Question:
Recently while running longer distances I’ve been getting cramps in my shoulders and I was wondering if lifting some weights would help. Also I know this isn’t really about running but my son has been asking me what kind of weightlifting exercises he should do for playing basketball. Thank You
Response:
There are three types of exercises you can try that specifically affect the area: shrugs, lateral raises, and upright rows. The latter two have the best overall affect for both the deltoid region and the trapezius, while shrugs target the traps more specifically. Also, two general exercises which provide good overall upper body development, which includes stretching & strengthening, are dips and pullovers (on Nautilus-type equipment). Just work into both of these carefully and ensure you use good form. Unless your son is over 16 or 17, I’d recommend he do as many free-hand movements as possible and incorporate a lot of stretching with bands that provide various degrees of tension like what Mark Allen (the triathlete) uses. Sissy squats & one legged calf raises for the legs, dips or push-ups, chins, and some seated arm & shoulder work with dumbells. Stay away from barbell work for these areas as its too tempting to pile on the weight. The reason for recommending he stay away from the free weights is to let him develop base strength & coordination first, then gradually work into the weights. Weights require a lot of coordination, and if he’s not ready for them, it’ll do more harm than good. Good luck, Parker
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Sorry for all these newbie questions…but they generate such interesting threads. How does weight lifting affect your running? Is it a good idea to mix both?
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I read on the Runner’s World site that people who can’t seem to improve their speed do so by adding in weight training to their weekly routine. 2-3 reps of 12-15 sets for the upper and lower body as well as abs. If you don’t have a lot of time they suggest doing upper body and abs one day and lower body and abs a couple of days later. That way you don’t have to set aside a lot of time to do the whole thing each time. Supposedly you can look up to 8 years younger with regular weight lifting and you (and your friends 
) will start to visibly see the difference in your physique in about 6 weeks. I started this week…. Helen
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sorry for all these newbie questions…but they generate such interesting threads. How does weight lifting affect your running? Is it a good idea to mix both?
Response:
You’ll get lots of authoritative…opinions. Go with what works. Alberto Salazar does weights. Works for me. — George Beinhorn "How to Run Your First 50-Miler" http://www.oceansofenergy.com
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Unless you are a sprinter go for light weights and high reps. Try to avoid bulking up. Put a 10lb weight in a backpack and go for a run and you’ll see what I mean.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sorry for all these newbie questions…but they generate such interesting threads. How does weight lifting affect your running? Is it a good idea to mix both?
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Question:
If both wheels are 650c, doesn’t this really equal out to the same position, just slightly closer to the ground (since both ends of the bike are lowered by the same amount)? Old style TT bikes had a smaller FRONT WHEEL ONLY to tilt the bike forward and decrease drag by decreasing frontal area.
I don’t think so, because the bottom bracket is still about the same height off the ground as a 700c bike to offer adequate pedal clearance. — Stacy Hills Reston, VA
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Apparently you don’t actually KNOW any roadies. roadies don’t ride what’s fastest…they ride what their friends ride!
Yeah, triathletes are imune to that, huh? ;-) Even the UCI has tried to force roadies to ride all the same bikes and stifle innovation because a few roadies were apparently looking at ways of going faster than their friends. Not the done thing.
It wasn’t so much "innovation" as cost. It’s possible to build very slightly slicker bikes if money is no object. Thing is, this just benefits those with the money to spend and won’t "trickle down" due to the technology involved. Without some boundaries, you end up with a series like the old Can Am – lots of fun to watch, but if you don’t have the biggest budget, you don’t have a prayer. Roadies ride road bikes because they (road bikes) are best for their type of racing. 700C is not necessarily better, its sorta like Beta/VHS and Windows/Other operating systems. 700 has become the standard for roadies, thats all.
Errrr, the fastest bike rides in the world’s history have been done on 700c wheels. If there was a faster way to go, they’d have done that. There isn’t, so they didn’t. Tri Bikes are tri bikes (with 650C wheels) because we are trying to go faster on our own (no drafting in peletons) so aerodynamics is more important. This means it is best to get the front of the bike lower to accomodate a rider with flat back on aero bars.
