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Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

Triathlon

Hobbies and Pastimes
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  • A
    AdamC
    IHUK Crew
    @Dmart
    Joined: 12 Jan 2018

    @Dmart I am the same, I would love to do a triathlon but my swimming is terrible. Bike and running I could definitely get on board with. Could always do a duathlon but doesn't have the same appeal and sense of achievement for me

    last edited by 9 Feb 2023, 15:05 D 1 Reply Last reply 9 Feb 2023, 15:10 Reply Quote 0
    • A
      AdamC
      IHUK Crew
      @Nik
      Joined: 12 Jan 2018

      @Nik Yeah avoiding injury is key, my auntie has done a few full Iron Man events, I am in awe of anyone who does it. Good luck, what an achievement it will be 💪

      last edited by AdamC 2 Sept 2023, 15:06 9 Feb 2023, 15:06 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • D
        Dmart
        啓蒙家
        @AdamC
        Joined: 24 Mar 2021

        @AdamC said in Triathlon:

        @Dmart I am the same, I would love to do a triathlon but my swimming is terrible. Bike and running I could definitely get on board with. Could always do a duathlon but doesn't have the same appeal and sense of achievement for me

        That’s exactly it for me as well. Either Tri or I just keep on running.

        last edited by 9 Feb 2023, 15:10 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • A
          Aetas
          見習いボス
          Joined: 19 Jun 2013

          My 14 year old sons second triathlon season and he likes it a lot, as do I like his endorphin output after training and competition ;-).

          7a1e6481-00ee-4eb1-b3cf-972d01becfa1.jpeg

          908b530e-1a7d-4aa7-8e01-3c6ce6cdf891.jpeg

          55d507d7-38c1-49ef-b80e-31a6d549e19b.jpeg

          400m, 10 km, 2,5km
          @Nik

          last edited by Aetas 29 Jun 2023, 17:05 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
          • N
            Nik
            Raw and Unwashed
            Joined: 12 Nov 2020

            Nice @Aetas he’s looking fast and happy

            last edited by 29 Jun 2023, 18:59 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • N
              Nik
              Raw and Unwashed
              Joined: 12 Nov 2020

              I’m 5 weeks away from my first Ironman in Vichy so the weekly volume is soon to hit a peak of around 15 hours. Doing three workouts a week each of swim, bike, and run. The bike shorts I use on the trainer needed to be thrown out today. Also steadily making my way through the 60 gels I bought last month. I’m feeling pretty strong and looking forward to the event. Still concerned about how hot it will be so spending time in sauna and steam room and running at the hottest part of the day. Hope I’ll get through it.

              last edited by Nik 7 Dec 2023, 19:00 12 Jul 2023, 18:59 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
              • D
                Dmart
                啓蒙家
                Joined: 24 Mar 2021

                @Nik long distance or 70.3?

                last edited by 13 Jul 2023, 00:17 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • N
                  Nik
                  Raw and Unwashed
                  Joined: 12 Nov 2020

                  Full distance (3.8km/2.4mile swim, 180km/112mile bike, 42km/26mile run). Did a 70.3 or half that last year in 5:13, but with 30 degree heat in Vichy it will probably be slow. Overall I'm hoping to finish given its my first go at the full distance, and I'd be happy with under 13 hours.

                  last edited by Nik 13 Jul 2023, 06:39 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • B
                    bryaneidins70
                    Iron Heart Deity
                    Joined: 24 Feb 2017

                    That is bloody amazing Nik…good luck and look forward to the report afterwards.

                    'Fail we may…Sail we must'

                    last edited by 13 Jul 2023, 09:56 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • N
                      Nik
                      Raw and Unwashed
                      Joined: 12 Nov 2020

                      Great to have an amazing team supporting my training.

                      IMG_5365.jpeg

                      last edited by 13 Jul 2023, 13:32 D A 2 Replies Last reply 13 Jul 2023, 14:32 Reply Quote 4
                      • D
                        Dmart
                        啓蒙家
                        @Nik
                        Joined: 24 Mar 2021

                        @Nik we ride the same bike 🙂
                        IMG_3327.jpeg

                        last edited by 13 Jul 2023, 14:32 N 1 Reply Last reply 13 Jul 2023, 18:54 Reply Quote 1
                        • A
                          Aetas
                          見習いボス
                          @Nik
                          Joined: 19 Jun 2013

                          @Nik said in Triathlon:

                          Great to have an amazing team supporting my training.

                          Love your team support!

                          last edited by 13 Jul 2023, 18:14 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • N
                            Nik
                            Raw and Unwashed
                            @Dmart
                            Joined: 12 Nov 2020

                            @Dmart nice colourway. Mine is the iridescent that changes from purple to green. I really like the frame. I chopped down the stem a few spacers. I’ve got mechanical ultegra and wish I had electric. How do you like yours?

                            last edited by 13 Jul 2023, 18:54 D 1 Reply Last reply 13 Jul 2023, 20:36 Reply Quote 0
                            • D
                              Dmart
                              啓蒙家
                              @Nik
                              Joined: 24 Mar 2021

                              @Nik I love mine. Great and incredibly fast bike, it’s the rc 15 with Ultegra DI2. So effin smooth that groupset.
                              I put on my tri bars and am looking for a shorter stem and 0 offset seatpost so I can use it better for Triathlons. If you have ideas, let me know.

