New Triathlete with Questions - Triathlon Week

nicolascole · 03-16-2006, 08:21 PM

Hello Everyone

My name is Nicolas, and I am 15 years old. I have been getting into shape recently, lost 30 lbs and I have been running for a little while now, and I am up to 5 km in 30 minutes. One of my goals is too run a marathon one day, well actually a few marathons. Then of course, I come across a site that talks about an IronMan Triathlon, and now that is an ultimate goal of mine.

I am starting a 10 week 10km program next week for running, and want to start a cycling program, and maybe swimming in the near future. Here's some of my background/information on each individual aspect of a triathlon. I want to have separate programs for each. I have seem from "Triathlon Programs," but I rather have separate programs because I am at different levels with each one.

Running
So I just got some good new running shoes, and I love running. Like I said I am starting a 10 km program, and I also have a 10km race at the end of the program. My goal for this race is to finish it, without walking, in under 60 minutes. Here is my program, I got it from John Stanton's Book, "Running Start to Finish." (Sorry for the messy schedule, hopefully you can read it.)

Week Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 0 0 6km 0 5km 0 3km
2 6km 0 6km 0 6km 0 3km
3 6km 0 6km 0 6km 0 3km
4 8km 0 6km 3km 6km 0 3km
5 8km 0 6km 3 Hills** 6km 5km 0
6 10km 0 6km 4 Hills** 5km 6km 0
7 10km 0 8km 5 Hills** 5km 0 6km
8 11km 0 6km 6 Hills** 8km 5km 0
9 11km 0 8km 8km 5km 0 6km
10 13km 0 8km 5km 0 3km 0
** Hills - 85% Effort + 3km Warm up + 3km Cool Down

EDIT: Yeah I realized it is hard to read, so I just attached an Excel Document with my Program

Cycling
I have a mountain bike which I am going to use to train until I get lots of experience and make sure I want to stick to triathlons. After that, I will get a Tri Bike or Road Bike. Actually my dad has a road bike, it must be at least 10 years old (I will post pics later to see which I should train with). I am also looking at getting a 30$ bike computer so I can track my speed, distance etc... I also have a stationary bike, which, today I did 20km in about 45 minutes, but I am sure outside is different a stationary bike. I was wondering if anyone had a plan I could follow, preferably distance instead of time. I could not really find a plan, just for cycling, but then again, I do not know what "level" of training I am at in outdoor biking.

Swimming
I have swam before, I know the basic front crawl, back crawl, breast stroke etc... I did not swim at all last summer, so I again, do not know "level" of training or endurance. This is going to be the hardest one for me to train for. I would preferably want to do most/all my training in the morning, that means before school. The closest pool that has morning lanes, is 9 km away from my house. I figure that would not be too bad, and I would probably bike there, because it is one of my only modes of transportation, other than bus (which would take like an hour to get there). At the swimming pool, I would take a shower, and bike to school, which 5.5 km away. Like you can see, it would be hard to train at a swimming pool and it would be a good test to see how much I want this.

Like I said above, I want to do most, if not all my training in the morning, before school. This is because I do not have a lot of time after school. After school, I get lots of homework (heavy course load this semester) and have 1-2 hours of Martial Arts training.

Any comment or help is greatly appreciated.

Thank You,
Nicolas

sfricks · 03-17-2006, 11:07 AM

WOW dude. You wrote a novel! Let's see if we can help!

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicolascole

lost 30 lbs

First let me say - YOU ROCK! Congrats!

Quote:

Running
I also have a 10km race at the end of the program. My goal for this race is to finish it, without walking, in under 60 minutes.

OK... I'm not going into detail of your program but here's what I'd sugest... Run more... I'd consider 5-6 days a weeks. Even if you're only running 1k on the odd days, don't do "nothing". Want to get faster? Runn intervals, fartleks or pickups. At least twice a week run 2-1k VERY fast repeats. Fast as in 95% of your max pace (faster than rac pace). Yes this hurts but you did say you want to get faster, right? One day hard, the next day easy OR if you're a Chris Carmichael fan two days hard, two days easy (his plan).

