Newbie- A Million ??s - Triathlon Week

3boyzmom · 04-14-2006, 09:12 PM

Hello all,
I'm a 35-year old mother of 3 boys, fairly out of shape due to a couple surgeries in the last couple years, recently committed myself to completing a tri in September. My 11 & 10 year olds will be completing a sprint. So, here are some of my 1 million questions.

1. I love my spin class, and am very comfy using the aero-type bars on the spin bike, so even though I don't plan on making any great times, I still think I want aero bars. I need either a road bike or a tri-bike. (There's no way I'd consider doing this on my old & clunky mtn bike!) I have looked at the Trek 1500, as well as a couple Giants in the $1000 range, but I'm also considering the Trek Equinox 5 or 7. Suggestions?

2. Sprint or Olympic distance for my 1st? I know in my current physical condition I could finish a Sprint just fine, but somehow I think I'd feel like I accomplished more & would train harder for an Olympic. Am I crazy?

3. Okay, this one's technical. I only have 1 kidney (one of those surgeries I mentioned), so hydration may be a slightly different concern for me than the "average" triathlete. Any suggestions of where I could get some info. on that? My doctor hasn't excluded me from any exercise programs, and I'm officially "cured," but if there are considerations I should be making I'd like to know.

THanks!!! :)

sfricks · 04-15-2006, 09:05 AM

Hi Mom! Welcome on! Let's see if we can help...

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Originally Posted by 3boyzmom

I'm a 35-year old mother of 3 boys, fairly out of shape

First of all, you can't parent 3 boys and be totally out of shape! You just need to refocus your training :)

Quote:

recently committed myself to completing a tri in September.

Plenty of time to train.

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My 11 & 10 year olds will be completing a sprint

Hummm... Is the bike portion of the race on open roads? If so, make sure the race directors insurance coverage will allow them to compete.

Quote:

I have looked at the Trek 1500, as well as a couple Giants in the $1000 range, but I'm also considering the Trek Equinox 5 or 7. Suggestions?

WOW! Can I borrow some money? :) Most people wouldn't dive in at that level. If money isn't an issue and if you're certain you'll continue and you're confident you'll pursue International + distance races, then buy the Equinox. Now... If you're not sure of any of these, perhaps you should consider a Trek 1000 Raodie or the like. This may allow you a little more flexability and save you some $ to boot. If you buy Tri specific, you'll likely alienate yourself from pack riding with the local bike clubs. Don't blow off this advantage. You can learn a lot and pack riding will certainly make you stronger. Yu can put aeros on any road bike. I personally love Profile Designs Airstryke. The arm pads flip out of the way so you can use them for road riding and racing and for Tris. HERES THE IMPORTANT PART: Make sure whomever you buy from will custom fit your steed under you.

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Sprint or Olympic distance for my 1st?

Sounds like you're fit? What's your current level of training? Can you swim 1500 meters, bike 30 miles and run 6 right now? Let's discuss this more.

I'm not at all qualified to answer your Hydration issue. I'm not certain if he still answers email questions but try [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. For you and others reading this, Gabe & Diana Mirkin are 70ish yeas old, look 50ish and are avaid athletes and cyclists. Their website is full of great advise.

Now... I will say two things about this:
1) Of course your kidneys are a source of Glycogen which fuels your body. Because of your bodies inability to produce energy, consider this: You can do almost any race under 2.5-3 hours at any aerobic level just from the glycogen stored in your muscles. After that you'll "bonk". For longer races, heart rate plays a role. Under 80% Max Heart Rate (MHR) your body looks to fat stores for fuel. You'll still need glycogen but at a decreased level. If you can do this Olympic in less than 2.5 hours, I'd think you'd be ok for energy. That said, you can replace some glycogen. A healthy and conditioned male athlete can normally ingest (and kidneys can process) 250-300 calories/hr. You can eat 2000/hr but only 250-300 will make it into your system. The excess will cause GI distress. This would certainly be less for females. In your case, my guess would be about 100 calories/hr. It would be best to take this in 50 calorie/30 minute increments if possible. This could easily be accomplished via sports drinks. You should be able to carbo load (loading your muscles with glycogen) sufficiently by sipping on sports drinks all day the day before the race.
2) You need to be very concious of your pre-race hydration state. The simple method is to monitor your urine color. If it's yellow in the bowl (after dilution), you're dehydrated. Be aware you can over hydrate. See the post on sweat rate measurement.

Good luck Mom. You're an inpiration to us all!

3boyzmom · 04-21-2006, 03:49 PM

Okayk, so a couple decisions made......

I went to LBS and rode about 20 different bikes. I decided on a Trek Pilot 2.0 WSD. LOVE IT! I've only been on 1 ride since I bought it, since the weather hasn't been cooperating. Wasn't happy about the color (black with pink decals!!) but you can't get everything you want. Super comfy bike!

We decided to train for a sprint instead of an Olympic. I'm thinking maybe I want to actually ENJOY the experience instead of just finishing it! My husband has something going on with his left heel, so he'll be off to the podiatrist...hoping we can get that in control before we have to get serious with training.

I'm going to lurk around on the boards. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions!

Jennifer

3boyzmom · 04-21-2006, 03:52 PM

Oh, by the way, thank you Scott for the info about my kidney issue. I will email as you suggested, and also ask my Dr..... yet another reason to start with a Sprint. It's amazing that even though I know I have this issue, I'm still pretty clueless about how to take care of things.....I think about it in terms of blood pressure regulation, etc, and always thought it was nice not to have to use the bathroom as often as other people (haha), but hadn't really thought about the dehydration thing until now. Anyways, thanks for the info.
Jennifer

sfricks · 04-22-2006, 06:14 AM

Welcome Jen. You're a champ! Wish we'd met earlier. I'd be getting advise from you about child rearing :)