                              last edited by 13 Jul 2023, 20:36 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • N
                                Nik
                                Raw and Unwashed
                                Joined: 12 Nov 2020

                                Yeah I bet the Di2 is fun. I’m jealous!
                                So you were able to attach clip on aero bars? I wasn’t sure if they would work given the flat top of the bar. I haven’t made any changes to the set up for triathlon other than lowering the bars. The more expensive versions of our bike with the one piece bar/stem has an aero bar add on, but those two pieces would cost over a thousand pounds, so I work on staying in the drops while riding to reduce drag. Vichy is a hilly bike course anyway so I think it’ll be good to have a road bike. Keep us updated on the mods you do, they all sound like good ideas. Do you have any races coming up?

                                last edited by 13 Jul 2023, 21:13 D 1 Reply Last reply 13 Jul 2023, 22:42 Reply Quote 0
                                • D
                                  Dmart
                                  啓蒙家
                                  @Nik
                                  Joined: 24 Mar 2021

                                  @Nik you can mount aero bars directly next to the stem. It’s a regular round diameter there.
                                  No races planned yet. I run a half marathon in October and am still in the race for Tokyo Marathon 2024. Spring/Summer 2024 I go for my first 70.3

                                  last edited by 13 Jul 2023, 22:42 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                  • P
                                    Perpetual_beta
                                    Haraki san Student
                                    Joined: 17 May 2022

                                    Great stuff. Did a couple Ironmans a while back, including the famous 1990 NZ where they did not pay attention to the tide and I could run 1/3 of the swim in shallow water (not a swimmer either).

                                    Been a long time but practice nutrition intake with the exact same stuff you will use for 10 hours in the race.

                                    last edited by 15 Jul 2023, 15:10 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                    • N
                                      Nik
                                      Raw and Unwashed
                                      Joined: 12 Nov 2020

                                      Ironman Vichy Race Report:

                                      Training:

                                      Training went well. I did Paris Marathon in April so had more than three months to improve my bike and swim. Because Ironman Vichy is a lake swim I decided to train in the swimming pool rather than the sea since the pool would allow me to focus on technique more than being in the waves, which wouldn’t be happening on race day anyway. After several weeks of about 10 hours of training I started ramping up my weekly volume. I wanted to spend more time swimming and biking so I stopped strength training and went to a 3x3 per week routine with 3 workouts of each discipline, swim, bike, and run. I used tech to keep a mix of intensities, but also with doing each discipline 3 times a week- one workout could be easy or long, another anaerobic, and another tempo or progression. I ramped up swim and bike distances gradually. Knowing that Vichy would be hot I started stretching in the sauna and steam room after swimming and trying to workout during the hottest times of the day. During Tour de France I was able to watch some of the stages while on the trainer, which allowed a good amount of quality time in the saddle. Training had one early benchmark of a 4k swim, a 100 mile bike, and a marathon distance run all within a couple weeks and then hit a peak of a 20 hour week three weeks out. I did a 4k swim, a 200k bike with 2400 meters of elevation, and a marathon distance run on consecutive days, all at aerobic and nothing close to race pace, and it felt good. Taper went well and it was nice to have more time.

                                      Reflections for improvement: the spontaneous approach to deploying how exactly I got to 3x3 workouts a week was forced by needing to adapt to my work life, but a more structured weekly/monthly plan might have made training less stressful and might have allowed me to include more strength training and rest days.

                                      In the days before the race, I was able to swim in the lake which was hot and dirty, and bike and walk around the courses. There was a 70.3 the day before our full distance event so I had the opportunity to see how transitions worked. The heatwave meant it was hot.

                                      Swim:
                                      9478_20230820_065007_306566609_original.JPG
                                      Great energy on race morning, felt electric. Wore the speedo jammers and usual grey pool goggles I wear for every workout. Dove into the water ready for the out and back swim. Tried only sighting every 7 strokes but that wasn’t keeping me straight so had to sight more often. Knew I wouldn’t be able to see my watch in the muck of the water but there were distance bouys every 500 to keep track. Did take a few glances at my watch periodically and noticed I was swimming slower than I would have hoped. I swam about 20 seconds per 100m slower than I did in the pool. Must have been down to the sighting. I guess this is a lesson about specificity of training, but the closest lake is about an hour drive from where I live and would have been much colder, so perhaps the lesson is not only to train in the specific circumstances that are there on race day, but also to pick a race with conditions that are accessible in training. This swim felt less busy than some other triathlons I have done. I felt I had space around me in the water for most of it. Coming back was enjoyable. The sun crested the buildings alongside the lake so I started breathing only to the left. Made it to the ramp exit and felt well getting onto my feet and running into T1. Was nice not to have to take off wetsuit.

                                      Reflections: More specific swim training including sighting in the pool and travelling to lakes and least a few times.

