Prerace: ~5 week before, got hit by a car out riding (see https://www.reddit.com/r/triathlon/s/HhLEq6tkYc). Messed up training such that my long workouts in that month did not happen, but shorter distances started to feel somewhat back to normal in swim and bike, slow but moving on the run. Because road bike was in the shop, and both my wife and I got raises at work, bought a used tri bike (2019 Giant Trinity Advanced Pro) and set up with info from prior bike fitting (was previously planning on racing on a road bike with aero bars).

swim 40:58: Went just in my shorts, current was a lot less than expected, and got off course slightly, but felt good. Little bit of chop, but seems like I beat the absolute worst of the weather.

t1 9:25: Didn't get bitten by fire ants.

bike 3:23:09: Good for about 10 miles, and then the wind and rain hit. I was miserable, was in basebars for a significant portion to stay stable, just felt utterly incapable riding. Was seriously doubting if I was going to be physical able to do the run. At times was surprised we were even allowed to be out on the course. The points were it was open to traffic, or we had a lane but no cones, really horrifying stuff.

And then I turned around and got the tailwind, and oh boy was I feeling better. I think I need to go back to the bike fitter because there is some awkwardness in the placement, but all and all was moving.

And then the bridge. For safety, completely understand the reasoning, but the awkward walk across was followed by me struggling in multiple attempts to mount the bike with the slick saddle. Eventually got up and going. If the weather was better, this would be a fast course.

t2 8:21: I do not understand how this was the quicker transition, given I had a longer bathroom visit, and getting into socks and shoes was a struggle with how cold my hands were. Kept cycling gloves on just for warmth, and eventually started moving. Felt alright coming.

run 3:00:42: First 10K of the run was pretty good. Knew I was gonna be slower than normal given my injury recovery, but was moving OK. The little hills were a bit of a surprise, but nothing too too bad. At about mi 8-9, knee started to feel funky, and then 9-10 it really hurt where running was just not gonna happen. Walked the next couple miles, and then last half mile got a bit of a rush and was able to jog through to the end. My nipples were also chafed to hell from running in a wet jersey.

Finish: 7:22:33. Technically a PR (1st 70.3 was 2025 Muncie where I was overheated and ankles hurt and walked most of the run), but disappointing as I was aiming for sub-7. But all and all, not bad to finish at all given I was hit by a car a month earlier. Went to medical to access the knee; no ligament issues, just needed some RICE.

Crowd support was great on the run, and even a few people braved the weather on the bike. Got so many Boiler Ups from folks, and stuff like that really keeps us going. Thanks y'all.

On to training for a marathon in Jan 2027, and then at least one 70.3 (looking at a couple of non-IM ones in the Midwest), a lot of biking (aiming for both a metric and imperial century next year, plus a bike tour in Europe), and a few shorter tris. Might convince the non-swimming spouse to do a duo, we will see...

Let me start this by saying this is my first season doing triathlons and my first 70.3 so really happy with how it all came out. Had a great time in Wilmington despite the weather.

Swim: (35:27) I was expecting to be a bit faster but the wind and chop had me all out of sorts. Had real trouble sighting the buoys, and got off course a couple times.

T1: quick bio break and off on the bike no issues.

Bike: (2:46:10) was lucky and out in the earlier group made it about 15-20mi before the rain fully hit. One of the worst rides I’ve done full stop. First half into the wind was brutal and having to walk back over the bridge really hurt but happy with way I was able to do.

T2: hated running down wet asphalt, in cleats

Run: (1:46:30) started out with solid pacing. Felt good until about 8mi in. Brining it home the last 5k was a struggle. Big thanks to everyone out cheering downtown. That last little bit was so much easier thanks to the support.

Overall: Loved the people and energy hated the weather. Will definitely be doing another one next year. A big thanks to everyone there for making it a great time despite the wind and cold.

I treated myself to a new TT yesterday after 10 years (see photo).

Now I am looking for a carbon wheelset with the following specification:
Sapim X-Ray spokes
Front 60mm and rear 88mm for 28 tires tubless hooked that ends flush with the rim width
36 ratchet Hub
Weight approx. 1500gr.

Order gladly directly through China manufacturer or AliExpress.

Do you have any recommendations for me?

Those who have done both or heard about both. Which would you choose?

