Question:

Nice report, keep up the good work.  Mike Beyerstedt

Response:

I said I’d do it and I did it. C.O.M.B.A.T. Triathlon 300 m. Swim 15 Mile Bike 5K Run Like everything else I do I charged into triathlon full speed ahead.  I immediately started training for an Olympic distance race thinking that a sprint was not enough of a challenge.  Then I got antsy.  I found that the earliest Tri I could enter was a sprint so I jumped at the chance.  I had been training for an Olympic distance so I figured the sprint would be a cake walk.  Then all hell broke loose.  After a foolish 10 mile beach run at high noon I found myself erupting at both ends with 104 degree fever.  I quit training for a week.  That turned into three weeks when I found myself at a new job pulling 12 hr. days to impress the new boss.  Then race day arrived. The night before it rained HEAVILY.  I was up all night watching the big red dot on the weather channel cover Houston praying the tri wouldn’t be canceled.  I last remember seeing the clock read 3:30 a.m. It was mocking me.  4:30 a.m. brough the alarm.  I cruised down to the site with my buddy Larry.  He is the Burgess Merideth to my Rocky.  I couldn’t believe I wasn’t nervous!  I lined up for the swim. SWIM About 2 minutes before it was my turn to start I guess the nerves his me.  I ran to the mens room and unleashed what could well have been a frat boy’s beer piss.  "So much for hydration" I thought.  I have been doing 1600 meter and 2000 meter swims 3X a week for months now so a 300 meter swim didn’t scare me.  Everyone says the same thing: "I started to fast and thought I was going to drown!"  No exception here.  The pool was as murky as lock ness.  I didn’t think I could risk passing w/o bonking my head on the wall so I just cruised the swim. T1 I had never practiced a transition.  I figured that I have been dressing myself for a few decades now and I pretty much got the hang of it.  No "shirt over the helmet storied here". I did use the plastic bag trick I gleened from rst. BIKE The rain had made the two U turns on the Bike leg treacherous.  There was a lot of road rash dished out that day.  I’m one of these guys who went from 50 mile weekend bike rides to dreams of Triathlon so I saw this as my chance to shine.  I spun at 20-22 MPH for the first 10 miles. Number 124, the guy next to me (and my arch rival for the day), and I traded leads (without drafting mind you) for most of this time.  Then, after the scary muddy area, I pumped it up to 24 and hammered the rest of the way in.  Each person I passed only made me want to pass another. T2 Note to self: next time remove bike shoes with less enthusiasm.  I think I sent one into orbit.   RUN I do a lot of brick workouts but I spoil myself by taking 10 min to stretch before heading out on the run.  I was curious about how I’d fair after hammering and then directly starting the run.  I was tight and slow but had no pain.  I saw Larry ahead with the camera so I dropped the hammer and passed several people to be at the head of the pack for the picture.  Luckily I kept that momentum going and left that group.  Then two guys reeled me in.  I had two miles to go and decided I wasn’t going to let them stay ahead.  I beat them across the line by about 100 meters. And I became a Triathlete. What I learned… I think I’ve done far too many long slow distance workouts and not enough speed work.  My new plan calls for one speed workout in each discipline once a week.  (I’m open to suggestions, group).  It took me about two strokes into the swim to start seeing triathlon as something to compete in rather than something to just complete.   The best part of the day was meeting people.  I am convinced that people who compete in triathlons are positive, goal oriented people.  I don’t think I saw a frown all day.  There was a sixty-seven year old competitor who looked forty in the face and thirty-five in the body.  It was like a big party full of half naked Dr. Mengela engineered Nazi Uber-Athletes (without all of the genocide and other bad stuff)  My point is everybody looked fit and happy. I can’t wait to do my next one.   Thanks to the Bay Area Triathlon Club for putting on a first class event!   Thanks to r.s.t. for fanning my triathlon flame and inspiring me to make this a reality.  And for any of you reading this who haven’t done a triathlon yet – they ARE as much fun as you think they are. -Al in Houston.

Response:

Question:

While driving home from the Vineman Int on Sunday, I noticed at least 3 dozen Vineman water bottles (the blue PowerBar ones they gave away in the bike aid station) tossed on the left shoulder of the 101, about 10 miles South of the Airport Road exit. Help out this newbie, is this a tradition in triahlons?  Should I have grabbed my bottles on tossed them there? Thanks! -Dan Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Hey Dan, you blew it.  It is a triathlon tradition that newbies go on "Water Bottle Patrol" after each race.  You should have got out, picked up the bottles, and returned them to the race director’s office.  This tradition lasts as long it take the newbie to figure out that his chain is being yanked. Seriously though, what I try to do is dump my bottle near an aid station so volunteers can recover them.  Once in a while you see a stray bottle (might just have been dropped), but most bottles tend to assembly in a pace line to the next aid station or to the bike finish.  Bike bottles are usually the first to get massages and are usually into their third or fourth beer by the time the winner crosses the line. Hope this helps.  It sure helped me. X – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – While driving home from the Vineman Int on Sunday, I noticed at least 3 dozen Vineman water bottles (the blue PowerBar ones they gave away in the bike aid station) tossed on the left shoulder of the 101, about 10 miles South of the Airport Road exit. Help out this newbie, is this a tradition in triahlons?  Should I have grabbed my bottles on tossed them there? Thanks! -Dan Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Question:

know several were asking about ‘non-electric’ a/c. here’s one story. mellinium, trane, and tecochill also have ng/gas powered units; ben  Floating Restaurant Sinks High Cooling Costs with Gas Chiller Posted on March 31, 1999 03:00 PM PST Gas Research Institute Background Product Description Need Response Cost Analysis Contacts  Advantages The Triathlon’s cooling efficiency ranks with the world’s best air-conditioning systems, reducing annual energy costs for residential and commercial gas customers. Powered by natural gas, it eliminates the costly demand charges and time-of-day rates associated with electric air conditioning. The Triathlon also cuts heating costs dramatically by recovering heat given off by the engine and using it to boost heat output. To ensure comfort when temperatures drop below 30

Question:

Does anyone use the Fuelbelt that has become the rage in IM racing.  I would appreciate any input from users….both positive and negative of course. thanks Brian

Response:

Does anyone use the Fuelbelt that has become the rage in IM racing.  I would appreciate any input from users….both positive and negative of course.