Quote:

Cycling

See advise above. What would Lance say? "It's not about the bike, dude." There's more skill than one might think. You just need to R I D E. As often as you can. Join a local cycling club if you can find one near you. Most are friendly and have rides for all skill levels. I started on a MB with a local club. It works!

Quote:

Swimming

Swimmimg is ALL technique... If a coach is available, use them. If not, read as much as you can about swimmimg technique. Drills will improve your technique. You'll only need a little endurance training to do the 800m required for a sprint.

Good luck. A quick word of warning... Triathlon is addictive. If you latch on, you'll be stuck! My favorite quote... "If triathlon was easy, they'd call it football!"

As for Marathons... That's just the last leg of your Ironman.

nicolascole · 03-17-2006, 11:16 AM

Wow, thanks for the advice sfricks, I will keep that in mind. Another question: For my cycling training should I use a year old mountain bike or a 25 year old road bike (used to be my dads).

As for the cycling club, I emailed one, and they said I would need a road bike in need to be 150% committed.

Thanks,
Nicolas

sfricks · 03-18-2006, 07:20 AM

Nicholas,
Really don't think it matters what you ride. To build strength either would work. Technique might be better learned on the road bike, but whatever you're most comfortable on I'd say. If you get into it, we can talk about what to buy (or ask for for Christmas) then...

What does 150% committed mean? is it a time issue? Do they know you're an aspiring triathlete? Just let them know you want to learn and you're committed to that.

Good luck!

nicolascole · 03-18-2006, 11:56 AM

Thanks for the advice. I will try both bikes and see which is most comfortable, easier to ride etc... I am trying to invest in a Heart Rate Monitor first, then a bike, then some tri clothes (not needed, but from what I read, really comfortable). Here is email I got, I blocked out any parts that would be a reference, but I definitely did not get the beginners welcome feeling.

My Email:

Hello

My name is Nicolas and I am 15 years old. I am really interested in getting into cycling. I do not have a road bike, I just have a mountain bike, but am willing to get a better quality bike once I experience the sport a little bit more. I also do not have a lot of experience with cycling. I am currently trying to lose weight(have lost 30 lbs so far) and the most I have biked would probably be about 22 km in an hour, on a stationary bike. I am wondering if I would look really out of place if I joined and came with a mountain bike, and only being 15 years old.

I train in Karate about 1-2 hours everyday, and I am starting to 10 km
program next week, so I am not totally out of shape.

Thank You,
Nicolas

The Response:

This is a serious road cycling race program. You will need a road bike
to follow this program. Mountain bikes are too slow for this type of
program.

The *** has discounts in many bike shops in town.

This sport takes 150% commitment. It is like playing hockey without a
bench. You must be in very good condition to do the sport and you need a
road bike.

*** ******
Coach

adidas82 · 03-20-2006, 06:06 AM

First of all, I'm impressed that at 15, you're even thinking about doing a triathlon. That's great!! I ran cross country and was also on the swim team in high school. So luckily I have great mechanics from great coaching there. I would suggest joining those teams at your school, but since you have lots of schoolwork and martial arts, this is probably out of the question (having a coach tell you what you're doing wrong, will improve your mechanics which will improve your speed and energy efficiency).

But as someone mentioned above, just get out there and run more, and eventually you will get better. Here are some tips I would work on:

RUNNING
- Keep your back straight and head up, don't slouch/hunch over...this kills your breathing.
- Once a week, or once every other week, do repeats of a shorter distance at a fast pace. Run 800 meters or a mile almost as fast as you can 2, 3, 4, or even 5 times. Once you do this several times, and you are in pretty good shape, set a goal for yourself. For example, if you want to run mile repeats, at 6:00 for each mile, set your stopwatch to 7 minutes. You will have up to 7 minutes to run the mile. If you run it in 6:30, you only get :30 to rest before you have to start again. Make sure you warm up before and cool down after. This will make you faster.
- Increasing the distance that you run won't really make you faster, but it will improve your lung capacity and make the actual race feel like a Sunday jog.

