# Aerobars, first Triathlon question



## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

I've signed up for my first Triathlon which is a half-iron distance in late August. The course description is "hilly". I've been looking at tri bikes, a 2009 FELT B16, Cervelo P1, and Quintana Tequilo, beginner rides in the sub $2000 range but have started thinking that a tri bike might not even be the best bike for a "hilly" course. 

I was thinking about just adding some aluminum Profile T1 aerobars to my road bike and was wondering if I would be losing anything vs. one of the bikes listed above? Right now on a flat 50 mile course I could probably muster up 20mph on my road bike.

Anyone have a recommendation? Am I going to be 10 minutes faster on one of the tri bikes vs just getting the aerobars?


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

Don't buy a tri bike before your first triathlon. Don't make your first triathlon a half-iron.


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## hrumpole (Jun 17, 2008)

+1 to that. Try an olympic first. None of the individual events are particularly remarkable in and of themselves (e.g., you can easily train yourself to swim 1500, bike 40 K and run 10K for a given day). When you throw them all together, though, it's a pretty different experience. 

My neighbor loved olympics and then "leveled-up" to a half without enough training to finish comfortably. He finished, but that was the last tri he's done.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

At this time you would be much better off putting your money toward a decent pair of aero bars and a good set of aero wheels then purchasing a Tri/TT bike, especially if the course is hilly.

A Tri/TT position is different from a road bike position and it takes time to adjust to the different position.....also Tri/TT bikes don't exactly climb very well in part due to the position needed to be efficient on it.

So my suggestion....pick up some 60mm or greater depth carbon wheels and some aero bars and put those on your road bike. Then as you get more and more into Tri's (or if you get more into Tri's) get a bike dedicated more toward that purpose.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

hrumpole said:


> Try an olympic first.


I say try a sprint first! The more experience you get, the better off you'll be when you get to your goal race. I find it a bit crazy this dude's planning on an August half-iron with (apparently) no plans to do any other races in the interim.


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## RHankey (Sep 7, 2007)

Use the bike that you have with clip on aero-bars, as that should give you the biggest bang for the buck. Do all your training using the aerobars as much as possible. I wouldn't suggest buying a tri-specific specific bike until you have completed a tri or two and determined the sport is for you and have some first hand experience as to what your specific needs are.

Your first tri, especially if it's a half or full, should be more about finishing with a smile on your face and gaining experience. A fancy tri-bike could be 10 minutes quicker over a 56 mile distance if you know how to use it, but you're likely going to be losing way more time in the transition areas in the first race or two until you perfect how multi-sport races work.

As for the comment "Don't make your first triathlon a half-ironman" - don't worry about it. You will hear this comment a lot. Train accordingly, and make sure the only priority is to finish with a smile on your face. My first triathlon many years ago was an Ironman. I finished it just fine (qualifying for Hawaii, despite that not being a goal), and enjoyed the day enough that I went on and did a number more Ironman's. Experience allowed me to substantially improve my overall times and placings over successive races.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

RHankey said:


> As for the comment "Don't make your first triathlon a half-ironman" - don't worry about it. You will hear this comment a lot. Train accordingly, and make sure the only priority is to finish with a smile on your face. My first triathlon many years ago was an Ironman. I finished it just fine (qualifying for Hawaii, despite that not being a goal), and enjoyed the day enough that I went on and did a number more Ironman's. Experience allowed me to substantially improve my overall times and placings over successive races.


Would doing a shorter event before the Iron have harmed the experience? The OP has seven months between now and the half.


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

Thanks Wookie. That's what I was looking for. 

I do have several other events planned in the interim, just not triathlons. A 6hr mtb race in April and a 24hr mtb race in May. There's an Olympic Tri I'm doing in September. I'm also trying to find an Xterra event close to me for June or July. I was really just wondering if it's worth getting a tri bike for a hilly course. 

Thanks for the replies.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Don't take this as an insult, but you have a very wide range of goals for the year. For those of us with a finite amount of time and talent, it's generally good practice to focus on a discipline. If you train for a tri, you'll be good at a tri. When you start throwing in such different and unique events, usually you'll end up being not as good at many things.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

clip ons on a standard road bike are a big compromise - you can't get the saddle position forward enough to optimize power. If budget is a big issue look around for a used tri bike - there are a lot around (they are like treadmills - people buy them thinking they want to get in shape do a tri etc then give up). Train a couple of time a week on the tri bike - one day of intervals, one day with some distance to get used to the position. Good also to get it fitted by someone who specializes in tt/tri setup.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

spade2you said:


> Don't take this as an insult, but you have a very wide range of goals for the year. For those of us with a finite amount of time and talent, it's generally good practice to focus on a discipline. If you train for a tri, you'll be good at a tri. When you start throwing in such different and unique events, usually you'll end up being not as good at many things.


do what you want - unless you have a sponsor expecting results.