I like the idea of them, although in practice I can’t seem to find one ( I have 3 different brands ) that stays put. They all seem to work their way around to the way they want to be, which is not always the most comfortable for me. And making them tighter just doesn’t seem to work. I use them regardless for 1/2IM and marathons, they make the journey so much more pleasent… Al Kormesser

Response:

Does anyone use the Fuelbelt that has become the rage in IM racing.  I would appreciate any input from users….both positive and negative of course. thanks Brian

I’ve one and I use it for my long runs (2 hours+) building up to the London marathon. It’s great BUT one of the bottle pockets has stated to come off after what might only amount to ten runs. So it’s a great idea that needs a bit more stitching! Regards, Steve

Response:

I have used a large number of different styles of belts and can say that the Fuel Belt is easily the most comfortable.  It does not move around your waist or bounce up and down.  It’s true that you actually forget it’s even there. The down side or (hard to get used to) is the small bottles and the very small opening on the bottle tops.  I’ve ripped the top off numerous times trying to get a bigger flow of water.  I think we are all used to standard size cycling bottles and tops and the smaller flow is less satisfying. By the way, the total volume of the four small bottles equals (1) normal size cycling water bottle.   Larry

Response:

I think the fuel belt is a great way to rehydrate. I have been using it on long runs without any major problems. The only complaint I have is that gels do not flow easily from the fuel belt bottle. I usually have to unscrew the cap off to get to my gel because the gel will not come out with squeezing the fuel belt bottle. Zach

Response:

I love my FuelBelt.  Great for those long solo runs.  No bounce at all. You’re right, the bottle caps are not made for gels.  Ultima makes a great gel bottle and pouch that fits perfectly in the back of my fuel belt. Ken – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think the fuel belt is a great way to rehydrate. I have been using it on long runs without any major problems. The only complaint I have is that gels do not flow easily from the fuel belt bottle. I usually have to unscrew the cap off to get to my gel because the gel will not come out with squeezing the fuel belt bottle. Zach

Response:

Does anyone use the Fuelbelt that has become the rage in IM racing.  I would appreciate any input from users….both positive and negative of course. thanks Brian

Hi Everyone! Wow, so many great comments on the Fuel Belt (manufactured by Perfekta).  As the person responsible for bringing Fuel Belts to most of you, I would like to address many of the questions/concerns that most of you have brought up. It’s true that we are pretty much conditioned to expect our bottles to have bigger spouts, however, the uniqueness of the bottles on the Fuel Belt allows for only a few select caps to be used.  We are working hard to custom manufacture a new cap that will be more similar to your traditional water bottle caps as well as new versions of the original belt.  We just received a Fuel Belt that has EIGHT bottles, holding over 40 ounces!  As with any good company willing to improve it’s products, it is very important that we listen to our hard working customers (you, the athletes:)).  All of your comments are well taken.  To that point, I would like to extend the following:  For those of you having problems with the caps coming off, please e-mail me and I will get you new caps ASAP.  At the very least, we want you to continue to stay hydrated. If anyone would like more information on our products, please drop me an e-mail with your questions, or visit our website for more information at: www.fuelbelt.com — Vinu Malik President, Fuel Belt p:  617.868.9506 (direct) p:  888.666.BELT (2358) f:  617.661.7808 w:  www.fuelbelt.com Fuel Belt:  Proven at Ironman races around the world…

Response:

Try mixing a little water in with the gel (about 5 parts gel to 1 part water).  Makes it flow much easier. Mark I think the fuel belt is a great way to rehydrate. I have been using it on long runs without any major problems. The only complaint I have is that gels do not flow easily from the fuel belt bottle. I usually have to unscrew the cap off to get to my gel because the gel will not come out with squeezing the fuel belt bottle. Zach                                     _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  /

Response:

Question:

I have to agree that these are a blast! Grueling but completely satisfying.

I’ve done Miami event 2 years in a row. The first year we got our butts TOTALLY kicked. But we were wise and learned to bike and to LOOK and THINK the most important parts of Adventure Racing. Our female member got into Mountain Biking so much she’s gone hard core, even going to Moab ! Anyway we listened to all the first timers, snickered, especially at the one who have never biked before ( Ya,  piece of cake, no don’t even try your bike out you’ll do fine ! ) and scared the heck out of more than one team. Second place ! and if I wasn’t such a slow runner or we had 2 more miles of trail we would have won. It’s not for everyone, but everyone should give it a try.. Al Kormesser

Response:

I have to agree that these are a blast!  I competed in the all male category at the Pittsburgh race.  Grueling but completely satisfying. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If anyone is looking for something different in the way of multi-sport racing, then read on. I just returned this afternoon from doing the Hi-Tec Adventure race at Lake Castaic. This was the first adventure race that I have done. I have to say, it will not be my last. It was a whole lot of fun. The main events of the race consisted of a 10 mile mountain bike, a 7.4 mile trail run, and a 1.5 mile kayak. In addition to the main events, there were "special tests" mixed in-between. The "special tests" were made up of events that tested your strength, endurance, teamwork, and mind. This was a team race. The teams were of three people participating in all male, all female, or co-ed divisions. My team was co-ed (this was the main division). Two guys and one woman. There were around 300 teams racing. The race started at 5:00pm, so much of the race took place in the dark. Headlamps were needed. We finished in the middle of the pack, with a time of 3:38:59. To do the race, you have to be prepared to get dirty, wet, scraped up, muddy, cold, beat up, and stoked. There is no whining permitted. There is no outside help at all. All teams must supply there own food and hydration. First and foremost, you must work as a team and finish as a team. The idea of "you are only as strong as your weakest link" does not entirely hold true here. Everyone should be working as hard as the next person on your team. So, if someone is a strong biker, hammer ahead on the hills. When you reach the top, leave your bike and run back to assist the other members in any way possible. Many times you will take their bike up for them and they will run or walk the hill. Believe it or not, this works very effectively. At times, on unridable sections, I would run up with two bikes on my shoulders. This allowed a teammate to recover and be able to go harder once we reached the top. The race- We setup our transition area around 3:00pm and made any last minute preparations for the start. At 3:30pm we made our way over to the mandatory race meeting at the Hi-Tec tent. The race production was large. The tent was huge, accommodating all 300 teams. They discussed the segments of the race, covered the rules. The mountain bike will be the first event. The start will be a half mile from the transition. At the end of the meeting, each team was given a envelope and instructed to carry it with us throughout the course. We were not allowed to look inside until asked to do so. We head back to transition. Get whatever we need and jog over to the start line on the edge of the lake. At the start line, each team is required to get an 8′ 2X4. We do not know what it is for, but we can only assume it will be put to use. Parachuters drop out of a plane, one of which, has a huge American flag flowing behind him. The national anthem is sung as they descend. Two minutes before start, they tell us all to open our envelopes and read the contents. The directions tells us we have to use the 2X4 to carry one teammate. This teammate cannot touch either of the other members of the team. The carried member cannot touch the water either. Touch the water? We have to run in the lake. The horn blows. Our lightest teammate gets on the 2X4, we throw it on our shoulders and run as fast as we can in knee deep water. Many people are having difficulty with the extra weight. The pack spreads out a little, but there is still a bit of bumping and pushing. Our front man hits some mud and sinks to his knees in it. I go in a second later. We are now up to our waists in the water. We are making good time and are passing many people. We make it to the drop point and head to our bikes. We head out on the bikes and are soon caught in a bottleneck on the course. A long hill looms above us. We ride as far as we can, then have to run. I take Kirsti’s bike and run with both mine and hers. Jim is steadily moving along with us. At the top we move out at a good pace, leaving the congestion behind. We see a obstacle warning sign ahead. I jam ahead and reach it first. It is a 6′ high cattle fence. I leap over, as I touch ground Jim is already handing me a bike. Kirsti is climbing over, before she hits the ground I have another bike. Kirsti jumps on her bike and is off. Jim hits the ground and we are once more moving smoothly. It went like clockwork. Up and down winding trails and switch backs we go. It gets rough here and there. I see several people go down hard. A quick check and they are fine. My teammates get caught behind some people on a single track. I move ahead. I come to a long steep hill. It seems to go on forever. I reach the top, leave my bike and head back down on foot. I find them coming up. Most people are walking or running up. I take a teammate’s bike and we head up on a run. We reach the top and once again mount our bikes. Its mostly fast, downhill switch backs at this point and were heading home. I am cruising along pretty fast, I come to a rough section and a hair-pin turn. I can’t make it. I do what I can, but I’m going down. I manage to land without injury. I get back on my bike and keep going. As we near the transition, we see people heading out on the run. They are dripping wet and covered in mud. What do they have in store for us? After leaving the transition, we follow the trail markers. We round a bend, and are given a set of instructions. We are to carry a large railroad tie approx. 50 yards through a waist deep mud hole. All teammates must be touching the railroad tie at all times. Where my size hinders me in triathlon, it is a benefit here. I grab the railroad tie and throw it to my shoulder, telling my teammates to keep in contact with it. The marines in charge of the pit are hooting and hollering. I bull my way threw the pit. We exit the far end and I drop the tie. Its not over yet. We are guided to another mud pit. This one with ropes crossing the pit about a foot above the water. We are ordered to drop down and traverse the pit without touching the ropes. Yahoo, I go for it and my teammates follow suit. I dive in, doing my best G.I. Joe imitation. The marines are loving it. One of the camera men runs over and get a shot of me. Mud and water dripping off my face, running out of my mouth. I flop out of the other side of the pit. We head out on the run, dripping wet, covered in mud and diggin’ it. The run takes us up and down the hillsides. It is now dark out, so we turn on our headlamps. Mine is on the fritz. I wonder if it is from the mud bath I took. It is not doing me much good, so I turn it off. Kirsti’s light is working great, so she takes the lead. We are doing good and everyone if feeling fine. We come to a rough and steep downhill. I hit a hole and turn my ankle. Ouch, arrrrh. We are making good time and are passing some teams. As we make our way to the transition area, we are given a new set of instructions. There are a series of beams around seven feet up and four feet apart. Around ten total. Each team member is required to go over each beam and touch the ground inbetween each one. Again we work as a team. I boost my teammates up and over the beam, then grab the beam myself and climb and vault over. We repeat the process. We are kicking butt. At the end we are required to look at a bunch of items for ten seconds. Then we have a minute or so to recall and name every item. What was that last item? Oh no, we have to do the beams again. I remember, it was a Souza tequila bottle. Arrrg, now I remember. We complete it the second time and head down to the kayaks. The kayaks are inflatable with high side walls. The wind is blowing hard. Damn. Your team has to take a two man and a one man kayak.  The wind is blowing us around. These kayaks seem to have a mind of their own. One minute we are going along just fine, the next we are going in a circle before we can do anything about it. This happens over and over. We notice that it is happening to everyone though, so were all in the same boat (pun intended). it begins to get a bit cold during the kayak. We keep driving forward. Eventually we reach the exit point. From here we have to take the kayaks straight up a rock strewn embankment. Then we have to carry them approx. a half mile to the next drop. We are almost done. But wait, another test. We have to scale a 15′ wall. We are given a rope. We cannot tie the rope off to anything. Its decided I boost Jim up the wall. He clambers over. I throw the rope to him and he holds the rope while I boost Kirsti and she climbs. Jim throws her a hand and pulls her over. They both hold the rope secure. I am good at this kind of thing, so I grab hold and monkey up and over the wall. The marines give us praise on our teamwork and efficiency. The backside of the wall is a rope net ladder. We climb down and head for the finish line. We cross and get our finishers medals. There is a cool band playing surf music on stage. We take a few pictures and throw some high fives. We kicked some butt. We are stoked. Try it, you may get stoked also. Tom Murphy

