c/couch-to-iron-war

Finally swam a full 500 meters without stopping after 8 weeks of gasping like a fish

It was last Thursday at the local YMCA pool and I actually cried a little in the lane after I touched the wall, has anyone else had a random emotional moment over a small milestone like that?

2 comments

jason958•5d ago

Rant: That triathlon coach who told me "just run through the pain" nearly wrecked my knee

I was 6 weeks into training, barely running 3 miles. Coach Mike said shin splints were normal, just push harder. Kept going for 2 more weeks until I couldn't walk. Doctor said I had a stress fracture, needed 8 weeks off. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from a "guru" that set them back?

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jenny_jackson•6d ago

Found a trick to stop chafing on long bike rides after 2 years of suffering

I started training from being a total couch potato 3 years ago, and chafing was my worst enemy on rides over 30 miles. Last month I finally tried body glide applied to my inner thighs and chamois edges before every ride. It cost me $8 at my local Dick's Sporting Goods in Portland. I used to get raw skin that forced me to skip training for days. Now I finish my 60 mile Saturday rides without a single hot spot. Has anyone else found a specific brand that works better for humid weather?

2 comments

caseyl18•8d ago

Had a debate with my swim coach about gear dependency

So I was at the pool last Tuesday and my coach said I should ditch the wetsuit for my next open water practice. He claims people lean too hard on gear and never learn proper body position. But I've been using a rental wetsuit for 6 months and my times dropped by 4 minutes on the 1.5k. He says it's a crutch, I say it's confidence building. What do you all think, is gear a tool or a trap when you're still new?

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christopher952•8d ago

My first open water swim ended in a full panic attack

I was about 200 yards out in the local lake and suddenly couldn't breathe, felt like my lungs just locked up. I had to flip onto my back and float for like 5 minutes before a kayaker came over to check on me. Has anyone else had that moment where you just freeze in the water and how did you get past it?

2 comments

parkerl33•8d ago

I think slow swimming drills are way overrated for beginners like me

Everyone online pushes those endless catch-up drill sets, but I dropped 2 minutes off my 500m by just focusing on breathing rhythm instead. Has anyone else found a specific weakness that mattered more than the standard 'form first' advice everyone throws around?

2 comments

terry1•9d ago

I nearly derailed my training because of bad nutrition timing

Used to just eat whatever before my swim sessions, like a bagel or some toast right before jumping in. Threw up twice in the pool during my first month of Couch to Iron War. Now I eat a banana and a small scoop of peanut butter exactly 90 minutes before I hit the water. Changed that after a guy from my tri club yelled at me in the locker room. He said my stomach needed time to settle or I'd keep churning. Anyone else have a specific pre-workout snack that saved them from a disaster?

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kellyg14•9d ago

That $60 wetsuit I bought off Facebook Marketplace actually worked fine

I was dead set on needing a $300 wetsuit for my first open water swim. Found one listed by a guy in Fresno who said he used it twice. Took it to a local pool to test the buoyancy and it kept me floating just as good as the expensive ones. 6 miles of lake swimming later and I haven't had any chafing or leaks. Has anyone else gone cheap on gear and been surprised?

3 comments

quinn582•10d ago

Pool swims felt like drowning before I found open water

Back in 2019 when I first started training for my first sprint tri, I could barely make it 25 meters without gasping. I would do all my swims at the local YMCA pool in Portland, staring at the black line, convincing myself I was getting better. Then I went to my first open water practice at Sauvie Island and nearly had a panic attack in the first 5 minutes. The murky water, the cold shock, the total lack of walls to grab onto, it was a completely different animal. Now I actually prefer open water over pool swimming because the current keeps me honest and I don't have to flip turn. But I still get nervous every time I wade in past my waist, that feeling never really goes away. Has anybody else found that open water swimming changes your breathing rhythm in a way pool laps never prepare you for?

2 comments

faithf77•10d ago

Why does nobody talk about the 'run through the sprinkler' trick for cooling off on long summer runs?

After I hit mile 8 in 90-degree heat last July and nearly collapsed, I started planning my route to pass by every lawn sprinkler I could find, and it dropped my heart rate by 15 bpm each time. Has anyone else tried this or am I just weird?

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evangarcia•10d ago

No more long slow runs for me, intervals are where it's at

I spent 6 months doing those slow 10-mile runs and barely improved my 5K time. Switched to 400 meter repeats for 8 weeks and dropped from 26 minutes to 22:40. Has anyone else had way better luck with speed work over distance?

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richardh44•11d ago

Just found out my wetsuit was doing me zero favors below 60 degrees

Saw a chart from a tri coach that said neoprene basically stops insulating under 60°F water, which explains why I was shivering so hard in that lake swim last October I couldn't breathe. Has anyone else had that cold water shock moment and fixed it with something like a thermal rashguard?

2 comments

craig.grant•11d ago

Compared pool swimming to open water swimming and it was night and day

I trained all winter at the YMCA pool near my house in Columbus. Did 500 laps easy. Thought I was ready. Then I did my first open water swim at a local reservoir last Saturday. Within 2 minutes I was panicking, couldn't see the bottom, and my breathing went all over the place. Pool swimming is way easier because of the lane lines and clear sighting. Anyone else get blindsided by open water or did you prepare differently?

2 comments

sandra916•13d ago

My $80 tri suit purchase almost ruined my first sprint tri

I mean, I thought I was being smart buying a cheap tri suit off Amazon for like $80. But the chamois padding shifted during the bike leg at the Lake Placid sprint last month, and I spent the whole run trying not to chafe down there. Maybe it's just me, but has anyone else had luck with a specific brand under $150?

2 comments

barnes.shane•17d ago

Picked the cheap road bike over the decent hybrid and my knees nearly quit 3 weeks in

I was 40 pounds overweight and decided to start with a used road bike off Craigslist for $200 instead of a proper hybrid. Figured I'd grow into it. First 10 mile ride felt OK but by week 3 my knees were screaming every time I clipped in. Turns out the geometry was all wrong for someone who hadn't been on a bike since middle school. Had to swap to a hybrid with a more upright position and now I'm actually building up miles without joint pain. Anyone else grab the wrong type of bike at first and pay for it later?

2 comments