Is a thriatlon that includes
500m swimming
20km cycling
5k running
possible without any kind of cardio exercise?
>>37768771
>thriatlon
triathlon
>An event consists of three activities that are entirely cardio exercise
>Is this possible without any kind of cardio exercise?
>>37768771
If you do it extremely slowly maybe
>>37768771
If you don't drown on the swim you should be able to limp your way across the finish line
Why not train? Cardio isn't the devil, your heart is a muscle just like any other
>>37768771
Lol what
>>37768787
500m swiming sounds easy as fuck, 20km of cycling isn't that hard either but 5km runing after all of that? Ugh.
>>37768802
>Why not train?
It's on Sunday, m8.
>>37768771
I want to FUCK Ann.
>>37768809
why did you sign up without training?
Most people find the swim to be the most challenging part. Swimming lanes in a pool is very different than swimming in open water with plenty of people around you.
The run after the bike is harder than a normal run but you can get through it. Just take it slow.
>>37768867
>why did you sign up without training?
I didn't yet. I can sign up right before it starts.
>>37768771
Hi there OP, endurance athetle here (bicycle road racer)
To answer your question: NO! To do triathlon you must do extensive training or you likely won't complete the event, especially the 20k TT portion. At best you'd come in dead last. At worst you'd end up in an ambulance.
See, here's the thing: Most of /fit/ thinks that lifting weights is enough to get 'muscular endurance', but it really isn't; muscular endurance for an endurance athlete entails being able to perfom near your maximum aerobic output level for long (up to 40 minutes or more) periods of time. Picking up and putting down some weights a few times isn't going to give you that.
Then there's basic aerobic endurance. Without a solid aerobic base to build your more advanced fitness elements on, you'll fail, plain and simple.
Then there's really advanced fitness elements for endurance athletes, like building the ability for your body to clear lactate from your muscles more efficiently, to delay fatigue as long as possible.
There are no shortcuts for any of these things. There are no supplements or PEDs you can take that will take the place of actual training. You just have to do the work, and you have to be willing to spend 6-12 months building up the necessary abilities, because that's how long it takes.
>>37768809
>It's on Sunday, m8.
Then you're fucked.
If anyone you know is going to be there to watch, I'd strongly consider just not showing up at all, and eating your entry fee. You're going to either come in dead last, or end up injured.
Like I said above: You need 6-12 months of training to do things like this. If you really want to do it, then pick up a copy of Friel's 'Triathletes Training Bible' and learn how to train yourself, and plan on doing a triathlon next year.
>>37769201
This is a very informative post, but know that you're gonna get roasted on this board for even insinuating cardio exercise.
>>37769249
>implying I GAF at all what the rest of /fit/ thinks
At least 50% of anyone on /fit/ at any given time doesn't even lift or do any sort of real physical exercise, they just come in here to blow smoke up everyone else's ass, and of the 50% that are left, 99% of them are so obsessed with the idea that 'aesthetics' is going to change their lives and suddenly they'll have girls hanging all over them despite not having any discernable personality or sense of humor, so the only ones I have any respect for are the few that aren't listed above.
>>37769201
I think you're overestimating how long it takes to build enough endurance to survive a triathlon. A year is a lot longer than necessary.
But yeah, he's fucked. Expecting to turn up to a triathlon and complete it with zero training is like turning up to a strongman comp with zero training. You're gonna get buried and quite possibly hurt.
>>37769201
Sort of true but you're overestimating the difficulty of your sport.
If you're talking about some powerlifter hog or some neet who's never done any exercise in his life besides lifting for the last 2 years, then it could take that long.
For most regular people though, who haven't gone through life as a walking ham or as a skeleton, who actually do things like go for walks, hike trails, dance at a club for a few hours, etc. if you lift, and aren't completely zombified after a 2 mile run, then you could easily prepare for the sort of triathlon OP is talking about in 2-3 months.
>>37769249
Suck a pipe, Ricky Nocardo.
>>37769286
To my mind, there is no point in 'just surviving' something like a triathlon, or any other competitive event. You either train like you mean it, or you shouldn't waste your time. Besides which, unlike road racing where all you need is one bike and the requisite skills for just that (not that it's easy, mind you) for triathlon you need to work on three different skill-sets simultaneously. You also need a triathlon-specific bike if you want to do well in the cycling phase, and it takes longer to get used to riding in an aero position than it does just riding a regular road bike. So I'd say 6 months is the bare minimum, 12 months would be better. Base training alone takes 3 months, and it's absolutely essential to everything else. 3 months worth of advanced training after that isn't enough to hit your peak, it's just enough to start building some real performance. After a full year-long training plan, you'd be in much better condition to compete; in just 6 months you'd probably be able to finish something other than dead last, preserving some of your dignity.
>>37768771
>mfw you are one of those faggots that get dragged out of the water in the first two minutes
>>37769310
>Sort of true but you're overestimating the difficulty of your sport.
No, I'm really not. I've been road racing for 7 years now, and I know what it takes to have the basic athleticism to be competitive and not just ride along with the pack. In a triathlon it's not like you even have that option; it's a time-trial in three different disciplines, so you've 'got your nose in the wind' (figuratively speaking) the entire event. You've either got the chops to pull it off or not.
That all being said I'm sure there's lots of people who sort-of-half-ass-train and show up at small local tri's and just manage to finish, consider it an accomplishment. That's just not the way I think about things, and I'm not going to recommend anyone approach something like this that way either.
>>37769361
But in all seriousness make sure you train properly for the swim. It's the only part you can just power through and make it
>>37769390
(not the OP by the way)
I don't even swim; I have (documentably!) very dense bones and low bodyfat percentage (again, documentably) and because of that I sink like a rock. xD Some tri athletes I've talked to tell me that if I had a drysuit I'd float OK, but I diverge.. Swimming is all about technique, really, isn't it, and not just endurance?
>>37769417
Yea those suits pretty much make you float. I've never used them in a race because I live in Miami and it's too hot for them.
But yes the swim is about technique and keeping a cool head in open water. Some people freak out and try to keep their head above water alot and this creates alot of drag because your body isn't flat. I don't float naturally in water either but if you do the right form you will float on momentum. I literally looked up YouTube videos to train myself it's not too hard to get started but eventually I'm going to need proper coaching.
>>37769366
>No, I'm really not. I've been road racing for 7 years now, and I know what it takes to have the basic athleticism to be competitive and not just ride along with the pack. In a triathlon it's not like you even have that option; it's a time-trial in three different disciplines, so you've 'got your nose in the wind' (figuratively speaking) the entire event. You've either got the chops to pull it off or not.
That's not what you said when I replied though, you actually said that he would either finish dead last or leave in an ambulance.
While I haven't competed in a triathlon, I did go from no cardio other than 10 minutes on the arc trainer before lifting and playing in a recreational soccer league twice a week to running a half marathon with no training, and finished in 2:07.
I've done bicycle racing as well, though I did train for about 3 months for that, and finished with a decent time (fairly hilly 92km race in 3:49).
I could do better, I know that, but they're really not the sports for me. That being said, I come from a reasonably athletic background, but if most people who weren't completely sedentary for most of their lives put in the training I think most people could be prepared for a triathlon in a reasonably short period of time. Not as short as OP wants, though.
Also, to be clear, I know it would take time, several years, and plenty of hard training, and beginning training when I was younger to hit elite levels for road racing in running and cycling, but I am also confident I could perform in the top 10% within a year if I shifted my training focus.
>>37768809
Lifeguard here. 500m is not in fact easy as fuck for a non swimmer. You're going to be tired after 50m and exhausted after 200m, I guarantee it.
>>37769201
Are you fucking with me? The 20k ride is the easiest part. Oh wait you call yourself a cyclist so you have to make sure your sport is the most difficult. Everything isn't a competition, I ride frequently but I don't go off telling everybody about my stats, I'd be no better than a vegan talking about their diet.
>>37769366
OPs triathlon is not a full triathlon. It's not even a sprint you are overestimating what it'll take to get in shape for the event. 2-3 months would be plenty to be competitive.
This is pretty much the easiest a triathlon gets. This is even shorter than a sprint triathlon (just in the swimming category), so completing it should be really easy. You'll just probably place pretty low if you don't have any real training. But, completing it should be no problem.
>>37769646
Someone who doesn't do cardio cannot run a 5k immediately after swimming a 500m swim. OP doesn't even have a grasp of what a 500m swim or a 5k run feels like. And he has to bike in between? He won't finish. He'll probably throw up less than halfway through the bike portion, if he doesn't drown.
>>37769683
> Back stroke through swim
> High cadence on moderate gear through bike
> Light jog through 5k
You win op
>>37769282
I come here to reinforce a fitness mindset and occasionally maybe learn something. But usually I just walk away with sick fitness memes and feeling even more bamboozled. So this is refreshing.
So should I be doing cardio or not? I can't find a straight answer anywhere. I lift three times a week on modified SS-ish, and every workout day is leg day. What do?
>>37768809
>500m swiming sounds easy as fuck
you dense motherfucker
>>37769534
>I've done bicycle racing as well, though I did train for about 3 months for that, and finished with a decent time (fairly hilly 92km race in 3:49).
Okay, let's define what is and is not a 'bicycle race', because unless it was a 92km Individual Time Trial (which I doubt) then it wasn't an actual road race, because those aren't timed, it's who finishes in what place. Are you talking about some sort of organized recreational riding event like a Gran Fondo? I've never done those but I understand they time them. Or was it just you and some of your buddies out riding? Mind you, I'm not mocking you here. Most people don't know to differentiate between an actual officially-ranked-and-scored road race and an event open to the public, and they call them all 'races'.
>>37769286
..no, I'm not 'fucking with you'. I have a TT bike and a road bike, Threshold intervals and long Threshold rides are an intrinsic part of training, and when you do a TT, you're really not holding anything back, you're trying to finish the distance as fast as possible, which means you're Zone 4 and Zone 5a (and maybe a bit more) the entire time. If you don't train for it, it's NOT easy. Add to that, you've likely already had to run and/or swim (unless you ride first?) so you're already somewhat fatigued.
>Everything isn't a competition
But we're talking about a competition. If you're going to do any sort of competitive event and you're not willing to put out 110%, then you're better off staying home.
>>37770119
You should be doing some cardio unless you have a good reason not to. You don't need to be doing a ton, but there's health benefits and frankly a fitter lifter is a better lifter - you end up with more work capacity and recovery, which is good for your strength in the long term.
>>37770119
If you're the OP, then YES, you need to do cardio.
Even if you're not the OP, you should train your cardio-vascular system as well as your muscles. Just eat more to compensate for the calorie burn and you're fine.
>>37769789
Lol a non swimmer certainly can't do backstroke for 500m.
>>37768771
if the 500m swim does not scare you, then go for it. If you are in reasonable enough shape that you are even thinking of this, then other than the swim, it should be good. might be painful.
>>37770754
If it's not painful then you're doing it wrong (not going hard enough).
>>37770772
well, it is a sprint, it should hurt all the way. But if you have to ask about cardio, it probably will hurt
>>37770866
Even Threshold hurts, but you get used to it (which is half the reason you need to train: mental toughness).
>>37770876
Thats what tylenol is for. well, at least for the 5 hour marathon portion :-)
>>37770892
Won't that thin your blood? I've always heard that analgesics are for after the race, if you need them, not before.
>>37770925
There is a risk. tylenol is not bad, real danger is taking too much over a day, but other than than, it is pretty benign.
Lots of people use ibuprofen, but it can cause big problems when you are dehydrated, which is quite likely during a race, so stay away from that.
I have used it once during a race, it still hurts, but its easier to separate it/compartmentalize it in your brain and keep going hard
>>37770953
Have you ever tried taking Tyrosine? I'll take N-Acetyl-Tyrosine along with some caffeine source on race day morning, gives me more overall energy and keeps me focused mentally.
>>37770971
haven't tried that, I find that caffeine does it for me. I use the SaltStik brand of saltcaps, and they have caffeine in them as well. If you cut back on cofee leading up to races, it seems to have a bit better effect.
Tyrosine? any brand names this is under, or just check the ingredient list?
>>37770971
>Tyrosine
looked it up. cool. seems like a good fit to triathlon. should be available as a supplement, next to the creatine and glutamine?
>>37771041
I recommend the acetylized verison of tyrosine (N-Acetyl-Tyrosine), it's more bio-available than the free-form L-Tyrosine.
Any number of sources; it's a non-essential amino acid precursor to dopamine and norepinephrine. I tend to buy the Jarrow brand capsules.
>>37771089
You might also want to do some research on L-Phenylalanine, which is a precursor to tyrosine. It, unlike forms of tyrosine, can cross the blood-brain barrier.
>>37771101
Thanks, I will try it. From the wikipedia page, it gets metabolized through dopamine and then adrenaline, so yeah, perfect fit to triathlon.
>>37771140
The wikipedia page said that phenylalanine is a precursor to tyrosine, so your body will convert it, might work to keep more of it on your system, or for longer. either way, a win for long course triathlon. Thanks!
