Lose Weight/Excercise

[LJay]

Hang in there [MENTION=23180]axle2152[/MENTION]. You are doing WAY toowell to give up now.

It may take you a while, but I am convinced you can do this.

Get in touch with the Red Cross in your area about swimming lessons. Red Cross lessons are offered as a community service and are moderately priced with good instructors. You might also try the athletic department of a nearby junior/community college to see if you can enroll in a swimming course. Llearn the sidestroke. It can be very helpful for resting and still making progress.

Looking forward to your success.

[InbetweenDreams]

Hang in there [MENTION=23180]axle2152[/MENTION]. You are doing WAY toowell to give up now.

It may take you a while, but I am convinced you can do this.

Get in touch with the Red Cross in your area about swimming lessons. Red Cross lessons are offered as a community service and are moderately priced with good instructors. You might also try the athletic department of a nearby junior/community college to see if you can enroll in a swimming course. Llearn the sidestroke. It can be very helpful for resting and still making progress.

Looking forward to your success.

Well they have swimming lessons, I think, at the pool & gym I go to, but I think they're in the mornings and not too offend, but are targeted at the elderly, physical therapy and so on...I would be kind of an outlier I think.

But yeah I was taught freestyle and about 10 minutes of breast... My ex, the one who I blocked on Facebook, improperly tried to show my the butterfly and just about took out my shoulder.

Well hopefully I'll get better at finding a good pace in the next couple weeks. I mean I figure once you find a pace you can maintain can swim a 5k...which I will be timing the 5k open water swim the week before...

[InbetweenDreams]

Oh and mind you the real goal, before the triathlon was to lose weight and stay healthy. There's a couple more threads I want to start, but haven't had the time yet to type them up just yet.

[Camfer]

That's cool, sounds like you were underestimating yourself there earlier. Are you training with anyone? Can you ask one of the bike riders to give you a half hour swim lesson?

Maybe think of this year as the baseline and then do it a second time next year and see how much you've improved. You can make improvements in stroke efficiency, weight, and times on each of the events. The only improvement you can't make is age: you'll be a year older, lol.

You may not have lost as much fat as you wanted, but look on the bright side, you can float on your back when you need to rest! If I stopped moving, I'd sink.!

[InbetweenDreams]

That's cool, sounds like you were underestimating yourself there earlier. Are you training with anyone? Can you ask one of the bike riders to give you a half hour swim lesson?

Maybe think of this year as the baseline and then do it a second time next year and see how much you've improved. You can make improvements in stroke efficiency, weight, and times on each of the events. The only improvement you can't make is age: you'll be a year older, lol.

You may not have lost as much fat as you wanted, but look on the bright side, you can float on your back when you need to rest! If I stopped moving, I'd sink.!

I tend to do that a lot.

I did struggle a bit the first couple time I've been in the lake. I had really lightened up on the swimming as it gets pretty boring in a 25 yard pool and then here lately everyone has had their kids at the pool and they're annoying as fuck as hell, they swim all in your lane and of course you know...there's the pee factor too. That was about the time I got the bike and started biking like mad. So the swimming kind of went to the back burner until now and regretting it.

Some of the easier strokes I might be able to watch a few videos on YouTube, but breast stroke, butterfly...that stuff you need lessons on and will take a long time to master.

As far as doing a triathlon, maybe at some point, but I really want to get into touring. I actually do have a bike trailer I plan on loading up camping gear and just go somewhere... Thought about going across the state... Not really as a competition just as a bizarre, challenging life experience that not many get to do, because you say go across the state (country...anywhere) they say you're crazy...

[LJay]

Well, it sounds like your fnal choice is to ask Michael Phelps just how he does it.

[Camfer]

I know he's a diver, but maybe Tom Daley could teach you?

[InbetweenDreams]

I used to time races a lot and once I did go down to Atlanta, GA. While it escapes me which Olympians for sure were oragnizing the event I want to say it may have been Michael Phelps. Have to look past me not remembering the who's, that was long before I gave a crap... I may have even been smoking.

Oh but yes I would stroke with them...I mean get swimming lessons from them if I could.

Just like someone thought a bike shop would sponsor me a bike to do the triathlon with... Unfortunately there is no reason for them to do that. I'm not a kid, I'm not an established athlete and I don't like to take handouts.

[InbetweenDreams]

Ok so seeking some advice on strategy here. I pretty much expected this that I wouldn't be getting any more lake swims. So I plan on doing some swimming at the pool, which is good but it is 25 yards to one end and then 25 yards back, I can swim a mile in the pool halfway decent but it's not a continous swim. I can probably do 600 yards within the 30 minute cutoff time. I really have no idea how good or bad I will do on the swim.

That leaves biking and running.

I have about a week and a half before the race and about 3 days to make up my mind on whether I am going to do it or not before the price goes up.

Should I concentrate on what I know I am ok at or concentrate on swimming...I can't make up my mind on what I should try to focus on the last few weeks.

I'd go swimming in the lake by myself but there are some risks...snakes, cramps, getting mowed over by a jetski or boat... I have been advised by more than one person not to go open water swimming in the lake. So I am convinced it is a bad idea, the problem as usual is finding someone to do it with. The folks I had been going with are training for a 5k swim and me who's training for 600 yards is probably just a waste of their time since I haven't heard from them in just about a week. I get the n00bs like me can be a drag but how the hell is anyone going to learn or get better at it when no one is ever willing to put their foot forward? Hell I'm trying to do what most people would never consider doing...Believe me I have asked many of my friends, all said no.

Anyway, trying to get away from moaning and groaning... any thoughts on what I should do? Technically next week I should be tapering and not full out training...

In the pool without unneeded breaks I can average somewhere over 1 mph or so...which does put me in the green as far as estimating a 600 yard swim... Yeah I'm slow but that's to be expected for the lack of getting the coaching/help I really need to get better... I still can't do the breast stroke...not that it is required, but very useful in the lake.

Biking I should be able to average over 14 mph for the bike course...I have what is still considered to be a heavy bike and isn't geared all that high (14:48 is the highest gear with 700c wheels...a lot of racing bikes will have 11:50). The bike course is 18 miles.

Running I should be able to maintain a 10:30 pace, was hoping to be better but I have definitely plateaued on my pace for running... The running portion is 5k (3.1 miles).

[Camfer]

Questions on your lap swimming: Do you do kick turns? Or are you just touching the side with your head above water and turning around and swimming back?

Does your pool have a clock so you can time your laps? How long does it take you to swim one lap? are you doing intervals on 50-seconds? Some other time interval?

Have you done a 500-yard swim in the pool? What was your time? Did you stop to rest during it?

When you swim freestyle do you breathe on the same side or on alternate sides?

I am probably going to suggest you work on your weakest event, as you stand to gain the most from your improvements there. I agree that pool training will be better for you than lake training. I don't think you need to taper for the event you are considering. Just take the day or two before off from any training.