Originally Posted by
dooner90
Hey, Dan. I'll be running my first triathlon ever here in Illinois. My bike is okay, my run and swim are very weak. I'm hoping to get it done in about 2:40-3:00. This is in ideal weather conditions on Chicago's lakefront. Any tips for a first timer? As an aside, what would you recommend to a younger fellow (28) to avoid hip replacements and ageing in general. Thanks.
For your first tri ever...my suggestion is just to have fun. Don't worry about any certain finish time. Just absorb the experience so that you better know what to expect in your next race. Go for time then. But, as I've said. It is imperative that you're accustom to swimming in the open water!!!
About the hip. I'm 58 and I started distance running in 1976 as a freshman in h.s. I never stopped except for injuries. When my hip failed, lots of non-runners said to me that it was all the running that caused it to fail. My response to them was "Then explain my older sister who has had both hips replaced and never ran a step in her life." In my case it 'might' have been indirectly caused by the running. In my mid-20s I blew out a disc in my lower back. It was surgically repaired, but resulted in a slight imbalance (i.e. limp). Running like that for the next three decades probably made the hip wear unevenly. So, in your youth and as you grow older...make sure that your running posture is balanced. Continued exercise will otherwise keep you young. At 58 people are always amazed at how much younger I look. I get an annual checkup with my doctor. He frequently says to me "On paper you look like you're in your 30s."
Dan