Triathlon Tips and Tricks (Friday Five Edition)

Growing up I did a lot of swimming and biking.  Now that I had added running into my life, I thought it was about time that I try to do a triathlon.  In 2013 I did my first tri and since I have done 3 more sprints and one Oly.  I have posted some things about swimming and biking as I am currently training for another sprint tri.  Here are some things that I have learned along the way.  Please keep in mind, all of this is from my experience and things that I have read.  Other races might be different.

1. Distances - For those that are new to triathlons it is made up of a swim leg, a bike leg, and a run leg.  99% of the time they are done in that order.  I have done a reverse Tri which I did the run, bike, then swim.  I really like that one, but I can see why they do it in the order that it is.  I was so tired by the time I got to the swim that I had a hard time breathing and swimming so I walked a lot in the shallower part of the pool.  There are 4 main distances in triathlons just like in running. 

• Sprint - The sprint is the one that has the most fluctuation on what distances they offer, but for me I see it as the equivalent of a 5k in the running world.  It is usually where most people start before the bigger races.  The swim is usually anywhere between 300-800 meters, the bike anywhere between 10-20 miles, and the run anywhere between 1-4 miles (but is usually a 5k).
• Olympic (or Oly) - This usually has a standard distance for everything.  It is a 1.5k (or almost a mile) swim, 40k (or 25 mile) bike ride, and a 10k (or 6.2 miles) run.
• Half Ironman (or 70.3) - Ironman is a brand, so not all 70.3 are called a half Ironman, though it is a common name like Band-aid or Kleenex.  The distance is always the same, as it adds up to 70.3 miles.  The swim is 1.2 miles, the bike is 56 miles and the run is a half marathon (13.1 miles).  One day I hope to do this distance.
• Ironman (or 140.6) - This is the distance I always think of a marathon distance in the run world.  It's that thing that you always wonder if you can do, but know you have to put your full attention towards it.  The distances are 2.4 miles for the swim, 112 miles for the bike, and a full marathon (26.2 miles). 

There are a lot of different distances in between these, just like running.  There are even ultra-triathlons, which are any distances above 140.6, just like ultra-marathons are any distance over 26.2.

Me and my Oly medal

2. Training - For my first triathlon, the thought of the training was very overwhelming as I didn't know how to get everything in and what to focus on.  For one sport it is easy to focus on speed and form and all the little things.  But when you have 3 to train for, IMO, not one will be perfect.  When I'm in tri training, things get dropped.  I'll miss some of my gym classes (weight training) and I won't run as much as I usually do.  I know some of the training plans for a full Ironman you can have 2 workouts a day.  I don't know if I'm willing to put that much dedication into it, so for now, the full is not anything that I want to do.  But maybe if I drop 50 pounds. :)

For my first tri in 2013 I joined a group that was training specifically for that triathlon.  My first was an all girl sprint, which most women in my area use as a first tri.  Which meant, that everyone that was training was all women and most have never done a tri.  So we were all in good company not really knowing what to expect.  The group made us a training plan to follow and we met on Saturday mornings where we would have a clinic of sorts about running or biking or transitions and then head out to do our brick workout.

Ladies from the tri training group.

A brick workout is an important workout to have during your training.  This is where you do your bike workout and then you do your run (weather it's just a mile or your full run workout).  What this does is condition your legs to go from biking mode to running mode.  It is called a brick because when you get off the bike and try to run, your legs feel like bricks.  It's the weirdest sensation.  They suggest to do at least a mile after the bike ride because that is about how long it takes for that feeling to go away.

Most groups that put on triathlons will have clinics.  I highly recommend attending these, especially if you are new to the sport.  The clinics are usually on the course, so you can get comfortable before your race.  I will always try to make at least the swim clinics, especially the open water ones, as that allows me to swim in an environment that I couldn't on my own.  If you feel weak in one area, join a group.  If the swimming leg scares you, take some lessons.  While you will have butterflies before a race, in a triathlon, you really should feel comfortable in all areas.

3. Transition - I think this was the scariest thing my first time.  I knew nothing about how to go from swimming to biking to running.  I had never seen a tri and the whole concept of the transition area was so foreign.  With my training group we did have a clinic session about transition and it explained a lot, though I was still overwhelmed by the thought.  Basically the transition area is where your bike and other equipment is while you are doing the other legs.

The area is full of racks where you can place your bike.  There are several bikes that can be put on each rack.  All of the triathlons that I have been to have had assigned racks.  This is based on bib number and usually each rack has assigned numbers to them.  So one rack might hold bib number 1-6 and the next will hold bib number 7-12.  If you have bib number 5 you can rack it anywhere on that first rack.  I like to get there early to make sure I can rack my bike on the outside and not be in the middle of everyone.