Nope. The front end can be a bit lower on smaller frames – but even then most tri bikes end up with riser stems and spacers to get the bars back up to "700 levels" (not always though – it’s just that the vast majority of us can’t take advantage of bars so far below the level of the saddle). For most people, this can very easily be acheived by using a 650 front wheel to lower the top tube and handle bar setup. After a certain size bike/rider, the 650C wheels are not required for the front end to be at the correct height and 700 wheels CAN be used but aren’t necessary. 650 may provide other benefits.
That’s certainly a matter of great debate here over the years. The aerodynamics vs. the rolling resistance seems to be a wash at best – and the anecdotal evidence (i.e. the fastest bikes) are invariably those with the fastest riders (they just happen to ride 700s). If you live in a cultural backwater like New Zealand, 650 will be a hard choice simply because very little 650 stuff is available. It is nice to be noticed for something other than my belly too. 650 also makes me look taller until the viewer stands next to me :-)
Well, THERE’S a compelling reason! Know where I can get a Bike Friday? I wanna impress some wimmin basketball players… ;-) Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame
Response:
It wasn’t so much "innovation" as cost. It’s possible to build very slightly slicker bikes if money is no object. Thing is, this just benefits those with the money to spend and won’t "trickle down" due to the technology involved. Without some boundaries, you end up with a series like the old Can Am – lots of fun to watch, but if you don’t have the biggest budget, you don’t have a prayer.
You priced a Roadwing versus a C40 lately? How about a Titanflex versus a Montello? The UCI’s excuse may have been cost, but their real motivation is aesthetics. That and the fact that they’re a bunch of stodgy old men who refuse to recognize the accomplishments of anyone other than Eddy Merckx. Errrr, the fastest bike rides in the world’s history have been done on 700c wheels. If there was a faster way to go, they’d have done that. There isn’t, so they didn’t.
I believe Howard’s record was set on a bike with wheels significantly smaller than 700c. As you alluded to later in your post, the reason many fast rides have been done on 700c is because that’s what is most commonly available. If 26 inch or 28 inch were the standard, then most fast rides would have bneen done on them.
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It wasn’t so much "innovation" as cost. It’s possible to build very slightly slicker bikes if money is no object. Thing is, this just benefits those with the money to spend and won’t "trickle down" due to the technology involved. Without some boundaries, you end up with a series like the old Can Am – lots of fun to watch, but if you don’t have the biggest budget, you don’t have a prayer. You priced a Roadwing versus a C40 lately? How about a Titanflex versus a Montello? The UCI’s excuse may have been cost, but their real motivation is aesthetics. That and the fact that they’re a bunch of stodgy old men who refuse to recognize the accomplishments of anyone other than Eddy Merckx.
I think there’s an element of that. But in the end, does it help the sport if an extra $2000 will buy you a competitive advantage? All it does is increase the cost (the marginal increase in speed doesn’t change the experience). Errrr, the fastest bike rides in the world’s history have been done on 700c wheels. If there was a faster way to go, they’d have done that. There isn’t, so they didn’t. I believe Howard’s record was set on a bike with wheels significantly smaller than 700c.
That wasn’t a bike ride – that was the world’s fastest two-wheeled manned trailer tow. I remember reading about how he had to ride the brakes occasionally to keep the aerodynamics of the tow platform from pulling him forward into the bump bar. As you alluded to later in your post, the reason many fast rides have been done on 700c is because that’s what is most commonly available. If 26 inch or 28 inch were the standard, then most fast rides would have bneen done on them.
I agree to a point. But both 700 and 650 are commonly available, so there’s no reason someone going for an hour record or other time trial wouldn’t opt for the one that works best. Many of the big roadie pro teams spend boatloads of money working on the TT positioning for their star riders in the wind tunnel, and know what works. I don’t recall any of them choosing 650’s, even though they’d be easily available and legal. I think it can be safely assumed that it’s not a case of "they didn’t think of it". Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame
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I think there’s an element of that. But in the end, does it help the sport if an extra $2000 will buy you a competitive advantage? All it does is increase the cost (the marginal increase in speed doesn’t change the experience).
Your basis seems to be that a more expensive bike is necessarilly better than a less expensive one. Knowing your business, that’s not a sentiment I would have expected from you. My point is that costs do not equal results. Remember Project 96? USACycling spent way more cash on those bikes than they ever had previously and U.S. riders had a terrible showing. Many of the track riders hated the bikes. How much did Obree spend on the bike that he used to break the hour record? A hundred bucks maybe? A couple thousand bucks for a non-UCI legal Softride would buy a faster bike than a *UCI legal* $5,000 C-40 or $10,000 Montello. I don’t recall any of them choosing 650’s, even though they’d be easily available and legal.
But they did choose 650c, even 600c, for front wheels. Funny bikes were common up until the time the UCI made them illegal. I’m not sure why they don’t use smaller rear wheels. Perhaps they prefer the flywheel effect of the bigger rear wheel. Or perhaps it’s a gearing issue as many are already pushing the envelope with 55-11’s. Standards are just what’s most commonly used, not what’s best. Beta was a better design than VHS, a Defender drives circles around an Explorer, and a Habanero is faster than a Huffy. Right?
Response:
I think there’s an element of that. But in the end, does it help the sport if an extra $2000 will buy you a competitive advantage? All it does is increase the cost (the marginal increase in speed doesn’t change the experience). Your basis seems to be that a more expensive bike is necessarilly better than a less expensive one. Knowing your business, that’s not a sentiment I would have expected from you. My point is that costs do not equal results.
Of course not – all to often just the opposite. OTOH, there are some freakishly expensive bikes that CAN give you a slight advantage (i.e. one-off blade-shaped carbon fibre uberbikes). If you’re exactly as strong as someone else who just bought one, you just moved down one place at the finish line. I think those are the ones that prompted the "rules". Remember Project 96? USACycling spent way more cash on those bikes than they ever had previously and U.S. riders had a terrible showing. Many of the track riders hated the bikes. How much did Obree spend on the bike that he used to break the hour record? A hundred bucks maybe?
True enough. But I’d hate to think I had to ride something like that kluge of Obree’s to be competitive at ANY price. ;-) A couple thousand bucks for a non-UCI legal Softride would buy a faster bike than a *UCI legal* $5,000 C-40 or $10,000 Montello.
I’ll take your word for it. I don’t recall any of them choosing 650’s, even though they’d be easily available and legal. But they did choose 650c, even 600c, for front wheels. Funny bikes were common up until the time the UCI made them illegal. I’m not sure why they don’t use smaller rear wheels. Perhaps they prefer the flywheel effect of the bigger rear wheel. Or perhaps it’s a gearing issue as many are already pushing the envelope with 55-11’s.
I knew someone would bring up the funny bikes. Of course, those UCI "rules" forbid them, so we have to decide which "equal wheel bike" is the fastest now… Standards are just what’s most commonly used, not what’s best. Beta was a better design than VHS, a Defender drives circles around an Explorer, and a Habanero is faster than a Huffy. Right?
Maybe not the ones Greg LeMond used to ride… ;-) Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame
Response:
If both wheels are 650c, doesn’t this really equal out to the same position, just slightly closer to the ground (since both ends of the bike are lowered by the same amount)? Old style TT bikes had a smaller FRONT WHEEL ONLY to tilt the bike forward and decrease drag by decreasing frontal area. Oh, by the way, I AM a roadie and former triathlete (albeit , not a very good tri-head).
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My 2 cents: I know that roadies have been notoriously snobbish about new technology in the past, but, if 650c wheels make that much of a difference, don’t you think ALL road bikes would have them by now? Apparently you don’t actually KNOW any roadies. roadies don’t ride what’s fastest…they ride what their friends ride! Even the UCI has tried to force roadies to ride all the same bikes and stifle innovation because a few roadies were apparently looking at ways of going faster than their friends. Not the done thing. Roadies ride road bikes because they (road bikes) are best for their type of racing. 700C is not necessarily better, its sorta like Beta/VHS and Windows/Other operating systems. 700 has become the standard for roadies, thats all. Tri Bikes are tri bikes (with 650C wheels) because we are trying to go faster on our own (no drafting in peletons) so aerodynamics is more important. This means it is best to get the front of the bike lower to accomodate a rider with flat back on aero bars. For most people, this can very easily be acheived by using a 650 front wheel to lower the top tube and handle bar setup. After a certain size bike/rider, the 650C wheels are not required for the front end to be at the correct height and 700 wheels CAN be used but aren’t necessary. 650 may provide other benefits. If you live in a cultural backwater like New Zealand, 650 will be a hard choice simply because very little 650 stuff is available. It is nice to be noticed for something other than my belly too. 650 also makes me look taller until the viewer stands next to me :-) SNIP — TTFN TriDork ALWAYS have a "Plan B"
Response:
My 2 cents: I know that roadies have been notoriously snobbish about new technology in the past, but, if 650c wheels make that much of a difference, don’t you think ALL road bikes would have them by now?
Apparently you don’t actually KNOW any roadies. roadies don’t ride what’s fastest…they ride what their friends ride! Even the UCI has tried to force roadies to ride all the same bikes and stifle innovation because a few roadies were apparently looking at ways of going faster than their friends. Not the done thing. Roadies ride road bikes because they (road bikes) are best for their type of racing. 700C is not necessarily better, its sorta like Beta/VHS and Windows/Other operating systems. 700 has become the standard for roadies, thats all. Tri Bikes are tri bikes (with 650C wheels) because we are trying to go faster on our own (no drafting in peletons) so aerodynamics is more important. This means it is best to get the front of the bike lower to accomodate a rider with flat back on aero bars. For most people, this can very easily be acheived by using a 650 front wheel to lower the top tube and handle bar setup. After a certain size bike/rider, the 650C wheels are not required for the front end to be at the correct height and 700 wheels CAN be used but aren’t necessary. 650 may provide other benefits. If you live in a cultural backwater like New Zealand, 650 will be a hard choice simply because very little 650 stuff is available. It is nice to be noticed for something other than my belly too. 650 also makes me look taller until the viewer stands next to me :-) SNIP — TTFN TriDork ALWAYS have a "Plan B"
Response:
I’m over 6′ and am looking seriously at a bike with 650’s.
Why? If the bike is a really good deal, then you can probably overlook some of the compromises associated with 650’s. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense for someone over 5′10" to purposely seek out 650c frames.
Response:
Tri Bikes are tri bikes (with 650C wheels) because we are trying to go faster on our own (no drafting in peletons) so aerodynamics is more important. This means it is best to get the front of the bike lower to accomodate a rider with flat back on aero bars. For most people, this can very easily be acheived by using a 650 front wheel to lower the top tube and handle bar setup. After a certain size bike/rider, the 650C wheels are not required for the front end to be at the correct height and 700 wheels CAN be used but aren’t necessary. 650 may provide other benefits.
Well said. It’s somewhat ironic that you mentioned roadies as their racing is one of the very few instances where 650c wheels present an advantage other than just fit. The low rotational weights of 650 c wheels make them easier to accelerate which is, of course, beneficial in sprinting. The fact that TT’s and multisport races are essentially steady state (no acceleration) means this advantage is lost, yet we as a group tend to be eager to embrace the smaller wheels. Another thing to consider is something that the father of the modern tri-bike, Dan Empfield, often points out. Many 650c tri frames these days come with lengthened head tubes, thereby sacrificing the ability to get really low in front. If you buy a 650c tri-bike to get low, you may find you still need an Ergostem or a hacksaw (yikes!).
Response:
The rake is not a problem because any good frame is designed to suit a specific fork rake/stackheight and a lot of forks are the same or very similar so they will all work the same. There are no ‘real’ problems with large 650c bikes per-say. There are design ‘faults’ that are not a concerns for large 700c frames. Personally I would never recommend a 650c wheeled bike to anyone over 5′11", there is no real benefit from 650c. Lloyd – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m over 6′ and am looking seriously at a bike with 650’s. What’s the downside to someone my size riding 650 wheels? Are you worried about rake and handling? The fashion police were put in jail in Florida for failing to enforce the law, so I’m not worried about them. -Robert LOL – FWIW, I am 5′11" and the 700 is a better fit for me. Lloyd do you think the line is closer to 5-10? gordo "Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do. Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do." – Savielly Tartakover, Chess Grandmaster
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Right now I’m having a tough time finding some good racing wheels at a decent price. Guess I’ll keep looking
Look at Roadbikereview.com they have a ton of 650 wheels for sale at great prices. Marc Hallen
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LOL – FWIW, I am 5′11" and the 700 is a better fit for me. Lloyd do you think the line is closer to 5-10? gordo
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I’m over 6′ and am looking seriously at a bike with 650’s. What’s the downside to someone my size riding 650 wheels? Are you worried about rake and handling? The fashion police were put in jail in Florida for failing to enforce the law, so I’m not worried about them. -Robert LOL – FWIW, I am 5′11" and the 700 is a better fit for me. Lloyd do you think the line is closer to 5-10? gordo
"Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do. Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do." – Savielly Tartakover, Chess Grandmaster
Response:
The rake is not a problem because any good frame is designed to suit a specific fork rake/stackheight and a lot of forks are the same or very similar so they will all work the same. There are no ‘real’ problems with large 650c bikes per-say. There are design ‘faults’ that are not a concerns for large 700c frames. Personally I would never recommend a 650c wheeled bike to anyone over 5′11", there is not real benefit from 650c and there are far better ‘balanced’ bikes that would work the same in 700c. Lloyd – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m over 6′ and am looking seriously at a bike with 650’s. What’s the downside to someone my size riding 650 wheels? Are you worried about rake and handling? The fashion police were put in jail in Florida for failing to enforce the law, so I’m not worried about them. -Robert LOL – FWIW, I am 5′11" and the 700 is a better fit for me. Lloyd do you think the line is closer to 5-10? gordo "Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do. Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do." – Savielly Tartakover, Chess Grandmaster
Response:
My 2 cents: I know that roadies have been notoriously snobbish about new technology in the past, but, if 650c wheels make that much of a difference, don’t you think ALL road bikes would have them by now?
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The rake is not a problem because any good frame is designed to suit a specific fork rake/stackheight and a lot of forks are the same or very similar so they will all work the same. There are no ‘real’ problems with large 650c bikes per-say. There are design ‘faults’ that are not a concerns for large 700c frames. Personally I would never recommend a 650c wheeled bike to anyone over 5′11", there is not real benefit from 650c and there are far better ‘balanced’ bikes that would work the same in 700c. Lloyd I’m over 6′ and am looking seriously at a bike with 650’s. What’s the downside to someone my size riding 650 wheels? Are you worried about rake and handling? The fashion police were put in jail in Florida for failing to enforce the law, so I’m not worried about them. -Robert LOL – FWIW, I am 5′11" and the 700 is a better fit for me. Lloyd do you think the line is closer to 5-10? gordo "Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do. Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do." – Savielly Tartakover, Chess Grandmaster
Response:
First let me appoligize for bringing up this subject, as I know we have talked about this many many times before. What are some things to consider when considering a 650c bike or 700c ? I would sure appreciate any help. Thanks
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That the bike fits!! LW
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – First let me appoligize for bringing up this subject, as I know we have talked about this many many times before. What are some things to consider when considering a 650c bike or 700c ? I would sure appreciate any help. Thanks
Response:
Lloyd I have read that if you’re tall, say over 6′ then a 700 is "better". Is this because a 700 frame will fit you better at that size? Phil – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – That the bike fits!! LW First let me appoligize for bringing up this subject, as I know we have talked about this many many times before. What are some things to consider when considering a 650c bike or 700c ? I would sure appreciate any help. Thanks
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Yep, and the fashion police wont bother you because you bought something that looks like it was designed for a dwarf when you hop on it. LW
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Lloyd I have read that if you’re tall, say over 6′ then a 700 is "better". Is this because a 700 frame will fit you better at that size? Phil That the bike fits!! LW First let me appoligize for bringing up this subject, as I know we have talked about this many many times before. What are some things to consider when considering a 650c bike or 700c ? I would sure appreciate any help. Thanks
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Hi ive got a Scott 650 tri bike and i think it’s great and i have had no problems with it yet and would not go back to 700 bikes but i dont think there is much in between them. i have heard theat u can acclerate quicker on a 650 bike but this could be wrong. I feel it’s got a better centre of gravity as you are closer to the ground. Thats what i think of 650 bikes im also 5ft 10 and fit my bike well and find it really comtable to ride.Hope this is helpful. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -First let me appoligize for bringing up this subject, as I know we have talked about this many many times before. What are some things to consider when considering a 650c bike or 700c ? I would sure appreciate any help. Thanks
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I’m 6′3" and I’ve got 650s on my softride. So far I haven’t noticed a huge difference, but this winter I’ve been working on cranking up the cadence just in case. Right now I’m having a tough time finding some good racing wheels at a decent price. Guess I’ll keep looking. CP
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Question:
Ron Congrats on your great progress and welcome to the coolest sport – you’ll love the ride. My best advice to you after 26 years of racing is to relax in your performance – This is the time of the year you simply want to build your base and NOT worry much about speed. Your times will come down naturally with base and experience but you don’t want to do much high effort (out of breath) stuff this time of year. Just have fun with it. Winter is a good time to ride heavier gears, stretch more, do light weight lifting, cross country ski, snow shoe, get swim lessons. In spring you can add speed stuff slowly and start your time trial efforts (after getting the new bike) and you’ll see a giant drop in your times. Good Luck. Tony Schiller A fellow master’s racer
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I highly recommend Chris’ website! I was going to post his URL before he beat me to it, so at least allow me to chime in with a resounding endorsement! Lots of good stuff to be found there, a really valuable resource. Also check out the rec.sport.triathlon faq at http://www.interactive.net/~troehr/tri-faq.html And definitely keep tuned in to RST here. I’m living proof of the power of this newsgroup—when I started following it I had only ever done sprints and one Olympic distance race. Now I’m a 3-time Ironman and total tri junkie. Just be forewarned—this sport is bloody addictive (as my own case so aptly illustrates). Good luck! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ron, Congrats on making the final plunge into the pool to become a tri-geek. I’ve got a bunch of pages that can answer some basic questions beginners have. There are other sites and pages if you use www.metacrawler.com as a search engine you can keep busy for days. Check out the page in my signature, email me if you need clarification, and happy trails. — Chris Davis "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage." Anais Nin http://www.hulaman.com/tritips.html
– Tri-Baby _ – o ’ – __o – </_ ` ‘ – < – __/ /o_ – (()) (()) - / "REAL Triathletes don’t draft." http://www.stanford.edu/~brooksie
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Ron, Congrats on making the final plunge into the pool to become a tri-geek. I’ve got a bunch of pages that can answer some basic questions beginners have. There are other sites and pages if you use www.metacrawler.com as a search engine you can keep busy for days. Check out the page in my signature, email me if you need clarification, and happy trails. — Chris Davis "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage." Anais Nin http://www.hulaman.com/tritips.html
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I’ve been running and riding an old Schwinn Le Tour bike for about the past 9 months. My initial goal was to lose weight and get into shape and 9 months later I’ve decided to give Triathlons a try. So far I’ve lost 52 pounds, 10K times are consistently around 53 minutes, 40K bike time today was 1:25:09 (remember I’m riding a Schwinn Le Tour) both times are using the Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Triathlon routes. I haven’t started any serious swimming or weights as of yet. Any training or other advice you can give this 43 year old, type II diabetic, 6′ 00",185 pound male would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Ron
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Ron, congratulations on losing the 52 lbs, I lost 30 lbs in 1 year after I started running again, and I don’t plan on gaining it back. The worst thing about running of course is the impact, that’s why I decided to do triathlons, so only 1/3 of my training would be high impact. I did my 1st tri on oct 4, and now I can’t wait to do my next one. Since you live up in the great white north it must be difficult to bike in the winter. I would suggest you find some spinning classes to keep your riding muscles in shape. Also a masters swimming program would be great to help you on your form. (I thought I was a good swimmer untill my 1k swim. I finished ok, but I had hoped to be in the top 1/2 of my age groop, I ended up in the lower third. I plan on joining a masters program in January). Read RST (rec sport triathlon) as often as possible, This is where you’ll learn more about every aspect of triathlon than anywhere I’ve found yet (but then I’m just a newbie too). So good luck Ron, and feel free to e-mail me with any fellow newbie questions. I look forward to seeing your name in some race results next year. Steve "GFT 99" Adams
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Question:
: I’m not doing it this year but I was there a couple of years ago. : The hill was steep but I didn’t find it *that* bad! I thought Milton was : much more disheartening. You go up the Niagara Escarpment road by road. : You slug up one hill and turn a corner expecting another reasonably : flat stretch and you’re confronted with another hill. I just had to : yell, "It’s not fair!", at that point. : Has anyone done that race in Collingwood where they have a hill called : "The Eliminator"? I have raced in Collingwood the three years. Last year I did my first half Ironman there. The Eliminator is a killer. It is an unrelenting hill that never seems to end. If you ever race there, cycle the first 3km to hill at an steady effort. Try to save your legs. The best part of the whole race is coming down the hill. Last year I almost reached warp speed. My maximum speed was 88km/hr. That was fast for me relatively speaking of course.
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I’ll be there also. See ya’…look for the old guy (35 – 39) on the white Stowe tri-bike. Michael Valleriano Webster, NY
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I’ll probably be there again, too. Listen to the other guys: watch for that hill. I think I swore at the guy who made the course the whole way up. Probably the steepest hill I have ever seen in a race (even MTB duathlons). Oh, and watch for dogs! (One guy crashed last year ’cause a dog ran out in front of his bike) Brendan P.S. QUEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSSS!
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I’ll probably be there again, too. Listen to the other guys: watch for that hill. I think I swore at the guy who made the course the whole way Great race, I love this one. And Oh yes, that hill. People would not believe me when I told them that if it was any steeper, I would have been using my hands to grab grass and roots to pull myself up.
I’m not doing it this year but I was there a couple of years ago. The hill was steep but I didn’t find it *that* bad! I thought Milton was much more disheartening. You go up the Niagara Escarpment road by road. You slug up one hill and turn a corner expecting another reasonably flat stretch and you’re confronted with another hill. I just had to yell, "It’s not fair!", at that point. Has anyone done that race in Collingwood where they have a hill called "The Eliminator"? arthur — Choices don’t scare me. However, a lack of choices does.
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: : Just wondering if anyone from this newsgroup will be participating in : : the Presidents Choice greater Toronto Triathlon on June 11 th. Always : : looking forward to meeting fellow RST’ers. : I will be there for the second time. It is a very good course. Last year : the water was cool but not too cold. the bike course has rolling hills. : The run is a challenging cross country run with a steep hill at 6km. : The only problem wasI flatted last year. there was a narrow trench that was : poorly backfilled. It is on the road leading out of the campus compound. : I hit it hard with my rear tire. : Anyways, look for my orange Specialized tri-bike in the 30-34 mens rack. : Stop by and say hi!! : Later, : Ken I’ll be doing also for the second time. The race is Sunday June 11th. If you haven’t done the course yet watch out for this hill at the 6k mark. When I came to it last year I passed at least 20-25 people walking up. It is a heart rate killer. You just have to keep going. The bike has no flat sections and no major climbs just rolls up and down. There is also about a 150 meter run from the waters edge to the bike transition. If you can’t run in the wetsuit take it off as soon as you are out of the water. I’ll have a red and blue Cannondale with very narrow, cut at the top profile bars, in the 25-29 racks. I also have a greenish-blue Bell helmet with powerbar stickers on the sides near the back. Hope to see you there. Cheers. Dave.
