Training for My First Sprint Tri

ruffboy19 · February 14th, 2007, 01:00 PM

Hey Everyone,

I was recently turned on to sprint triathlons and am going to enter my first tri in April. I weigh 280 pounds and I have to say the running portion is a brutal thought for me.

Even though I have been training for about three months and lost over 20 pounds, I have never been a runner, and have always been more focused on weight training and when I do cardio it consists of either swimming, walking or eliptical.

Currently I can barely run one lap around the track, which as embarrasing as it is to say, is a great improvement from when I started.

Does anyone have any tips for helping get through this portion of the tri?

Any advise is welcome.

**pliny_2001** · February 14th, 2007, 02:09 PM

Congrats on making a commitment to fitness, but my opinion (non-scientific, but still) would be that this may be a bit of a 'bridge too far.' I don't know how long a lap around your track is, but even if it's a quarter mile, I think that trying to run a 5k/3.1mile race in two months in a bit too much of a leap.

Someone with more experience is free to contradict me (I'm a swimmer/lifter, w/o too much running experience), but I'd recommend a slower build-up to multi-mile runs.

My $.02 - hope it helps.

**Insex** · February 14th, 2007, 02:36 PM

Welcome to EF ruffboy19. Enjoy your stay and we hope you like all of the great resources we have here to offer.

First off, tell us more about yourself. Height, gender, fitness experience, and purpose (did you sign up in this race because you lost a bet, to prove to someone else that you can do it, or are you doing this just for yourself?). Also, tell us more about what a sprint triathlon consists of. Is it a race around the track? Or is it a different set of races? Judging from your first post, I'm guessing you used to play football as a Offensive/Defensive Lineman.

I've never competed in a sprint triathlon, so I cannot speak from experience about how to properly prepare for it and what you're getting yourself into. But I can say that this is a tremendous undertaking that you're putting yourself through, and you should be very proud of yourself for mustering up the courage to do this.

Don't ever doubt yourself just because you can only run one lap at this point in time. The race is not today, it's in April. Which means you still have about 2 months left to continue making improvements for this competition. The human body is capable of making some incredible changes in 2 months. But that's only if you put all of your heart and soul into this. It all comes down to your drive and determination. How badly do you want this? What you put into your preparations for this competition will be as good as what you get out of it when the day of the big race comes.

What is your current regimen for this competition? What kind of exercises are you doing right now to get ready for the big day? What is your food intake like? Are you writing in a journal or keeping track of your progress in some other form? Supply us with the answers to these questions, and we'll be able to further help you.

You only get out what you put in.

ruffboy19 · February 14th, 2007, 03:11 PM

Hey Insex,

I did used to play a little football. However, I was mostly involved with baseball. I was a catcher for about ten years. I then played golf in college and am now a mini tour professional and work in the golf industry. I am 5 foot 10 and weigh 280 lbs. Most of my fitness experience is with weight lifting.

Funny you ask about the whole bet thing. I got interested in the sprint tri's as a motivation to get myself off of the couch and to have a purpose for training again. I do not play much torunament golf anymore and started becoming a couch potatoe of sorts. When I told my wife I was interested in the triathlon she obviously laughed and that spurred me on and gave me some motivation to get out there. The bet is this, that I will complete the traithlon in less then the average time from the year before. That time is 1 hour and 34 minutes. The distances for triathlon are as follows 1/2 mile swim, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run. If I don't, I owe her some serious coin. The date of the tri that I have the bet with my wife is Sept. 07.

The tri in April is 300 meter swim, 8 mile bike and 3 mile run. I am going to try and do couple of smaller versions before the big day in orser to get used to transitions and get a feel for what I need to do out there. I am not worried about the distances. I am very comfortable swimming and biking. Worse case scenario I walk the majority of the 3 mile run. With my golf background I am quite used to walking long distances. My concern is bettering my time. In order to do that I need to be able to run.

The training program that I am currently on is treadmill work 3 days a week for thirty minutes. Walking, jogging ang interval training. Biking for 20 to 40 minutes three days a week and swimming twice a week. I still try and lift weights when time permits. I am trying to keep a balanced diet of proteins, carbs and fats with a calorie count below 2000 for weight loss. I do not keep and training log and probably should.

The issue I have with running is shin splints. (Probably due mostly to my weight) I feel as though I have the endurance to go much farther but after about a quarter mile the shin splints are so painful that I can barely stand up.

I will finish these races, I am just looking for a better time. Thank you for the response and I look forward to any help that anyone can offer.

**Insex** · February 14th, 2007, 06:01 PM

Well, I think you'll win your bet with your wife. You certainly sound determined to do so.

If bicycling and swimming are not too much of a problem for you, then don't spend too much time doing them. Instead, you should work on what you need to improve on: your running.

For improving your running, the best way to do so is to run outside. If it's raining, snowing, or the weather doesn't permit, then go on the treadmill. But when the weather is good, try to run outside instead. By running outside, you'll be preparing for the competition for what it's for: running outside, not on a treadmill. When you become too accustomed to running on the treadmill, running outside becomes more difficult. This is because you're too used to the hopping motion that is involved when using a treadmill. While on a treadmill, you're not really running because you're not pushing your body forward. But by running outside, you'll be training specifically for what you'll be doing in the triathlon: running.

Shin splints can be a major problem. I don't know too much about all the intricate mechanics involved in the muscles and tendons of the shins. But if you run enough, over time, you're legs will develop their own self defense against shin splints: by growing bigger and stronger. Also, there are exercises you can do in the gym to help prevent shin splints while you run. One exercise that works for me is what I call Shin Raises. Take a weightplate and stand in place. Place the weightplate on the front-half of your foot. While keeping the heel of that foot in contact with the floor at all times, perform repetitions by raising the front part of your foot that is under the weightplate. Perform desired repetitions, until you feel the burn, then switch feet.