Response:

I read your report. Sounds like fun. Maybe the Hi-Tec people will have a rec here in Denver. Right now I think the closest one is down in Phoenix. I want to do one though. I have done several adventure races from 18 hrs to 5 days in length. I hesitate to put a Hi-Tec race in with adventure racing using the classic defintion of adventure racing which has been set by the RAID, the Southern Traverse, and the Eco-Challenge. I hesitate to put the adventure race label on some of the 24 hr events also. These are what I would consider as basic elements of any adventure race. Maps/compasses must have to be used. No known courses and distances, except as the teams figure it out per their maps. Not neccessarily would you have to have orienteering for the entire course (there could be trails and roads), but some thought process on the route to take should be involved. There must be darkness involved in part of the race. Their must be a course of sufficient magnitude, time, and difficulty that nutritional concerns extend beyond the use of gels, goo, and powerbars. This same criteria would also mean that pacing would be more important since distance and time would stress energy needs and pacing. Sequence of events should not be known before hand. Segment should be revealed to teams only at transition areas. How do I come to this conclusion? I have done races that had known sequence and distances beforehand, and races that did not. The unknown is what better makes for a better challenge and an "adventure." Think how much more adventurous and challenging the Ironman would be if all you knew was the total distance, 140 miles, and that you would swim, road bike and run throughout the course? How would this affect your approach to the race, your pacing? Suppose they revealed the course only the night before? Or only revealed one or two sections at a time? Suppose you had to carry your clothes, shoes between venues since there might be multiple runs and bike or swim sections to total the 140 miles. Anyway, I am glad that you went and raced the Hi-Tec race. I have had little luck getting any of my triathlete friends interested in adventure racing. It seems like triathletes are pretty much stuck on swim, road bike, and road running. I am sure most triathletes started tris because it sounded like an adventure. Now some of them are stuck in that one rut. Its all about fun. Congrats, Ken Lotze Team Thin Air Team TransPacific

Response:

If anyone is looking for something different in the way of multi-sport racing, then read on. I just returned this afternoon from doing the Hi-Tec Adventure race at Lake Castaic. This was the first adventure race that I have done. I have to say, it will not be my last. It was a whole lot of fun. The main events of the race consisted of a 10 mile mountain bike, a 7.4 mile trail run, and a 1.5 mile kayak. In addition to the main events, there were "special tests" mixed in-between. The "special tests" were made up of events that tested your strength, endurance, teamwork, and mind. This was a team race. The teams were of three people participating in all male, all female, or co-ed divisions. My team was co-ed (this was the main division). Two guys and one woman. There were around 300 teams racing. The race started at 5:00pm, so much of the race took place in the dark. Headlamps were needed. We finished in the middle of the pack, with a time of 3:38:59. To do the race, you have to be prepared to get dirty, wet, scraped up, muddy, cold, beat up, and stoked. There is no whining permitted. There is no outside help at all. All teams must supply there own food and hydration. First and foremost, you must work as a team and finish as a team. The idea of "you are only as strong as your weakest link" does not entirely hold true here. Everyone should be working as hard as the next person on your team. So, if someone is a strong biker, hammer ahead on the hills. When you reach the top, leave your bike and run back to assist the other members in any way possible. Many times you will take their bike up for them and they will run or walk the hill. Believe it or not, this works very effectively. At times, on unridable sections, I would run up with two bikes on my shoulders. This allowed a teammate to recover and be able to go harder once we reached the top. The race- We setup our transition area around 3:00pm and made any last minute preparations for the start. At 3:30pm we made our way over to the mandatory race meeting at the Hi-Tec tent. The race production was large. The tent was huge, accommodating all 300 teams. They discussed the segments of the race, covered the rules. The mountain bike will be the first event. The start will be a half mile from the transition. At the end of the meeting, each team was given a envelope and instructed to carry it with us throughout the course. We were not allowed to look inside until asked to do so. We head back to transition. Get whatever we need and jog over to the start line on the edge of the lake. At the start line, each team is required to get an 8′ 2X4. We do not know what it is for, but we can only assume it will be put to use. Parachuters drop out of a plane, one of which, has a huge American flag flowing behind him. The national anthem is sung as they descend. Two minutes before start, they tell us all to open our envelopes and read the contents. The directions tells us we have to use the 2X4 to carry one teammate. This teammate cannot touch either of the other members of the team. The carried member cannot touch the water either. Touch the water? We have to run in the lake. The horn blows. Our lightest teammate gets on the 2X4, we throw it on our shoulders and run as fast as we can in knee deep water. Many people are having difficulty with the extra weight. The pack spreads out a little, but there is still a bit of bumping and pushing. Our front man hits some mud and sinks to his knees in it. I go in a second later. We are now up to our waists in the water. We are making good time and are passing many people. We make it to the drop point and head to our bikes. We head out on the bikes and are soon caught in a bottleneck on the course. A long hill looms above us. We ride as far as we can, then have to run. I take Kirsti’s bike and run with both mine and hers. Jim is steadily moving along with us. At the top we move out at a good pace, leaving the congestion behind. We see a obstacle warning sign ahead. I jam ahead and reach it first. It is a 6′ high cattle fence. I leap over, as I touch ground Jim is already handing me a bike. Kirsti is climbing over, before she hits the ground I have another bike. Kirsti jumps on her bike and is off. Jim hits the ground and we are once more moving smoothly. It went like clockwork. Up and down winding trails and switch backs we go. It gets rough here and there. I see several people go down hard. A quick check and they are fine. My teammates get caught behind some people on a single track. I move ahead. I come to a long steep hill. It seems to go on forever. I reach the top, leave my bike and head back down on foot. I find them coming up. Most people are walking or running up. I take a teammate’s bike and we head up on a run. We reach the top and once again mount our bikes. Its mostly fast, downhill switch backs at this point and were heading home. I am cruising along pretty fast, I come to a rough section and a hair-pin turn. I can’t make it. I do what I can, but I’m going down. I manage to land without injury. I get back on my bike and keep going. As we near the transition, we see people heading out on the run. They are dripping wet and covered in mud. What do they have in store for us? After leaving the transition, we follow the trail markers. We round a bend, and are given a set of instructions. We are to carry a large railroad tie approx. 50 yards through a waist deep mud hole. All teammates must be touching the railroad tie at all times. Where my size hinders me in triathlon, it is a benefit here. I grab the railroad tie and throw it to my shoulder, telling my teammates to keep in contact with it. The marines in charge of the pit are hooting and hollering. I bull my way threw the pit. We exit the far end and I drop the tie. Its not over yet. We are guided to another mud pit. This one with ropes crossing the pit about a foot above the water. We are ordered to drop down and traverse the pit without touching the ropes. Yahoo, I go for it and my teammates follow suit. I dive in, doing my best G.I. Joe imitation. The marines are loving it. One of the camera men runs over and get a shot of me. Mud and water dripping off my face, running out of my mouth. I flop out of the other side of the pit. We head out on the run, dripping wet, covered in mud and diggin’ it. The run takes us up and down the hillsides. It is now dark out, so we turn on our headlamps. Mine is on the fritz. I wonder if it is from the mud bath I took. It is not doing me much good, so I turn it off. Kirsti’s light is working great, so she takes the lead. We are doing good and everyone if feeling fine. We come to a rough and steep downhill. I hit a hole and turn my ankle. Ouch, arrrrh. We are making good time and are passing some teams. As we make our way to the transition area, we are given a new set of instructions. There are a series of beams around seven feet up and four feet apart. Around ten total. Each team member is required to go over each beam and touch the ground inbetween each one. Again we work as a team. I boost my teammates up and over the beam, then grab the beam myself and climb and vault over. We repeat the process. We are kicking butt. At the end we are required to look at a bunch of items for ten seconds. Then we have a minute or so to recall and name every item. What was that last item? Oh no, we have to do the beams again. I remember, it was a Souza tequila bottle. Arrrg, now I remember. We complete it the second time and head down to the kayaks. The kayaks are inflatable with high side walls. The wind is blowing hard. Damn. Your team has to take a two man and a one man kayak.  The wind is blowing us around. These kayaks seem to have a mind of their own. One minute we are going along just fine, the next we are going in a circle before we can do anything about it. This happens over and over. We notice that it is happening to everyone though, so were all in the same boat (pun intended). it begins to get a bit cold during the kayak. We keep driving forward. Eventually we reach the exit point. From here we have to take the kayaks straight up a rock strewn embankment. Then we have to carry them approx. a half mile to the next drop. We are almost done. But wait, another test. We have to scale a 15′ wall. We are given a rope. We cannot tie the rope off to anything. Its decided I boost Jim up the wall. He clambers over. I throw the rope to him and he holds the rope while I boost Kirsti and she climbs. Jim throws her a hand and pulls her over. They both hold the rope secure. I am good at this kind of thing, so I grab hold and monkey up and over the wall. The marines give us praise on our teamwork and efficiency. The backside of the wall is a rope net ladder. We climb down and head for the finish line. We cross and get our finishers medals. There is a cool band playing surf music on stage. We take a few pictures and throw some high fives. We kicked some butt. We are stoked. Try it, you may get stoked also. Tom Murphy

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Question:

My question is: Am I too old for that and how do I train properly without giving up marathon training? With the focus on a marathon in November I am only running 4 times covering 50 km, I am swimming 4 times a week, each swim 2 km breaststroke (I am about to learn a proper crawl technique), and I do spinning classes in a gym 3 times a week. With all my training I run/swim or spin/swim doing the exercises one after the other or I do weights at the gym twice a week and swim afterwards. Sunday is a rest day. I would say I am pretty fit for my age but is it enough to focus on triathlons? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks Gundi      

I have a friend who is 5-9 and 140 LBS and 29 years old with a full time job who trains 12-18 hours a week. She swims 3 or 4x/ week for 2k a session, bikes 3x a week, sometimes twice indoors and one medium long ride outdoors, and goes to the gym once or twice a week for weight training. She runs 3x a week — one track workout, one medium tempo run and one long run (at 9:15 per mile) with a maximum of 35 miles weekly and I predict she will run her first marathon in 3:30 and stay healthy because she does not pound her legs every day while running. Yes you can train for triathlon while preparing to do a marathon and I think it is more healthy. Timothy Carlson.

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I did my first triathlon when I was 62.  I could only do the breaststroke and had never run due to a bad back.  I am now 67 and still at it having the time of my life.  The training schedule will become apparent over time.  Best of luck.  Allen Craft.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am thinking of starting to do triathlons. My question is: Am I too old for that and how do I train properly without giving up marathon training? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. I would suggest posting this query also on rec.sport.triathlon and actively reading that group.  They will provide tri-specific advice on training, etc. FWIW – I prepped for my first Olympic Distance tri in just over three months from a solid running base.  Finished respectably, too — but since I had so little time I really had to deemphasize running to train properly for swim and bike.  To stay at marathon level running, give yourself more time to train. Tris are great (I’m 36, so no I don’t think you’re too old!). Sam. — ** To Reply: Please delete the "#" sign from the Return Address line **

I also started triathlons from a solid running base (with moderate swimming abilities).I had an entire summer to prepare and came away with a respectable placing.I feel that 3 months is a minimum time to convert to triathlons. Brian.

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With the focus on a marathon in November I am only running 4 times covering 50 km, I am swimming 4 times a week, each swim 2 km breaststroke (I am about to learn a proper crawl technique).

   Glad that you are going to learn the proper crawl technique. Breaststroke is known to be very hard on the knees.  Swimmers who specialize in that stroke do a limited amount of breaststroke when they practice – they also swim a lot of the other strokes, especially crawl stroke. 2K sounds like a lot of breaststroke.  I swim in masters competition (breaststroke is my best stroke) and I don’t believe I’ve ever swum that much breaststroke in a work-out, though I will swim as much as 4,000 meters over-all.                       jean

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        You are never too old. Besides you’re doing the hardest part already, the training. It sounds as if you’ve got a good base training already.         Running is very important in being successful in triathlons, mostly because it’s at the end when you’re the most tired. Forty plus km/week is good enough training, 4 times/week. A long run and speed or hillwork is important.         Swimming is an area you need to work on. You’ll need to learn the crawl to get the most out of your effort. Two or three swims weekly is great.         Spinning is a great workout. One long, one hard hills and at least one other is a good start.         I’ve got several friends who started in their forty’s, one of which won her age group. Some of these fifty, sixty and seventy year olds are very fast.They all love it also.         Good luck and enjoy.

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Check the rec.sport.triathlon newsgroup-it’s a good source for triathlon info.  Nice people, too. Scott Hoffman

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Hi fellow runners, I am 43 yr. old female and did my first marathon last September in  4:08. Since then I was injured a lot and had to look for other ways to keep fit. I dicovered my love for swimming and cycling and am thinking of starting to do triathlons. My question is: Am I too old for that

You’re never too old – or the corollary – "Never, ever, act your age." <g I’ll be 50 in August – one week later I’ll be doing my first Ironman Tri in Canada. and how do I train properly without giving up marathon training?

Ah, now that COULD be a problem, if you’re really serious about the marathon.  That is, racing it rather than enjoying it. Cross-training for spring and summer tri’s will keep you in over-all aerobic condition to do a marathon, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your legs will be ready. But you should have Sept – Nov to concentrate on running. You should be at a level to ramp up w/o any difficulty. During the year, I emphasize one discipline over the other. During winter, I run more, spring brings out the bike. My swimming stays about the same. By summer, it’s pretty evenly spread (except for swimming lagging behind.) With the focus on a marathon in November I am only running 4 times covering 50 km, I am swimming 4 times a week, each swim 2 km breaststroke (I am about to learn a proper crawl technique), and I do spinning classes in a gym 3 times a week. With all my training I run/swim or spin/swim doing the exercises one after the other or I do weights at the gym twice a week and swim afterwards. Sunday is a rest day. I would say I am pretty fit for my age but is it enough to focus on triathlons?