Transition before the race

Along with your bike, you will have everything you need for all three legs.  Most people put a towel down in their area to mark their spot.  The spots are tight, so it's best not to hog too much space up.  Since most tris start with the swim, everything for the bike and run should be setup and easy to get to.  For sprints, everyone tries to get through each transition as quickly as possible.  For halfs and full Ironmans people take a little more time.  There is even a place to change clothes between the different sports.  Transitions can be stressful as you are trying to do a lot of different things quickly, but if you are organized and practiced, it's not too bad.

4. Clothing - Clothing can be a challenge in any sport, but when you are doing three back to back, it becomes even more of a challenge.  Unless you are doing a longer tri where there is a place to change, you will wear the same thing for the whole race.  You can wear what makes you comfortable to get through everything, but most people wear Tri Kits or Tri Suits.  The kit is a two piece top and shorts while the suit is all in one.  The idea of these is that it's form fitting enough to not cause a drag in the water at the same time giving you a little bit of padding for the bike without feeling like a diaper when it gets wet.  It's made of material that is quick drying, especially with the wind of the bike after the swim.  

I have used both.  Some people, especially guys, can get away with something different, but I have to have a sports bra to run.  So I will wear that under my top, even during the swim.  Like bike shorts, most people usually don't wear underwear under the shorts as that can cause more chafing, especially when they are wet.  I really hate wearing either because they are skin tight and that is not very flattering for me, but I prefer the suit as the top usually rides up on me more then I like with the kit.  The best thing to do is to try different things out and make sure you go for a swim in what you plan on wearing with maybe a run after and see how things feel.

My tri kit

5. Pool vs Open Swim - The swim seems to be the one sport that most people I know say is the reason they haven't done a tri.  I grew up swimming, so I have never really had those concerns, but I do understand them.  The swim portion of triathlons are either in a pool or open water (a river, ocean, or lake).  Being new to triathlons, I knew I didn't want to add stress to it all and do an open water, so I opted for one that was a pool swim.  The rest (except for my reverse tri) have been open water.  

A pool swim is done where you swim down a lane and back in the same lane on the other side.  Then you go under the lane marker and go up and down the second lane.  This is repeated through the whole pool.  So the length of the swim for that particular tri is usually how big the pool is.  An 8 lane pool will usually be a 400 meter swim.  Everyone is lined up in the order of how fast they predict they are and one by one in about a 15 second delay jump into the pool and start swimming.  What I don't like about pool swim is that people usually don't put the right time down or they have a better or worse swim then they have had in practice.  And as you can imagine when you have people swimming up and down the same lane, it is hard to pass or get passed.  So if you need to pass someone, you tap their foot and at the end of the lane they are supposed to wait and let you pass at that point.  So the congestion bothers me enough to prefer open water swim.  But the nice thing about the pool swim is that if you feel uncomfortable at all you can walk the lanes and hold onto the lane markers if you want.  Like any type of race (especially the beginning) adrenaline, nervousness and excitement all hit, adding water to the mix sometimes is not the best combination.  So it's nice to be able to know you can hold onto something if needed.

Open water is basically any body of water.  I've only done them in the river here.  In open water there are several waves.  When it's time for a wave to go everyone in the wave gets in the water and stays behind the start buoys till the start is announced.  Because it's harder to see where you are going, there are one colored buoy to mark the way and if there is a turn a second color buoy is used.  They have volunteers in kayaks that are out there if anyone needs any type of help, even if it's just holding on to catch your breath.  Some people don't like open water swims because people will bump into you and maybe even try to swim over you because they are not paying attention to others around them.  I just start far away from the main group, even if that means I will swim a little bit of a longer distance.  I'm not out there to win, I'm out there to finish.  One of the open water tris that I have done has swim angels.  They are volunteers that will swim next to you to help you feel more comfortable. They are there to guide your way help if needed.  Also with an open water swims there is always the potential to wear a wet suit.  You can only wear a wet suit if the water temp is below a certain temperature.  Everyone that has done a lot of tris get really excited for the races that allow wet suits in as it's supposed to help you float, therefore makes you faster as you are not putting in extra energy into floating.  I have never used one, and in fact it really intimidates me as the only time I have is when I have Scuba Dived and I just remembered hating putting one on and taking it off.  But the nice thing is, most tris that allow wet suits have volunteers after you get out of the water to help you pull it off.

