Training advice

Triathleteteenwannabie wrote:
Hey guys, I'm 5 weeks into training for triwaco sprint triathlon (400m swim, 16 mile bike, and 3.4 mile run) . I know this isn't a triathlon forum, but this is the most accessible. So my 3 main questions are is my bike limiting me or is it me? I ride a hybrid bike (Schwinn Suburban ATX 21 speed to be exact), and my average is about 13-16 mph and i went on a few 20+ bike rides, and no matter how hard I try, when I do speed work, I can't average more than 16-19 mph for 8-10 min intervals. My other question is about running. Now I come from a running background and usually before this I had no problem running long runs, but now it's more difficult run them. Do you guys have any tips on self motivation. My final question is about how to swim more efficiently overall (but preferably open water)?

Lots of questions in here -- I'll give them a try:

1) Yes, your bike is limiting you. Tri bikes are faster than road bikes in almost every setting (even on hilly courses) because of the more aggressive aerodynamic position you get put in. Your Schwinn isn't even a true road bike. Your wheelset is also just as important as your bike. A great wheelset on a solid frame is going to be almost as competitive as the most expensive bikes out there. Bikes are expensive so check out Craigslist & the Pros Closet or see if you can rent from the race you're doing. You're doing a bike heavy sprint.

2) I think it's kind of off that your long runs have become more difficult. Maybe your body hasn't quite caught up to all the swimming/biking you've been doing. I would do some shorter runs after your hardest bike sessions. Every time you do intervals or a longer ride on the bike, just hop off & run as easy 20:00-30:00. That'll help get you strong.

3) Swimming has a lot to do with form. Get yourself a coach or pay for a one time swim analysis so you know what to work on. Swimming isn't quite like running/biking. You'll stall out if you're just hammering intervals with bad form. As far as open water goes, you just need to practice that. Do open water swims. Practice citing in the pool.

NERunner03533 wrote:
Lots of questions in here -- I'll give them a try:
1) Yes, your bike is limiting you. Tri bikes are faster than road bikes in almost every setting (even on hilly courses) because of the more aggressive aerodynamic position you get put in. Your Schwinn isn't even a true road bike. Your wheelset is also just as important as your bike. A great wheelset on a solid frame is going to be almost as competitive as the most expensive bikes out there. Bikes are expensive so check out Craigslist & the Pros Closet or see if you can rent from the race you're doing. You're doing a bike heavy sprint.
2) I think it's kind of off that your long runs have become more difficult. Maybe your body hasn't quite caught up to all the swimming/biking you've been doing. I would do some shorter runs after your hardest bike sessions. Every time you do intervals or a longer ride on the bike, just hop off & run as easy 20:00-30:00. That'll help get you strong.
3) Swimming has a lot to do with form. Get yourself a coach or pay for a one time swim analysis so you know what to work on. Swimming isn't quite like running/biking. You'll stall out if you're just hammering intervals with bad form. As far as open water goes, you just need to practice that. Do open water swims. Practice citing in the pool.

This. Everything he said is right on the mark. You would be a LOT faster on a 10-year-old tri bike or even a similar aged road bike with aerobars. You also need cycling shoes/pedals with cleats that clip into the pedals so you can spin the pedals instead of just stomping them. Don't forget to look on Facebook Marketplace for a used tri bike. Don't wait. Five weeks isn't a lot of time to learn how to safely ride a tri bike. Riding with cleats will take a few rides to figure out how to safely get in and out of the pedals.

You should also practice transitions. You need to learn how to lay out your gear to put it on/off in a hurry. The pros make it look easy. It's not. Whatever your transition time is now, you'll shave at least a minute off it with practice.

I assume that there are YouTube videos on clipping/unclipping, riding tri bikes, and how to make faster transitions. You should watch them.

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