Learning the flying mount and dismount

The basicsSo when I first saw someone do this, I told myself that I had to learn.  For those of you unaware of flying dismounts and mounts, these are great ways to shave off time from you next triathlon.In the flying mount, you already have your shoes clipped into your pedals. When you get to the mount line, you get one foot in a shoe and get a running start.  Then you coast as you swing your other leg around. As you are doing this, the bike is coasting and you fumble around to get your feet in the shoes and strapped in.On the dismount, you remove your feet from your shoes a couple hundred yards from the dismount line. As you get closer to dismount, you do the reverse of the flying mount and straddle one foot over and quickly hop off the bike just prior to the dismount line.I will try to get some video of this up in another post.The equipmentI had to get a pair of triathlon specific bike shoes.  These shoes are different from most other shoes in a couple of ways. First, the straps velcro in. This is so when the shoes are clipped in and you are trying to get started, they are easier to tighten. Second, there are loops on the heel of the shoe. This is so you can use a rubber band to tie the shoes up so they are perpendicular to the ground and easier to get your feet into the shoes.Shoes can range from basic Shimano SH-TR30 to high end shoes such as the Sidi T-2.6 Carbon Shoe.  I went with a pair of Sidi T-1’s that I found on eBay for only $75.  (As with most things about this sport, it is expensive. So I have done well by shopping on eBay!) I went with the Sidi, because the overall feel was better in these shoes than the Shimano. The Shimano felt like I had a huge box on the end of my foot.Getting it down I first practiced without the shoes on and just with my street shoes so I could get the feel of straddling the bike and coasting with you feeling like I was going to crash. Once I felt comfortable with that, I moved to the shoes clipped in. Clipped in a completely different feeling and it took some practice to feel comfortable. But know I feel confident at my next event that I will definitely be able to shave off some time on my transitions. I will let you know how it goes next month at Riverwood. 

Back into the swim of things

Today was the first day that I swam for almost two weeks.  Up until February 10 (the day Ethan was born) I was working out 6 days a week, getting in almost 10 – 12 hours of workouts per week.Now with the baby and two older children to have to content with, life has gotten a bit more complicated.  Just before Ethan was born I bought a Kurt Kinetic Road Machinetrainer.  I knew that I was going to have a tough time working out and the trainer seemed like the best way to get workouts in during odd times of the day.  Just the other day, I logged in 1.5 hours on the trainer at 3 AM!  Just after I fed Ethan.This morning, I joined my 5:30 AM swim group and it was great to hear from a few folks that they missed seeing me.  (I was only gone for about 2 weeks!) But it was good to hear it. And encouraging!  The time off from the pool seemed to help me get more motivated.  Although I am still sleep deprived from 2 AM feedings and helping my wife out with other baby/kids stuff, I actually felt really strong in the pool today. Although I knew that I may have lost some of my pre-baby base, I still have a lot of it still there.My first race of the year is Riverwood next month and I think with a little bit of extra training and getting my sleep to a somewhat normal pattern, I may actually do ok. Riverwood last year was my first ever triathlon. So I feel that I should do better than my 1:24:00 time from a year ago.  I am about 15 pounds lighter, so I will not be lugging around extra baggage!

Welcome to 3 Sport Guy

This first entry is to welcome everyone to my blog – Beginner’s Triathlons.

 

I just started tris in 2007 after being a runner for almost 20 years.  After years of logging in 40 miles weeks, my body was showing signs of breaking down, so do most athletes. 

 

After seeing a flyer at my local YMCA for a triathlon group, I decided to join. I wasn’t even sure if my expectations were to even compete in triathlon.  But I thought that the cross training would be a great relief from the miles of running each week. Plus, I thought that I would get to meet some new people who had a passion for fitness.

 

One year later and several triathlons under my belt, I am happy to day that I am hooked on the sport. I am evening thinking of selling my golf clubs and vow never to play another round again!

 

The sport of triathlons is a great challenge for anyone who is looking for a way to push themselves and compete against your self each and every day. I am to the point where I get mad if I miss a scheduled workout.  I have to make sure that I get my rest, because I would train every day if I could.

 

My goal for 2008 is to complete a 1/2 Ironman in November. I have signed up for the Beach 2 Battleship in Wilmington, NC and I have 4 other “practice” events during the spring and summer to get me ready for the my big race.

 

Future blogs will probably chronicle a lot of my training, but hopefully will also give some insight into the sport.  I hope to see you out there!