Don't forget to stretch your muscles and tendons too. Touch the top of your toe to the ground and perform circular motions to warmup the ankles. Place your toes and the top part of your foot so that they are touching the ground, then lean forward as much as possible to stretch the shin. Don't forget to warmup and stretch your calves too, as well as the rest of your body.

Hope that helps.

ruffboy19 · February 14th, 2007, 08:38 PM

Thanks for the help. We'll see how it goes. Hey by the way, I see your name all over this site along with Adonis. Is this a site that you guys work or helped develop. If so, congrats. My buddy showed me this site and it is great.

Talk soon.

**engr** · February 16th, 2007, 12:16 PM

Hey Ruffboy, what are you running in? At your weight and lack of running experience shoes are going to be a major factor as you train. I agree with what insex has said about running outside.

At first, set a time for you to run while you get your body into running. Say, run for 20 or 30 minutes at a conversational pace (meaning you could hold a conversation with somone while running) to build up your base. Once you've gotten that down, start looking at distances.

Most important, listen to your body!! Watch for aching knees, shins, muscles, etc. When something starts to hurt you need to pay attention to it. I can PM you a workout schedule that I have for my first sprint tri as well. Here's one good website to look at, there are many others.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/default.asp

SaudeKeep · February 16th, 2007, 12:49 PM

these are good "exercises" you can do anytime of the day for just a few seconds to get the blood moving through the legs:

(1) Heel to Toe Rocking. Starting position is standing with feet together and hands on hips. Rock back onto the heels, pause, then rock forward onto the toes and pause. Repeat ten to fifteen repetitions.

(2)Partial Squats. Starting position is standing with feet shoulder width apart, arms at the sides(a). Keeping the heels on the deck, partially squat until hands are near mid-calf. The knees should only bend to about 60 degree, just short of a sitting position(b). Return to the starting position(c). Repeat ten to fifteen repetitions.

(3)Butt Kicks. Starting position is standing with feet shoulder width apart, hands on hips. Shift weight onto the right foot and quickly bend the left knee five times, bringing the left heel toward the buttocks. Switch legs and repeat. Repeat the whole cycle two or three times, until a total of fifteen to twenty repetitions with are done on each leg.

And this one is a must after running (especially treadmill or smooth surface) SEE PIC AT THE TOP OF PAGE 6 OF BELOW LINK or read carefully
Calf Stretch. Starting position is standing with arms at the sides. Place the left foot approximately two feet forward and slightly bend the right knee. Lean forward toward the left foot pointing the left toes up to the sky. Hold the position for 10 seconds and breath naturally. Grabbing the left foot and gently pulling it towards you can increase the level of intensity. The stretch should be felt over the left calf. Switch sides and repeat.

all of these warmups/stretches come from the USMC Daily 16 pdf

ruffboy19 · February 17th, 2007, 01:38 AM

Hi Enger,

I bought a $100 pair of New Balance running shoes. They are very comfortable. However, I am going to a running store this week to look at some insoles for them.

Thanks for the tips. I would like to see that workout schedule that are talking about. Thanks for the response.

ruffboy19 · February 17th, 2007, 01:39 AM

Saudekeep,

Thanks for the excersises. I am going to try them. Thanks again.

thecameraguy99 · February 17th, 2007, 10:06 AM

i might suggest you try a try-a-tri for your first race of the season, see how you feel after the run for that and then re-focus on the sprint distance which would be longer and would require more training, but at least you'd have a good confidence boost from doing the shorter try-a-tri and would have a good sense of how you are doing on the run part in an actual race and then adjust your training program based on what you learn.

just a thought.

**engr** · February 19th, 2007, 12:51 PM

Ruffboy, I'll work on getting the schedule on line for you. Also, did you have them check your running stance and shoe selection at the running store?

**FitnessPhotos** · February 19th, 2007, 01:23 PM

Hey, I'm late to the party; but let me throw in my 2 cents.... try alternatives to the treadmill for some of your training - like the elliptical or cross trainer. Both are excellent forms of "running" without the impact you get on a treadmill. You can get just as much of a workout by applying some tension to the machine; in fact, I use the cross trainer over the treadmill more often than not these days!

At 280 you'll see alot of progress very quickly if you follow up with a sensible diet; no fads or anything, something you can live with but leaves you with a calorie deficiency at the end of the day. 3500 calories = 1 pound; so watch that snacking and limit your treats.

ruffboy19 · February 21st, 2007, 12:34 PM

I have not been able to get to the running store yet. But I will have them look at those things. Thanks

ruffboy19 · February 21st, 2007, 12:38 PM

Big Dog

I tried the eliptical the other night and got a great workout. Your right about the diet. I have dropped about 25 pounds in the last 4 months trying to follow a semi strict and sensible diet. Thanks for your post.

ruffboy19 · February 21st, 2007, 12:40 PM

It seems as though all of the shorter tris in our area either shorten the swim or the bike. I haven't been able to find one yet with a shorter run. We are looking into them though. Thanks for the post.

ruffboy19 · February 21st, 2007, 12:41 PM

By the way! In case I have forgotten to thank anyone who has posted a thread I appreciate everyones input and have been able to take alot from everyone. Thanks again.

**FitnessPhotos** · February 21st, 2007, 12:48 PM

There is a sprint tri here soon that has a 3 mile run at the end; sounds like the perfect one for you if you were local here in Virginia. 10 pool lengths, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run.

Glad you liked the ellipticals - those things are great. I'll be back there tonight for an hours worth!