[Triathalon]Just registered for my first sprint triathalon

It's a 250m swim/19 mile bike/5k run on May 14 and I'm already looking at some two month training schedules.

Can anyone offer any tips?

I haven't been in the pool since last summer, but I have pool access for the two months until the event. I'm a decent swimmer with good upper body strength, and I know its recommended not to burn leg strength kicking during the swimming portion.( reduce lactic acid in legs for running stage)

I'm an intermediate biker with a century under my belt, but more of a charity rider than a dedicated rider. That riding will come easy, so I think. I usually take 20 miles conditioning rides...average around 15 mph.

The 5k...ugh....I hate running. I have bad knees and my weight doesn't help me any. I deal with degenerative meniscus tears every time I start building up my run length. I've done 5k's and 10k's but if I could just avoid the running altogether, I would. I've begun to train by taking 3-4 mile power walks, and save my knees for the run itself, but that doesn't push my cardio. I find my muscles fine, but I'm sucking wind at the end of the run.

What worries me is that the run is after the swim and cycling. I'll take my gel packs, ibuprofen, and my perpectuem for sustained energy, and of course I'll carb load the days before the event.

Any tips or advice would be much appreciated!

 

Thanks guys, I was out for spring break so I didn't have a lot of time to check in on this.

Gutter Snipe, I tried the POSE running as I do strike the ground heel first. It'll take a lot of getting used too. Heavy on the calves and Achilles tendon.

IVFL, I am working on dropping the weight. I'm at 250 right now, and I want to be at 225. I'm not too concerned about the time in transition...I just want to finish and hopefully not deadass last.

Pelincubus, I'm trying everything. Voltaren Gel, icing, light squats, leg extensions, ibuprofen, tart cherry juice, glucosamine....I know the weight drop will help and I'm working on that, and I know the next step is the old cortizonse shot. I may need some orthoscopic surgery to clean up the messes in my knees. I know I have arthritritis in there, and that's causing the degenerative meniscus problem.

 

Thanks. I have an 8 week plan with 2-3 bricks penciled in per week. Every Saturday, I plan on practicing all three events in a shortened version until I can build up to the full event. I'm pretty excited, just nervous about the dead legs after the cycling. I'm hoping the little experience I have on 60 and 100 mile rides helps.

 

Well, I did it and lived to tell about it. I set a personal time and paced myself to that. I showed improved in both swimming and cycling, but of course the running stayed the same, because of my knee pain,but I'm good with that.

I did have to tape my ankle because of a strained achilles tendon that I've been nursing.

All in all, I had a good time. I may look to shave about 15 minutes off my time next year if i decide to do it again...although, I may just scratch it off my bucket list and go fishing instead!

 

dbl post...delete.

 

Thanks Baumer.

I hardly did any running in my training, but I walked so much my feet had blisters. It paid off in the end, because I was able to run the 5k afterwards. That was my training plan all along...save the knees for the event.

I'm going to be working on dropping weight before I do any run training. The Hokka one ones I bought have really been good to my knees. I've realized i have a bad "toe out" run. I think that may be a big part of the problem on my knees. I'll address that after I lose about 30 lbs. I want to get down to about 225.

It really is an accomplishment for me. It wasn't an ironman, but a sprint tri. Regardless, not a bad job for a 45 year old 30 lb overweight guy with bad knees that hates to run.