Yeah. You sound like you’re ready. One observation, tho. Triathlon isn’t about swimming. It’s probably the least important of the three.  Triathlon is about biking well and then being able to run after you get off the bike and you’re tired. Your present schedule is probably a bit heavy on swimming. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Subscribe to the rec.sport.triathlon newsgroup. You’ll pick up a lot of good tips there. Pick a "sprint" tri to start off with – they usually are 1/4 mile swim, 12-15 B, and 5K R or something close to that.  Manageable distances. Work in some "bricks" in your schedule. That’s a bike immediately followed by a run. It’ll teach you about that transition which is physically the most difficult. It’s tough at first. Your legs don’t want to work. The physical part stays tough, but experience helps you to deal with it mentally. You know it’ll get better. It <almost always does. Have fun. Oh. The derivation of "brick"?  <Bike + <Run = ICK Mike "TriBop" Tennent Remove "nospam." for email reply IMC ‘98 IronVirgins Website http://www.gate.net/~wbrunner/imc_iv.htm WebRunner Running Page and my Model Railroad page http://www.gate.net/~wbrunner/

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I am thinking of starting to do triathlons. My question is: Am I too old for that and how do I train properly without giving up marathon training? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I would suggest posting this query also on rec.sport.triathlon and actively reading that group.  They will provide tri-specific advice on training, etc. FWIW – I prepped for my first Olympic Distance tri in just over three months from a solid running base.  Finished respectably, too — but since I had so little time I really had to deemphasize running to train properly for swim and bike.  To stay at marathon level running, give yourself more time to train. Tris are great (I’m 36, so no I don’t think you’re too old!). Sam. — ** To Reply: Please delete the "#" sign from the Return Address line **

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Gundi, You’re never too old for triathlons. Most say triathletes don’t peak until late 30s, so you’re not far off. As far as racing, it depends how long the race? You can easily do the short ones. Olympic distance would require a little more structured schedule. You can start by doing your workouts in order of race protocol. Example, Swim first, then run, or run then bike, to get your body used the order of competition. DAN, BA/CPT

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Hi fellow runners, I am 43 yr. old female and did my first marathon last September in  4:08. Since then I was injured a lot and had to look for other ways to keep fit. I dicovered my love for swimming and cycling and am thinking of starting to do triathlons. My question is: Am I too old for that and how do I train properly without giving up marathon training? With the focus on a marathon in November I am only running 4 times covering 50 km, I am swimming 4 times a week, each swim 2 km breaststroke (I am about to learn a proper crawl technique), and I do spinning classes in a gym 3 times a week. With all my training I run/swim or spin/swim doing the exercises one after the other or I do weights at the gym twice a week and swim afterwards. Sunday is a rest day. I would say I am pretty fit for my age but is it enough to focus on triathlons? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks Gundi      

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Question:

i’m an active runner/cyclist and a strong swimmer. i’d like to do a mini-triathlon late this summer or early fall. i’m trying to figure out sources for training programs to help me (i’d especially like one tailored for women, if anyone knows of any good ones). any thoughts? i’d like as detailed as possible…

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i’m an active runner/cyclist and a strong swimmer. i’d like to do a mini-triathlon late this summer or early fall. i’m trying to figure out sources for training programs to help me (i’d especially like one tailored for women, if anyone knows of any good ones). any thoughts? i’d like as detailed as possible…

Please see the other discussion in this newsgroup

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i’m an active runner/cyclist and a strong swimmer. i’d like to do a mini-triathlon late this summer or early fall. i’m trying to figure out sources for training programs to help me (i’d especially like one tailored for women, if anyone knows of any good ones). any thoughts? i’d like as detailed as possible… Please see the other discussion in this newsgroup

 Try a software solution. There are lots of software products out there.  Many with free downloads of working versions.

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Question:

Does anyone know if there are any triathlons in Mexico this year? I haven’t seen any listed anywhere. Val Gervais

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Does anyone know if there are any triathlons in Mexico this year? I haven’t seen any listed anywhere. Val Gervais

Hey Val!! There is a triathlon series there every year, and it includes races in the following locales: San Gil (Queretaro) Los Cabos Bahia de Huatulco (close to Puerto Escondido) Valle de Bravo (sort of the Lake Tahoe of Mexico) Monterrey (a half Ironman) Pueblo ( sometimes happens, it is sort of Nice distance) Guadalajara Merida (in the Yucatan) And some I forgot about.  The dates are constantly being switched around, and they change several times even after they’re first announced.  So you can’t plan ahead very far, maybe 60 days.  But they are a ball of fun. Julie & I have been to most of them at one time or another. There’s also a small race on Cozumel I haven’t been to but I think it would be great. QRman

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I also saw a tri listed in Competitior Magazine I think – San Felipe on 4/13/96, 1-25-6.2 mi distances.  I can look up the phone number if you want. Nancy

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Does anyone know if there are any triathlons in Mexico this year? I haven’t seen any listed anywhere. Val Gervais

If you get any response ,would you be so kind to send it to me,Please

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Does anyone know if there are any triathlons in Mexico this year? I haven’t seen any listed anywhere. Val Gervais

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon,rec.running Could swimming be hard on Achilles tendons? I’m no expert on Achilles tendons; but, I have been involved with swimming for almost 4 years.  All I can tell you is that I have never heard of a swimmer having Achilles tendon problems.  The most common problems for swimmers is shoulders and knees (knees mainly with breaststroke). Of course, this doesn’t mean that swimming wouldn’t aggrivate an already existing Achilles problem … I don’t know about that. Doug Gilliam

        I’ve never heard of swimming causing achilles tendonitis either (in 25 years of swimming) but it can exacerbate a preexisting problem.  Flutter kicking is the main casue of this  because of the stress put on the straightened ankle (which for most runners isn’t very flexible anyway). One way to kick less hard is to use a pullbuoy and kick lightly. Avoid kicking deep as well. Do not use fins. Diving starts could be a problem as well, though probably not for a noncompetitive swimmer.  If you are just swimming, you can gradually increase your kick as your ankle flexibilty increases and inflammation decreases.   If you want to get back to running you will have to be careful as the ankle may be more flexible from swimming and thus more likely to turn. Cathy Smith —

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I started doing TRI’s because of bad Achilles from Marathon Training. IMHO, swimming has let me keep running by stretching the tendon when kicking.  By the way, I wear two heel lifts in running, dress and casual shoes. The only issue I have had is from pushing off too hard the day after a hard run. Chuck James

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Could swimming be hard on Achilles tendons?

