The Short Course Triathlon Thread

[timb34]

Right then… first race of the year is Saturday morning (S distance Cross tri that I’m doing on the gravel bike).

Last week we got club kit. I feel obliged to wear the club trisuit for the local race… but it’s ever so slightly on the snug size around the chest. I’ve run in it twice and I think I can breathe ok but I wouldn’t mind a bit of a margin.

So what are your sure-fire methods to break in a new tri suit ??
Wear it all day?
Boil it?
Leave it stretched around a barrel, or a tree stump, or a dog?

There’s no way to get a different size, and we even had size examples to try on before ordering - but I guess the examples were a little more well-used.

[simon-trimon]

Does it zip at the front or the back? I wear one that zips at the back and always unzip it on the run. Gives just a little bit more breathing room and comfort. Its fine on the bike and in the swim but I always feel like the run needs a little more room. Obviously you can unzip front ones but you do have to be wary of nudity rules (at least here in the UK) as you can be DQ’d from more serious events but local ones are a bit more casual.

[matthewgreer]

My experience is that once your wear them a couple of times they loosen up slightly. They also loosen up a bit after getting in the water.

[timb34]

Thanks for the reassurance. I’ve now worn and washed the thing a couple of times including under a wetsuit. It’s a front zip so easy to open/close. I think I’m going to leave it open under the wetsuit (there’s no way I can leave it around my waist then try and get it on when wet - that’d keep me in T1 a looooong time) and hope it’ll be OK for the rest ! It’s only an S distance, so should be alright…

[timb34]

Race Report : Salagou Cross Triathlon (S distance : 750m / 27km / 5.5km)

That was fun! Last year I did the M (Olympic) distance at the same site, but this year I wanted to try the offroad version. Shorter swim, a mix of road, fireroad and trails around the lake for the bike (MTB or Gravel bikes allowed) and the same run course as the M, but only one lap.

I’ve ridden the FFC mountain bike loop around the lake a couple of times, and the bike route is based on that with one different climb so I knew that the technical bits aren’t really that technical. So I took the gravel bike … which is actually also my road bike … a 2016 SuperX.

The swim went well (for me) - probably my best triathlon swim yet. Not an outrageously fast time, but steady 2min/100m and right in the middle of everyone. Very pleased with how I handled being surrounded by people, kept a good pace and stayed on line. It’s taking time, but I’m feeling improvement. I left the new trisuit fully unzipped under the wetsuit and felt a little constricted but didn’t end up gasping for breath - another win. Out of the water in 130th place (of 280). Bit too rocky after the beach start, and thick with algae on the exit, but 19.5°C water and the right distance!

The bike leg was just as fun as I’d hoped. Slightly slower than MTBs on the short descents, and not quite as easy on the short, loose climbs where I lost traction and walked a couple of times, but much smoother and faster on the country roads and fireroads. I made up 21 places, despite putting a hole in the front tyre by riding right over the only rock on the exit of a fast bombhole… The sealant worked after a few revolutions, but I had to stop and pump it up after realising how squishy it was on the next corner. Lost about 50s which isn’t bad. 40mm Continental Terra Trail with Stans sealant and Vittoria gravel liners. More gravel bikes than I’d thought, and a sprinkling of wildly unsuitable bikes, including at least two ordinary road bikes, and one guy on a hybrid with butterfly touring bars. When picking up my stuff at the end I overheard him explaining that it was in fact a “gravel MTB” and that the only problem was that the bars twisted downwards every time he went over a bump

Before

After

The run was just as hot as last year. I haven’t been running enough due to a couple of tendon niggles, but I was pretty pleased with holding the same pace for most of the loop, running the nasty little concrete ramps that I walked on both laps last year and finishing strongly. Lost a few places, but not many.

Overall, pacing was OK, despite it being really intense on the bike course, with enough short steep offroad climbs that you can’t really stay on target power, you’ve just got to get up them and then try and hold a reasonable power on the flatter bits. I actually hit pretty much exactly the times I predicted for the bike and run and went a couple of minutes under on the swim. Transition was decent too. If I look at the people around me in the results, the ones just ahead were faster on the swim, slower on the bike and a little faster on the run, which is nicely in line with where I think my strengths and weaknesses are.