                                      Bike:
                                      9478_20230820_094140_306576510_original.JPG

                                      I had made the decision early in training to wear bike and run specific clothing and completely change in each transition as this was my first Ironman and I wanted comfort in each leg over a few minutes saved in transition. Of course this meant it was very difficult putting bike clothes on a wet body. Felt great getting onto the bike. Started strong and found myself in a pack of riders who received drafting penalties. I was on a road bike without aero bars. I was able to pass riders on trip-bikes on ascents and descents and they would often catch me on flats, which was fun. The bike loops were beautiful. Going through the town of Cussett with a little incline up through a cheering crowd made me feel like I was in the Tour de France. The first few aid stations were a bit chaotic as I couldn’t really figure out a routine. By the time I saw the third 500 meters to the next aid station sign it was hot and I decided what to do. Finish my two 710ml bottles and unscrew the tops and put the tops in my jersey pockets before arriving at the water table. Then fill the bottles, pour one or two bottles over my head and body, then screw the tops back on the bottles, and continue on, grabbing two gels. Aid stations every 20km or so meant I was able to consume a lot of water and carbs this way. The on course nutrition did not have electrolytes though so I supplemented with what I packed in jersey pockets. I ate a lot and had some burpy discomfort but nothing too bad. One gel every 15-20 minutes. The bike was so much fun. I let out ‘woohoo!’ Multiple times on fast descents and loved climbing up the hills. The views were great and I felt strong. I did notice some pain on groin skin due to chaffing that stung badly when letting out urine. The cold water of aid stations was a relief to this but I knew it wouldn’t get any better on the run. As the weather got hotter my power decreased, and I started thinking about the run. Finished well though.

                                      Reflections: As one of the few riders without aero bars I know I now need to see if I can make some work with my set up (the bars that came with my bike are flat on the top so am not sure if there is enough round area for aero bars to clip onto). Would have also been good to have some body glide or something else to stop the chaffing. However I never experienced chaffing on training rides, but this perhaps down to the heat and more sweating, so this is another argument for more specific training?

                                      Run:
                                      9478_20230820_155939_306597042_original.JPG
                                      Felt good to change clothes, even if again like in T1 it felt slightly annoying. I was pleased that my legs seemed fine with transitioning to running, and got started at my intended pace. Within the third kilometre though the heat and some new knee pain slowed me down by about a minute per km. The run course was four laps around the lake with quite a bit of shade and frequent aid stations with water spraying. These moments were such relief for the otherwise increasingly difficult work of the run. It was very hot. My knee hurt, my chaffing hurt, and I was going very slow. On the second lap I felt unsure if I could finish. I saw many people walking, some stopping, and a few being treated by medics. We were all suffering. My partner and her father were so incredibly supportive. She would run alongside me giving me updates on how I was doing, who was following me on the tracker, and pouring cold water on me. At one point I choked out ‘it is so fucking hard’ and her support of just saying ‘I know and you can do it you are doing great’ in that moment kept me from giving up. The second and third laps of the course were difficult, and I just kept negotiating the least slow pace with my hurting knee and the heat. I kept thinking about how good it would feel to finish through this difficulty, and how good it would feel to get to the cold water at the next aid station. I had very few interactions with others on the run, except to give or receive encouragement. It was inspiring to be passed by the leaders of the race and see how strongly calm they looked, and it felt good to pass some of the people who had ben ahead of me on very fancy bikes in the previous leg of the event. On the last lap I started thinking about time even though I had long since stopped looking at my watch. I knew I would be somewhere around twelve hours so just tried to not go super slowly. As I ran into the finish, as with every running event I have done, my legs found the sprint. I was so relieved for it to be over.

                                      Reflections on the run: Despite running one of my slowest marathons, in comparison to the other competitors in other disciplines, the run was my strongest performance. Amazing how much the heat affects performance. After the race, I had a massage and and a cold shower, but it took some wet towels and laying near the air-conditioner to cool down.

                                      Overall reflections: the most difficult event I have done yet. Feeling proud of finishing through all the struggle. Pleased to have persisted through it. The swim was more enjoyable than I thought it would be, the bike was a great time, and the run was like a long fight with an opponent I knew I couldn’t beat, but could only just barely stay in the ring. That I managed to hang on gives me a sense of satisfaction that feels deep. Knowing that I can endure without giving up is a quiet sort of simple pleasure that feels full of meaning in its uselessness.

                                      9478_20230820_190048_306601285_original.JPG

                                      last edited by 23 Aug 2023, 08:35 AdamJA EdHE 2 Replies Last reply 23 Aug 2023, 08:50 Reply Quote 12
                                      • AdamJA
                                        AdamJ
                                        IHUK Crew
                                        @Nik
                                        Joined: 29 Jun 2017

                                        @Nik this is awesome, fair play mate. Excellent effort 👏

                                        The devil is in the detail..

                                        last edited by 23 Aug 2023, 08:50 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                        • N
                                          Nik
                                          Raw and Unwashed
                                          Joined: 12 Nov 2020

                                          Results: 96/575 overall and 23/85 35-39 M age group

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                                          last edited by Nik 23 Aug 2023, 09:40 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
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