Triathlons

[Spoonsky]

Has anyone ever done a triathlon? I'm thinking of doing one around August 10th. Biking and running will be fine but I'm really shit at swimming, my technique is nonexistent, so I'll have to train a lot in the pool. It's a 750m swim in open water, at the moment I would definitely drown.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I would only be able to do the swimming.

I never learned how to cycle (I got a quad bike when I was 8) and I pretty much can't run.

[Shindig]

I learned how to cycle around a glass covered car park. I was born to do this.

[Spikey M]

I can do all 3 of the activities to a reasonable standard, although I'm not really allowed to run because of my dodgy knee. Saying that, I've only really swam in a pool. I dare say waves and currents are a game changer.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I can do all 3 of the activities to a reasonable standard, although I'm not really allowed to run because of my dodgy knee. Saying that, I've only really swam in a pool. I dare say waves and currents are a game changer.

Massively so.

When I was swimming in Croatia it was kicking up so much due to wind, I was probably working twice as hard than normal.

[Magic]

https://i.makeagif.com/media/10-04-2015/Qp_q2v.gif

[Jimmy Floyd]

750 metre swim? What's that, 30 lengths of an ordinary pool? Fuck that shit.

[Spoonsky]

That's the "sprint" version too. The "Olympic" version does that twice.

My endurance is good from long distance running in high school so I'm trying to convince myself it's just a matter of nailing the technique.

[Pepe]

Don't do it, it's a wankers sport.

[Pepe]

From what I've heard, in a non-draft-legal triathlon the swim is the least important part, so if you are a good runner and not too bad on the bike you should do alright.

If it's a draft-legal triathlon then you better be able to swim fast.

[Henry]

I've thought about it, but again my swimming would need a lot if work. Maybe next year after I'm done with Dublin Marathon.

[Spoonsky]

From what I've heard, in a non-draft-legal triathlon the swim is the least important part, so if you are a good runner and not too bad on the bike you should do alright.

If it's a draft-legal triathlon then you better be able to swim fast.

I'm not looking to win, I just want to finish the thing. Some friends are doing it which is how I got involved, and they're all far better at swimming than I am so I'm expecting to finish last amongst us.

[Pepe]

If you can outrun them you should be alright. Guessing they're also runners though.

Better start working on your pissing yourself technique.

[Spoonsky]

Nah, it's a pair of twins who swim competitively in college and my best friend who's good at everything. My hope is that if I'm not far enough behind after the swim I'll be able to catch at least one of the girls.

[Pepe]

I trust you'll do the whole thing wearing nothing but Speedos, right?

[Reg]

Worth getting a few swimming lessons?

I would have to do breast stroke so I'd probably be twice as slow (who am I kidding, 5 times as slow) as everyone else during that part.

[mugbull]

Nah, it's a pair of twins who swim competitively in college and my best friend who's good at everything. My hope is that if I'm not far enough behind after the swim I'll be able to catch at least one of the girls.

Aren't all of you hooking up with each other? Is this a big dick competition?

[Spoonsky]

Aren't all of you hooking up with each other? Is this a big dick competition?

Not exactly.

[Spoonsky]

Went swimming. Fucking hell, it'll be some improvement if I can manage this triathlon. At the start I couldn't even make it the length of the pool swimming freestyle, by the end though I had improved a lot and sorted my breathing out to some extent. I think I will need a couple lessons though as you said Reg.

25 days left, mon.

[Kikó]

My brother in law is training for one at the moment. I'm just braving a half marathon in October and would need to get swimming lessons if I was to even consider it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Went swimming. Fucking hell, it'll be some improvement if I can manage this triathlon. At the start I couldn't even make it the length of the pool swimming freestyle, by the end though I had improved a lot and sorted my breathing out to some extent. I think I will need a couple lessons though as you said Reg.

25 days left, mon.

Breathe on every fourth stroke (same side each time). You just have to get into a rhythm. My problem would be just the lungs giving in halfway there.

[Magic]

It's funny that two of TTH's least menliest men, in fact I'm not even sure they fully identify as men, are going in for the toughest physical endurance event there is.

[Andy]

I did the London Olympic Tri a few years ago and a ha dful of sprint distance.

The swim especially if it's open water is so much easier than everyone thinks. The wetsuit helps loads and you take it super slow because you know you've got the cycle and run to come.

It's a good thing to train for and then achieve, something like running a sub 3 hour marathon is probably harder and takes more dedication but smashing three different sports at the same time is far more fun.

In my main training cycle I was training 7 times a week with Sunday as a rest/hangover day. It's pretty intense.

Monday - running club (actual session different every time)
Tuesday - cycle or a spin class
Wednesday - running club
Thursday - 5 a side
Friday - body weight exercises with some HI IT
Saturday AM - swim PM - some sort of LISS session.

That is obviously when work didn't get in the way.