Nutrition was just ok - lots of carbs, lots of energy, but only just enough fluid on the bike - I took one 710ml bottle and went past the feed station before I’d realised it was there, so didn’t get extra water, but drained my bottle dry along with a caffeine gel on the final part of the bike course and fortunately had a 250ml soft flask ready for the run in transition, which got me round. I’ve been using @Dr_Alex_Harrison’s Saturday app for carb suggestions during ride/run training and found it spot on for it’s recommendations for triathlon.

Final placing was 111th from 280, 44th from 168 Veterans and 2h16. Happy with that - and very happy to be solidly in the top half overall.

Oh, and following on from my trisuit size doubts, it was like this (click to see it if you really want to):

This also shows why a guy from the Alsace was really happy to see me at the end… as I was the only person paler than him!

[Dmetz39]

Hi all,

Sunday was my first race of the season. It was a fun, beautiful sprint triathlon that I try to do every year. My goal was to beat last year’s time by >1.5 min with a stretch goal of finishing under 1:06. I ultimately shaved off 2.4 minutes, finishing in 1:06:04. I am happy with the progress and a 4th in my AG (with some caveats…).

Race build:
I have had a good off-season; my FTP is +5% from last year’s race, and I have been running well. A bad cold two weeks out from the race complicated the last bits of training, but I don’t think it affected me too much on race day.

Swim:
My Garmin has the swim at 416 yds, and I swam 1:39 per 100 yd. I usually aim to start on the outside, but I thought I would try the fastest line to buoy this time. It was not my best choice, because I got bogged down and received a few nice kicks to the head. I found my rhythm after first 1/3 of swim and feel good about my time, considering the lack of swimming I got in during my final phase of training. I am starting a Masters swim program this week and am interested to see if the swim times improve this summer.

T1:
It was a good T1 for me at 1:43. No issues to flag.

Bike:
Despite poor roads, it is one of my favorite tri bike loops. It’s a dynamic and hilly 12 mile course, and I had trouble maintaining stable power over the rollers last year. This year I was able to settle in and ride my own race. I was aiming for 245-250 watts and ~ stuck it. My avg power was 242 and NP was 249. My overall speed was 23.2 mph by my Garmin. I traded ~5 min pulls (legal draft distance) with another rider for most of the course, which was a nice way to mix up the ride.

T2:
Slow T2 at 2 min; I said this last year, but it is officially time to drop the socks. I justified/ rationalized it by telling myself that socks weren’t going to prevent me from getting on the podium. This race brings out some really fast folks with no elite category, and I didn’t think I was in podium hunt, but…

Run:
It is a pretty hilly, 3.3 mile run course, and I was aiming for 6:50ish pace. I have run 6:45 over similar terrain in BRIC sessions, so I felt 6:50s were achievable. I finished at a 6:57 pace, so pretty close to target. I passed two guys between miles 1 and 2, and then at about 0.5 miles to go, I got passed twice. I managed to close the gap a bit with a solid final kick, but I honestly didn’t even really try to go with them when they came by. My goals have been very personal improvement focused, so I am not accustomed to competing for position. In that moment of getting passed, I just focused on maintaining my speed, and…

Finish:
As you’ve probably guessed, the two guys that passed me on the run were in my AG, and I finished 6 seconds behind 3rd and 12 seconds behind 2nd. If I had imagined that I was this close to my podium, I think I may have been able to dig out some more speed or just skipped the f***ing socks in T2. That said, I am happy with my performance. With more consistent training across all 3 sports, tweaks to T2, better line choice on the swim, I can definitely break 1:06, possibly even 1:05 next year.

I hope everyone’s season is kicking off well.

[timb34]

Race report: Gorges d’Ardèche Ms (shorter than M) : 1000m / 35km / 7km)

I was hesitating between the Altriman Olympic distance and this one, but realised that I could do this one without committing a whole weekend away - it’s semi-noctural with the start at 19h30, and I’m only 1h30 drive away.

