Tri 101: Do I Really Need That?

I talked a little bit about what a triathlon is last week, so I though I would continue my “Tri 101” series by talking about what you need. There is a ton of gear out there, but for your first few races you need to have certain things covered 100%.

What to wear?  This is a question I had before my first race too, and finally I think I can give some pretty good choices.

• Swimsuit (I suggest a sports bra underneath) + Shorts (for the bike and run) + optional shirt (for bike and run) – This was what I wore for my first race without the shirt.

• One Piece Trisuit – There are a lot of benefits to wearing a one piece trisuit.  The first being no need to change and they are made to fit skin tight for swimming.

• Two Piece Trisuit – The main advantage of the two-piece over the one piece is that you can take off the bottoms if you have to use the port-a-potty in a longer race.   Some also come with built in sports bras.

Do I need a fancy bike with bike shoes?  No.  I raced on a rental bike wearing running shoes for my first race.  I do suggest a road bike, not a mountain bike, especially if you are doing anything over a sprint.  Road bikes are much faster, and you can train on whatever you have then rent one for the day of the race.  Honestly, make sure you are committed to the sport before investing in the bike and the shoes.  This way you can also do it gradually.  I went from rental bike, to road bike, to road bike with shoes and nice pedals, to my carbon tri bike, and then I also finally after over a year upgraded to a nicer helmet than my original helmet from Academy.  If you are sticking to it, you have plenty of time for upgrades.

What gear to I absolutely need?  There are some things required, and some things I think you should absolutely never race without.

• Something to wear – As I talked about above.

• A bike – See the above on that one.

• Running shoes + socks – Depending on your level of racing and your gear, you may be wearing these for the bike and run, which is perfectly ok.

• Something to hold your race number – Races will usually supply pins, which you probably don’t want to put through your tri suit, or deal with in transition, so I suggest investing in a race belt early on.  Saves time and your gear.

• Swim cap – For open water this will be provided by the race, but for a pool swim you need to have your own.

• Goggles – I highly suggest spending over $20 on a nice pair, like my Speedo Vanquisher 2.0’s that I’ve used forever.

• Water bottle – This goes on your bike, and you will drink from it.  Trust me, no matter how you feel, drink something.  I use electrolytes in one, water in another.

Do I need a wetsuit?  Yes or no.  This is a personal choice.  If you are not comfortable in open water and it is cold enough for one, you may be more comfortable with the extra buoyancy and warmth.  I don’t like wearing one very much, but I do own one, which I got because, although I am a strong swimmer, I am not comfortable in open water very much, so I wore it for my first Olympic.  If you wear a wetsuit put Bodlyglide on your neck for chafing and you will thank me.

What optional gear is there?  When you think you have enough gear, there is always something else.

• GPS Watch

• Heart rate monitor

• Power Meter

• Cadence and speed sensors

• Aero helmet

• Race wheels

• Shoes + pedals

• Compression socks

There is so much I could never list it all.

Week 1: Zone 2 Training

My first week of zone 2 training has been interesting. As mentioned previously, I have my spreadsheets to track my running and my weight to control for any weight loss, but I am not sharing any of that for a while, because I don’t have any results to share yet. What I am going to share will be my week of training, how it felt, and anything I noticed or found helpful.

Monday: Zone 2 run. I wrote about this with my first zone 2 running post, so I will not go into much detail. I walked a lot, and I let my heart rate settle down to zone 1 when walking.

Tuesday: Nothing. I felt tired, and unmotivated. I did a lot around my house though.

Wednesday: 45 minute zone 2 bike. It was sort of zone 2, but I was on a hilly route, so I let my heart rate climb up a little during the climbs and settled back into zone 2 on the descents and flats. I have to pay close attention on descents to keep it from dropping too much. This means shifting up a gear or two and keeping my cadence up.

Thursday: Swim in the middle of the day. I felt pretty good and had time to get in some extra distance, so I made it 3300 instead of my planned 3000. I also had another zone 2 run that afternoon. I felt like I ran a little more in the beginning compared to Tuesday, but less near the end. One of the recommendations I got from Triathlon Taren is to run more to improve efficiency on the run, so I am aiming for 3-4 runs per week right now.

Friday: Swim in the morning. This was another 3000 with some speed in it. I back off a lot on speed workouts due to an old shoulder injury at the moment, so anything “sprint” or “all out” is actually just strong. I also did 30 minutes of stretching and core work in the evening. As I mentioned in Triathlon Training and Tax Accounting I am planning on trying to focus on strength and mobility to prevent injury.

Saturday: I was super tired Saturday morning, probably from my early morning to swim Friday, so I slept in before working at the bike shop for the day. When I got home from working, sleeping in meant I had to get in my 1.5 hour bike ride. I picked a pretty hilly route for it, which I do a lot on Zwift, and I like that choosing hilly routes means I think less about speed and more about heart rate and the purpose behind the workout. My heart rate still got a little high on a couple hills, but it was returning very nicely when I slowed down, which is a good sign.

Sunday: My long “run” day. I have found a shuffle that I can stay in zone 2 under the right conditions with. I ended up with a few extra minutes past the forty-five I planned for this workout, and it went very well, or as well as a run/walk when I really want to run can go. The really positive thing that has come from all of this is that I can do longer workouts without feeling like I am dying at the end. The distance may not be there yet, but the time is, so as I get faster (hopefully), my distance should build up without increasing time. Of course I am increasing time as well.

Overall, this last week went really well for me, and it felt good. I haven’t actually felt this good training in a while, and my current week is off to a good start. I think not working for two weeks has something to do with it, but I have also made a few other changes, like trying to eat better and taking a vitamin D and B12 supplement. The vitamin D is under the recommendation of my doctor and the B12 is just what else was in the one vegan vitamin D gummy I could find online.

This week I am starting to incorporate some intervals into one of my run and bike workouts each week. On the run it will be on my hard run day and will be heart rate based, while on the bike I am just going to continue with hillier routes, but also push a little bit more for short periods of time.

I Bought New Cycling Shoes, and They're Worth The Money

I bought new cycling shoes. They’re amazing. I bought the Louis Garneau Tri Air Lite shoes. They are silver, include both a boa and a velcro closure, and additional arch support that is included with the shoes.

I point out the arch support, because I bought some very nice Bontrager shoes when I purchased my Madone. They’re stiff, light, and bright pink. They also kill my arches. I blame this on Trek’s partnership with Superfeet, because they want to sell you a pair when you buy the shoes. I have since tried on various shoes including, Liv, Giro, and the Louis Garneau I purchased.

One thing I was looking for in my new shoes was the inclusion of various arch supports that can be used with them. This is something included with all of the shoes I tried on. They typically some in a low, medium, and high arch support, with the medium in place out of the box. I always try the shoes on with the medium, then I swap them to the high if needed.

The second thing I wanted was an upgrade from my current Pearl Izumi shoes. They were a big upgrade from my first shoes, since they had carbon soles and better ventilation, but they were looking rough at the end. I have the Bontrager shoes as a good pair of road shoes, but I wanted a new pair of tri shoes as well.

My first thought putting these on without stepping on the ground (which does nothing for cycling shoe sizing) was how I could feel my arches actually supported. I then did some more research about the wonderful shoes and found out more benefits than lightweight, arch support, and boa closures.

A quick read of one article showed me the shoe was made to be the best triathlon shoe on the market. The outer material was made to reflect the sun’s light and in a home study by the writer of one of the articles, it actually kept the inside of the shoe cooler than other shoes. The shoe is also designed to accommodate swelling feet.

Another weird thing about triathlon shoes I needed was the tab to pull them on in transition. This does not become a problem until I am just out of a river and trying to get on and tighten shoes. Between the boa and one strap system and the tabs on the back, I know I will gain at least a whole second from getting my shoes on, which will probably mean nothing, but it is nice to know I will be as fast as possible without a flying mount.

Top 5 Cycling & Training Books I've Read

I like reading books, but mainly when they have to do with cycling or triathlon. Lately, I have been picking up a book at night to read instead of watching something on TV or playing on my phone, because it is supposed to help you fall asleep. Sometimes I like to read inspirational stories, other times I like to just read about someone’s journey, and other times I like to read about training.

1. The Triathlete’s Training Bible - Joe Friel
   This one has a lot of science in it, and I enjoy it for that reason. I am always trying to learn more about how and when I should train and recover. I recommend this especially if you are training for something and coaching yourself, because it can provide a wealth of information. There is also a version specifically designed for cyclists, and I recommend that one as well.

2. How Bad do you want it? - Matt Fitzgerald
   I bought this book before Ironman Louisville in 2016 in order to help myself mentally prepare by reading stories from top athletes. The one that stuck with me the most in this book was Siri Lindley’s chapter, and I took that with me into my race. I highly recommend it, because it offers something for people like me who have trouble with the mental side of training.

3. Pro Cycling on $10 a Day - Phil Gaimon
   If you are looking for something funny, enticing, and all around entertaining, this is my top recommendation. I started it and read probably 75% of it in one day. It starts with when Phil first started cycling and chronicles his journey in the world of pro cycling and the struggles that came with it, while not focusing too much on how he was not making enough money and living on people’s couches at times.

4. Surfacing - Siri Lindley
   Like I mentioned before, I was really interested by Siri Lindley’s story in one of the other books, so I went out and bought her book when it came out, and I was not disappointed. I read the entire book in one flight from Nashville to San Diego shortly after Ironman Louisville in 2016. I found her journey from beginner to world champion triathlete to be very intriguing, especially seeing the way she trained progress throughout the book.

5. Bike Snob Abroad - BikeSnobNYC
   This is one of my current coffee table books, and a little different from the others, because it is looking at cycling from a different lens than that of a pro cyclist or triathlete, and more from the perspective of an ordinary cyclist exploring how the norms in one country differ from the norms of another when it comes to cycling. I like it, because it is one of those books where I can read a short section, and then step away and come back much later and still enjoy it without feeling like I missed something.

Training in Nashville

I work in a bike shop and we get questions all the time about where people should go to train, so I thought I would create a post with just that. Here is your guide to training in Nashville.

Centennial Sportsplex

Swim

Pool Swimming. Do you like a cold pool or a warm pool?
If the answer is cold, my recommendation is the Centennial Sportsplex on West End. This is also a good option if you are staying downtown. It is a Olympic size pool, set up short course most of the year, except during the summer. They have anywhere between two and seven lap lanes available and the pool is open 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. If you prefer a structured workout, I work for Nashville Aquatic Club as a masters coach and highly recommend you look into joining us for a workout.
If the answer is warm, the local YMCA’s are a great option, if they have enough lanes. They have between three and six lap lanes, depending on the Y. I recommend Maryland Farms in Brentwood at 6:30 p.m., because it is normally quiet then, and it is open until 9:45 p.m. if you are a night owl.
An option in the middle would be also in Brentwood, the Indoor Sports Complex, which is an Olympic size pool with four to eight lap lanes available and is not too warm or too cold.

Open Water. I recommend going with the Nashville Aquatic Club group out to Percy Priest Lake. You can go to the public areas on your own, but some have heavy boat traffic, which is why I recommend a group in a cove.

Natchez Trace Bridge

Bike

If you are downtown, your closest option will be Shelby Bottoms Greenway, from there you can get on roads and follow the Music City Bikeway, which goes all the way to Belle Meade or follow the Music City Bikeway the other way on Shelby Bottoms to the Stones River Greenway, ending at the Percy Priest Dam.

If you are on the west side of town, I recommend either finding the greenways in Percy Warner and Edwin Warner Parks or coming out to where I like to ride on routes near the Natchez Trace. I can provide Strava links to routes or map some, but my favorite is to ride out the Natachez Trace from Highway 100, headed south. You get off at the Lieper’s Fork exit and stop by either Red Bird Coffee or Puckett’s Grocery for a minute and then take back roads back through Franklin. There are a few options for the route back, and I can provide the exact route if someone is interested. It has a lot of rolling hills, but only one significant climb up the trace entrance.

Belle Meade Boulevard

Run

If you want to get out of the city, any of the greenways I recommend for biking are also good for running. Aside from that, I also recommend Belle Meade Boulevard as a good option for running. It connects to an entrance to Percy Warner Park, and is about five miles total if you go out and back. It is a rolling route, and very shaded in the early morning hours, but it will get extremely hot in the afternoons.

There is also a path in Brentwood starting by the Brentwood Library on Concord Road that is very flat if you prefer a flat route, and another path I like in Franklin. This one starts at the soccer fields at the Franklin Recreation Center and goes along the river, through a neighborhood and into downtown Franklin where you can continue onto a new extension I have not run or on to the sidewalks in Franklin.

Those are all of my best suggestions for where to train. I have lived in Nashville since 1996 and once in a while am still finding new places to go run or ride, so I will definitely try to share those with pictures as I stumble upon them.

Disc v. Rim Brakes

My short answer to this question is that I do not plan to purchase another rim brake bike. I love my bikes, especially my Madone, but disc brakes would make the ride so much better.  The problem I have with the brakes on my Madone is that there’s not enough stopping power.  I have the same problem when I run carbon wheels on my triathlon bikes.

Reasons I Love Disc Brakes

1. More stopping power

2. Ability to modulate braking

3. Less maintenance

4. The 2-piece rotors look cool​

5. Easier wheel swaps​

Reasons I Waited​

1. I hadn’t ever ridden them​

2. Most bikes until this year were rim brake​

3. People made them seem significantly heavier​

4. There is a price difference​

5. I wasn’t in the market for a new bike​

More Explanation​

My first disc brake experiences were limited to test rides, so I didn’t know too much about the difference in feel until working on bikes with disc brakes and eventually riding a Trek Emonda Disc for a week.  I knew by that point the advantages of being able to modulate the braking power and the pads moving in as they wore down from working on them, but I didn’t realize the difference in stopping power until I rode them.​

Going forward, I also like not having to swap brake pads if I swap wheels.  If I plan to ride my tri bike outside this winter I will ride my carbon wheels, specifically because I don’t want to swap brake pads to ride my trainer wheels outside.  My Domane though I can swap wheels with my husband’s Domane if I don’t want to take the carbon rims through the dirt and salt.​

Overall, I see no true disadvantages to riding disc brakes on my road bikes and in the future my tri bike.  I love my Madone, but a Madone SLR 7 Disc is on my wish list too.​