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2013-07-23 10:58 PM

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Subject: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
I have a Olympic Triathlon on Sept 2nd. So that is 1 day less than 6 weeks away.

I also have another Olympic Tri on Aug 11th. 19 days from now. However I am treating this one as a practice. It is the Sept 2nd one that I am concerned about.

Details:
I have never run a triathlon before.
My goal is under 2 hours 45 minutes.

Swim:
I would consider swimming to be my weakest event. I am comfortable in the water and comfortable in the ocean as I have been swimming in the ocean most of my life, however that has just been splashing around. Never for distance or speed. I just bought my first ever wetsuit and I have only used it once so far.

Bike:
I just bought my first road bike ever. It is the cheapest bike I could find and it shows. As of right now I have only rode a road bike 5 times in my entire life.

Run:
This is my best event. I am not fast, but at least I am much more comfortable running than the other 2 events. Also I have run in 2 road races a 10k (44:02) and a Marathon(3:40:42).

Other:
I have basically been doing no strength training at all lately. But I do cardio 4-5 times a week

Based on my training here is what I think I will currently be able to do on race day:
Swim: 0:40:00
T1: 0:03:00
Bike: 1:35:00
T2: 0:02:00
Run: 0:50:00
Total: 3:10:00

So any idea what I can work on to cut 25 minutes off my race time in the next 5+ weeks? Training time is not an issue (within reason) I will make the time.

Thanks


2013-07-23 11:17 PM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
I'll throw out what comes to mind. 6 weeks isn't enough time to make any huge fitness gains, but you can do a lot to help yourself out.


- practice swimming in open water in your wetsuit.
- practice riding your bike in the drops. Ideally, you'll want to do the whole race there unless you're climbing
- practice your transitions. Depending on the size of the transition area T1 shouldn't be more than 1:30, and T2 1:00
- Go to your LBS and get a decent fitting for your bike. If you aren't riding them, get clipless pedals and shoes.

Lastly, a 1:35 bike split is pretty slow. Especially if you're capable of a 44:00 10k. Even with a not so aero road bike I'd guess you can ride something more like 1:15-1:20 if the course is relatively flat.
2013-07-23 11:47 PM
in reply to: JZig

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Originally posted by JZig

I'll throw out what comes to mind. 6 weeks isn't enough time to make any huge fitness gains, but you can do a lot to help yourself out.


- practice swimming in open water in your wetsuit.
- practice riding your bike in the drops. Ideally, you'll want to do the whole race there unless you're climbing
- practice your transitions. Depending on the size of the transition area T1 shouldn't be more than 1:30, and T2 1:00
- Go to your LBS and get a decent fitting for your bike. If you aren't riding them, get clipless pedals and shoes.

Lastly, a 1:35 bike split is pretty slow. Especially if you're capable of a 44:00 10k. Even with a not so aero road bike I'd guess you can ride something more like 1:15-1:20 if the course is relatively flat.


Thanks for the advice. Yes I agree 6 weeks is not enough to do much, but I want to do as much as I can...

-The tentative training plan I made up will get me in my wetsuit twice per week, so 10 times before race day.
-I will be on my bike 3 times per week, so I'll make sure to try to stay in the drops.
-It's a pretty small transition area so I might be able to make your estimates, I'll just have to make sure I plan it out well.
-I can't justify spending $100 for a fitting on a $300 bike...

I agree 1:35 is slow, since you based your estimation on my running times here is my actual records:
1K: 3:26 (5/29/13) 3:26/km
1Mi: 6:17 (5/21/13) 3:54/km
5K: 20:30 (5/21/13) 4:06/km
10K: 43:15 (5/27/13) 4:20/km
Half: 1:39:03 (5/24/13) 4:42/km
Full: 3:40:42 (5/5/13) 5:13/km

Also the course isn't flat. I actually just rode it last week so here is my time/elevation/etc:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/344665254
As you can see it's actually pretty hilly. I did it in 1:28:17 that time (and the course was not closed to traffic), but I assume I'll be going slower after swimming (& I don't want to kill myself for the run).

It does seem that my bike is the area where I have the most room for improvement. Anything else I can do to potentially improve my ride?
2013-07-24 12:22 AM
in reply to: #4812362

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
I have a question about the advice given. Are you recommending not using toe clips? I thought toe clips would improve time and reduce effort over not having them. Just wondering.
2013-07-24 12:33 AM
in reply to: lekuhlman

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Originally posted by lekuhlman

I have a question about the advice given. Are you recommending not using toe clips? I thought toe clips would improve time and reduce effort over not having them. Just wondering.


Clipless pedals actually means the ones where your shoes Are clipped into the pedals... Don't make much sense but clipless as opposed to the toe cages (or whatever they are called).

And I forgot to respond to that: I am using clipless pedals ...meaning the ones with clips :p
2013-07-24 2:48 AM
in reply to: #4812395

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Oh OK! Gotchya!


