Triathlon - How will I do?

What will be the overall Joe's overall triathlon pace (minutes per mile)?

  • Total voters
    39
J

Joe DeFuria

Legend
NOTE: the first poll entry should be "Over 12 min/mile"

OK, so I think I've decided to try and run my first triathlon.

Why? Well, I just lost most of my "excess weight" through my very own patented weight loss program*, and to both keep it off and get myself actually physically fit, I figured this would be a challenging goal to help keep me motivated.

The race I plan to enter is one year from now (sometime in June '06). Here's a link to this year's results:

http://www.compuscore.com/cs2005/june/wyckind2.htm#sp22

You can see lots of stats based on age, pace, etc.

The distances are between a "sprint" and an "olympic" triathlon:

* 0.5 mile (0.8 km) swim
* 17 mile (27 km) bike
* 5 mile (8 km) run

And now a bit about myself so you can make a more eductated guess:

1) I'll be 35 years old for the event
2) Current height and weight: 5' 7.5", 155 lbs
3) Never seriously trained for any such event before. (Running, swimming, or biking)
4) Never competed in any such event before
5) I'm married with two kids...so training may not be as regular as I'd like. ;)

* (Eat less, exercise more)
 
Judging by your training I'd say you wont even get to the finish line and if you do, you'd be last unless there are some really old people racing too.
 
To be clear, I didn't say I would not try to seriously train for this...just that I've never done it before. I have 1 year to prepare.
 
I would guess between 9-10 minutes a mile, for the run. Too much slower is just about walking. Much faster is entering sprint neighborhood, which is tough to keep up for 30 minutes for a non-competitive runner.

The bike is pretty easy to complete, assuming there's not a ton of hills.

The swim, personally, would be my biggest hurdle.
 
Swimming is weird - it doesn't help you (almost) if you're very fit in other forms of exercise like running or biking. You'll still get tired after a couple hundred meters or maybe even less if you're not a regular swimmer.

So don't skimp on this part of the exercise program, Joe, or you're going to be sorry. :)

...This said by someone who put more kilometers behind him in a swimming pool than he cares to remember in his youth, and then tried to take it back up again ten years later. :LOL:
 
Wow...such negativity here. This is great...this provides some great motivation for me. :)

On a side note, I'm having a helluva time figuring out how the stats page calculates the overall race pace.

Last years first place finisher is showing a pace of 6 mins, 39 secs, with a total race time of 1:27:13. How does that jive with a course length of 22.5 miles?
 
Just do It (TM) For yourself and for fun :)

You are encouraging me to get some exercises when I get back home.
 
Well, I got my answer about the pace...

In general, this race "should be completed" in about the same time as "half a marathon." (Don't ask me how this assumption is made or calculated). So the overall pace for the race is the total time divided by the length of half a marathon...13.1 miles.

I guess it's done this way so that you can compare a triathlon "pace" to striaght running / marathon paces.
 
Joe DeFuria said:
To be clear, I didn't say I would not try to seriously train for this...just that I've never done it before. I have 1 year to prepare.
Click to expand...
Ok, i went with about 9 minutes, so dont let me down. :)

On a side note, there are a few websites out there that will given your current abilites and what you want to do at the competition giving how long you have to train, will tailor a daily/weekly program so that you can reach your goal by the time of the competition. This way youll know how good your training is going relative to how long you have remaining.

epic
 
Do your training as good as you can and just give it a go ... even trying would be respect worthy. Good luck!
 
I can clock a mile in 10 minutes, but I'm 6'. At your height, you'd be running your ass off at that pace, where mine is a good jog.

I think if you wanted to you could do better than that, but seeing that you're a family I can see what you're saying about working out regularly.

I think you can do it Joe. ;)
 
A 10 minute mile is just a mild jog for the average person. An 8 minute mile is a more vigorous job or a moderate run, depending on how/where you draw such lines. I've run a 6 minute mile once to prove to myself that I could, and that is a fairly quick run (hardly a sprint though).

Averaging 10 minutes/mile over 5 miles isn't difficult for someone who has trained for a year and is in reasonably good physical shape. Most people can average quite a bit better than 10min/mile while cycling as long as the terrain isn't too hilly, and after a year of training stamina for the length of this race probably won't be a problem.

The swimming is going to be the deal maker/breaker. You can rack up a lot of time here, even for a half mile. Where it might be hard to imagine your run average going from 10min/mi to 20min/mi if your technique or training was bad (you can easily walk a 20min/mi), swimming times can more than double from "good" to "bad." Sometimes much more than double.
 
My friend did one of these . He woke up and ran 4 miles each day except sunday , then at night he would go on a 10 mile bike ride . He was never able to swim except in my pool which isn't really meant of it . But he did pretty good
 
Bigus Dickus said:
The swimming is going to be the deal maker/breaker. You can rack up a lot of time here, even for a half mile. Where it might be hard to imagine your run average going from 10min/mi to 20min/mi if your technique or training was bad (you can easily walk a 20min/mi), swimming times can more than double from "good" to "bad." Sometimes much more than double.
Click to expand...
You'd think, but I worked with a hardcore triathelete who also played water polo.

He complained all the time that he would beat the tar out of people swimming, and then lose it all in the bike/run.
 
I suppose that can happen... I've never run in a triathalon anyway. :)

It probably depends on the distance ratios. If beating the pants off of someone in a given swim distance is 20min vs. 30min, and beating the pants off of somone in a run is 45min vs. 60min, I guess it hardly matters that you were 50% faster in the swim and only 33% slower in the run if you still lose by 5 min. :D




In any case... good luck Joe! Train hard.
 
Thanks for the encouragement (and links) guys.

I've already ordered a couple books for training techniques, etc. I'm gong to have to join a local gym (or Y) for the swimming practice.

Based on the limited research I've done thus far, my training is going to emphasize the following:

* Heart rate training: for all-around fitness / cardio.

* Upper body strength training: I think my legs are fairly strong, as all my exercise in the past has been bike and running oriented. My upper body is the "weakest." This should help keep me string for swimming.

* Swimming technique. My goal for the swimming leg is not going to be to "kick ass", it's going to be "do OK", while saving maximum energy for the bike / running legs.

* Running / biking pace: This should come "naturally" as my heart training progresses and I keep a routine of biking / running.

I don't really know how my actual weekly plan is going to shape up yet...once I get the books I'll come up with specifics. Currently (past couple weeks), I've just biking 11-18 miles a day about 5 days a week, and then "brisk walking" 4 miles the other two days.

I'll keep y'all posted on my progress. :D
 
linthat22 said:
I can clock a mile in 10 minutes, but I'm 6'. At your height, you'd be running your ass off at that pace, where mine is a good jog.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I see my height as a slight disadvantage for me in general...both for running and biking. My "genetics" dictate that I have relatively short, though powerful, legs. I'm built more for sprinting than for long distance / endurance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top