Anyone else doing this one next weekend?

I'm looking forward to it, though I am unsure about the swim. CapTex said it would be wetsuit legal, but it was announced the morning of the race that it was not, so I ate the rental fee.

The website for TriRock states unequivocally that it will be wetsuit legal, but I'm not convinced. Any thoughts?

FTAC of 2000
Formerly AgDDS2B.

Don't think it was wetsuit legal last year, but could be wrong. My gf definitely did not wear one last year.

[This message has been edited by aggieoo (edited 8/26/2012 3:47p).]

Good to know. I can't imagine the lake being cooler in September than it was in May, but I know some of it depends on the water coming out of the dam.

I'm not stressing either way. If they say saturday it will be legal, then I'll just run by Austin Tri-cyclist and rent one. They had tons available on the Sunday before CapTex.

So is anyone else competing?

It won't be wetsuit legal. We will start by swimming east towards I35 to avoid the thick vegetation on the usual swim course.

Hey EndoAg, didnt see this post before I posted the same question. This will be my third year for this tri but my first Oly. The first year it was wetsuit legal (2010). It is always a ton of fun and very well organized.Thank goodness they are changing the swim course! I have been running on the trail all summer and wondering what the heck they were going to do about all the plantlife in the water! What distance are you doing?

I'm doing the Olympic. I think this is my third Olympic, but about my 10th tri. If it is half as good as CapTex, it should be fun.

I haven't been to downtown since CapTex, so the plant life is news to me. Even at CapTex though, I got a few handfuls of salad.

Good luck to you. I'll be a mid thirties tall skinny guy (ok, so that is half the triathlon field) who is shaved bald and wearing a yellow Army Triathlon Team kit. Introduce yourself if you see me.

FTAC of 2000
Formerly AgDDS2B.

Good luck to you as well. I will keep an eye out.

Any advice for a first timer on the Oly distance? I know I will need to be very diligent about my hydration as it is going to be warm and I tend to sweat alot. Also, got my eating plan down for a longer race. Any other advice you might be able to pass on? I am mostly nervous about the swim...not because of my swimming abilities...just the whole mental thing. Never done 1500 M in open water. I think once this is out of the way, I am ready to rock and roll. Let me know any sage words of wisdom.

There is lots of better triathletes than me out there. I am FOMOP (Front of Middle of Pack) up to this point, but I'm working on it.

Don't overthink the nutrition or hydration issue. This is my plan.

Breakfast 2+ hours before race. Peanut butter on white bread bagel, banana, cup of coffee. I may do a gel pack immediately before, but only for mental reasons...I am sure it is not necessary. Also, don't forget to take your "morning constitutional". Weight savings, and more importantly, avoid discomfort or embarrassment on while racing.

Swim: Comfortable swim. First 100M slightly harder than comfortable to get a little swimming room. After that, I just go easy.

Bike: Just a little harder than comfortable. Try to keep HR in the 140-150 range. One bottle of fluid on the Bike of Ironman Perform with 3 scoops (225 calories).

Run: Last time I took a gel at the beginning of the run. I regretted it as I had to run the middle miles with a tummy ache. Plan this time is to avoid gels, and just drink a mix of Gatorade or water at the aid stations. I definitely will be pouring water over my head to keep cool.

Finish: Drink beer.

That is my plan, it doesn't have to be yours. I don't know what you have done in other sports, but a 2.5-3.5 hour race is an accomplishment just to finish. Maintain just finishing as a goal, and a good time just a cherry on top.

BTW: Word on the street is the water is 81 degrees and it will absolutely be no-wetsuits.

FTAC of 2000
Formerly AgDDS2B.

yeah, I kind of figured no wetsuits. Last year was the same...but thats ok. I almost feel like I am going to die getting in and out of the thing vs. just swimming on my own in the water!

Thanks for the tips. You sound about where I am regarding speed..not the fastest..not the slowest..but I enjoy the journey.

I used to use Gu and it did the same thing to me on a run. I have started to rely only on the Cliff shot blocks as they seem gentler on my stomach. Not sure if you have tried these but they are a good alternate source....not that you want to switch right before race day but...I have had good luck with them.

I think for my swim the thing that really helps me take my mind of distance and the open water thing is just focus on my technique. if I keep my technique, I'll be more efficient in the water.

I am really stoked about the bike as this is my fav thing to do. I got a bike fit in the spring and it has made all the difference in my power and speed so I am really aiming to just increase my avg speed on the bike.

The run...well lets see. I think I'll feel good and I have been really diligent about doing long runs outside. Got up to 8 miles for my longest long run. If nothing else, as you said, theres beer at the finish line.

Good luck to you and have a great race.

Not to hijack a great thread, as this tri will be my first, but I have found Swedish fish to be an awesome fuel for long runs when training for marathons. Just what I like?

Not weird at all. I had a training buddy for the Austin half marathon and she liked jolly ranchers. To each his/her own as long as you eat regularly. Every one is so different. I love my chocolate milk after long workouts even if it is hot. To some people thats totally gross but hey...keeps me happy :-)

quote:

---

aggiesed8r

---

Anesthesiologist?

Nothing wrong with swedish fish if it works for you. The limiting factor is that they have carbs, but not electrolytes.

Keep an eye out for me and introduce yourself afterward.

Yes and will do. I'll be the one panicking in the water.

Btw, I am also FTACO '00!!!

Cool. We should be in the same wave or off by one. (There are two groups for men 35-39 based on last name.)

Remember, if things get hectic scary, then breast stroke is a great way to keep making forward progress while still catching your breath, reassessing your position, etc.

...And have fun.

Breaststroke is a good method to calm yourself if you are nervous as you feel more upright in the water. I do this sometimes just to break the monotony of freestylein for so long. Stay cool and calm. Remember you have trained for this and you are ready. You'll do great! Also, I have learned its better to swim with your goggles under your cap. keeps them more secure in case you get bumped by someone. Just a tip

Survived and am hooked. I love this sport!!! Swim wasn't bad at all. In fact I had some left in the tank. Only problem is other swimmers. Settled in nicely in the back, but found then I ended up passing them (good problem I guess). The wife did awesome as well. So proud of her.

Breast stroke is a great way to kick someone else in the face, body, nuts.

Congrats Aggiesd8r on your first tri finish. I actually wound up meeting EndoAg while waiting for the swim waves to go. Glad you liked it. I know I had a blast on my bike ride. The run was pretty hot and brutal but overall I had a great race as well.

I had fun. I got to chat with AggieCyclista for a minute before the start, so that was nice. I felt bad for those doing the sprint. It sure was hot for the later waves.

The swim was fine. The finish was a little bit odd, in that they had a few small buoys that I think we were supposed to swim around, but everyone seemed to be making a line from the last green buoy of the sprint swim to the finish. I couldn't see much as that point due to fog, so I just followed the folks in front of me. 2:01/100M. Probably could have been a little faster, but I had to work through a bad attitude the second half of the swim. Need to be mentally tougher.

Bike was nice. Congress Ave hills were bigger than I thought, but fun to ride down. 20.0 mph...CapTex was 19.9 and this was probably a little hillier. This is where I have to improve to get into the top 10%. I'm still a mid pack biker.

Run was good. Same time as CapTex, but .5 miles longer. 7:30's Could have done a bit quicker, but I zoned out for the first half of mile six, and my pace dipped.

Overall: A good race. Fun day. 29/138 in my AG, so top 25%. That is a first for me, especially in a deep field. I'm improving still, and my training is definitely not what I consider consistent yet, but it is improving.