Mini-triathlon 9am Sat!

We'll be doing a mini triathlon with X m swim, 10 mi bike, then 2 mi run based around a lake on Arielle's contact's land. It should be awesome. Email me for the address. Be sure to bring sunscreen, goggles, water, and anything else appropriate.

See you at 9 AM on Saturday!

Things to look forward to

June 9: Race for the Cure, 5K; sign up already!

June 23 or 24: Our own practice triathlon. Through Arielle's friend, we have access to a lake in Pittsboro. Yay! We're planning on a leisurely, get-our-confidence-up, triathlon experience that's two weeks prior to the Triangle Triathlon. Suggestions on how this will work are welcome.

Sun bike, 10am, Lake Crabtree Park

Sorry the swim clinic with Andy fell through for this weekend. I'll try to schedule one for next weekend. In its place, let's do the bike course of the Triangle Triathlon (15mi). I'm up for jogging part of the run course afterwards too. This is a *great* opportunity to familiarize yourself with the bike route. Let's try to beat the heat, and meet at the parking lot near the Old Beech Nature Trailhead in Lake Crabtree County Park (see the map on pg. 4).

Here's the bike route in gmaps pedometer. Big hills!

SUN bike, date change

Yeah, so the weather looks ominous for a long bike ride tomorrow. So we'll postpone til Sunday. I'm not sure if anyone else is able to come. But you can count on Jack and I to be there.

Sunday, 5/13, 10:30am
Eno River State Park, Cole Mill Parking Lot
Biking, 24mi.

See route.

biking Sat -- or Sun??

With it storming outside, it seems prudent to check the weather forecast. Looks like it may rain on Saturday, but the forecast for now is clear for Sunday. I'll change the time if necessary Friday...

Maybe Sat??, 10:30am, biking, Eno River

Let's have a reprise of the Eno River bike ride. We didn't get to do the whole thing last time, so let's try it again. See the old post for details on the route.

Meet at the Eno River Cole Mill parking lot.
Saturday, 5/12, 10:30am
Stay tuned for changes due to weather possibly...

Sun Bike, TIME CHANGE

Let's meet at 11 instead of 10. Same place as described below.

Biking -- This Sun, 10 am, Eno River SP

Meet at the Eno this Sunday for a relaxed (read: slow) 24mi ride. Specifically, let's meet at the Cole Mill Parking lot (see highlighted area on map) at 10am.

The route is courtesy of the North Carolina Bicycle Club. I've also mapped it out roughly using this neat pedometer program. You can even check out the changes in elevation along the route! Cool. The ride Sunday looks like it's pretty even, aside from a few hills to start with.

Next event: biking, sometime this weekend -- feedback needed

So the next event is biking this weekend. Anyone have a time they prefer? I thought we should do another low key ride. Here's one I suggest, it's by the Eno River State Park and is ~24miles. Here's the proposed route description. And I even entered it into a pedometer where you can see the elevation changes. As you can see, I don't think it's that hilly. Let me know good times for you. I'm thinking Sun morning at 10.

Next training session: SWIM, Wed, 7:15pm

The next few training sessions around spring break will be low key fun affairs. We'll get back to serious trainers in a few weeks.

First up, Jack's running another stroke and swim session.

Wed, 3/7, 7:15pm
Wilson Pool

Anything in specific you want covered? Let us know. We've had a request for flip turn lessons and of course more stroke work.

After spring break we'll have a run in Duke Forest with Alex (Sat 3/24, 11am). The following weekend we'll have a group bike ride to Maple View for ice cream (Sat 3/31). Then it'll be back with some guest trainers in April.

Other cycling and triathlon clubs

Tom mentioned that the cycling club does "social" rides usually on Sundays that "varies in intensity, but the ride only goes as fast as the slowest speed desired (which may be desired by the slowest or fastest person there, it doesn't matter). Maple View is a regular destination of this ride." Find out more here.

Also, looks like someone from the Nicholas school is starting another triathlon training club as a club sports thing. They have their own uniforms even. Get on their mailing list through majordomo with "subscribe triathlon" in the subject of the email.

More biking tips -- from Tom

If I can give you any advice after today, it would be:

You guys can find any information you need on how to improve any aspect of
your riding - between your friends and the tremendous amount of
information out there on triathlons, there probably won't be any gaps at
all.

But you should set some real (I mean, like, numerical) goals, or even
fabricate incentives, to get you to actually train. It's terribly easy to
ride a bike for 13 miles. It's very hard to ride 13 miles in 30 minutes,
and pretty hard to do it in 40, but you can totally do it if you train.

It's easy. Find some course on which you'll regularly time yourself -
maybe a 7 mile stretch somewhere. If it takes you 24 minutes now, can you
take 30 seconds off each of the next 5 times you ride it? With a
computer, you can keep track of your average speed and go from there.
With a heart rate monitor, you can do the same.

Having something like that really helps me - otherwise I just go ride and
it's fun, but I don't get any faster. There's much less motivation to
work toward anything if there isn't anything to work toward . . . So set
some goals, experiment with position, and ride a lot. This will surely
make you faster on the bike.

Biking positions -- from Tom

Thanks, Tom for bringing the trainer and taking all the photos and videos of us on our bikes! Below is more info from Tom on what to do about our cycling positions:

Here are links to some more information on position - this is a good site
in my opinion, especially because it doesn't have a single "ideal"
position it pushes on everyone. It also shows you a nice variety of
people and positions you can examine when you consider what might be your
own optimal position for triathlon, speed, aerodynamics, comfort, etc.

www.bikesportmichigan.com/features/exisitingfit.shtml

www.bikesportmichigan.com/bikes/karma.shtml

Biking -- This Sat, 10:30 am with Tom

Tom is starting us off with our first ever cycling training session. Come with your bike, water, helmet, etc, and be prepared to hit the road!

Cycling
Sat, Feb 24
10:30 am
Outside Tyler's Taproom
American Tobacco Campus

Be on time, or you may be left in the dust! At least let us know you'll be there by leaving a comment.

btw, Thanks, Arielle for leading a great first run session last Saturday.

Ways to improve your bike time -- by Tom

Things which cost mostly time:

1. Get used to riding in the drops, on your aero bars, in a tucked position. This matters very little if you average under ~16mph, and matters a lot for speeds faster than this. It takes practice to be able to both hold a good aero position and keep your output high.

2. Get used to turning a relatively high cadence. People who come to biking after being runners often pedal too slowly to be efficient (like, 60-75rpm). Pedaling faster (90+rpm) lets you take hills and challenges with your lungs instead of your legs.

3. If you have clipless pedals, use them. Get used to pedaling in fast circles.

Things which cost mostly money:

1. Get a road bike. Get high-pressure tires. Adjust your handlebar position for a good balance between aerodynamics and power (that is, maybe move it down a little, but not so far that you can't put out power).

2. Get aero bars. These are great if you train to use them - they can easily make the difference between ~18 and ~20mph for a given amount of work if you can keep the "work" constant in the new position - and are a waste of cash if you don't.

3. Get clipless pedals.

Things which don't cost anything!:

1. Wear tight clothing. Your aero position is totally wasted if you wear a drag chute. Use safety pins to take up a jersey. Take a jersey to an alterationist and get it fitted. Buy a sleeveless top that's pretty much skin-tight. Bike in your swimsuit.

2. Take accessories off your bike to reduce weight.

3. Pump your tires up to their max recommended psi.