Triathlons - anyone do/done them?

Matteeboy
Matteeboy Posts: 996
edited January 2008 in The Crudcatcher
Considering having a go.
Do a lot of surfing and swimming, run a fair bit (took it up sort of properly last year and managed 5th out of 700, 42ish mins for a very off road/hilly 10k), and cycle pretty much daily.

Would be fun to combine the lot.

Questions are:

What bike is best? Have four MTBs and could easily "hybridize" on of them. Would rather avoid buying another bike!
How long to train up for one? Currently pretty fit.
Two Stumpjumpers, a Rockhopper Disk and an old British Eagle.

http://www.cornwallmtb.kk5.org

Comments

  • Mog Uk
    Mog Uk Posts: 964
    I did a sprint tri last year and have another one booked for June 1st this year..

    I really struggled in the swim, so went like the clappers on the bike, made up a fair bit of time but was then knackered when the run came round. I also really struggled in the transition areas and lost a fair bit of time putting on shoes/tops etc etc... My swim was in a pool, I guess it would be even harder outside.

    There were plenty of people on Mountain bikes, although not very fast, the quick lads were on road bikes/time trial bikes, I guess it all depends on how serious you are, or if you're just doing it for fun.

    The swim will definitely set you up for either a good race or a bad race, that's the one thing I'm really ( trying ) to concentrate on this year. As a guideline the quick lads were doing the 500m swim in around 6-7mins, the 20km bike in around 32-35mins and the 5km run in around 17-19mins. Total time around an hour.

    To be honest I don't think I'll pursue them any further after June 1st, good fun but I want to concentrate on my cycling and I just can't find the time to train for all 3 disciplines.

    Good luck if you do decide to give it a go..
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    I did 2 sprint triathlon's last year. I spent 6 weeks training for the first one, which allowed me to build up from not running at all to being able to do the 5km run. I'd imagine you could probably throw yourself straight into a sprint with no extra training and be able to complete it in a semi-respectable time based on what you've said in your first post.

    I'm building up to running 10km at the moment, with a view to doing an Olympic tri this year.

    They're fun events, and the atmosphere at the two I've done has been very friendly. There's a really wide range of competitors, from super fit looking guys on £4k TT bikes to a woman I saw at my first tri, who came into the first transition wearing a dressing gown with her hair up in a towel, who then got changed slowly while waiting for her mate who was in a later swim wave :D
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Get a road bike, dump a MTB, you know it makes sense.
    I like bikes...

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  • dirtbiker100
    dirtbiker100 Posts: 1,997
    Get a road bike, dump a MTB, you know it makes sense.
    argh the devil has got in here! someone quick chase him out! QUICK!
  • Matteeboy
    Matteeboy Posts: 996
    Get a road bike, dump a MTB, you know it makes sense.
    argh the devil has got in here! someone quick chase him out! QUICK!

    Indeed. Do I also have to match the avatar by looking like Rentaghost?!

    Rentaghost3.jpg
    Two Stumpjumpers, a Rockhopper Disk and an old British Eagle.

    http://www.cornwallmtb.kk5.org