Swim : Catastrophic. Delays at check-in meant that I wasn’t early enough into transition to have a warm-up swim. Plus it was non-wetsuit in a slightly murky river and I was giving the too-tight club trisuit a second chance. All of that, plus a start where I was in the middle of (and vigorously kicked by) a lot of people breaststroking, dashed my confidence, nearly had me panicing and only managing to swim well in 10m chunks… I’ve made a lot of progress in swimming, but this really showed me that it’s fragile. Still lots of work to do. Also, just before the exit ramp I stretched both feet down to the riverbed… and massively cramped in both calves. No-one had to pull me out, but it was close (and probably lost another minute).

Lookin up the swim course - which goes around a big rock that’s just visible:

Bike : the main reason I was keen for this race - they close the road that winds along the Gorges d’Ardéche. The course is out and back, up and down, but in each direction you get great views down to the river. Really nice not to be in traffic, perfect fast road, and despite the warning in the briefing no problems with flocks of goats (although I saw a couple next to the road). Front and rear lights are mandatory after 21h15, and the organisation was very strict about riders staying on their side of the road, which was easily understood when the front riders came blasting past the other way. Slightly surprised that my legs felt good and no cramping.

Run : Great fun. A loop through the town, across a pontoon bridge made of kayaks and planks just past the swim turnaround, up a cliff path and through the tiny stone streets of the village perched on the other side of the river, and then an out and back into the countryside before crossing the road bridge to the finish. Great atmosphere and encouragement from spectators and volunteers, even though I was amongst the last. Again surprised myself by running strongly and finishing fast. Glad to have taken a headtorch.

Overall 417th out of about 520 (but 700 starters with the relay and rando participants).

A really great experience despite the swim. Excellent organisation and course marking, and they make a real effort over three days to provide races for everyone. There are kids, sprint and L races too, and in the Ms there were categories for paratriathletes, a relay category and even an untimed “rando” category for people who just wanted to take part without racing. Maybe not a big destination race, but worth making a weekend for.

Things I learnt :

• Swimming still needs more work.
• The clear goggles I used aren’t good for racing in murky conditions as the bottom rim catches the light and looks like swimmers or reeds all the time.
• I’m never wearing that trisuit again unless I lose 5 kg (I don’t want to lose 5kg).
• Clipping shoes into the bike is great even without a full flying mount.

[Dmetz39]

Hi Triathlon hive mind,

I am looking to buy a tri/ TT bike. My details: 3-4 races per season, mainly short course, but I would like to do a 70.3 at some point down the road. I am pretty adaptable from a positional perspective and don’t have a big budget, so I am leaning toward buying used, off FB marketplace. Bike will mainly be on my trainer, but I will also race with it. If I can’t dial in position on the trainer, I am willing to spend the money for a good fit.

Questions:

Should I consider rim brake rigs? I have ridden disc for 10+ years but rim brakes seem like a good way to get solid bang for buck.

Any brands to avoid?

If I have funds left, any priority upgrades to consider?

Thanks for any feedback.

Best,
Derek

[JoeX]

@Dmetz39

If I can’t dial in position on the trainer, I am willing to spend the money for a good fit.

I approached it the other way.

I got a fit, this allowed me to choose a frame that could handle my stack and reach, then I bought an appropriate frameset.

@Dmetz39

Should I consider rim brake rigs?

Yes

@Dmetz39

Any brands to avoid?

No

@Dmetz39

priority upgrades to consider?

TT helmet
Deep section or disc rear
Race tyres
Bottle mount

[Dmetz39]

Thanks @JoeX

[matthewgreer]

TT bikes seem to be less adaptable than road bikes, so ensuring that you can fit on it before purchase is important. I would recommend a pre-purchase fit before committing to a several thousand dollar/pound/euro purchase. The DIY fit is also a pretty slow process (weeks to months vs hours) and can be just as expensive when trying out various saddles (and you’re going to want to pick out the saddle that works for you!).

@Dmetz39

Should I consider rim brake rigs?