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

No insult taken. Endurance mountain biking is what I focus most on although I do a bit of road riding to get in more time on the bike. 

A co-worker and his wife have been after me for about 4 years on the triathlon thing and this started as a challenge from them. There's really only one person I'm competing against in August.


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## RHankey (Sep 7, 2007)

pretender said:


> Would doing a shorter event before the Iron have harmed the experience? The OP has seven months between now and the half.


I only had roughly 4 months between when I decided to do the race, and the big day. Given the limited time I had to work with and the goal being to make sure I could finish within the cutoff times (particularly the swim cutoff), I felt my time was best spent maximizing my training miles. I did find time to fit in 3 duathlons during the 4 months whch did provide some valuable transition experience as I'd never done any multi-sport events before. I was a good runner, and a very strong cyclist, but had a life long serious fear of water to overcome. That race was back in 1989 - a lot has changed since then.

To the OP, if you can get a couple tri's under your belt prior to the half, then do so. Races definitely provide lots of experience that you aren't going to get from training. But you need to focus on the training miles.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

frontierwolf said:


> No insult taken. Endurance mountain biking is what I focus most on although I do a bit of road riding to get in more time on the bike.
> 
> A co-worker and his wife have been after me for about 4 years on the triathlon thing and this started as a challenge from them. There's really only one person I'm competing against in August.


LOL, good. Sorry, know too may guys who put out lofty dreams and end up bagging almost everything because the focus was a little too wide and they expected to win everything. Not that winning is everyting, but it can be fun. 

Anyway, the TT bike depends on the course. I had a tri relay that was a 20k and basically up hill, but there were enough descents and flat parts where a TT bike came in handy. When it gets really hilly, hard to beat a regular road bike.


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## mx_599 (Mar 22, 2007)

frontierwolf said:


> I've signed up for my first Triathlon which is a half-iron distance in late August. The course description is "hilly". I've been looking at tri bikes, a 2009 FELT B16, Cervelo P1, and Quintana Tequilo, beginner rides in the sub $2000 range but have started thinking that a tri bike might not even be the best bike for a "hilly" course.
> 
> I was thinking about just adding some aluminum Profile T1 aerobars to my road bike and was wondering if I would be losing anything vs. one of the bikes listed above? Right now on a flat 50 mile course I could probably muster up 20mph on my road bike.
> 
> Anyone have a recommendation? Am I going to be 10 minutes faster on one of the tri bikes vs just getting the aerobars?


hey frontierwolf

thought i'd add my 2 cents.

I understand the others' concern over your first tri, but if it makes you feel any better *my first tri was the Louisville IM* with no preparation. I did have a smile on my face at the finish 

I also went by myself. No friends, no family  I would have to say this was the worst part of the whole thing. I will not do another one with out some support...just too much going on.

I never wore a swim cap prior to the race. hahaha so standing in line heading down the deck I was trying to watch others put theirs on so I could play it cool like I knew what I was doing. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to cover ears or not

I also kinda panicked at the start jumping off the dock and went into a dog paddle. it was quite embarrassing to have a couple thousand behind me watching. I am a terrible swimmer.

What a time I had. I plan on doing more for sure... it is funny, I have absolutely no desire to do anything less than a full IM. rather keep it that way and improve on my times. as you can imagine I learned a ton via full immersion (pun intended)

I finished...with plenty time to spare. you'll be fine for a half.

I used a road bike as well with clip on aero bars. I felt pretty strong in the running. 

I am focusing on mtb endurance as well. I am entered for the LT100 in August.

I plan to do the 2011 Coeur d'Alene IM with hopefully some prep this time!!

I would NOT get a tri bike for this race or unless you plan to do a handfull of events per year. Just wouldn't make sense unless you really have money burning holes in pockets.

from one endurance mtb'er to another, you're going to rock it!! 

:thumbsup:


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## hrumpole (Jun 17, 2008)

mx_599 said:


> hey frontierwolf
> 
> thought i'd add my 2 cents.
> 
> ...


YMMV. These results, I think, are not typical.


