My Forum

Thanks for all the welcomes! 

There are quite a few Sprint triathlons in aberdeenshire over the summer listed in the aberdeenshire council website, I'm looking at one in Turriff in May.  I've no idea how beginner friendly it is going to be though, I don't know anyone who has done a triathlon before, never mind that one.  Is anyone here local?

I'm on holiday soon, but I've bought a triathlon book to read while I'm away and really looking forward to getting straight into training when I get home.  I guess I could get round ok at the moment, but I would like a reasonably respectible time.  I'm a confident swimmer but not a fast one.  Same with cycling and swimming actually!  I'm too quick to fall into a comfortable plod - I have no competitive edge.

 It's inspiring to read about all the great training you guys are doing!

Hi All, I've been reading this with a lot of interest.... I've found a Sprint at the start of May which I really fancy.  I've been mainly running (slowly!) for the past few years, and did a marathon at the end of 2009.  Last year, I started cycling more, as training for a cycle touring holiday in the summer.  And I've always done a bit of swimming.  So triathlon been at the back of my mind for a while now.

Does anyone have any advice on how I should change my current schedule to train for it?  At the moment, I alternate cycling and running to work, so lots of short, hilly, 5-mile cycles in a week, and a few 5-mile runs, plus a shorter run.  Plus usually a 1-mile swim once a week, and either a longer run, cycle, or a body pump class at the weekend. 

Over the winter I've been adding a 1.5 mile run onto the end of my cycle home occasional, just to see how that felt (generally pretty good), and going for a quicker than usual "transition" when I've cycled to the pool (i.e. not drying my hair after the shower ).   In the summer I did a 20-mile cycle followed by a 1-hour run round an orienteering course (followed by lunch then 20 -miles home) which was fun.  So that's my closest so far to brick sessions so far.

I guess my best bet would be to increase the cycling distance a few days per week, and maybe add a swim?  Then add some running to the end of the shorter cycles?  When it gets lighter I'll switch to a 18-mile route to work one day a week, but it's still dark at 8.30 at the moment, which makes it harder.

Been good to read about so many people at a similar stage to me.... I'm sure I'll be back with lots more questions soon.

Your pal sounds a bit daft to be ruling out helmets for being "soft".

 BUT - there is evidence that wearing a helmet is more dangerous than not wearing one.  It has been found that drivers are more likely to pass a cyclist too close if they are wearing a helmet.  I guess they see non helmet wearing cyclists as more "at risk", so leave more room.  Some people argue that this translates into more accidents for helmet wearing cyclists, therefore the helment making cycling more dangerous, not less. 

It is true that the types of accident where helmets make any difference is low, particularly since so few people wear decent fitting ones.  It's only really low speed head impacts where they would help.

 I do wear a helmet anyway, by the way - but I wouldn't necessarily disagree with someone who didn't.

The worst one I've had was a guy shouting "bouncy t*ts" at me... I probaby wouldn't even remember that if it had been from a distance.  But this guy was right up next to me, and standing next to his wife/gf, and gave me a real fright.  I can't believe his wife didn't go mental at him for that, surely she must have been mortified.

On the other hand, I've ran past groups of young lads expecting abuse, only to have one shout "oi, move, there's a woman coming" to the rest of his mates, and for them to politely stop throwing a football around and clear the path. 

The most annoying thing is in races, when someone shouts "well done, you're nearly there" 2 miles into a marathon. Or "keep going it's all downhill from here" when it isn't.

Thanks Sophers! 

 I haven't decided if I'll do Moray again next year, or look for something a tad bigger.  It is a very well organised race, and it felt bigger at the start/end than it really was, due to the half marathon and 10k people milling around.  So no complaints at all.  But I did feel a bit isolated on the way round Lossiemouth (my lowest point in the race).  It was there that I lost sight of the group of runners in front of me, and also the group behind me dropped back beyond view.  So I was running completely on my own, and going through the town (with people going about their business paying me not a blind bit of attention) I started to feel a bit silly in my race number.  It took me a good few miles afterwards to catch up with any other runners, and it was quite tough going.  It would have been easier with other runners around, siliencing the doubt in my mind over whether I was going in the right direction!

So I'd quite like to experience a bigger one... not much bigger, mind you. 

On the other hand, the route was nice, the water stations were much more frequent than I expected, and it was a very friendly atmosphere at the starting line.  So I'm sure I'll do it again, I'm just not sure whether I'll do that one next year.

 I know how you feel about motivating yourself to run when there are other activities you want to do as well... I've started cycling to work and I'm really enjoying it at the moment, and it's so tempting to skip a run to cycle in instead.  I'm struggling to motivate myself to run... I wish there was a december or new year half I could enter to give me a goal, but can't find any.