VegasJen

Just signed up for the long course tonight. I did this last year and it was brutal. Their long course is this odd duck quasi 1/4 Ironman kind of thing. Longer than an Olympic, but shorter than a 70.3. Starts with a 1 mile swim, then a 34 mile ride (through a lot of mountains) and finishes with a 10 mile run. I'm doing this as a test to see if I'm up for a 70.3. I did it last year and I finished, but there were extenuating circumstances (as in I damn near killed myself the day before with heat stroke [long story] so I started off massively dehydrated). Not like I'm ever more than a back-of-the-pack finisher, but hoping I can improve on last year's bottom-five finish.

OldTryGuy

p.s. - bold For myself, until I WENT FOR IT, I still had doubts.

My tri progression was FIRST a July 2012 Sprint the week before my 62nd birthday, then a Sept. tri where the swim was cancelled due to an almost hurricane passing the coast so we had a Run - Ride - Run and then in April the next year was Ironman 70.3 Florida and then in November 2013 at 63yo+ my first Ironman Florida.

Finnish Line picture I looked like I was 100 years old and felt it also.

Just do it.

VegasJen

I'm looking for a tri out by Miami or Jacksonville. I want to be able to say I've done tris "coast to coast". I've done Sarasota twice now, but that just doesn't feel legit since it's on the gulf side and in a fresh water lake.

VegasJen

I did a "training triathlon" this morning. Nothing official. I just swam laps at the pool, then jumped on the bike and a run after that. Not a bad effort. Because I live in a more rural community, our public pool is only open during the summer months so my training time on the swim is limited. I've been practicing a couple days a week this summer and I feel I've gotten much stronger in the swim since I started this a couple years ago.

I did 1500m this morning in just about 42 minutes. It's not the same thing, of course, since swimming laps I have the convenience of stopping and catching my breath, but I think I'll only be a couple minutes slower in the open water as long as I pace myself.

After that, I did a little over 16 miles on the bike. Took me almost an hour, 20 minutes. I felt like I was dragging a dead rhinoceros half the time. I knew I had a head wind, but didn't realize it was as strong as it was. Took 50 minutes to get to my turn around point, but only 30 minutes to get back. At one point, I actually stopped, got off and checked to make sure there wasn't anything mechanically wrong with the bike.

I hate running, but gotta do it if I'm going to tri. Only three miles but I stayed under a 13minute/mile pace. Nothing to brag about for sure, but after the swim and the run, I'll take that. Even more, I cycle in regular shoes, but they do have a firm sole. I forgot to swap them out for my running shoes and I felt that the entire way. Don't know if it cost me time, but I did feel it.

If I can keep my run time under a 15minute/mile in Santa Barbara I will be satisfied with that. A 10 mile run is just brutal to me.

_ForceD_

Well, I have to say that your post is almost inspiring me to go back to doing some short tris. At 62 years old, after participating in them since the 80s, a few years ago the condition of one of my knees eventually made running all but impossible. I haven’t tried in a few months…but had been able to at least jog a couple of miles, at about a 12-13 minute pace, before the pain and discomfort just made it really not fun at all. Fortunately, there’s really no pain when cycling (however, I can’t get out of the saddle as that much pressure on the knee does hurt). I have knee replacement scheduled for this coming October. Of course the surgeons don’t like you to run on artificial joints (I have an artificial hip too). But at my best pace these days…it’s really just a fast walk.

Dan

VegasJen

There's always the aquabike option. After I do my half Ironman (next year?) I will probably cut my triathlons down to no more than sprints, and maybe only do aquabike for similar reasons as yours.

VegasJen

Renting a car for this one. Picking it up here in about a half an hour, loading all my gear and getting on the road. I have an aunt in Thousand Oaks (about an hour away) who I will stay with tonight. Should be an easy drive in tomorrow morning. Starting to get that antsy feeling.

VegasJen

Got home this morning. Finished, but I am decidedly in the "also ran" category. Finished 278 out of 288. This thing is a beast.