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## Tonis_t (Jul 29, 2007)

My 2 cents too.
My first triathlon was also basically an ironman. I did one olympic during the training but it was just to test out the transitions. 
Don't worry about triathlon specific bike. Don't even worry about carbon deep rim wheels. Get the clip on aerobars and just do the race. Most important thing is comfort. Worrying about how to transfer your power and get the most out of aero position is best to leave to the later races. Worry about comfort. There is no point making your position as aero as possible when you can not keep the position during the whole race (little more aero is way more uncomfortable than little less aero. You will loose all the time you gained by choosing little more aero position when you have to ride on the regular position just because your neck and back cant take it any more.). If you get the tri bike, then you should train a lot with it to get used to the position. It's not like you can stop after the biking leg when you feel sore. You still have to run. It's way smarter to give away 10 minutes in biking leg and ride in comfort because in that case you _will_ gain it in the running leg. 

P.S. 
It's weird to watch people who get the tri bike and then put bottle cages behind the saddle post. Studies show that the bottles behind your saddle will break the airflow and create a drag that they are trying so hard to reduce by buying an extremely expensive tri bike.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

x11ty on go for the 1/2 Iron. Back when I ran more, I went straight from my longest run ever of 12 miles into competing in my first 50k trail race and, while it took just as much mental hardness to get through as it did physical, I wouldn't have done it any other way. The equipment advice here is good... train hard and have fun.


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## thatsmybush (Mar 12, 2002)

Tonis_t said:


> My 2 cents too.
> P.S.
> It's weird to watch people who get the tri bike and then put bottle cages behind the saddle post. Studies show that the bottles behind your saddle will break the airflow and create a drag that they are trying so hard to reduce by buying an extremely expensive tri bike.


I guess some people just need a handicap before they mop the field.


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

Thanks for all the replies. There's some good advice in there and it's good to hear success stories about people who jumped right in to a full IM. I'd love to do that but I don't think I have the time I need per week for training right now. If I can build up a decent base while training for the half, then a full IM in 2011 might be a good goal. 

It seems like the consensus is that it's not a good idea to go out and blow a bunch of cash on a fancy new bike. That said I think I'm going to start keeping an eye on Ebay and Craigslist for a used Cervelo P1 or P2K in the $1K range. I do have a little ongoing bike fund so if I find a deal by May I could pick something up without really hurting the bike budget. It's worth $800 to me to not have to positioning issues on my road bike. If I don't see anything that looks like a steal then I'll get some aero bars to test with and see if I can configure something that I can hold for extended periods. 

The key for me is that now I don't have to feel like I need a tri-bike for my first half IM. I can be patient and look for a deal. If I don't find one this season then after doing a half IM I may be willing to pay a little more to have one for next year. 

Thanks again.


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## TWB8s (Sep 18, 2003)

Unless you were going for a podium I wouldn't buy a bike for one event, or even one event a year. If you want a quality performance on a hilly course and you're only racing against a friend I'd keep it simple (friendly too). A set of clip-on bars may help. It depends how hill the course is as to how much time you can spend in a more aero position. Once the event is done you can hang them up for future events or sell them to someone else who's just getting started. Your biggest performance enhancer will be a light set of wheels. A set of tubulars might be seen as playing dirty but they'll climb like a cat with dog chasing. There are clincher wheels nearly as light and more affordable. The beauty of wheels is they'll work in more than just a triathlon event. Depending on tires you can use them for cyclocross, road racing/crits or even training on other bikes.


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

I would not get TT bike unless you got $$ to burn. Advantage just ain't that great for the $$. Check out this testing:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/how-aero-is-aero

Adding clip-on aerobars & TT helmet gets you most of the advantage of full TT rig vs std road bike. I went this route but added zero-offest seatpost with forward-mounted tri saddle to tweak my aero position a bit more. From above test- At power of road bike riding drops @ 40kph, full TT rig (inc TT helm) goes 44kph. Roadie w/clip-on aerobars & TT helm goes ~43kph.

I just started doing tris last year from decent riding base (5600+ mi/yr, mult 5-5 1/2 hr centuries). Cannot imagine full IM as 1st tri except for an exceptional athlete (usu swimmer) with TONS of time to train. Before tri training plan I was fair runner but poor swimmer (50M max 4mo before 1st tri). Did 2 sprints & bridged to Oly which was tough. Also- ran marathon 8wks after my Oly. May do HIM this summer IF I can find the time to train properly. As was said- each individual tri distance ain't bad, but putting 'em all together raises the bar exponentially.
Long swims demand respect-esp for poor swimmers. Heck they pulled 2 athletes out of the water during 500M OWS in one of my sprint tri's, and one of them was near-drowning needing ambulance transport. Not hard to imagine tragic outcome during 1+mi OWS of HIM.
Check out www.beginnertriathlete.com for some great advice & perspective by many who've 'been there-done that'.