2013-07-24 5:05 AM
in reply to: lekuhlman

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Ride as much as you can between now and your event. The bike portion of tri's is the largest part and the area where you can make up significant gains.
2013-07-24 5:32 AM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
This is your first tri, so don't worry about hitting a specific time. Make sure you practice transitions (i.e. lay everything out on a towel and then go from wetsuit to bike, and from bike to run), and do short bricks for each bike session. A mile run after the bike will really make a bit difference. The feeling of running on "dead" legs is something that you have to practice.

This is your first triathlon, so expect that you will make some errors. That's why I'm not recommending you to shoot for a specific time. Rather, use this as a learning experience. Document what you did well, what you didn't do so well and what you need to work on. Keeping a short log of the first few races will help you a lot in the future.

Good luck in your race and have a blast!
2013-07-24 5:32 AM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
It is incredibly unlikey that you can do anything at this point to drop 25 minutes from your projected finishing time. Instead what I would suggest is training consistently between now and your first race, getting a benchmark for your ability over the distance. Then, train consistently to your next race and aim to imrpove your performance.

What I would do then is look at a training plan through the fall/winter/spring that will allow you to build fitness across all three sports and then get to the sub 2:45 level next season.

Shane
2013-07-24 8:48 AM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Probably obvious, but treat the first race as simply a training day...a taper will take away from your training. That said, also don't blow yourself up in the race and need 2 weeks to recover.

You're not going to improve your swim too much - minutes at most. Same with the run. The big gains would be on the bike. So, I would concentrate on some hard rides - an hour or so - followed by brick runs.
2013-07-24 9:47 AM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?

Originally posted by Chillin
Originally posted by JZig I'll throw out what comes to mind. 6 weeks isn't enough time to make any huge fitness gains, but you can do a lot to help yourself out. - practice swimming in open water in your wetsuit. - practice riding your bike in the drops. Ideally, you'll want to do the whole race there unless you're climbing - practice your transitions. Depending on the size of the transition area T1 shouldn't be more than 1:30, and T2 1:00 - Go to your LBS and get a decent fitting for your bike. If you aren't riding them, get clipless pedals and shoes. Lastly, a 1:35 bike split is pretty slow. Especially if you're capable of a 44:00 10k. Even with a not so aero road bike I'd guess you can ride something more like 1:15-1:20 if the course is relatively flat.
Thanks for the advice. Yes I agree 6 weeks is not enough to do much, but I want to do as much as I can... -The tentative training plan I made up will get me in my wetsuit twice per week, so 10 times before race day. -I will be on my bike 3 times per week, so I'll make sure to try to stay in the drops... It does seem that my bike is the area where I have the most room for improvement. Anything else I can do to potentially improve my ride?

Cool Stanly Park, I haven't been up in VC in many years, last time there I ran around the park but don't remember that hill! 

Regarding riding on the drops, short of getting aerobars on your bike I read that the position below is actually more aerodynamic on a RB than arms extended with hands on the drops. Notice that the arms & body are basically parallel with the ground.  It also allows you to have your hands in position for braking and shifting. 


When climbing. or needing that extra oomph, "pull" your elbows in towards your core.  This will "engage" your core and remove the focus on your legs and help with the climb. When I first started out someone on BT mentioned this and really helped me on the local bridge climbs.

Other "not free speed" is the tire & tube combination your riding.  Granted in may only be seconds here and there but it all adds up and depending on what tire you are currently riding it could be a nice time saver.  The current combo most often mentioned for training and racing is the Continental GP4000s with latex tubes, even without latex tubes the GP4000s tire is a solid tire.

Let us know how the race goes. Remember to have fun, go with the flow and make mental notes so you can write up a race report so that you can digest what you can do differently on the next go around.



2013-07-24 11:28 AM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
I agree that you don't need to spend big bucks on an all out fitting, but you definitely need to spend 10-15 minutes with someone who knows what they're doing to get you in a decent position, get your saddle height right, etc..
2013-07-24 11:49 AM
in reply to: JZig

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?

 

Forget time goals and just finish well in your first tri. You only get one first, you can obsess about time in every tri after your first. 

Ride, ride and ride some more. You are a decent runner but if you are not in good bike shape you will kill your legs and then your run will suck too. 

I say train to maintain your run, train to get stronger on the bike, and OWS enough so you are comfortable on race day. Then forget about times and have some fun with your first tri. Setting a time goal for a first is a good recipe to not make the time goal and then to get down on yourself or to feel frustrated with the sport when you don't meet unrealistic expectations. Better to be pleasantly surprised with a decent time than to be dissappointed with not meeting a goal you aren't likely to meet. 