[Spoonsky]

Breathe on every fourth stroke (same side each time). You just have to get into a rhythm. My problem would be just the lungs giving in halfway there.

I've read that it's better to breathe on both sides (so every third stroke) in terms of staying balanced and going straight. Also it's 15 lengths, not 30, though you scared me for a second.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've read that it's better to breathe on both sides (so every third stroke) in terms of staying balanced and going straight. Also it's 15 lengths, not 30, though you scared me for a second.

Of an Olympic pool, but who has one of those. Americans, I guess.

[mugbull]

It's funny that two of TTH's least menliest men, in fact I'm not even sure they fully identify as men, are going in for the toughest physical endurance event there is.

Cuck, wife is fucking other men, you don't have the balls to come to terms with it, etc etc

[Magic]

Don't see my doing triathlons though, which was my point.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That theory was going well until Andy and his building services firm (or is it carpentry?) weighed in with a full weekly training run-down.

[Magic]

I'll momentarily join in your jealousy, but then I remember his joints are probably ruined and he has to pay £45 to see a physio every now and again.

:harold:

Oh wait...

[Spoonsky]

I signed up for the triathlon. It's the Saturday after next. I've been swimming every day and while I'm still shit, it's getting better and I think I'll be able to make it. Going to swim every day in Lake Tahoe this weekend to train for the open water.

[Kikó]

I'm looking at doing swimming lessons soon on a Thursday morning. My technique needs to improve before I do anything like that.

[Offshore Toon]

Swimming lessons? :harold:

[Lewis]

Right now The Group is asking him why he doesn't just walk that bit.

[Kikó]

What's wrong with swimming lessons?

[Offshore Toon]

What's wrong with swimming lessons?
Did you take running lessons? I could understand if you'd done your research and were still flapping about uncontrollably, but I can't imagine that you need swimming lessons.

[Spoonsky]

I tried to get swimming lessons but the instructor was out of town. Then yesterday there was an off-duty swim teacher in my lane (who was also the fattest person I've seen in the pool) and she gave me some advice. If you're trying to swim a mile the technique makes such a difference.

[Kikó]

Swimming is a thing you either can do well or you can do poorly. I'm more the latter and would rather improve.

[Pepe]

In a triathlon the mass of people will just drag you around anyway. Just go with the flow and hold on to the fastest looking one.

[Offshore Toon]

Swimming is a thing you either can do well or you can do poorly. I'm more the latter and would rather improve.
I get that, and I know growing up on an island makes it easier for me to comment, but have you tried getting some tips online or just watching a few dons at the swimming pool? Paying £30+ an hour to get some basic pointers and told to keep practising is a bit much.

[Spoonsky]

I read a lot of tips online. If you're not used to swimming it's very hard to transfer them to the pool without someone to actually watch you and help you.

[Offshore Toon]

Kikó's with his wife 24/7 so she can guide him.

[Spoonsky]

The triathlon's tomorrow. I've improved a lot at swimming but I'm still shit, think I might get the slowest time of the whole race (if I finish at all). :cool:

[Spikey M]

Don't do it, it's a wankers sport.

Only because of the cyclist element.

[Pepe]

Only because of the cyclist element.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2229791/why-are-most-endurance-athletes-rich?curator=MediaREDEF


No surprise, then, that data collected in 2015 by USA Triathlon shows that the median income for triathletes is $126,000

[Kikó]

I get that, and I know growing up on an island makes it easier for me to comment, but have you tried getting some tips online or just watching a few dons at the swimming pool? Paying £30+ an hour to get some basic pointers and told to keep practising is a bit much.

It was about £40 for 10 lessons.

[Spoonsky]

I did it. \o/

The swim was horrible in the beginning, one of the hardest things I've ever done. By the end my training came through and I was able to finish the swim pretty strong. The bike ride was a total pleasure. Starting the run after biking 40k though hurt so bad, my legs have never felt like that before.

[Lewis]

Well done mate.

[Spoonsky]

I couldn't have done it without TTH's support.

[Pepe]

Did you win?

[Lewis]

If you handicap for median income.

[Pepe]

The fair way to do it.

[Spoonsky]

https://www.sportstats.us/display-results.xhtml?raceid=46675&status=results#

88th out of 183, 2:52.15 overall. I was aiming for under 3 hours so I'm happy. My friends all beat me except for one though (including all of the girls).

[Pepe]

What bicycle are you using?

[Spoonsky]

It's my dad's road bike, not sure what kind it is exactly. Not very expensive and I don't even use clips but it's nice enough and a lot faster than the bike I use, which is sort of a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike.

http://imgur.com/uCXy35a.jpg

[Pepe]

Does look nice enough. Got to work on that position though.

[Spoonsky]

That was at the very beginning, although I'm sure my posture isn't great generally. I wonder if I could beat you in a race.

[Pepe]

With that pace, definitely not. But I've seen what good runners can do. With a few months of training you could probably crush the Cat 5s.