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## Hippienflipflops (Aug 21, 2007)

-11ty for everyone hating on the 1/2 for a 1st tri. my 1st was a half...loved it


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

thatsmybush said:


> I guess some people just need a handicap before they mop the field.


A lot of the time, the lack of a decked out and expensive TT/tri bike is the least of their worries. Besides, there are plenty of guys doing their first (perhaps last?) tri on the best bike money can buy that only _look_ fast. The 'ol $6k t-shirt guys tend to be at every event. I had no problem dropping them on a road bike, although my TT bike almost seemed cruel.


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

There seems to be a lot of warnings about the HIM distance. Fitness shouldn't be a big problem. Right now I'm 7 months out starting with a 1 mile swim and 8 mile run base and I've done bike/run bricks (30 mile/4 mile) without any issues. My available training time is up to 12-14 hrs a week over the next 7 months so I should have enough time to properly prep for the event.

My question about the bike really stems from a "hilly" course. An image of the course profile is below.


<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/4304532180/" title="Bike Profile by frontierwolf, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4304532180_7c894f3e0e.jpg" width="500" height="107" alt="Bike Profile" /></a>


My cost for travel, lodging, and fees for triathlons this year will probably be around $1000 and an extra 100 or so hours training time so I want to get the most out of the events I'm doing. 

What it sounds like I'm hearing is that the aero would make a minor difference on this course, so there's no use getting a new bike before the event. I could get the T1 bars at REI or Performance and take them back if they're too uncomfortable as a retro-fit. 

I'll still keep an eye out for a used P1 because I can really see doing 2 halfs and a full IM distance in 2011. The way I look for deals it could take me a year to find the one that I like.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Someone can always argue about anything, but I think the course profile would be a little more geared (pardon the pun) towards a road bike. A lot of aero stuff is generally a little heavier and aero isn't super critical when you're climbing at slower speeds. The overall geometry isn't quite conducive to serious climbing. Clip on aero bars might be somewhat useful, but the layout looks like you're either climbing or descending the whole time.


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## thatsmybush (Mar 12, 2002)

My 2 cents.

If you are not going to buy a tri bike...just use your regular (non gerry rigged) road bike. Just slapping some clips on the front (and possibly adding a forward profile seat post) is not conducive to racing effectively. If you fail to get comfortable and cannot hold your position, then all you are doing is hucking extra weight up the hills.


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

frontierwolf-

If you've got honest 12-14hr/wk to train over next few months, then go for it. Just be sure to get in lots of endurance swim work. In tris you basically survive the swim, pace the bike, and kick it on the run. FWIW- I'm lucky to ave 6-8hr/wk over the long haul.

After looking at your bike course profile, roadie with aerobars looks even better. Geometry of TT bike is not best for climbing, but looks like course has some prolonged DH's that would benefit from aerobars.


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## tommyrhodes (Aug 19, 2009)

I'm was in the same boat as you. I bought a decent set of aerobars for 30 bucks. I've been fiddling with the positioning mostly on the trainer. The weather has been decent lately and on all my road tests they've made a big difference. Definetly takes some getting used to so if your gonna do it I'd get them now and play with them on the trainer. I don't know if this is typical, but I really had to pay attention to my breathing at first. Once I figured that out I've had no other problems. In fact now I have to remind myself not to spend too much time in the aero position.


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## tampafw (Jul 25, 2009)

frontierwolf said:


> I've signed up for my first Triathlon which is a half-iron distance in late August. The course description is "hilly". I've been looking at tri bikes, a 2009 FELT B16, Cervelo P1, and Quintana Tequilo, beginner rides in the sub $2000 range but have started thinking that a tri bike might not even be the best bike for a "hilly" course.
> 
> I was thinking about just adding some aluminum Profile T1 aerobars to my road bike and was wondering if I would be losing anything vs. one of the bikes listed above? Right now on a flat 50 mile course I could probably muster up 20mph on my road bike.
> 
> Anyone have a recommendation? Am I going to be 10 minutes faster on one of the tri bikes vs just getting the aerobars?


Finally, a thread to which I have a lot of experience to impart 

I did my first triathlon in 1986 and have seen a ton of gadgets come and go. I'm kind of where you are in entering the cycling world only as my knees are shot and can run no more. My first year back in cycling full time and I'm enjoying it immensely. 

