General Discussion Triathlon Talk » My first triathlon ever. I need advice. Rss Feed  
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2014-08-02 10:55 AM


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Subject: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
I signed up for full IM Mont Tremblant this August. This is my first triathlon ever. So not ready for this.. I have few questions to people that previously participated in an IM event. Do I really need one of those tri suits? Do you wear it underneath the wet suit to speed up your transition time? Anybody knows whats included in the participant package at Mont Tremblant IM ?


2014-08-02 11:10 AM
in reply to: TryharderON

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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.

my advice is to get a refund

2014-08-02 11:21 AM
in reply to: #5034103


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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
Too late for refund. I'm in good shape done 11 marathons and 3 100km bike races before. Just never a triathlon.
2014-08-02 12:13 PM
in reply to: TryharderON


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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
You will want to have tri suit or tri shorts and tri top for sure. or, you could substitute swim jammers for tri shorts if you can get by without any padding. You can wear them swim/bike/run. You can optionally put a wetsuit over if water isn't too warm. Make sure you practice with the wetsuit and get something like Bodyglide to put on ankles/knees etc so you can get the wetsuit off. Practice everything in advance.
2014-08-02 2:38 PM
in reply to: #5034114


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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
Thank you MikeD1 for great advice.
2014-08-02 3:22 PM
in reply to: TryharderON

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Champion
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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.

Originally posted by TryharderON Too late for refund. I'm in good shape done 11 marathons and 3 100km bike races before. Just never a triathlon.

How's your swimming?

Mark



2014-08-02 4:00 PM
in reply to: #5034180


6

Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
I'm not super fast but I can swim for 5km without getting too tired.
2014-08-02 4:14 PM
in reply to: TryharderON


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, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
Originally posted by TryharderON

I'm not super fast but I can swim for 5km without getting too tired.


You should be a-okay fitness wise. I would also practice a couple of Bricks if you haven't done them (Bricks are riding the bike and then immediately practicing a transition to running. You don't have to run too far at first. Even a mile or two just to get used to the exceptionally weird feeling in your legs going from spinning to striding)
2014-08-02 4:56 PM
in reply to: #5034201


6

Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
Just came back form 80k bike ride I will try bricks tomorrow. When do you think I should start tapering? The race is on August 17?
2014-08-02 5:11 PM
in reply to: #5034214

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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
I am having a hard time believing this but if I am wrong I apologize and hope you kill it .

You should have been tapering already. I have 2 friends doing it and they have been in taper mode for 1-2 weeks .
2014-08-02 5:13 PM
in reply to: #5034217


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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
For marathons I usually taper for 1 week. I only do a few short slow runs.


2014-08-02 5:25 PM
in reply to: TryharderON


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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
Originally posted by TryharderON

I signed up for full IM Mont Tremblant this August. This is my first triathlon ever. So not ready for this.. I have few questions to people that previously participated in an IM event. Do I really need one of those tri suits? Do you wear it underneath the wet suit to speed up your transition time? Anybody knows whats included in the participant package at Mont Tremblant IM ?


http://triathlon.competitor.com/2014/07/training/actually-ready-rac...

"Make sure you do these four things before you sign up for your next triathlon.

Sometimes I am shocked when I read comments on social media. Not because social media is ludicrous (it can be), but because triathletes often appear to lose their minds. When I read things like, “Just signed up for my first half Ironman! I have four months to learn how to swim!” my eyeballs pop out of my head. Another good one: “I just bought my tri bike. This weekend’s race will be a good time to ‘tri’ it out!” And my absolute favorite: “I have my first race this weekend. It will be my first time in open water. I’m so nervous!” Boiiinggg! There go my eyeballs. No, no, no.

Act like a smart triathlete. A little common sense goes a long way. If you do not know how to swim, maybe swim lessons and a season of shorter races might be in order before you take on a long-distance triathlon. Related: Please do not do your first race with a brand new bike.

Be honest with yourself. If you have not stuck to an Olympic-distance training plan for longer than a week, perhaps signing up for Ironman Lake Tahoe is not the best idea—at this time. Be realistic in your fitness level and adjust your expectations accordingly.

