kleinrider Group - Full

Brian

Thanks for joining my group.  Congrats on loosing 48 pounds.  Good for you being so busy and still being able to fit in all your training.

The swim is normally the hardest part for someone new to the sport, i wouldn't say i am a great swimmer but over the past few years may swim has really clicked.  It's just one of those things that takes some time, and remember your swim isn't going to make or break your race.

It would be great to meet you at NJ State Oly.

I am going to enjoy this mentor thing as well, cause i think it will push me as well since i know you guys will be reading my training log.  I wouldn't be much of a mentor if i wasn't do my training as well.

Looking forward to getting to know you and helping you out.  Please feel free to ask me anything, no question is stupid, there is no question that you could have that i didn't have when i did my first triathlon. 

Kevin

Kudos to you for not putting off the triathlon until next year.   As you already discovered BT is a great place for resources and i hope to offer you even more resources but with a personal touch.

Swimming is very hard for the newbie, it took me a long time to improve (without a coach) i am sure when you find that coach he/she will be a big help to ya, cause swimming is all about technique. 

I am sure the 25 lbs will come off in no time, don't be afraid to start running now, if you do start now it will be that much more easy when that 25lbs comes off.

Welcome to the group and please feel free to me or anyone in the group anything.  I look foward to getting to know you and helping reach your goal.

this is pretty much the program i use.  

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=486

you are right, you can be held very accountable.

back to the core thing... Every month under the "Challenge Me" section someone starts a challenge maybe it's a weight loss challenge, Abs/core (which i am doing now) swim or bike challenge, it a very good way to be held accountable, cause you'll join a team and the team captain checks out your logs to make sure you are doing what you are suppose to be doing. 

Hi John -

I'd like to join.

NAME: gergzos/greg

STORY: Live in Havertown, PA..the other side of Philly from you. Fairly new to the area so I thought it would be ideal to have a somewhat local mentor who knows local races and resources. Brand new to triathlons but always wanted to do one. No road biking background and no swimming background other than lessons at the Y as a kid and floating down the occasional river in an inner tube with beers. Used to mountain bike alot before I had kids. Been training since Feb with TNT for the Philly Olympic Tri on June 24. I'm really enjoying the training. Huge improvements since feb and I've dropped about 15lbs. I'm 6'5", 220, and I ride a mountainbike (for now) so I am the exact opposite of "aero".

FAMILY STATUS: Married with 2 girls ages 1 and 4.

CURRENT TRAINING: Working with TNT. Coaching is good, but I want to continue learning and training after my race in June and the program is over. Plus it's great to have other perspectives.

2007 RACES:

Definite: June 24 Philly Olympic

Possible: June 3 Blackbear sprint or Belleplain sprint as a warm up and another Olympic in Aug or Sept.

Congrats on the wedding!

Greg

Greg welcome to the group..

I don't live in Philly anymore, i now live in Marlton NJ (guess i have to change that info)  Anyway, i know pretty much all the local races in our area (and there are a ton).  Don't worry about the lack of background, most people that get into this sport and either no or a very limited background.  My only background was road riding.

Congrats on the weight loss.  That will help you.  i've heard very good things about the TNT group so you have a great starting point.

I have a few friends doing Blackbear and even Belleplain (i may volunteer for that race)  Doing a sprint race is a very good idea it will be a good test run on how to get through your transitions and how your legs are going to feel after the bike.   Either race in June would be a good choice, blackbear may be a better choice just so you can ride some hills during a race, cause Philly has some hills.

Please feel free to ask anything you want and i will do the best to help you and everyone else anyway i can.  Please feel free to jump in on any conversation any and all help is welcome.  (that goes for everyone)

Chris, welcome to the group.  Wait a minute aren't you a member of the "Blue Team" for the Abs/Core challenge??  I don't know if i want you to be apart of this group....   Only playing!!!

Sounds like you have a nice race schedule planned out for yourself this year.  Getting a wetsuit is a very good idea it will really help your swim.  (and that goes for all you guys).   I'll be sure to keep the positive pressure on you.   Very nice work of losing 15lbs.

If you any questions this is the place to ask.  We are a team and we are all looking to help one another.

Welcome to our group....

would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself.  Name, background, what races you will be doing this season. 

Thanks in advance..

Ok boys this group is Full!!!!

Kevin nice jump on the swim, it may not have been what you were looking for, but you got in the pool and now you have a baseline, and you'll only improve from here, in no time at all swimming only 50 will be a thing of the past.  I can remember my first time in the pool i swam about 50 as well and thought i was going to die.   

A stroke you can use just to get yourself through the water is the breaststroke, it's a easy stroke to use/learn and it's doesn't take a lot of your energy.  It's a nice stroke to have under your belt when your in the open water for your first race and things aren't going as planned, you can use this stroke to clam yourself but at the same time keep moving.

Again welcome to the group.   I like you competitive spirit.  

Ok guys this is what i have for everyone.

early 2007 season

Brian -- Sprint this Sunday, NJ State (Oly)
Kevin -- Aug 25 Sprint race
Greg -- maybe early sprint race, Philly Tri (Oly)
Chris -- Sprint race this season
Bajapat -- Sprint race this season
John -- early sprint (Parvin State park) then NJ State (Oly)

ok this is what we are doing in the early part of the 2007 tri season.  These are all goals we can hit, i bet those who only have a few races planned for the entire season will sign up for a few more after they do the first one.  

Looks like Brian is racing this weekend in NJ, do you have any questions about anything?  It's the first race so the real goal here is to cross the finish line and learn how to race triathlon.  There is a lot that goes into a race, you are doing 3 different things and you have T1 and T2, so there is a lot that goes on during a race.  You just want to take your time do everything you need to do and move onto the next thing.

As you guys get closer to your races, please feel free to ask anything you want about how to set up your transitions, i can share what works for me.

Hey John -

Do you have 3 or 4 things you wished someone had told you before your first tri?  (ex. how to get the wetsuit off without falling into a rack of bikes, etc, etc...).

thanks

greg

good question about the wetsuit... i normally put on pam cooking spay on my ankles before i put on the wetsuit so it's easy to take off when i get out of the water... some people use body glide i like pam, it may discolor the suit but i won't ruin it.   Make sure you give and get enough space to the guy next to you at T1.  If you are a new swimmer stay to the right less traffic.  Training wise -- do brick workouts at least twice a week  (brick = bike then run)