These are merely suggestions:

1. Making your first race a HIM is a recipe for disaster. Not saying it can't be done and it hasn't been done, bu the statistics are not in your favor by a long shot. Your body most likely has no clue what it's getting into. You may finish, but unless you come from a highly seasoned running background it may be the 2nd worst day of your life, the 1st being the day you committed to doing the race UNLESS you decide to make it a 'finish only' pace. If you go after the bike like you would on a normal ride the run could be a shredder. I would just hate to see you not race again b/c of a bad experience. Pace yourself

2. Wait to get a TT bike until you can get properly fitted. I would say maybe 10% of the field at any race is fitted properly. It will add to your enjoyment and reduce injury if you do it right.

I wish you the best of luck. Let me put it to you this way as a point of reference. I ran in college, have a 1:17 open half marathon PR.....my first HIM nearly killed me b/c I thought I was going to race it. Just pace yourself and if you think you are going hard back off a bit b/c it's no fun to bonk on a run....it never ends.


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## tampafw (Jul 25, 2009)

RHankey said:


> Use the bike that you have with clip on aero-bars, as that should give you the biggest bang for the buck. Do all your training using the aerobars as much as possible. I wouldn't suggest buying a tri-specific specific bike until you have completed a tri or two and determined the sport is for you and have some first hand experience as to what your specific needs are.
> 
> Your first tri, especially if it's a half or full, should be more about finishing with a smile on your face and gaining experience. A fancy tri-bike could be 10 minutes quicker over a 56 mile distance if you know how to use it, but you're likely going to be losing way more time in the transition areas in the first race or two until you perfect how multi-sport races work.
> 
> As for the comment "Don't make your first triathlon a half-ironman" - don't worry about it. You will hear this comment a lot. Train accordingly, and make sure the only priority is to finish with a smile on your face. My first triathlon many years ago was an Ironman. I finished it just fine (qualifying for Hawaii, despite that not being a goal), and enjoyed the day enough that I went on and did a number more Ironman's. Experience allowed me to substantially improve my overall times and placings over successive races.


Wow, you must be some kind of genetic super freak! You qualified for Kona at a full IM distance race on your first try? If you don't mind divulging, what is your name? Having spent 20+ years in the sport I have never heard of such a feat. Was it World's Toughest? WT was the only qualifying race at that time close to an IM distance. I was at that race! To my knowledge the only IM distance race in the world in 1989 was Hawaii, then came the great Floridian in 1990, but it didn't have qualifying slots. World's Toughest was the hardest day of my life in sport, think I still hurt in some places from Monitor Pass, Lake Tahoe is the coldest spot in America for a triathlon swim.

I'm just interested what time you posted if beating the swim cut off time was a worry and you still posted a qualifying time? You must have absolutely ripped the bike and run to pieces.....sub 5 bike? 7 minute miles?

Congrats.....that is a rarified and one off accomplishment.


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## mx_599 (Mar 22, 2007)

@ andrea 138

I see you're doing the Cohutta 100 as well? We should get some regulars together to meet at this event.

@ Frontierwolf et al -- To those posting about the horrors of a half IM and full IM as a first tri, I think you might be exaggerating a little.

Sure, if the participant's goal is to actually do well...than maybe not a great idea. However, if you for the most part just want to finish than I do not believe it to be that bad. I am proud of my 15:36 for never doing a tri in my life and not knowing how to swim. I look forward to my next one. I can only get better with a 15+ time!  

Incidentally, I did not injure myself or cause Acute Kidney Injury or anything silly like that. I was feeling pretty damn good a few days later still smiling!

I am sorry, I just like sharing my story because I shocked myself too. My swim was about 2:17 and included dog paddling and some other strokes that have yet to be named. I held onto a course marker a couple times, but never any canoes. 

I only ever did one open water swim for about 0.6 miles with a friend shadowing in a canoe. Prior to that, about 3 months earlier I did about 5 Total Immersion swim lessons. So here I am, about 7 AM, flailing about after jumping off the dock trying to remember the Total Immersion drills hoping that most the racers and spectators on the shore did not notice me.

I am laughing as I write this. There were like 3 bikes left in the coral when I got there  
It was very easy to locate my steel framed Soma Smoothie road bike!

I thought the biking would be my strongest event...but I was too shot by the swim. My transition times were 20+ minutes. Partly because I was tired and partly because I was clueless with these T1 this bag T-that bag.