The river before we started

Bonus:  If you have had the want to do a triathlon but one or more legs of the race intimidate you, you have options.  Volunteer!  A great way to see how things are done and give back to the community at the same time.  Another thing you can do is sign up for the Aquabike division, where you only do the swim and bike.  Or you could grab one or two friends and do a relay.  Each one of you do one of the legs of the race (with a 2 person team one of you will have to do two of the legs).

Sorry, this post has gotten very long.  I hope you made it through it all.

Is a triathlon something that is on your bucket list?  Have you ever done one?  Do you have any other tips?  Anything that you might want more information on that I could incorporate into another post?

I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0

Biking Tips and Tricks (Friday Five Edition)

I have finally gotten my bike out of the garage, cleaned off the cobwebs, pumped up the tires, and took it out for a spin.  While I was growing up, our family time on the weekends was going for bike rides.  I remember going all over the town every weekend.  A couple times we even rode our bikes (and walked a lot) up the Vail Pass in Colorado.  I remember that coming back down was the most fun thing ever.  Here are some things I've learned over the years.


1.  Safety first - Get a helmet.  While it is a state law in 22 states and DC that children have to wear a helmet, there are no state or federal laws for adults to wear their helmet.  Though there are a lot of jurisdictions in every state that have a law for everyone, no matter what age, on a bicycle must wear a helmet.   Wearing a helmet while on a bicycle is like wearing a seat belt while in a car.  It's something that is easy to do and could save your life.  Get one that is comfortable and fits well.  And make sure the chin strap is not too lose.  They have tons of styles and colors out there so while it still is a little dorky to wear it, you can at least look pretty doing it.


Get lights for your bike.  No matter what time of day it is or how bright it is outside, you are easier to see if you have flashing lights on your bike.  I like to have them on my front and back.  You can attach them to your bike, your helmet, and even your clothing.  The more you can do to help drivers see you, the safer you will be.

2.  Know your bike.  I think the one thing that everyone must know about their bike is the tires.  Being able to feel if your tires are a little low and know how much air to add is very important.  Everyone should have a bike pump and check their tires before every ride.  Changing a flat may be something a little more difficult.  If you are out and about, it's best to know how to do it as you never know when you will have a flat.  I was very nervous the first time I tried to change mine, but after many watches of YouTube videos I figured it out.  Taking a front tire off is easy, but the back one took me awhile to figure out.  Once the tire is off, it's not too difficult.  You might get a little dirty though.

Make sure you know how your bike shifts.  While I have been biking since I was a child, there are times where I haven't biked in years.  A few years ago I went for a ride after about 7 years of not riding and I went up the first hill and couldn't remember how to shift down.  I had to get off my bike and walk up the hill before I could remember how to do it.  And then it turned out that I was in the lowest gear and just really out of shape.  A lot of the road bikes have shifts that are part of the breaks and they can be confusing if you haven't used them before.

The one thing that I have heard a lot is that people are scared of clip pedals.  When I was younger and riding around with my parents, we had the cage pedals.  When I got my new bike, I made sure I got clips on them.  You have to buy special shoes to clip into the pedals.  The advantage of clips is that you can get some extra power from pedaling.  With the clips, you not only have the power of the pushing down, but of pulling up.  If you decide to get clips the easiest thing to do is to get on your bike next to a wall or car and just practice snapping them in and out.  There was only one time that I fell off my bike because of the clips and that was me not paying attention and forgetting to unclip when I came to a light.  I felt so stupid as my bike slowed down to almost a stop and then fell over.  In front of tons of cars too.


3.  When starting out find a safe place to ride.  When it's been more then a year since I have been on my bike, I like to go to a place that doesn't have any traffic to get in my way.  Over 20 years ago a business park near me was built for Motorola.  They bailed out after the roads were built out.  To this day there are only a handful of business there so on the weekend there is no traffic.  It's a place were bikers and runners go for a safe place to exercise.  We also have the Cap2Cap which is a path that was built from Richmond to Williamsburg.  I have yet to ride it, but hope to do so this summer.  I feel safe in places like this while I reacquaint myself with my bike.

Once you feel comfortable on the road find a group to ride with.  I feel a lot more comfortable when I'm riding with others then by myself.  We have a group here called RABA (Richmond Area Bicycling Association).  They offer tons of rides every month for all speeds, lengths and areas in the city.  They even have a first time rider group once a month where the veterans of the group help out those new to biking.  Everyone in the group looks out for everyone and being in a group makes it easier for cars to see you.  But remember if you meet up with a big group, break off to smaller groups.  I don't like to ride in a group bigger then 5 as it is hard for cars to pass you.

4.  While riding on the road you have to follow the same laws cars do.  You have to come to complete stops at stop signs and red lights.  You have to signal if you are turning or slowing down.  You are considered a moving vehicle and can be ticketed for the same things that cars are, including DUIs.

