggles get kicked off in the first minute of the swim. Also, something I'd have liked to know about was bib number straps. Cheap, convenient, and you don't accidentally pin your bib through your jersey, pinning it closed, and then get stuck putting it on feeling like an idiot, and wondering why your jersey is so tight.
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UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.
I think all of the topics people have put up here are great, but one thing I've found in a lot of triathlon training is that people focus TOO much on the details. When I was still swimming, I might spend half an hour a day doing starts and turns, working on the details....but there was 5 hours of swimming as hard as I could. When I ran track I might do a few starts and hand-offs, but most of the day was doing repeats until you puked. That's how you get fast. If you talk to a swimmer, runner, or cyclist about their sport, they'll probably tell how much pain they put themselves through to get fast. If you talk to a triathlete, a lot of times they'll talk about aerodynamics and transition technique. Aerodynamics and transition technique can DEFINITELY make or break a race, but you're out of contention from the get-go if you don't train hard.
I hear a lot of people talking about, "go easy on the easy day" so that you don't get hurt. They forget to REALLY go hard on all the other days. Getting fast should hurt.....a lot. Since you're talking to people who are already athletic, I think there should be an over-riding message of "make every day hurt, then worry about details."
______________________________________________
-Matt
Not fast enough.
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Mike20124 posted 1 year ago.
I've been reading these discussions almost daily for the last several months and have learned much. Being still somewhat new to the sport, this is the first time I actually have some advice to give. I did my first sprint triathlon last June and followed it up with a few more and an Olympic distance in Oct. Not coming from a swim or bike background, I could have used such a clinic- instead I found out most things the hard way. In order of shock value for me:
1. The swim start/washing machine effect - I had trained pretty regularly in the swim for the first tri because I knew the swim was not my strong point. Yet the excitement, mass of people, arms and legs, lack of O2 from hypoxia all combined to make a near panic situation which only worsened my ability to get my heart rate below critical mass.
2. Tranistion area - organization of stuff, walk through, knowing where your spot is - after the swim I was pretty tired (see above) and couldn't remember where my bike was.
3. If you are going to do your first tri with a mountain bike don't expect or try to keep up with the road and tri bikes. I did and killed myself trying to keep up and as a result the run (my strong point) suffered. It did cause me to prompty go out and spend $2400, however.
4. Bike rules of the road - passing, etc. Again not from a bike background, I learned the hard way in my third tri about drafting -as I was DQ'd - and I thought I was just doing a good job keeping up with the guy in front of me.
5. Race nutrition - maybe not important for the sprint but on the Olympic course I sure which I had more than one bottle of water.
6. What a great and addictive sport it is.
I've read many of your threads on swimming and really appreciate the advice - its helped, thanks.
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Dan Smith posted 1 year ago.
As a completely new person to triathlon, (but having a swimming and running background) here is what I would like covered in an introductory triathlon seminar:
* Recommended training schedule
* Triathlon specific swim workouts and drills
* What to wear on race day
* Race day gear list
* Cycling workouts
* Effective transition techniques
* Triathlon specific cycling equipment
* General tricks of the trade that folks might not think of (lace locks, body glide, bricks, etc)
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jmruns430 posted 1 year ago.
The race I did for my first tri had a mini-clinic/QA session that lasted for an hour the day before. Useful things that I remember were:
-A sample transition rack: a bike on a rack with a few next to it and a towel/bag, shoes, etc. all laid out to show the realistic area of your transition space and how it can be set up.
-Swimming suggestions on open water sighting, breathing on the side that you can sight the shore and the pack from, and staying to the outside for your first time to do this.
-Definitions of drafting and passing rules
-A LOUD reminder of the helmet chinstrap rule and when it needs to be fastened.
These were just useful race specific things.
A suggested gear list and training reference might also be a good idea.
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Ironmom posted 1 year ago.
Thanks you all, these have been GREAT suggestions, and a lot of things I wouldn't have thought to include. I really appreciate your insights.
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
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koko posted 1 year ago.
I am brand new to the sport...an Oly in June will be my first....and if it wasn't for spending way too much time on this and other forums, I wouldn't have a clue....which I'm sure I still don't. Here are the things I had or still have questions about:
First, an overview of Triathlon training basics. How much time on each discipline? Should I use a HRM? What is a good method for determining my Max HR? How long should my plan be? Then I would give some specific advice on each sport. Do I need strength training? How important is stretching? How about nutrition? And finally, where to find additional information.
Second, the basic gear required to train and race. This can be broken down by the Must have, the nice to have, and the don't need gear. If I had a checklist of everything I needed up front, that would have been great.
Third, what to do and expect on race day. What issues or problems first timers should avoid. Things like the mass start swim, and how do handle the crowd. How to prepare the transition area. Nutrition and hydration recommendations. Race day 101.
Fourth, the rules of the road. Safety and etiquette issues.
And finally, something motivational to make me want to get my butt in gear and do my first triathlon
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hakadoru posted 1 year ago.
These are all good topics. If I recall, fear is the big concern going into a first triathlon. Not pee your bike shorts fear, but fear of the unknown. One part of the race that is hard to simulate in training, or often overlooked, is the transition and how to set up your gear. I remember looking around (still do) to see how others rack their bike, lay out their gear, etc.
The other thing to tell them would be to get there early to set up. Nothing worse than not finding a place to rack your gear (dang transition hogs) and running down to the swim start, only to forget your timing chip back at the transition area...and the swim starting without you. Not that that's ever happened to me. ;^)
hak
The Outdoor Journey: Exploring the multisport life through the crucible of endurance
I've been asked to put on a one-day Triathlon101 Clinic, about 9 weeks out from a local sprint race. It's at a health club with a very active membership, so I'm guessing most of the people who show up will be already fit folks maybe looking to get into triathlon or have already done one and want to have more of a plan going into the next one.
So.... if anyone wants to help me out here, what would you have wanted to know before your first race? Any thoughts on format are welcome, as are any good 8-weeks-to-first-Tri plans for folks who are already relatively athletic. I'm going to peruse the thread on what people learned in their first races, for sure!
I'm going to be putting this on in conjunction with another trainer/coach and we haven't talked yet about format, but I'm thinking of possibly including some straightforward lecture time on the basics and the training plan, and also a panel of maybe three people who have done their first tri in the last year or two, to share their experiences and what they would've wanted to know going into it, and then maybe a Q&A with the panel and perhaps with us two more experienced coach/triathletes.
Separately I'll be doing a transition clinic closer to the race, so I won't cover that as heavily. This is more to get people going with a basic plan. Thoughts??
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/