I finally perk up at about mile 60 of ride...still about last. Feeling better though. Legs recovering from swim. Time to chase down leaders and make my move  

Now I get to my Marathon...the sun is starting to go down. I was dreading this. My feet were sore. The surprising part?? It felt great to get my running shoes on and my butt off the seat! I was actually feeling good going into run. I probably passed 200-300 participants in the run...I think. Maybe exagerating. I would have to check results again to see my placing. I was near last coming off bike so it would be pretty easy to figure out. I passed A LOT in the final 13 miles or so, 8 PM - 10 PM

So why the lack of prep? It wasn't supposed to be this way. As many of you know, you sign up for these things a year in advance. Well, that year did not go as planned. Over the summer before the IM at the end of August I was able to do a handful of 50 mile rides, a few 10 mile runs, and no swims. I did the one swim in the lake a week before the IM...in a wet suit. No fancy tapers, bricks? What are those???

I panicked a little when I found out that morning that there would be no wet suits at this event. I thought about staying in the hotel that morning and driving home that day...  

I figured why not go? No refunds...right? What was the worst that could happen? I cannot really swim, but I can tread water and I am not afraid of drowning. I figure if I DNF I DNF. I had a lot invested in the race...much of it mental. This competition had been on my mind for over a year now. I had brand new Rx'ed googles, etc.

I am not one of those thick headed people...I would have pulled out of race during the bike or run if I thought I was causing problems in my body.

I am not familiar with the IM series...maybe the Louisville is noted to be easy?

Sorry to blab on and on...thanks for reading.

This is one of those things you do that you will recall vividly for the rest of your life. It left that much of an impression on me.

I would not trade this experience for anything in the world.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

mx_599 said:


> I had a lot invested in the race...much of it mental. This competition had been on my mind for over a year now. I had brand new Rx'ed googles, etc.


Then I just don't get why you wouldn't have done a sprint or Olympic distance tri in the _entire year_ you had given yourself to prepare for your IM. It boggles the mind.


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## mx_599 (Mar 22, 2007)

pretender said:


> Then I just don't get why you wouldn't have done a sprint or Olympic distance tri in the _entire year_ you had given yourself to prepare for your IM. It boggles the mind.


much of it stemmed from not knowing how to swim and putting that off. I was only able to fit the swim lessons in about 3 months prior to IM. I have never watched any, but I would guess the short races are very hyper. I figured the long race would give me more time to fight my way through without having to worry about putting on shoes in 2 seconds. It seemed unfair to put myself up against former collegiate swimmers who would destroy me in the water and then "get by" with their bike/run.

Sort of make sense?

In reality, I have much to learn about Tri's in general. I plan to sign up for Coeur d'Alene 2011.

This year I am focusing on mountain biking. Supposed to do Leadville 100 assuming I make the cut with Leadville Marathon and Silver Rush 50 leading up to it.

I hope to put much more effort into this one. Lance better show up. I like him a lot and would love to see my name on the roster with his


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

Just an update since it's been a few months. 

I'm starting my Base 3 phase and I guess I'm thinking more and more about pushing up my speeds. I have about 3 more months before the main event and I'm ready to aero up my Road Bike so I can get some quality time in with the new setup.

Profile Design makes a seatpost called the Fast Forward Carbon that moves the effective seat angle forward 5 degrees. My thought is to get one of those, a TT seat, and the T2 bars so I can easily go back and forth between the setups. In 2 months I may look at some 40mm deep wheels since I'd like a set of those for general road riding. 

That puts me in the $200 range to hopefully get a large portion of the benefits of dedicated Tri bike.


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## davidsthubbins (Jun 15, 2009)

spade2you said:


> A lot of the time, the lack of a decked out and expensive TT/tri bike is the least of their worries. Besides, there are plenty of guys doing their first (perhaps last?) tri on the best bike money can buy that only _look_ fast. The 'ol $6k t-shirt guys tend to be at every event. I had no problem dropping them on a road bike, although my TT bike almost seemed cruel.



Um...wow


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## mx_599 (Mar 22, 2007)

frontierwolf said:


> Just an update since it's been a few months.
> 
> I'm starting my Base 3 phase and I guess I'm thinking more and more about pushing up my speeds. I have about 3 more months before the main event and I'm ready to aero up my Road Bike so I can get some quality time in with the new setup.
> 
> ...


thanks for the update. what is the main event you are training for again?


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

My 'A' race is the SC State Half in August. I'm doing the White Lake Oly 2 weeks after that.

Before then I have a couple tough mtb races, the 24hr Burn Challenge (on a team) and the 100k Off Road Assault on Mount Mitchell. 

It's my first year doing races of any sort so I'm really just trying to learn what I can, give my best effort, and build progress for future events.