2013-07-24 2:28 PM
in reply to: Donto

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Originally posted by Donto

Originally posted by Chillin
Originally posted by JZig I'll throw out what comes to mind. 6 weeks isn't enough time to make any huge fitness gains, but you can do a lot to help yourself out. - practice swimming in open water in your wetsuit. - practice riding your bike in the drops. Ideally, you'll want to do the whole race there unless you're climbing - practice your transitions. Depending on the size of the transition area T1 shouldn't be more than 1:30, and T2 1:00 - Go to your LBS and get a decent fitting for your bike. If you aren't riding them, get clipless pedals and shoes. Lastly, a 1:35 bike split is pretty slow. Especially if you're capable of a 44:00 10k. Even with a not so aero road bike I'd guess you can ride something more like 1:15-1:20 if the course is relatively flat.
Thanks for the advice. Yes I agree 6 weeks is not enough to do much, but I want to do as much as I can... -The tentative training plan I made up will get me in my wetsuit twice per week, so 10 times before race day. -I will be on my bike 3 times per week, so I'll make sure to try to stay in the drops... It does seem that my bike is the area where I have the most room for improvement. Anything else I can do to potentially improve my ride?

Cool Stanly Park, I haven't been up in VC in many years, last time there I ran around the park but don't remember that hill! 

Regarding riding on the drops, short of getting aerobars on your bike I read that the position below is actually more aerodynamic on a RB than arms extended with hands on the drops. Notice that the arms & body are basically parallel with the ground.  It also allows you to have your hands in position for braking and shifting. 


When climbing. or needing that extra oomph, "pull" your elbows in towards your core.  This will "engage" your core and remove the focus on your legs and help with the climb. When I first started out someone on BT mentioned this and really helped me on the local bridge climbs.

Other "not free speed" is the tire & tube combination your riding.  Granted in may only be seconds here and there but it all adds up and depending on what tire you are currently riding it could be a nice time saver.  The current combo most often mentioned for training and racing is the Continental GP4000s with latex tubes, even without latex tubes the GP4000s tire is a solid tire.

Let us know how the race goes. Remember to have fun, go with the flow and make mental notes so you can write up a race report so that you can digest what you can do differently on the next go around.




The reason you don't remember the hill during your run is the running route is around the Stanley Park Seawall (my favourite run, I do it about 4 times a week), which is completely flat. The biking route is around Stanley Park Drive which climbs up to Prospect Point (overlooking the Lion's Gate Bridge). The two routes are quite close, often side by side, but are drastically different in terms of elevation.

Thanks for the tip on the position, I could see how that would be much more aerodynamic, I'm will definitely try that out on a few of my rides and see if it works for me.

I'm glad you mentioned the tires. Mine are horrible. The front has just a tiny bit of wobble to it, but once I get over 30km/h it starts to get really bumpy, over 50km/h and my whole bike is vibrating. I tried taking it off, resetting it and repumping it and it is exactly the same. That's what I get for buying the cheapest department store road bike I could find. So I ordered a set off Continental GP4000s's I think they will help a lot.

Thanks!
2013-07-24 2:33 PM
in reply to: Aarondb4

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Originally posted by Aarondb4

 

Forget time goals and just finish well in your first tri. You only get one first, you can obsess about time in every tri after your first. 

Ride, ride and ride some more. You are a decent runner but if you are not in good bike shape you will kill your legs and then your run will suck too. 

I say train to maintain your run, train to get stronger on the bike, and OWS enough so you are comfortable on race day. Then forget about times and have some fun with your first tri. Setting a time goal for a first is a good recipe to not make the time goal and then to get down on yourself or to feel frustrated with the sport when you don't meet unrealistic expectations. Better to be pleasantly surprised with a decent time than to be dissappointed with not meeting a goal you aren't likely to meet. 




Well my first is technically the one on Aug 11th, so that is why I'm not setting a target for that one. My second just happens to be 3 weeks after my first. I had my training plan having me in the saddle 3 days a week, maybe I should up that to 4 and add in a bit of strength training, since it is entirely possible to knock 15 minutes off my ride in the next 6 weeks...
2013-07-24 2:38 PM
in reply to: JZig

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Originally posted by JZig

I agree that you don't need to spend big bucks on an all out fitting, but you definitely need to spend 10-15 minutes with someone who knows what they're doing to get you in a decent position, get your saddle height right, etc..


I read some articles online about bike fitting, but ya I guess that's not really sufficient is it. I'll see if I can get someone to help me with that without actually paying for a fitting. Thanks.


2013-07-24 2:40 PM
in reply to: gsmacleod

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Originally posted by gsmacleod

It is incredibly unlikey that you can do anything at this point to drop 25 minutes from your projected finishing time....


