Completed my first triathlon there at the weekend. My goal was to be under 1:40 and I came in comfortably enough under that.
The swim part was a bit of a mixed bag. Absolute chaos at the start in the pool with everyone pushing off at the same time. Bubbles everywhere, tough to see where you’re heading. Then it settled down after 3 or 4 lengths and it was handy. My swim time for the 750m was in the range of 15.30-16.00.
Cycle was an outbound bastard uphill and into a wind. Way back was a leisurely glide. My worst section is the run and it was where I lost the most time against the field. In saying that my run time was better than I expected but I’m a poor enough runner. Time to be made there in the coming months.
Next goals are:
Get under 1:30. Next ones I’m looking at are in April.
Move up to Olympic distance. This is likely 18 months away.
But for now I’ll be resting my body for a few weeks at least.
You know, as it was my first one I hadn’t really put much thought into it. But looking back it is totally obvious now to me that it would be a bit frantic initially. Chalk it down to experience.
125 signed up. 5 heats, 5 lanes, 5 per lane. 5x5x5=125
Only 86 actually turned up for whatever reason. So my lane only had three which was nice. The person ahead of me was swimming marginally faster and the person behind was swimming marginally slower so I actually ended up with a nice bit of space to get my swim done. After the early part settled down.
Do I remember a post not so long ago where you said you were a very poor swimmer with no technique but through many hours in the pool learned proper technique and got good? Do you remember what thread it was in, here I suppose? Did you ever take lessons? Trying to improve my own technique currently without taking head up out of water for air.
Think it’s in the fitness thread. I could swim when I was a kid but my technique was always all wrong.
Youtube videos is where I retaught myself. No real lessons. I had one impromptu lesson with the lifeguard in Westwood where he spent 10 minutes showing me the basics of doing a flip turn. And I just figured it out myself after that.
Most useful thing I found in those Youtube videos was an explanation of breathing technique, and I’ve mentioned it on this thread already I think, imagine a piece of string connected from the tips of your fingers on your left or right hand to your chin. When your hand comes out of the water it brings your chin with it. And that’s how I learned to breathe properly. But that’s just me and that’s following a 2 strokes per breath technique. The other lads here do 3 or 4. To each their own.
Tip away for Winter and Olympic well within your scope next year. Enter 1 early n you’ll do d training then. I can’t run for fuck but did Dublin 70.3 last year on about 8 hours weekly training
I’m a 4 stroke man … exhale as arm entering water for third stroke then come up for water as the the opposite arm is leaving the water … it’s a massive part of improving. I hit 25 lengths without stopping last week and i’ve only been back swimming sporadically for the last 6/7 weeks afters years of not doing it and it’s usually after a gym session. Once I get to grips with breathing it just felt easy - tho pushing onto the next level of 40/50/60 lengths will take more of push.
I cant stress this enough, everybody in oz where they are a million miles ahead of us in swimming has aids, get some bro and stop this 4 stroke nonsense
