I've got my first Triathlon (sprint) coming up next weekend 24th! and I was just wondering how long you guys suggest taking as recouperation/rest up towards the race.

I'm picking up my new race bike tonight, so will give that a quick 6mile blast back home after.

Was going to try and do the full tri distance on sunday, not in one block tho, probably go for 800m swim in the morning, then give it an hour or so rest, then on the bike for 20km, then straight into a 5-7km run.

Hopefully this will trick my mind into thinking I'm able to ride the bike at the same pace as after a short break but straight after a swim (only 400m/16 lengths), then if I'm running 7km this weekend straight after a cycle, the 5km next weekend will not mentally be a challenge.

I'd like to have another swim session monday lunchtime, then a 5km run monday evening at fast pace. then a moderate cycle run over say 20-30km on tuesday to practice on the new bike.

Was thinking from Weds-sunday I'd rest up. But would you leave this long out, or traing up until thursday, then 2days rest etc...

I'm bricking it altho I know I can do it.

I'd say about 4-5 days rest with some very light work thrown in. Where I get this figure from, I don't know though.

I've had to rest up since monday (well, other than light swimming) as I managed to gammy up my knee running. was going at a pretty decent pace and managed to stand on a dodgy bit of ground and pulled the outer ligament of my knee and been in pain walking this week let alone running/cycling.

Still, sunday should be ok, the adrenalin will dull down any pain, and it'll be strapped up anyway.

Bricking it good and proper now... Been on my mind all the time. Not even looking for an amazing time, just to finish the race in preferably not last place. Just to get the feel of things. Then Bristol Tri will be the first competitive race which is in july.

Oh well, lets hope the free massage by the college/uni students after the race makes up for any pain eh! "I think I've got a small pull in my groin... do you mind working on that area a little?"

Wish me luck!

get in there Rich. Being restricted in your lead up this week might turn out to be a good thing.

All The Best!

Only just saw this - Good luck tomorrow

Where's it at - Is the swim in a pool?

Have you done one before? If not some little tips - Assuming not an open water wetsuit swim - Not in any particular order:

1 - Have a little towel by your bike so you can dry off yourself quickly before getting on the bike - especially your feet

2 - Talc in your shoes so you can get them on/off more quickkly (assuming you're not wearing socks) - If you're going to be a pansy sock wearer put some talc in your socks - It's really horrible trying change shoes/sock with wet feet!!

3 - Put your cycle gloves on your handlebars - You can put them on once you've got going rather than having to put them on before you start - Saves a bit of time

4 - If you have clip on cycle shoes you can put them on teh pedals and get going with your feet on top of them and put them on oce you've got going, but it takes a bit of practice, so if it's the 1st one best not perhaps

5 - At the end of the bike consider running into transition bare foot if you have cycle shoes rather than trying to run in cycle shoes - You save a bit of time too.

6 - Make sure you have a water bottle on your bike - I think it's going to be warm - Sometie worth having 2 if it's really hot, one isotonic and one plain water - You can chuck teh plain water over yourself to cool off - Not a good idea to do that with the isotonic though

7 - Vaseline up thoses important bits - Sometime worth a smidge on your saddle too - Wet thighs and leather don't mix well

8 - Make sure all your bike stuff is out by your bike - Shoes, gloves, helmet, towel on the floor to dry your feet etc. - Food/drink if you want a quick swig before jumping on the bike - An donlt forget your watch on your handlebars or something if you don't want to wear it in the water

9 - If a pool swim,count your lengths and make sure you know what signal the 'counters' are going to give you for the final length

10 - Enjoy yourself

If you're wetsuiting:

1 - Vaseline on the wrists and ankles makes getting the damn thing off much easier

2 - Save your pee before you get in - It's the best way to get over the initial hit of cold water

3 - Open water swimming? - Just tag on behind someone and check regularly that you're not of course, but watch out for getting kicked in the face - Remember swim near the bank of a river against the flow and in the middle with the flow:)

Well that's about it for my tips - Have fun, that's the main thing

Wow, that's a lot of tips there Ader! Thanks!

It's a pool swim, and I've not had time to practice enough with the clip on cycle shoes, so it's just running shoes stuffed into the pedal loops. which altho doesn't allow me to pull the pedal as much as I would with clips, I still save a little lime in the second transition!

Have taken aboard the tips some of which I knew, others not so.

And I'm no pansy sock boy. talk and running trainers will be all that goes on the feet!

All learnt through doing a lot of triathlons - There's probably more things that I've forgotten - Hope some of it helped anyway

I think I did my 1st one in trainers and toe clips on the bike too - Then got stitch on the run - The transition from bike to run is a bitch till you get used to it and I was sorely under prepared

Good luck and have fun

Yeah, I was luckilly arned about that transition, so have been practicing it a fair amount, seems to be training the legs to stay upright and not falling on my face like a knob.

I've just signed up for the Bristol tri sprint in july, and hopefully the Fowey tri in mid september.

I've also agreed to go to Lanzarote in three years to do the irnoman... I feel like an idiot for agreeing this right now.

Still, I think I can actually be pretty good at this (well, at least the sprints & olympic distances) unlike BBing or PLing. so why not do something you can be competitive in eh? the muscles will follow suit!

xRichx wrote:Yeah, I was luckilly arned about that transition, so have been practicing it a fair amount, seems to be training the legs to stay upright and not falling on my face like a knob.

I've just signed up for the Bristol tri sprint in july, and hopefully the Fowey tri in mid september.

I've also agreed to go to Lanzarote in three years to do the irnoman... I feel like an idiot for agreeing this right now.

Still, I think I can actually be pretty good at this (well, at least the sprints & olympic distances) unlike BBing or PLing. so why not do something you can be competitive in eh? the muscles will follow suit!

Nothing like a challenge - I never quite geared up for an Ironman - Di a couple of 1/2's but that was enough!

And yes the muscles do seem to follow