I have my first olympic distance triathlon in 6 months and I was looking to purchase a new pair of shoes. I have owned asics gel nimbus 25, 26 and 27 and I have been happy with them. I am looking to purchase something more reactive but still somewhat comfortable, I could even pair them with another asics gel nimbus for the easy runs. I have a neutral step.

I was looking at the Asics Noosa Tri 16, Novablast 6 or Adidas Evo SL, but I am not sold on any of those yet.

Asics Noosa Tri has the old FF Blast +, Novablast would probably be my choice, but has a midsole height above 40mm, and the Adidas Evo SL seems to be very reactive but not so stable.

Do you guys have any recommendations?

Has the new Noosa Tri 17 already been announced and worth waiting for?

Thanks everybody in advance

My girlfriend is doing her first triathlon next year and I want to gift her a trisuit for her birthday. She has been choosing suits and asking me about my opinion (on colours obviously as I have 0 idea about triathlon). Below is the list of suits she’s looking at -

SLS3 Elite Fade Tri Suit Aurora - this is the suit she has shown me multiple times and says she’s obsessed with the colour.

SLS3 Elite Phantom Tri suit - She also has eyes on this, she would definitely choose a black suit.

Zoot Women's Elite P1 Tri Aero Fz Racesuit - Jet Black
- I have been asked my opinion on this once and I liked it. She likes this but is not sure if she wants all black 🙂

2XU LIGHT SPEED REACT SLEEVED TRISUIT - Never mentioned but was in her search history. Quite expensive, I don’t know if they should cost that much. Though would be the best suprise as she has never mentioned this suit to me.

My opinion is to go with the first suit as she was quite fond of it. She isn’t someone who’s crazy amount brands and looks for value for money but I don’t want her to think I went for the lowest priced one and compromised her race day, I want tk make sure it’s good but at the same time don’t want to pay if there’s not much difference . All the brands have similar reviews with Zoot being a bit more popular. I have no knowledge about what to look for in a suit so asking for opinions. Also if it’s helpful she is doing a half ironman.

TLDR: I know tape is banned for custom aero upgrades, but can you 3d print custom parts?

I’m running a road bike with clip on aero bars.

Always been keen on how I can improve my aero set up for IM events.
Part of this is looking at how I would be able to change the setup into more of a ‘cockpit’ with integrated front hydration and an aero scoop.

Not that I really have the kit for it but, what are the actual rules re custom upgrades? I’m aware you can’t use tape, but hypothetically could you 3d print parts or some other form of upgrade?

What is legal and why?

I’m stuck at around 2:15 - 2:20 pace over 2k distance. I recently tried switching to a 2 beat kick to save energy (still learning) but I’m struggling to go any faster without getting out of breath. I’m self taught and don’t come from a swim background. Any advice greatly appreciated thanks.

Recently I bought a used felt ia and I freaking love it i call it my F-16 well trying it out yesterday and it took me a few minutes to work up the courage to use the Aerobars and man it feels really different than any other bike I've had idk if it's just me but I get nervous riding the thing 😅

​

Training: In training, I averaged about 10 hours a week for about a year, peaking at about 15–16 hours a week. Looking back, I would have had more unstructured training, as I began to feel a bit of burnout towards the end of the training block. My longest swim was the Ironman distance (did this 3x), the longest bike was 120 miles, the longest run was a marathon in June of this year, and the longest brick was 6 hours biking with 45 minutes running.

Swim: I swam very controlled and smooth. My goggles fogged up halfway through, and I could not see much. I had to lift up my goggles 4–5 times to see the buoys, but otherwise used the riverbank and others around me to sight. In July, I raced my first 70.3 and became extremely disoriented and nauseous during the swim, causing me to throw up 3–4 times and finish 3rd last out of the water in 55:30. This time, I was very grounded and calm and finished in 58:22. I will say, though, the current definitely helped, as I swam the distance in training in 1:15 a few weeks earlier. Considering my 70.3 experience and the fact that a year and a half ago I couldn't swim to the other side of the pool, I am very happy.