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## mx_599 (Mar 22, 2007)

frontierwolf said:


> My 'A' race is the SC State Half in August. I'm doing the White Lake Oly 2 weeks after that.
> 
> Before then I have a couple tough mtb races, the 24hr Burn Challenge (on a team) and the 100k Off Road Assault on Mount Mitchell.
> 
> It's my first year doing races of any sort so I'm really just trying to learn what I can, give my best effort, and build progress for future events.


I am going to be at the Burn, PM me. I didn't meet you at warrior creek, did I?


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

We might have met at Warrior Creek. I was there and you probably passed me at some point.


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## mx_599 (Mar 22, 2007)

frontierwolf said:


> We might have met at Warrior Creek. I was there and you probably passed me at some point.


hahhah, I only got 4 laps in. Nothing extraordinary!


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## litespeedchick (Sep 9, 2003)

frontierwolf said:


> Off Road Assault on Mount Mitchell.


Note to anybody else who plans to warn the OP doing a half-iron as a first tri: ORAMM participants are animals ...he's accustomed to the pain cave...he'll be fine ;-)


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

> ORAMM participants are animals


That one's a bucket list race that I've been putting off for a few years now. Honestly I have a feeling that some of the ORAMM training rides I've been doing are as challenging as making the HIM distance. That race is alot more intimidating to me and I don't care if I'm DFL there as long as I finish it. 

I've done alot of rides with around 6000' - 7000' of climbing but 11,000' is uncharted territory.


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

*My 'A' race is getting close*

I finished ORAMM which was my goal for that race. It was brutal. 400 started, 275 finished. Was doing great through the first 7 hours, had cramps, rain and pain for the last 2. Took 2 days off afterwards but my workouts were still pretty weak for a few days after that. 

Mostly back to normal now and just thought I'd update this thread with the tri-bike resolution from my original question back in January.

Here is a pic of the bike as it sits now.










I went with the Profile T1 aerobars, the Profile FFC post and a Fizik Tri2 saddle. Those were my only purchases and I'm pretty sure that if I don't plan on any future Triathlons I won't have trouble selling them. I put around $300 into the setup.

I traded one of my old FS mtb frames and a fork to a riding buddy (who only rides Reynolds Carbon now) for the Easton Tempest II wheels on the bike. I feel like that's about the best I can do to get a decent aero position, and it will suit me well in my Half and especially in a flat Oly I'm doing close to the NC coast.

I've been out on the TT setup for a few rides and haven't had any comfort issues. As far as fit goes I think I'll be raising the seat close to 1/2" more and probably will slide it forward a bit as well. Control is good, but I ride in a hilly area and I'm not super quick with my shifting yet and it shows in my cadence. In less than ideal conditions I was about +1.5mph faster than my non-aero PR on my 30 mile test loop. Makes me want to splurge on an aero helmet just to see what it would get me.

I think my biggest challenges now are going to be nutrition and hydration. When I get down on the bars I don't watch the clock and I tend to forget about water or gels. I almost want to wear a camelback so I don't have to reach down for a bottle. Over the next 2-3 weeks I'll have to keep a particular eye on it and try to keep in mind that sitting up for 10 seconds here and there isn't going make that much difference to my overall time. Dehydration or Heat Exhaustion could end my day.

Thanks for all the recommendations in the thread. I'm looking forward to the big day now, and if I can do a steady swim I ought to smoke my friends.


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## thatsmybush (Mar 12, 2002)

frontierwolf said:


> I finished ORAMM which was my goal for that race. It was brutal. 400 started, 275 finished. Was doing great through the first 7 hours, had cramps, rain and pain for the last 2. Took 2 days off afterwards but my workouts were still pretty weak for a few days after that.
> 
> Mostly back to normal now and just thought I'd update this thread with the tri-bike resolution from my original question back in January.
> 
> ...


How is your run? Have seen alot of time spent on the bike and mentions of swim...but it is the run that either smokes or gets smoked.


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

My run speed isn't that great but I'm comfortable running when I'm tired. My run volume for the past 2 months ranges from 30-40 miles/week at an average 8.5 min/mile pace. 

When I started in January I was around 10-12 mile/week at a 10 min/mile pace so I feel like I've made alot of progress.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

frontierwolf said:


> I finished ORAMM which was my goal for that race. It was brutal. 400 started, 275 finished. Was doing great through the first 7 hours, had cramps, rain and pain for the last 2. Took 2 days off afterwards but my workouts were still pretty weak for a few days after that...


Good job on the finish! I was there, too. All I can say is that Carey Lowery is a small monster.


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

Small monster indeed. It's not "chicked" when you get beat by over 2 hours is it? 

Nice job by you as well. 4th overall F is a super strong showing.


