What to know for a Sprint Triathlon?

I just agreed to run in a triathlon in July. I've got 23 weeks. I'm out of shape. I hate running. I haven't done anything physical in the last year except for hockey (and reffing hockey). The tri is as follows:

• 1/4 mile swim. Frankly, this seems like the easiest part. Swim a 500? I may not be fast, but that is no problemo. 
• 18 mile bike. Again, seems easy. Much farther than I've ever ridden, at least to my recollection, but this should be like a 60 minute endeavor. 
• 5k. Oh god. Really? Can't I just do the biking and swimming parts twice? Do I really have to run? What a stupid idea.

My goal? To finish in a good time. I don't know what a good time is. 1:50? 10 minute swim, 60 minute bike, 35 minute run, 5 minutes in transition? Think that is possible?

I've never swam competitively (but am a strong, if not fast swimmer). Never biked longer than 5 miles (in 90* heat, massively hungover). 2 years ago I ran a 5k in 31 minutes with about 4 weeks of training, prior to that I was in slightly but not much better shape than I am now.

So how do I prep for this? Is there a good Couch to Tri workout plan? How would you guys recommend I attack this, other than not peeing on my bike?

I am, or more accurately *was*, a competitive swimmer (who also loathes running--but love biking).  I am always dismayed at the disproportionate amount of time swimming is given an most triathlons--even the Ironman.

I used a bike, first on a trainer in my living room, and then on the road to lose 40 pounds last year.  Exercise and alter the diet with a massive cut back in refined carbs.  I would start with biking to get "fit" and then get some pool time to get a good feel for the water and use the swimming muscles a bit--but really its an under 5 minute thing for a good swimmer, and maybe an 8 or 9 minute thing for an OK swimmer.  Do some jogging and running to make sure that your feet and shins work well with your shoes--again at that short distance it more on not punishing the joints as opposed to the "fitness" part of it.  My $.02.

The triathalon part for me would be easy, because as soon as I went out over my head in the water, someone would have to rescue me, and the ambulance could take me the rest of the way.

My own personal "Flat Earth" conspiracy theory revolves around the many hours of faked swimming I see.  Even live.  It's like the worlds most common three card monte.  It isn't possible, so it must all be a lie, right?

Another former swimmer-turned-triathlete here. 1/4 mile swim is LAME and you should pool train enough not to drown since it makes up less than 5% of the overall race time.

I'd suggest plenty of bike time and focus on cardio. Your lungs and heart need the most exercise in your current state of conditioning. 18 miles on a bike is something kids under 10 can do without a ton of whining and whinging, so focus on sprint/high heartrate training as opposed to distance work. The hardest part of the first few weeks of training will probably be saddle soreness. 20+ weeks isn't a ton of time to get a decent cardio base, and you'll need that time.

As for running, I despise it and rarely trained this part seriously. So make sure you have shoes that don't cause shin splints and get out and run a few k at a time every week between now and then. You should run the full distance 2-3 times between now and then to see how your body will do.

This is a sprint tri. You can and should do the whole race distance for each leg by yourself pretty easily 2 weeks or a month before the event to get a better feel for how your  body is going to handle it. I mean actually go out and swim (don't sweat the transition - get out of the pool, change, throw your stuff in your car, get your bike off the rack etc.) then go ride the full distance, then lock up your bike and run. We're talking about making fitness for a couple hours. You can totally do this even though it might hurt a little. Just do it.

To make the swim a little less lame, it’s open water in Green Bay. I’ve wimped out in a 21ft boat in Green Bay before. And the water may be freezing. 

Honestly, I could go out and do this tomorrow, probably in under 2 hours. But I’d be miserable.  

Time to go find the trainer, and call up my friend who is a shoe salesman. 

Bwahahaha.
Timing on this is hilarious, I just signed up for my first tri (also a sprint) and the only thing I'm worried about is the swim.   
I'm an avid cyclist and run 10-20 miles most weeks, those are covered.
I've just got until late June to elevate my swim from 'got the lifesaving and swimming merit badges in the late 90's' level

SnowMongoose said:

Bwahahaha.
Timing on this is hilarious, I just signed up for my first tri (also a sprint) and the only thing I'm worried about is the swim.   
I'm an avid cyclist and run 10-20 miles most weeks, those are covered.
I've just got until late June to elevate my swim from 'got the lifesaving and swimming merit badges in the late 90's' level

Find a masters (adult) swimming program in you area.  Go 2-3 times a week--swimming with others is way, way better than trying to go it alone--and you will likely get some coaching on technique to make you more efficient in the water as well.  You need to get your "swimming muscles" in shape as opposed to overall fitness.  Doing that, and your swimming prowess will improve very quickly.