I will take that as a challenge
2013-07-24 3:07 PM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Unless you are killing it on your rides, it is entirely possible that you will make the ride faster than your training rides. For me, anyway, the race-day adrenaline (and extreme desire to stop hearing "on your left" constantly) gets me to ride just a bit faster than I should under normal circumstances. I'm told that bit of pacing is one of those things that comes with experience, which I definitely don't have much of yet
2013-07-24 3:08 PM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Originally posted by Chillin

Originally posted by JZig

I'll throw out what comes to mind. 6 weeks isn't enough time to make any huge fitness gains, but you can do a lot to help yourself out.


- practice swimming in open water in your wetsuit.
- practice riding your bike in the drops. Ideally, you'll want to do the whole race there unless you're climbing
- practice your transitions. Depending on the size of the transition area T1 shouldn't be more than 1:30, and T2 1:00
- Go to your LBS and get a decent fitting for your bike. If you aren't riding them, get clipless pedals and shoes.

Lastly, a 1:35 bike split is pretty slow. Especially if you're capable of a 44:00 10k. Even with a not so aero road bike I'd guess you can ride something more like 1:15-1:20 if the course is relatively flat.


Thanks for the advice. Yes I agree 6 weeks is not enough to do much, but I want to do as much as I can...

-The tentative training plan I made up will get me in my wetsuit twice per week, so 10 times before race day.
-I will be on my bike 3 times per week, so I'll make sure to try to stay in the drops.
-It's a pretty small transition area so I might be able to make your estimates, I'll just have to make sure I plan it out well.
-I can't justify spending $100 for a fitting on a $300 bike...

I agree 1:35 is slow, since you based your estimation on my running times here is my actual records:
1K: 3:26 (5/29/13) 3:26/km
1Mi: 6:17 (5/21/13) 3:54/km
5K: 20:30 (5/21/13) 4:06/km
10K: 43:15 (5/27/13) 4:20/km
Half: 1:39:03 (5/24/13) 4:42/km
Full: 3:40:42 (5/5/13) 5:13/km

Also the course isn't flat. I actually just rode it last week so here is my time/elevation/etc:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/344665254
As you can see it's actually pretty hilly. I did it in 1:28:17 that time (and the course was not closed to traffic), but I assume I'll be going slower after swimming (& I don't want to kill myself for the run).

It does seem that my bike is the area where I have the most room for improvement. Anything else I can do to potentially improve my ride?


You will go at least that fast on race day. The swim won't (or shouldn't, at least) take that much out of you, and race day adrenaline plus your next five weeks of training will ensure that you have a faster bike than you're expecting. I think 2:45 is still a pretty big stretch goal, but I bet you'll be closer to that than your current estimate of 3:10. And you'll learn a lot at your interim race, and have a better sense of where you stand with regard to your goals.
2013-07-24 3:09 PM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
I'll echo some of the other responses. Firstly, 6 weeks is not enough to knock 25 mins off your time. Second, if this is your first tri, you really shouldn't have a time goal - as the old saying goes, in your first triathlon your aim should only be to finish with a smile on your face!

But in order to have your best possible race, I'd suggest two things - firstly, train like crazy between now and then *but* allow a full week (or more) to taper. Training hard right up to race day will do more harm than good.

Second, the bike leg is proportionately where you will spend most time so work hardest on this. And do lots of bike-run bricks.

Finally, I would suggest that the single most effective thing you can do to reduce your time has nothing to do with training - rent yourself a tri bike with aero wheels. That step alone could save you 10-15 mins on the bike leg.
2013-07-24 3:27 PM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
There are no shortcuts to getting faster. You simply train as much as you can and do that over long periods of time to see improvements.That said, you may have a chance at 2:45 depending on how fast (or slow) you really are right now. I know you posted some estimated times, but frankly...I'd bet you have no idea how to accurately predict your race splits anyway. It could very well be that you're already in 2:50ish shape right now and you only need to shave 5 minutes.


2013-07-24 4:04 PM
in reply to: smallard

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
I don't know where you can rent a tri-bike. My personal experience: I went from a 1984 Schwinn road bike to a early 2000s Cervelo TT bike. I go about 1.5 mph faster. Obviously, individual results may vary. So, over a 40K olympic course, you're looking at a 5-7 minute time savings. Another cheap fix would be to find some bolt-on aerobars. That's maybe 0.5 mph or 1 kph. Not a lot, but it's a few minutes.
2013-07-24 8:25 PM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Get private swim coaching 40:00 with poor technique will exhaust you beyond belief
2013-07-24 8:28 PM
in reply to: Chillin

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Don' t bother with aero bars for the Stanley park race. I did worlds there and a newbie does not need them on that course.
2013-07-24 8:32 PM
in reply to: simpsonbo

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Subject: RE: What can I do to get faster Quickly?
Originally posted by simpsonbo

Don' t bother with aero bars for the Stanley park race. I did worlds there and a newbie does not need them on that course.


I'd argue that a newbie with 5 road rides under his belt wouldn't want aero bars on ANY course
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