Chicago is too unpredictable with weather and snow on the ground so I'm biking indoors on a bike trainer. I don't really have cold weather riding gear either yet.

SGeranium I keep meaning to make a blog, but not yet. I do have a workout log on BeginnerTriathlete.com under the same username and I've sorta semi-been blogging there. If I make one I'll let you guys know. My first group workout went well. Our first group swim is tomorrow morning (At 6am! Eeep! I have to get up at like 4am. Wah)

Ideal: the last thing you need to do is add another thing to do to your list. IE a blog. That said I would totally love reading along your journey. Very gutsy my friend. I'll have to peek on beginnertriathlete. I joined a mentor group so I have started to poke around there from time to time.

Hello ladies. I am really excited to have found a thread for triathlon discussion. I signed up for my first one yesterday. June 13, Naperville, IL women's triathlon. It is a sprint. Any advice? Also, how did training effect your weightloss?

Thanks.

I've heard good things about that Tri Jello... The womens only Tris are really nice to do for first timers. I did the Danskin one up in Wisconsin a few years ago as my first. The environment tends to be very supportive and in my opinion a little less intimidating!

Lets see advice. Training plans are a good idea. You can get free ones on BeginnerTriathlete.com. Do you run yet? I'd start learning now even if your training plan won't kick off for awhile but don't fee like you have to run the whole thing if you can't. Have you read the book "The Slow Fat Triathlete"? It's great...

Tri Training has been awesome for my weight loss I went from 240 to 186 the 7 months I trained for my first. With obviously some very careful calorie watching... but as long as you behave with your food the exercise helps the weight loss quite a bit.

Welcome Jello! I agree with Muse, check out beginnertriathlete for training plans. If you don't run at all I would suggest also looking into the Couch to 5k program (you can google for it).

Personally, since I am in the maintenance phase of weight loss, I actually gained a little weight during training. I wouldn't let that put you off though. I was already at a "normal" weight and already working out 5 days a week, so I mostly added muscle. You should be aware though that you may need to modify your diet a little bit (either content or timing) so that you have enough energy for your workouts.

Hey jellofer2 did you pick out a training program?

Most of the ones for Sprint Tris are 12 weeks or so... so you have plenty of time. I was just curious!

I'm currently on week 3... of I think 32? Seems far off at this point but the weeks are passing quickly. Enjoying my training so far. We are doing our first bike LT Threshold test tonight.

Hope everyone is well!

Welcome Jello. I have a lovely auntie and some very nice cousins who live in Naperville. Good luck and have fun with your training. BT has a lot of great plans.

Idealmuse: i found you on BT I hope that isn't to weird. I'm really rooting for you /inspired by what you are doing.

Well I think I found my first race of the season. I heard it's a good one. it's in between sprint and oly distance. 1/2 mile , 21mile, 5 mile. it's in June. and their race site says they strive to run the least expensive , most organized race in the state. Inexpensive and organized: my true love.

It turns out one of the people who teaches spin at my gym used to be pretty competitive in sprint distance tris in the area. She offered to help me out with some transition training and other junk. We started talking because she complimented my form after class. I'm such an easy get. What? my form is great? tell me everything.... You're my new best friend. Especially since I've been reading about and working on my form lately.

I'm going to run a half marathon this spring. Running has become my new favorite except for when I hate it. I'm inspired by all of you guys to find some swim classes, so that's on the agenda oh and I haven't lost a pound in months so I should probably do something about that. Exercising is the easy part for me. .....

Hah, no that's fine. Everyone is welcome to peek in on my since I've been too lazy to start the blog... I actually saw your banana post SG. Interesting replies you got there ha!

Sounds like a really cool race you found. That's sweet that you found someone to help you out!

Running is a love/hate thing for me too. Because my weight is sorta high for a runner it still doesn't come easy for me, but I do like the way it makes me feel. Exercise too is the easy part for me... I weight the same as I did around Thanksgiving if that makes you feel better. I kept going up and down 5-10lbs although now I'm in crack-down mode... should be headed down again.

I swam 25 laps yesterday! Woohoo, go me. I think I will definitely be improving my swim time this year over last year. Still slacking on the running and biking. Winter, aren't you over yet?? I really hate running on the treadmill. It is just. So. Boring.

25 laps is fantastic PC congrats to you and your hard work.

Thanks Geranium!

It's finally looking like spring here and I got out on my bike for the first time of the season Saturday. All I can say is my butt is extremely sore! I have to get used to the saddle again.

Does anyone have any tips for learning to bike faster? Should I do intervals like I do for running?

I think intervals are the way to go to help increase your speed. I was reading the March issue of Bicycle magazine and that's what they recommended. Look on line for the art it might be there. It was about plateau busting .

25. Sweet. Nice Job!

First outdoor ride of the season on this week... it was nearly 70 degrees and now a day later it's snowing... Ah Spring in Chicago.

Anyone else getting outside yet?

Intervals do help. We've been doing both strength (low cadence to build more muscles) intervals and fast intervals of 100+rpm to get our legs used to peddling at a more ideal rpm range.

Colorado weather is pretty unpredictable too (60s all last week then 6" of snow last night), but lately it's been super nice so I've been getting a few rides in. Last week my Vermont friend convinced me to go out in the sleet/snow. With enough layers, it was actually a really sweet and surreal ride. But I'll take those 70 degrees any day!

As for increasing speed, for my level of fitness, getting any ride in where I feel tired at the end is enough for me. I've been following a training plan that eventually calls for hills and intervals, but for now, I'm just trying to get miles under my belt.

Sorry I'm not of any more use.

paperclippy - I totally understand your boredom with treadmills. I tend to avoid them like the plague not only cuz of the boredom, but because I hate the pounding sound they make when I stomp down on them. I swear, I feel like the whole gym can hear me trying to run on that thing. So instead, I just don't go for a run when it's gross outside. I know, not the best solution at all, but I'm learning to layer and mix up my training to reserve those crappy days for swimming. It's not perfect, but for the most part it's working out. And now that spring is here, there are much fewer bad days.