Hi all,
So I have bitten the bullet and entered the Hemel Hempstead super sprint triathlon taking place on Sunday 2 Oct. It is part of the gotri events aimed at getting people to have a go so it should be fun.
Swim400m or 16 lengths of a 25m pool. By far my weakest leg. When I started I could just about do a length and then a month ago I managed 3.5 lengths none stop, I am upto 7 now and when I go swimming later on today after my first rest day for yonks I hope that I can complete 10.
I still have a few training days yet so all is not lost. I am basically a poor swimmer but with knee issues saw this as an opportunity to keep training whist resting my knee a little. Who knew there was so much to learn, who knew the importance of breathing whist doing the crawl. I have really enjoyed the studying and have seen some massive improvements in my technique and I hope to keep building on this.
Bike8K, Strangely a very short distance even for an event like this, a little disproportionate to the other disciplines but more than happy with this. Again as above I have few bike skills having never had a bike as a kid or really as an adult (had a mountain bike and did a little on this). So lots to learn, youtube rocks obviously. So that is how you use gears, who knew.
Any way I have completed 3 rides at the distance and 1 x 30k Sunday ride, I confident that I will get round but as sorting out the swim leg is an obvious priority I focussed on that as 8k should be no issue.
Run5K, last year i did a few park runs my best was 23 min ish, and when knee pain allows I have done a few 4k's, but this is the leg which I know will be difficult as I am not run fit at all and after the two other discipline will be tough. As a stand alone 5k I would expect to do 25/26 mins at the moment.
So can't swim or cycle and running not up to scratch.... lets do tri
It is obviously an entry event from which i can go on and do the next level in summer if I fancy it, but really looking forward to this and am sure by hook or by crook I will get around.
TimesYou really are forced to look at this as you are seeded in the swim and you deffo don't want to be held up in traffic and you deffo do not want loads of people over taking you. So after due consideration this is what I am hoping to do:
Swim 10 mins 40 secs (40 sec a length)
Transition 1 3 mins
Cycle 20 mins (2 mins 30 secs per K)
Transition 2 1 min
Run 30 mins
Total 64 mins 40 secs
There is clearly a sub hour target blinking at me and I may knock off a bit on transition I may run a blinder, bike and swim are tight, so who knows.... or I could go over my ten minutes, first priority is, " don't drown".
I will post a TR after the event.
Gl all
Steve
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