Rim brakes are fine

The major downside to older bikes are the limitations on tire size. A lot of older tri bikes will only fit a 23mm (at most a 25mm) tire. There’s a pretty significant jump in comfort when going from a 23mm at 90 psi to a 28mm tire at 70 psi.

I ride a P2 from 2012. Aerodynamically, it’s still really hard to beat (measurably? sure. meaningfully? not really). I do wish I could stick a 25 on the front and a 28 on the back without it rubbing.

@Dmetz39

If I have funds left, any priority upgrades to consider?

@JoeX gave you a pretty good list. I’m going to modify it slightly with the order I’d buy them in and some recommendations.

1A - Bottle mount - A good BTA bottle mount is worth it’s weight in gold. Having a bottle in your face the whole make will remind you to drink and the longer the race, the more important that is. I really like my xlab torpedo mini. Consider getting a BTS bottle mount as well.

1B - Race tyres (w/ latex tubes) - Really hard to beat the value proposition of GP5000. If you end up with an older bike w/ a non-tubeless setup, make sure you get the OG GP5000 clincher tires (not the tubeless ones!). The tubeless ones are a bitch to get onto many clincher setups.

4 - TT helmet - The Giro Aerohead, LG P09 (no visor and no pulg) and Rudy The Wing (not Wing 57!!!) are the current “works pretty good for just about anybody” helmets. If the want “the best” you’re going to need to test.

5 - Deep section or disc rear - This is the lowest aerodynamic return on investment you can buy. Consider a rear wheel cover instead of a disc to save hundreds of dollars/pounds/euros.

Since you’re looking at your first TT bike, a couple of non-bike related items I’d get ahead of a wheelset
2 - A tight, well fitting, but comfortable trisuit. I’d do this before a TT helmet and wheels.
3 - A tight, well fitting, but comfortable wetsuit. I’d also do this before a TT helmet and wheels.

And lastly
1C - An empty 1.5L water bottle so shove down the front of your shirt for the bike.

[giventotri]

@matthewgreer

1C - An empty 1.5L water bottle so shove down the front of your shirt for the bike.

Can you elaborate on this one?

[matthewgreer]

The trend set by Sam Laidlow and Gustav Iden at Kona this past fall.

There’s been some Aero testing of it which shows improvements, pretty much universally. That said, the higher the hands/chest, the better is seems to be.

Fast or Fiction: Does a bottle down the front of your kit make you more aero?

[giventotri]

Ah, I had been wondering about that, but figured it was just another place to keep a bottle, or perhaps there was some cooling benefit. I did see that Challenge Roth banned it, though. I’m curious if other races or USAT will follow suit.

[lightyear]

Hopefully not. I don’t see why it should be banned. It’s not harmful and it allows you to potentially add water to it for more hydration. The stuff bike companies are doing with their designs are for more complicated and interesting than a simple bottle in a shirt.

[Dmetz39]

Thanks @matthewgreer - very much appreciated.

Will look into a fit.

[matthewgreer]

Didn’t know that. Kona was the first time I saw a lot of discussion around it. Then it was a lot of speculation as to what and why they were putting down their shirts.

It’s probably that there was someone before Ditlev as well. Probably like 20 years ago. Triathletes love to tinker.

[schmidt]

Sam Laidlow put a filled camel bag in his suit for IM Lanzarote. He thought to drink from it but eventually didn’t. Said it was really awkward. He talks about it in his YouTube video about the race

[matthewgreer]

@schmidt

Sam Laidlow put a filled camel bag in his suit for IM Lanzarote.

Watching him in T1 run to his bike with the camelback was painful to watch.

Were I to do it, I’d do an empty bottle and either in stuff it in T1 or have it taped to my top tube and stuff it early in the ride.

[Geronimo]

Have you been racing on a road bike or are you just getting into tri? You don’t necessarily have to buy a complete bike if you have something you can port over some components from.

A nice thing about short course is that it lets you go basic on the bike. You don’t need much storage for nutrition and whatnot. I just have a bottle between the arms and a flat kit in a behind the saddle bottle.

I’d absolutely be looking at rim brakes.