Assess your base. Another common mistake that newer triathletes make is bumping up the race distance too soon. A goal should be to thrive on race day—not to simply survive (and end up in the medical tent). By taking time to build a strong base in all three sports, you will be setting yourself up for success when the time is right to tackle a longer race.

Respect the race. Each race deserves its own special level of respect. When you stand at a given swim start, you should be confident that you gave training your best effort. By always respecting the race distance, your training will move forward with the end goal in sight.

Meredith Atwood is the author of Triathlon for the Every Woman and blogs at SwimBikeMom.com."
2014-08-02 6:41 PM
in reply to: Bscjake

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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
If you've done those long of bike and running races, you might want to change into your biking and running clothes in transition. It won't take a ton of extra time but it would be a lot better than finding out you're chaffing horribly 2 hours into the bike. Then you could just wear jammers under your wetsuit.
Good luck. Report back and let us know how it goes!
And yeah, start to taper now. You could follow the taper from any of the plans on this site and be fine.
2014-08-02 10:08 PM
in reply to: FELTGood


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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
Originally posted by FELTGood

I am having a hard time believing this but if I am wrong I apologize and hope you kill it .

You should have been tapering already. I have 2 friends doing it and they have been in taper mode for 1-2 weeks .


I do have a hard time believing this as well. I do feel bad that I may have become a bit jaded. But to quote:

"I signed up for full IM Mont Tremblant this August. This is my first triathlon ever. So not ready for this"

"When do you think I should start tapering? The race is on August 17?"

This just sounds trollish, no offense really. But after someone takes on the significant financial decision including race fees/lodging/travel/food...etc..., as well as the decision to swim 2.4 mi, bike 112 mi, and run 26.2 mi consecutively, they usually have a lot of the details worked out by now, especially with regards to training. (And really would never ask "The race is on August 17th?") But your original questions weren't bad.

Do I really need one of those tri suits? Do you wear it underneath the wet suit to speed up your transition time?

Either a one piece or two piece (tri shorts and top) is recommended, and yes you can wear them under your wetsuit. If nothing else, you should figure out what you are wearing and train in it now. You don't want to buy a new pair of shorts at the expo and realize that one of the seams rubs you the wrong way.

"Anybody knows whats included in the participant package at Mont Tremblant IM ?"

I am assuming you mean your race packet. The Athlete Guide is posted, reading it will help you figure out what to do with the stuff in your packet. You should also go on You tube and figure out how transitions work. You should actually practice them. When you come out of the water, your brain will not work, you have to go on instinct and muscle memory, and you can actually be DQ'd if you don't buckle your chin strap and head out on the course for example. And for that matter, in addition to the Athlete Guide, you should probably read the USAT rulebook, since it is a USAT sanctioned race, as well as read the rules and regulations posted on the Ironman website.

As far as your training goes. Not much of anything you do now will have an impact on your race, unless you overdo it. Based on your statements of being able to swim 5k "without getting too tired," and your 11 marathons and 100k races implying that you have somewhat that level of fitness now, you should be ok. That does assume you have a good plan of how you will "race."
2014-08-03 1:46 AM
in reply to: ImSore

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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
I don't understand how someone can register for an ironman and then come to a site like this and ask these questions.
In fact, I am assuming this is a joke.
2014-08-03 6:36 AM
in reply to: jennifer_runs


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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
you can't fix stupid. people online post race reports all the time of them bonking like halfway through the bike. DNF'ing on the swim.. not having used their wetsuit until race morning.. not practicing an open water swim.. not being able to fix a flat tire.

people think that these things can just be done on a whim.. a sprint probably.. anything longer.. probably not.


2014-08-03 7:47 AM
in reply to: #5034218

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Subject: RE: My first triathlon ever. I need advice.
I kind of thought the same thing. No offense to you, but if you signed up for one of the most difficult races in the world as your first triathlon, are two weeks away from the race, and have been training like you say you are - how is it you have no clue about the simple things? How can you go that many months of training without researching it even a little bit? This is a huge race , & it seems to me your treating it like a little sprint that's going to be over in an hour. I'd spend the next 2 weeks doing some research.
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