I don't like to use the right turn on the right as I'm always afraid that the cars cannot see my right hand.

When riding on the road you have to ride with traffic, not like running where you run against traffic.  There are different laws in different states about how a car can pass a cyclist.  Most states have laws that cars have to pass at least 3-4 feet away from the cyclist.  But the problem with this is that most drivers does not know the laws of sharing the road.  This is what makes a lot of people scared to ride their bikes on the road.  I enjoy getting out there and riding different places in the city.  I try to not ride on busy roads, makes sure I am easily seen, and always assume that the cars will not know the laws or doesn't care about the bicyclists.

5. Clothing - If you have ever seen any bikers on the road, you will notice they have a jersey on with tight shorts that go down to their knees.  Most of the shirts are on the tighter side of things (which I hate), but it's to help with the wind resistance.  And most of the shirts have some sort of pockets in the back.  This is to hold extra things like snacks or maybe a wind/rain jacket.

Bike shorts are also form fitting to help with the wind resistance.  The are made for biking in they have padding in the crotch.  If you do some biking you will notice your bum will probably be the first thing that hurts.  The padding in the shorts does help that, but what I found the most helpful is time on the bike.  If you do 10 miles one day, the last few miles might start bothering you.  But if you do 10 miles a few times a week, you will not notice the pain as much.  Your bum is something that needs to be trained like any of your other muscles.  Most people that wear the bike shorts will not wear underwear as they can cause more chafing.  Again, I know it seems gross and wrong, but if it didn't help, I wouldn't do it.  So the next time you see a bunch of bikers out on the road, know that they are most likely not wearing underwear.

But really, anything that you find comfortable is what you should wear.  Most of the time on shorter rides I'll wear the same tank tops as I do running.  For longer rides where I need the pockets, I have also found some fun cycling shirts that are made for women that don't feel uncomfortable.

Bonus tip: This is just something I like to do - pedal down the hills.  It's easy to coast down hills and enjoy the small break, but I have found that if you pedal down the hill, it makes going up the next one a lot easier as you have the speed.  And it's fun to go really fast down the hills.

Do you bike as a cross-training activity?  Do you like getting out there on the road or take a spin class at the gym? Any tricks or tips that you have?

I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0

Running 23 Miles with Matthew (Weekly Wrap-up Edition)

So on Saturday, I ran 23 miles with Hurricane Matthew.  While we didn't get a direct hit, we got a lot of rain and some wind.  Not bad enough to cancel the run, but enough for it to be a very wet run.

Monday I didn't go out for a run as I didn't have time.  Plus I kinda counted the hiking we did on Sunday as a run.  Wednesday I got out there and had a great run.  I worked from home so I ended up being able to run after the sun came up.  I really felt like I was finally getting back to where I was before I hurt my back.  There was a guy that was out there with his dog.  He said he has seen me running a lot and to keep it up.  Makes up for the stupid guy last week. :)

Friday while it was still a good run, I felt slower.  I realized it was a lot more humid on Friday then it was on Wednesday.  I had to go into the office, so I had to run before the sun came up.  This is the time of the year where the acorns are falling from the trees.  They kept hitting different surfaces and freaked me out a bit.  That and the acorns were all over the road and I had to watch myself at some places.

Saturday the long arms of Hurricane Matthew hit us.  The weather was in the upper 60's but there was a lot of rain.  I started off before the MTT group as they only had 20 miles on the docket and I wanted to get in 23.  I ran up and back for an extra 3 miles and then off on the route given to us.  I only had 4 miles that I ran over a 16 minute mile.  I was so impressed with my consistency through the run.  I didn't feel like I ran out of steam at the end like I usually do.

I felt like Matthew was keeping me company on my run.  Most of the time it was a light rain, but every so often it would down pour.  And there would be wind gusts every so often.  Every time the rain or wind picked up, I felt like he was encouraging me to keep going.  I just had to embrace the rain and enjoy what was given to me.

The route that they had for us went through a lot of nice neighborhoods.  It was still a little dark out, but there was a lot of street lights still on.  I ran by this church that had signs of all the terrorist attacks that have happened and at the end is a sign that says "Love One Another".  I was very touched by this.

I also ran by a few houses that had Halloween decorations up.  This was my favorite one.

This same house had a big metal rooster and it really reminded me of The Bloggess.

But most of the run this was my view.  A lot of rain.

And a lot of puddles to watch out for.