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## mx_599 (Mar 22, 2007)

congrats to you guys and thanks for updating the thread!

my big race is next week, I am going to see if I can give Lance a run for his money in Leadville

he is in my age group too :mad2:


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

The competition is going to be tougher than ever. From what I've heard Ned Overend, Levi Leipheimer, and JHK are just a few of the pros who are giving it a go this year. 

Good luck with the race.


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## tomcho (Jan 30, 2010)

frontierwolf said:


> I finished ORAMM which was my goal for that race. It was brutal. 400 started, 275 finished. Was doing great through the first 7 hours, had cramps, rain and pain for the last 2. Took 2 days off afterwards but my workouts were still pretty weak for a few days after that.
> 
> Mostly back to normal now and just thought I'd update this thread with the tri-bike resolution from my original question back in January.
> 
> ...



You can mount this guy right between your aero bars

https://www.trisports.com/profaersys.html


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

This past weekend was the SC State Half Iron Distance Tri. There was alot going on all weekend and I thought I'd post a few items from my first race.

I went to the event with my wife, and a couple of friends that were competing. I felt well trained going into the event, tapered well the week leading up to the race, got there early Saturday, drove the bike course and scouted the swim/run areas. Sunday we were there early enough not to be rushed getting things set up. There were around 200 total competitors and it was going to be a fairly hot and muggy day.

I'm not a real experienced swimmer and hadn't been with a mass of people like that before so I held back a little to stay out of the way. Next time I'll probably try to line up more to the outside rather than hanging back. I'm not as slow as I thought I would be and maybe on the outside I can keep an eye on people beside me better than being behind them. When I was beside someone at least I knew I was on track. I did get way off track and probably swam around 35m beyond our first turn buoy. I'll be looking up every 8 strokes or so in the future to make sure I'm on course. Chalk that one up to learning the lesson by experience. Considering that mistake and still being around 15 mins behind the leaders I think I could be a solid mid-packer on a HIM swim if I really went at it.

On the bike I passed about 100 of the people who were out of the water before me. I was really glad to have the aerobars and the forward set seatpost. The course was rolling and I would say I was on the bars 90% of the time because the grades weren't that steep. I averaged just over 20 mph which I was pretty happy with. I think there was only 1 person that had a slower swim and faster bike leg than I did.

The run didn't go as well. Both legs started cramping up at about 2 miles in so I was limited to a run 5 min, walk it off, or odd kind of shuffle to keep them from seizing up. I actually told my wife I wasn't going out for the second lap because the cramps were too bad but she wouldn't let me pack it in. I decided to keep shuffle-walking and told myself it would be over soon even if I walked the rest of the way. Meanwhile, 50 of the 100 people I passed on the bike were passing me back on the run portion. I finally made it to the little hill leading up to the finish and my wife was there cheering me on as I went up it. I was *****ing about cramps and a group of cheering spectators said "cramp nothing, finish" so I tried to push it up the hill. Right as I crossed the finish line both legs locked up with cramps so I kind of stiff legged it over the line. I ended up in the 2:30's for the run. I hate that I wasn't able to really push the run because I felt like I had alot left in the tank. My leg muscles just wanted to do their own thing at that point.

Overall it was a good day. I finished. I wasn't DFL on any of the legs and I had a good bike through some nice countryside. I beat one of my friends by 25 minutes and the other by 50+ minutes so I have office bragging rights until the next event, which is an Oly in about 2 weeks. Since that's a shorter distance and on pancake flat land my confidence will be better and I'll get to apply some of the things I've learned to see if I can put together a more complete performance.


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## tommyrhodes (Aug 19, 2009)

I don't know if you want suggestions but this is the internet so your gonna get it lol. My guess for the cramping would be hydration. You think you drank enough during the competition? My inability to swim and shear hatred of running means I can't really comment on anything else but goodjob!


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

Great job fw!!! And congrats to having SO who's a solid motivator. 

I did my 1st HIM last month, and at my event those last few miles of the run were a death march for those who didn't pace/hydrate/fuel properly. Very common at HIM+ distances.


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## frontierwolf (Jun 21, 2008)

The more I think about it the more I'm convinced the cramping was worsened by poor hydration. I had 2-20oz water bottles with me on the bike and I didn't empty either of them. I probably took in about 30 - 35oz leading up to the run which is probably half of what I needed. 

Pretty ironic that 3 weeks ago I was posting that hydration would probably be my biggest challenge then I went out and did the exact thing I was trying to avoid. I think I need to set my watch with a 10 minute countdown timer and force myself to drink each time it goes off.


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