[Stallionforce]

Well since my introduction fell flat on its face...I guess I'll throw out a more specific question, one that's been nagging me lately since I made the choice to go from road to tri.

I generally have about 2 hours in the morning to train if I wake up early; and, I have another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes in the evening to train again. I could stretch that to an hour occasionally.

I would like to work in some gym stuff too: mostly core body conditioning, and balancing out my horrific strength imbalance b etween my right and left legs (horribly right-side dominant).

I've sort of been mixing in either a swim or a cycle in the morning, with a shorter run in the evening. And two days a week in the gym.

Does anyone have more concrete an idea of what I could be doing? Keep in mind, that compared with elite swimmers, I am the headbanger guy at the lake in the summer, beer can in one hand, other arm flailing like a whip, head-out-of water...you get the pic.

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[efrobert]

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/default.asp
This site has some good training programs, I'm sure you can fine one to fit.

[GrantParkerB]

Hey Stallionforce... I'm right with you on the swim brother! Just started my swim lessons 2 weeks ago. I hear it just takes notthin but time. I am prating the crawl right now, going extremely slow, focusing on breathing and using fins. I imagine I'll be doing that for awhile. Try getting a local swim coach or some type of private instructor. Maybe a fellow local triathlete could meet you at the pool and help, that is what I got goin. No hurry, the season is far off! Good luck! O and here is a link to some good stuff = http://www.totalimmersion.net/ (http://www.totalimmersion.net/)

[TysonB]

Stallion,

Don't feel bad about the lack of response to your introduction, the Triathlon subforum gets way fewer hits than others on BF, because BF is basically a bike forum. Nonetheless some of the posters in the Tri forum are knowledgible, experienced and FAST. Listen to them.

I am old, experienced and reasonably in the middle of my age group at most tri's (I'm 57). I am a decent swimmer and, vis the other racers, I do well in this leg of a tri.

As to swimming, I think you will find a majority of people on this board are favorably inclined toward the total immersion method. I am not one of them. The other camp is mixed, but most would say stay with a 'traditional" swim method (whatever that is) and just work on tried and true swim techniques.

I agree with this view. Get flat in the water. Don't splash around. Be smooth. Use a longish stroke. Pull and push with conviction at the proper times of the stroke. Kick as little as possible. Breath! Exhale! Go straight. Good luck.

As a fast biker you have the most important leg whipped. Work on the run. You can't win the tri with a good swim. But you can sure lose a lot of time with a bad one.

Tyson

[Stallionforce]

Thanks for the input and suggestions guys! I am really pumped about this -- even excited about my pool time and making improvements. I don't generally learn physical tasks well from books or videos so I will need a coach.

Should be fun.

Again, thanks to everyone.