SWIMMING
- Thumb in first and REACH!!! That's what my coach use to yell at me. With each stroke you want to reach and glide for a one second count, then do the same with the other arm.
- Try to breathe every third or fifth stroke. This will help your timing and again, improve your lung capacity.
- Same rules apply as above for workouts (speed vs. distance)

Also remember that when you're training, your calorie intake will go up (you'll be hungry all the time). When you eat, you'll be eating calories that will fuel you for your workout a day or two down the road. So think about that and GOOD LUCK!!

sfricks · 03-20-2006, 09:00 AM

You... Doesn't sound so much like that cycling club has the patience for a new cyclist. Keep looking. You'll find one.

Why is a HRM at the top of your list? Do you plan to interval train with it? In terms of bang for your buck (speed improvement) , I'd consider things more like:
1) Tri clothes - you can swim, bike and run all in the same clothes. No change necessary and no shirt to put on after the swim.
2) Speed laces (Yankz) - just slip you running shoes on. No need to tie them.
3) Bike - goes witout saying.

So.. Why the Tri clothes??? Easy. Faster transition. I often beat better athletes than me because my transitions rarely take more than 30-45 seconds. This is one of the cheapest ways to improve your tri times.

A bike with clip pedals will make the most difference in your performance but obviously there's the cost factor.

Keep those questions coming dude!

nicolascole · 03-20-2006, 07:18 PM

adidas82, thanks for the tips and advice, I will definitely keep that all in mind. I was thinking about doing a speed workout once or twice a week, but I was not sure what I should do, and you gave me some ideas. I am going to try and join the swim team next year, and of course the cross country team. I am definitely going to watch what I eat because I still got some fat to lose.

Sfircks, I actually borrowed a HRM from my Uncle, I am using that for now. I got a few more replies from the cycling club, and they seem more friendly, but it is going to cost a bit of money (Parents lol), for a bike, or rent a bike, race license (which they said I would have to purchase), and a cycling uniform (again, the coach said we are a team, and stuff). About the Tri Clothes, I think it is a great idea. I brought the idea to my parents, and they said, I would look "gay" in spandex.. I of course know that I will not. My mom also brought up that I might be small/skinny in a certain part of the male/boy anatomy lol. What do you think of this? I have never heard of the speed laces, but they seem a good idea, i will look into it.

Again I am going to have to ease into the triathlon thing, so my parents can adjust to it and know that this is something I really want to do. I actually have an Uncle (another Uncle) who has completed an Ironman, I think, and when they come down to Ottawa, I can probably ask him about my form, etc...

This is what I have for now:
My 10km running plan, for my A race at the end of May. Till then I will experiment with cycling and swimming. Hopefully I can join a cycling group and get some experience there. I will also try to get to the pool a few times a week (when it gets nicer), its about 9km from my house, and 5 km from my school, and I will bike there.

Wow, I am so excited for this, for the nice weather so I can start training seriously.

If I can ride 8 miles in 30 minutes on a stationary bike, what will I be able to ride outside, if the conditions are good?

Thank Everyone,
Nicolas

Spike10 · 03-21-2006, 08:51 AM

O.K. guys it's my turn, first of all Nicolas I will come at you from the Martial Arts side of things, I hold a third degree black belt from a combat style, I have also been an instructor for over 20 years. That said I am qualified in saying that too much of a good thing is bad, what I am trying to say is it's very possable and probable that you can over train and burn out. I have seen this so many times not only in my dojo but in others. I tell my students to do a workout (at home) no more that twice a week and one in the dojo. This keeps it fresh and fun, it also helps free up time for other stuff. It sounds like you are on the right track to get what you are after, keep us posted on your progress.
Spike.

nicolascole · 03-21-2006, 04:33 PM

Thank you spike, I am trying not to over train, I think I was doing it a few weeks ago, and I got sick, and had to take 1 week and a half off. I am definitely going to go into it slowly, so my body can adjust, and like you said, I do not want to burn up.

Nice to see another Martial Artist on the boards, and thanks for posting.

sfricks · 03-22-2006, 11:50 AM

Again, great advise Spike. I hope we never meet! You'd kick my but on AND off the course :)

"I would look "gay" in spandex.." Hummm... I'd ask if they think Lance Armstrong is gay? Dedicated cyclists/triathletes don't care what people say, we only care about kicking butt in the race.