My personal observation has been that swimming in of itself does nothing to my Achilles’ tendons.  However, I’ve noticed significant shortening of the tendon – I’ve got to spend at least 5 minutes stretching them daily or they get very sore and swollen when I run or especially when I play soccer.  I never had this problem before swimming.  Fortunately, a 5 min. stretch is a pretty cheap solution to the problem. Another thing about swimming – I’ve got to spend time streching the muscle that runs from the rear of the hip around on up to the abdominals in front, the one located where some people have ‘love handles’.  Stretching this one has eliminated most of my back problems. – Tim Iverson

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Could swimming be hard on Achilles tendons? I’m no expert on Achilles tendons; but, I have been involved with swimming for almost 4 years.  All I can tell you is that I have never heard of a swimmer having Achilles tendon problems.  The most common problems for swimmers is shoulders and knees (knees mainly with breaststroke). Of course, this doesn’t mean that swimming wouldn’t aggrivate an already existing Achilles problem … I don’t know about that.

Yes, that’s the point.  I don’t know why it should be so, but I’ve found that flutter kicking tends to aggravate an achilles tendon that has already been irritated by running.  I’m talking about open water swimming, by the way.   When one swims in a pool, pushing off the wall at the turns adds an additional risk of injury. — William P. Bahnfleth Department of Architectural Engineering Penn State University-University Park

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Could swimming be hard on Achilles tendons? I’ve heard that swimming is always a good substitute for running if you are injured but I wonder if swimming is not such a good idea for Achilles tendons.  While swimming freestyle, toes are pointed and the Achilles is compressed until execution of the flip turn.  During the flip the load of reversing direction is supported primarily by the Achilles tendons.  This is aggravated by the fact that poor blood circulation and cool water prevents this area from "warming" up while you’re swimming.  Therefore, every 25 yards your cold compressed Achilles is stressed. Am I stating the obvious or just ALL WET?  Why?  Expert feedback is sought. My training has gone from running and swimming to just swimming to running suspended in the pool with a float belt….Lame….AHH to be dodging cars again.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Could swimming be hard on Achilles tendons? I’ve heard that swimming is always a good substitute for running if you are injured but I wonder if swimming is not such a good idea for Achilles tendons.  While swimming freestyle, toes are pointed and the Achilles is compressed until execution of the flip turn.  During the flip the load of reversing direction is supported primarily by the Achilles tendons.  This is aggravated by the fact that poor blood circulation and cool water prevents this area from "warming" up while you’re swimming.  Therefore, every 25 yards your cold compressed Achilles is stressed. Am I stating the obvious or just ALL WET?  Why?  Expert feedback is sought. My training has gone from running and swimming to just swimming to running suspended in the pool with a float belt….Lame….AHH to be dodging cars again.

I’ve never had achilles problems but I’ve had several severe ankle sprains that effect the same area in the same manner.  I kept up the swimming, but had to resort first to using a pull buoy or just dragging my feet, then as my ankle healed(or at least was less sore) I started kicking a little more.  As for the turns you can cheat and just push off the wall with one foot, although that’s assuming you only have one injured achilles. —    Stacy J. Hills    Code 8222, Bldg 116                  Phone: (401) 841-4504    Naval Undersea Warfare Center        FAX:   (401) 841-2223    Newport, RI 02841                    DSN:   948-4504

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I went swimming for the first time this year on Monday and after kicking four laps, I felt a sharp pain in my archilles. Even when I tried to swim freestyle afterwards, the pain would still occur everytime I would kick my feet as I pulled my arms through each stroke. I believe pointing the foot back as you swim does affect the Archilles tendon, so I’ve decided to lay off freestyle swimming until after the Columbus Marathon in November.  I had no trouble with backstroke or breaststroke (and bless the soul who can do the butterfly stroke. That’s a hard workout just by itself! ).

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i did develop achilles tendon problems when my swimming distance increased from 0 to 3000 yards  a week.  i was using zoomer fins and i believe they aggravated the achilles. i dont do flip turns at all.

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Could swimming be hard on Achilles tendons?

I’m no expert on Achilles tendons; but, I have been involved with swimming for almost 4 years.  All I can tell you is that I have never heard of a swimmer having Achilles tendon problems.  The most common problems for swimmers is shoulders and knees (knees mainly with breaststroke). Of course, this doesn’t mean that swimming wouldn’t aggrivate an already existing Achilles problem … I don’t know about that. Doug Gilliam

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Question:

I saw on ESPN last nite a triathlon in Rye, NY. (a Danskin race?) They showed Michellie Jones crashed. Were there any netters at that race? How bad was the crash? Is she OK? Is she racing again? Thanks for the info. -Mike

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I saw on ESPN last nite a triathlon in Rye, NY. (a Danskin race?) They showed Michellie Jones crashed. Were there any netters at that race? How bad was the crash? Is she OK? Is she racing again? Thanks for the info. -Mike

Yes, it was the Danskin Women’s Triathlon. I wasn’t there, but she did   crash and had to quit the race. It must have not been too bad because she   just raced in the Danskin Tri in San Jose, CA (on July 11th) and came in   first place! Marilyn

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