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: Just wondering if anyone from this newsgroup will be participating in : the Presidents Choice greater Toronto Triathlon on June 11 th. Always : looking forward to meeting fellow RST’ers. I will be there for the second time. It is a very good course. Last year the water was cool but not too cold. the bike course has rolling hills. The run is a challenging cross country run with a steep hill at 6km. The only problem wasI flatted last year. there was a narrow trench that was poorly backfilled. It is on the road leading out of the campus compound. I hit it hard with my rear tire. Anyways, look for my orange Specialized tri-bike in the 30-34 mens rack. Stop by and say hi!! Later, Ken
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Just wondering if anyone from this newsgroup will be participating in the Presidents Choice greater Toronto Triathlon on June 11 th. Always looking forward to meeting fellow RST’ers. — Paul Yeung , Ottawa, Canada SplisH SpLAsh !
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Question:
There are many excellent books on running. Jim Fixx and Jeff Galloway come immediately to mind as reliable and humane. The book "Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals" by Dr. Stephen Jonas is invaluable for all recreational athletes, whether they tri- or not. His perspective is that of a middle-aged back-of-the-packer, but his advice is sound even if you aspire to mix it up with the front-runners. You fail to mention your age or your weekly mileage, so I would not presume to give specific advice. The biggest challenge for me is budgeting time so I can train effectively for all three sports. My experience is that I need only run 3-4 times per week. Each run has to have some "quality" in it, however. Well, best of luck. Canada has a short multisport season, but there seems to be a lot of attractive races up there. Perhaps I’ll see you at one!
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I start running in an Olympic triathlon, its sunny, 82-88 degrees, and 70-90% humidity. (Summer is May through October).
Am I parsing this correctly? Did "someone" set the standard distances of an Olympic triathlon? If so, what are they?
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(Eric D. Harrigan) writes: I am an aspiring triathlete and am looking for information on improving the 10 km run that follows the bike and swim in an Olympic triathlon. Is there anyone out there that could suggest suitable tips or programmes ?? I would greatly appreciate any information offered.
Its normal to run slower in a triathlon than in a race. For me, the difference is about 1 minute in a 5K or 3 minutes in a 10K. Some of this might be due to Florida weather. At 7:00 AM, when most summer races start, its normally 75-78 degrees and 90-100% humidity. By the time I start running in an Olympic triathlon, its sunny, 82-88 degrees, and 70-90% humidity. (Summer is May through October). I find I can avoid the "cement legs" sensation by slowing by 1-2 MPH for the last mile of the bike. During this time, I stretch my hamstrings and calves by standing on the pedals in the 3 and 9 o’clock position and leaning over the handlebars, pointing my rear toe up. I hold the stretch about 5 seconds, pedal some, then repeat with the other leg. I also stretch my quads in the transition area (about 5 seconds). This method costs about 15 seconds on the bike, but saves me a minute in the run. It works even though I don’t train for bike-run "bricks". #include <disclaimer.h
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I am an aspiring triathlete and am looking for information on improving the 10 km run that follows the bike and swim in an Olympic triathlon. Is there anyone out there that could suggest suitable tips or programmes ?? I would greatly appreciate any information offered. thanks Eric D. Harrigan Acadia University Wolfville, Nova Scotia Canada
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by Gary Townsend. It has excellent advice on how to set up a training program to advance from the sprint to 1/2 IM distance and beyond. I used it with lots of success to do my first half two years ago and later to advance to the full IM. It is in print. I think you could order it from any bookstore, or your library may have it. Velo News also carries it. Good luck, have fun! Laura – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well I did my last tri for the year at Siesta Key. What a nice place for a tri! I even got a medal!!! I had a great time doing the tri’s this year and feel more fit then I’ve ever been. Now, I want to set a loftier goal – Gulf Coast 1/2 IM in May. Can anyone offer suggestions on a training program to bring a sprint triathlete up to a 1/2 IM level?? I’m ready and willing to put in more time. My goal is to finish. thanks LAM