I used this run to see what time I would make it for mile 15.5 and mile 18 for MCM.  So that I can beat The Gauntlet, I would have to be there no later then 12:38 PM.  Which means if I cross the start line right at 7:55 AM then I have 4:43 to get there.  If I cross the start line at 8:55 AM then I have 3:43.  I got to 15.5 on my training run in 4:03, which means I have to cross the start line by 8:35 AM or earlier to feel comfortable.

To beat the bridge at mile 18 by 1:15 PM.  That would mean I would need to get there between 4:20 - 5:20.  I got there in 4:40.  Plenty of time after getting past The Gauntlet.  So my main concern will be getting to The Gauntlet on time.

I was still one of the last people that got back to the parking lot.  I just hate that feeling that I know I did great for me, but still one of the last people to finish.  I told one of the coaches that I did an extra 3 miles and he scoffed at me.  The MTT thought of training is that you only need to do 20.  One would think that they would encourage you if you felt better doing something different from that.  There is not one way to train, and I'm doing what is best for me feeling like I can get to the finish line.

When I got home I saw how badly I chaffed.  I used so much Glide on myself because I knew it was going to rain the whole time and it didn't help.  I'm chaffed between my thighs, on my waist, and all around my bra line.  I also wish I had shorts and a sports bra that would treat my body better.  But thank goodness for Aquafur!

So now I have two weeks of tapering and then it's race time, though it really hasn't hit me, yet.  Some people have a hard time with taper time, but I really try to embrace it.  I feel really good about MCM after this run but I know I will be very nervous about beating those times.

Do you ever feel encouraged by the weather, even bad weather?  Do you look forward to taper time or dread it?  

Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

Five Random Things (Friday Five Edition)

So I don't have a real good topic for Friday Five so I thought I would just spew some randomness your way.

1. I just re-watched The 4400.  I watched it when it came out the first time around and it's been long enough that most of it was like watching it new again.  For those that have not heard of the show (which I think is most everyone), it's about 4400 people who disappeared over the last 50 years and all come back together through a ball of light.  I don't want to spoil things for anyone but most of these people come back with a power of sorts.  Through the show they are able to share their powers.  So my question that I have been thinking about is would you want a power?  Some of them are cool like healing or seeing the future or reading people's mind.  But others kinda suck like giving people disease or passing on debilitating anxiety.  So would you want one knowing you couldn't choose?  On top of that, people had a 50/50 shot of dying instead of getting a power.  Would you take a gamble?  Honestly, I'd be very tempted.  I'm not much of a gambler, but when I do, I usually go all in.

2.  I'm so sick of being chafed after a long run.  Because my sports bras that I have loved are coming to their end of life and if you have been reading my blog, you know my most adored shorts are coming apart at the seams, I've been having to try new items.  I have yet to find a sports bra that will get me over 10 miles before it chafes me.  And I'm tired of spending $60+ on bras that just don't work well.  And I think I've tried them all.  I do have to say that I love Brooks policy that you can try them out and sweat in them and still return, and while I love some of their bras, most are not good for me after 10 miles.  And I lather myself in Glide before every run and still have cuts on me.  Oh and why does any manufacture have to put tags in active wear?  Even if you cut them off, there is that edge of it that digs.

3.  I'm still getting used to the latest update to the iPhone.  Normally you swipe to unlock and now that just brings you to a new screen with news and calendar stuff.  I have to remember to just push the home button.  The texting has a new option to write things with your finger.  It's weird, too.  Oh and the new icons that you can send with a text.  It's sort of like adding a GIF on Twitter.  The Apple Watch got a big update too.  I do like the new face with my activity tracker.  It makes the steps and standing seen, which makes you want to move more.  But my new favorite thing is the Breathe option.  So far it has asked me twice to breathe.  What you do is for one minute you block everything out and concentrate on the watch and your breathing.  I plan on doing it when it asks unless I'm in a meeting or driving or something.

4. I'm thinking of making a shirt to wear at MCM.  I'm still tossing ideas around on what I want it to look like and say.  I want to go for some meaning that the Marines would know or something that expresses my gratitude for their service.

5. It turns out that one of my cats is afraid of thunder.  I've never seen a cat afraid of thunder before.  When I got home last night we had one strike that was close so the thunder made me jump.  It scared Aiden half to death.  The rest of the night while the storm when on he would be laying as flat as he could next to me in the kitchen and then ended up hiding in the bathroom.  No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to calm him, so I just left him in the bathroom to sooth himself.

Oh one more thing.  I just watched the second episode of Designated Survivor and I am totally in love with this show so far.  I hope it keeps up.

Are your pets afraid of thunder?  Do you like the new upgrade to the iPhone?  Would you want a super power?

Linking up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia