Any triathletes out there?

[LovesLife]

I saw the Ironman competition in Hawii one year and they were amazing. After they finished the competition a few hung around the pool with us. It wasn't too long before they became bored "just hanging around" and got up to go and do some more running/biking/swimming. I couldn't believe they had an extra energy after all of that.

The other thing that I noticed about some of the women was that they looked so manly. I told my husband that they looked like he/she-s. And the men looked very lean/trim, not bulky at all.

LL

 

[Eagle43]

I'm a pathetic swimmer; good floater. I was swimming laps in the gym. They were about 20-30 yards (I guess). Timed myself; took me 2+ mins to do a round trip. The next lane over was a slender young lady who went up and back, time and time again for about an hour or two. She was doing a roundtrip in 48 seconds.

p.s. As to the value of swimming exercise, I have never seen a fat swimmer. Talking about someone who swims every day and really gets with it. Also it's easy on the joints.

 

[grumpy]

I swim laps every day. I have chronic back problems so swimming is the only strenuous exercise I can do that doesn't increase my back pain. I generally swim about 80 lengths of a 25 yard pool (about 1 and 1/4 miles). This takes me about 40 minutes. I swim continuously, with flip turns and vary my breathing pattern, swimming some lengths breathing every 4th stroke, some every sixth stoke, etc. I get into a meditative state where my mind turns off and I am focused completely on the flow of water over my body. I have been doing this lap swimming for about 25 years. I used to do a lot of bike riding before my back made me stop. I was never able to run because of my back. I would love to be able to do a triathalon but it's not going to happen.

Grumpy

 

[sailor]

I used to do a lot of bike riding before my back made me stop.

Grumpy,
have you ever tried a recumbent bicycle?
This was a solution for a friend of mine with back problems.
(she actually bought a recumbent tricycle - cool but expensive machine made in Australia http://greenspeed.com.au/solo.htm )

 

[tozz]

Could be worse, you could be like me:  pathetic swimmer; great sinker.  I can (well could) run a marathon, but would be gasping for air halfway down the length of the pool.

I'm a pathetic swimmer; good floater.

 

[laurence]

Grumpy, that's awesome that you have swimming down so well, I stink at it!

It's true that consistent swimmers are in great, great shape, but it's funny, at tris you see all the tubby guys getting out of the water first(well, a lot sooner than you thought they would), to be passed a few minutes later on the bike. I guess fat floats!

So my friend who lost our little bet and came in a whopping 1 minute 10 seconds behind me is now making all sorts of excuses (cramp! bike problems!) ....whiner!