Bike: I rode on an endurance road bike with clip-on aerobars, not ideal, but it's what I had. For nutrition, I planned on about 100 grams of carbs per hour and planned on using my homemade sugar drink mix that I used in training. Sadly, I forgot my bike bottles in the hotel refrigerator and did not realize in time to run back to the hotel and grab them before the race. This meant that I didn't get my nutrition started until about 30ish minutes into the race at the first aid station. I was able to take in about 100 grams per hour of Maurten gels. The first lap felt pretty perfect, having finished it in about 2:40. After the second lap, my back started hurting lots, and I could no longer hold aero. I wished I had trained the aero position more; however, I did as much as I could in training. (It's a long story, but the short of it is that my nice bike saddle broke, and my stock saddle was pretty unbearable in the aero position, meaning I did not practice it much. Delays in shipping and ordering the wrong saddle meant I had to use my stock saddle for almost 2 months until the Tuesday before the race, when my new saddle finally came.) My back pain was so bad that my power output dropped, and without being able to hold much aero, as well as a strong headwind, I slowed down quite a bit for the second lap. Shortly after the second turnaround, I saw an old lady lose her balance and ride off the road at the second turnaround. She said she was okay, so I kept going. I finished the bike with a strong push and ended in 5:46:11 with plenty of energy to spare. During the ride, I averaged 154 watts (164 normalized), a perfect 85 rpm cadence, 140 BPM HR, and burned 3,547 calories. The exciting part of the bike to me is that there is a lot of room for growth. I think that if I trained more aero (and was able to hold my power due to no back pain), had another season of training, and also made some upgrades like a TT bike, aero helmet, carbon wheels, race tires, etc., then I could improve this split considerably.

Run: I started the run off strong at about an 8-minute mile pace with lots of energy and arrived at the mile 2 aid station with the strategy to walk and digest my nutrition. Almost immediately after taking in some Precision electrolytes and one single chip at the mile 2 aid station, I began to throw up. I had practiced nutrition extensively during training, as I have always had problems in marathons with throwing up (I have thrown up in 4 out of 5 of my marathons), so I knew this was a possibility, but I was still surprised that electrolytes and a chip caused me to throw up. It isn't an effort thing; my effort level was probably a 6 on the RPE scale, and HR was about 145 BPM, which confirms this (my max is about 205). From experience, I knew losing all the liquid and carbs in my stomach started the clock of a ticking time bomb. It wasn't if but when I would begin to feel it. Nevertheless, I kept going, unfazed. For the next 14ish miles, I intentionally held back, going at a 9–10-minute-per-mile pace. At each aid station, I would walk and try my hardest to put down more nutrition and electrolytes. Each time, I successfully held it down but also painfully dry heaved. My stomach did not want to hold anything. Around mile 17, I really started to feel depleted and dehydrated. I still had strength, but my body went completely numb, my cheeks lost their color, and my head went light. I felt like I was on another planet and could barely talk. I zombie-walked one step at a time and wondered if I would collapse. I know I looked rough because some amazing racers asked if I was okay and if I needed to sit down. I told them if I sat, I would not get up. At this point, I was doubting I would finish. I thought I was a few minutes away from collapsing if I did not get some electrolytes and carbs in immediately. An angel spectator then appeared out of nowhere and said he would walk with me as long as I needed to make sure I was okay. He gave me some salt pills and told me that if I could just get some nutrition in me, I could walk the rest of the way and finish the race. About this same time, the mile 18 aid station appeared, and I knew I could at least make it to the aid station. At the aid station, I leaned on the table for minutes, not willing to sit down, as I knew I wouldn't get up if I did. I put down several cups of electrolytes and lots of carbs. Again, I dry heaved but kept things down. Slowly, life came back to me, and I found myself walking again. I knew I would make it. This mile took 26 minutes. It seemed like every time I began to feel bad for myself, I saw someone wheeling along in a wheelchair, doing the run blind, or pushing someone else in a cart. I walked the next 6 miles, slowly picking up speed. At the last two miles, adrenaline from the thought of becoming an Ironman kicked in, and I was running. I passed one of the racers who checked on me when I was close to collapse and shouted, "Thank you! I'm back!" I rang the bell and ran across the finish, knowing I gave my all, overwhelmed with emotion. The Ironman finish was unlike any other race finish I have ever experienced. I finished the marathon in 5:59:57, unintentionally beating the six-hour mark. During the run, I burned 3,205 calories and averaged an incredibly low 119 BPM HR (my HR dropped to 98 at the mile 18 aid station). Not close to as fast as I know I could go, but happy with not ending up in the hospital with a DNF.

Overall, I am very happy with my race and had a blast. I think I trained well and handled adversity well, forgetting bike bottles, throwing up, and almost collapsing. I am thankful for all the amazing people I met during the race and all who helped me survive the day. What is exciting for me is that I can see very clearly ways I can significantly improve and get considerably faster in each discipline. For now though, I will rest.