Hahaha yeah open water is a different game. Have a wetsuit?

Practice with it on. It makes you quite a bit more bouyant which will be noticable while swimming. But it also may feel like it resists your shoulders.

Also I agree about interval training. It makes you the strongest the fastest. What I noticed about my time as a swimmer was that good sprinters were also usually decent distance swimmers. But good distance swimmers were not always good sprinters. Train like a sprinter.

Robbie said:

Hahaha yeah open water is a different game. Have a wetsuit?

Practice with it on. It makes you quite a bit more bouyant which will be noticable while swimming. But it also may feel like it resists your shoulders.

 

No wetsuit, and I won't be buying one. I learned to swim in this water and have been doing it without a wetsuit for the past 29 years. I *probably* have swam 1/2 mile in it at least once a year for the past 15 years or so, and when I say that, I mean we will start walking/swimming roughly 1/4 mile, then turn back and do it into shore.

Mezzanine said:

I'd suggest plenty of bike time and focus on cardio. Your lungs and heart need the most exercise in your current state of conditioning. 20+ weeks isn't a ton of time to get a decent cardio base, and you'll need that time.

 

 

Actually, I'm probably in better cardio shape than  your average overweight (or obese, by BMI standards) dude trying his first tri. Like I said, I play hockey and ref high level hockey. 

Your fitness level must be pretty high.   I don't know a whole lot of middle aged dudes who can hop on a bike and do 18mph average for an hour without some decent training or being at least more than a casual cyclist.  Hell, I ride rollers 3x a week and ride my fat bike outside in winter and did around 1300 miles last year and 18MPH sustained average is still moving right along.  

Have you actually done a GPS verified 18 miles in 60 minutes?

The mrs and I have looked at the idea of a triathlon, she is the runner, I am the cyclist.  I can run a 5k but it takes me 30 minutes.  No idea how I would swim, my water is reserved to floating around a pool with a beer in each hand.

93gsxturbo said:

Your fitness level must be pretty high.   I don't know a whole lot of middle aged dudes who can hop on a bike and do 18mph average for an hour without some decent training or being at least more than a casual cyclist.  Hell, I ride rollers 3x a week and ride my fat bike outside in winter and did around 1300 miles last year and 18MPH sustained average is still moving right along.  

Have you actually done a GPS verified 18 miles in 60 minutes?

The mrs and I have looked at the idea of a triathlon, she is the runner, I am the cyclist.  I can run a 5k but it takes me 30 minutes.  No idea how I would swim, my water is reserved to floating around a pool with a beer in each hand.

 

No, to my knowledge I haven't ridden a bike farther than 5 miles in one go. But I'm not middle age, unless I only live to 58, and in 2016 when I commuted by bike it was 2 miles in 7 minutes if it was cool, or 2 miles in 10 minutes if it was hot (I was trying not to sweat). Do keep in mind that while I'm overweight, don't work out, etc., I do referee AAA and college hockey. My legs are have always been strong--I'm the guy who really struggles to find jeans because if they fit my thighs my waist is typically swimming. 

How did training go?   I think I'm ready for the half.  But I'm probably not.  My wife is doing the sprint also.   

Half a life ago, I did a mini-triathlon my freshman year of college. 500m swim, 12.4 mile bike, 5k run. I had biked extensively and run run cross country and track in high school, and while I wasn't any good, I figured it would be fun and I could handle it no problem.

My experience was the exact opposite of what others here described. I'm not a fast swimmer, and to me that part was way harder than the other two parts. I was the very last person out of the water, but I made up a modest number of positions during the bike and run.

nocones said:

How did training go?   I think I'm ready for the half.  But I'm probably not.  My wife is doing the sprint also.   

Training faltered pretty quick. My wife hurt her knee, and long story short, I have no resolve and stopped training. 

I’ll be across the bay fishing and may come over for it if the water isn’t too rough, since my wife is still going to watch her friends run. 

In reply to mtn :

I'm laughing in my chair...  Funny.  Both times I really tried to run a marathon, I broke- two different foot fractures.  Now I sit in my chair watching reruns of Roadkilll.  

Enjoy your fishing!

I've been a semi-serious cyclist for 20 years and can't hit 18 miles in an hour. If you're not a regular road biker, figure closer to 14mph, less if its steep.

Just remember...

Buy it.

Fix it.

Break it.

We are talking about the the Chevy Sprint, right?