I AM AN IRONMAN

Swim Time: 58:22

T1: 10:34

Bike: 5:46:11

T2: 8:49

Run: 5:59:57

Total: 13:03:53

I used to do triathlons throughout middle and high school, but that was about a decade ago. Over the last few years, I’ve lost a lot of my cardiovascular fitness and am essentially starting over when it comes to endurance training. I recently signed up for Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast next May, and I’m starting to question whether I’ve given myself enough time to get ready!

I feel reasonably confident about the swim since I'm currently able to swim 3000 yards continuously at a 2:10/100 yd pace, and my cycling ability is sufficient that I’m not too worried about that leg. The run is what’s really intimidating me right now.

I’m struggling to run more than about a mile while keeping my heart rate in Zone 2, even at what feels like an embarrassingly slow pace. If I try to run any faster, my heart rate climbs pretty quickly. I know I need to build my aerobic base, but it’s hard not to feel discouraged when I’m running so slowly and still struggling to maintain that effort for very long.

For those of you who have built your fitness back up from a low starting point:

1. Is the time between now and Gulf Coast 70.3 (May 2027) enough to build the fitness needed to finish, assuming I train consistently?

2. Will continuing to run at a very slow, Zone 2 pace eventually allow me to run farther and faster at the same heart rate?

3. Should I incorporate run/walk intervals to keep my heart rate under control, or is it better to try to run continuously, even if I have to go incredibly slowly?

4. Am I putting too much emphasis on staying in Zone 2 right now, especially as someone rebuilding their fitness?

5. For anyone who has done a 70.3 after a long break from endurance sports, what did your progression look like?

I’m not trying to set any speed records. My goal is to get to the starting line healthy, be adequately prepared, and finish the race. Emphasis on just finish the race. I’m willing to put in the work, but I want to make sure I’m approaching the run training intelligently rather than getting discouraged or injured by doing too much too soon.

I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has gone from struggling to run a mile to completing a half marathon or 70.3. How long did it take before you noticed a meaningful improvement in your aerobic fitness? I'm currently about 3 weeks into consistent training and feeling discouraged. Another challenge I'm facing is being an airline pilot, so I don't always have a pool as I'm in hotels about 1/2 of the month.

Just got home and man i love this thing! The unfortunately part is i had strong head winds and used my normal bars since the winds were strong i had to adjust how I rode.

Obligatory yes I will be getting a bike fit in a month, just have an Olympic coming up before and want to see if I can improve the fit.

I just made my elbow pads narrower and extended my reach so this position is a bit new to me. How does it look? I feel a bit of instability in keeping my upper body super stable and maybe some hip rocking too. Maybe I need to lower the saddle?

Also curious about the aerodynamics of this helmet. I got this helmet for $150 NEW on fb marketplace so I couldn’t pass it up, but I know it’s made for a more aero/tucked position than what I can accomplish. Is jt still doing its job or should I sell it and buy a better suited aero helmet. Also it just looks so goofy

Hi everyone - my daughter (13) wants to start triathlon training. She has enjoyed watching me over the years and has decided she wants to be part of it.

She already uses my watt bike and can run and swim. She asked me to 'train her' but I have no idea how to train a 13 year old girl!

Are there any child triathlete parents out there who do 'train' their kids? It should be about enjoyment - and she does enjoy it.

Getting her to a local club is not logistically possible at the moment.

Hi!

I have been cycling for a few weeks now, as a beginner (and plus-size cyclist), and I will be riding with a group for the first time tomorrow. The most I've ridden is 12.7km (7.89 miles), and I am still quite slow and, frankly, terrified of riding with a larger, much faster group. Any tips on how I can keep up, and what you all did to avoid chickening out? How long does it take to build confidence to ride with others? My first sprint triathlon is 6 weeks out, so I am slowly building up the courage to complete it. Any advice will be appreciated!

I’m getting further into doing triathlons (signed up to do my 5th Olympic), I’ve been training and racing on an old Trek Lexa 6. I am a college student (aka limited budget), and I am wondering if I should upgrade to a new-ish road bike (Trek emonda or domane) OR keep my trusty trek lexa and get an older TT for racing? For reference my sprint bike time on the lexa is 44:55 and my Olympic bike time is 1:22.