Triathlon competitors in Munich

Hello Hello,

I was wondering if there are any Triathlon competitors on Toytown. I am currently training for the Erding and Munich Triathlon 2006. This is my first after running Median Marathon 2005. I would love to here your comments about block and transition training. Also would like to know your thoughts on equipment etc...

But most of all, I would love to speak with an Iron Man Competitor. I intend to complete Iron Man Germany 2007 And even if I know the course, I would like to know what is in store for me.

Thanks a million and hope to hear from you.

Hello.

I think there are quite a few people here who do triathlons. Markus and I did Erding and Tegernsee last year. I know that Tench was training for something crazy (half-Ironman?). There must be some more out there.

At the moment my training consists of doing lots of cross country skiing (including racing), some weights and a bit of running.

If you look in the sports section, there are already some threads on training.

Bron

I'll be doing the Olympia Park one at the end of April then Erding with some others. Give me a shout if you want to meet. Hopefully I'll be able to train outside on the bike then. I'm fed up of the turbo trainer

Might do the Tützing one in august too and if it wasn't for the date clashing with another race, I'd also have done the Alpine triathlon at Schliersee in July. really nice course.

Ironman germany looks a great race though it was full within just 2-3 weeks of opening this year. Roth (formally Ironman europe) would be a great alternative. Very popular and well supported, a fast course and about half the price of the official ironman races. Not too far from munich either.

Rumour has it that Pascoe is doing Ironman Austria.

yups done triathalons. but not in Germany sorry- but i too am interested in doing some this summer!

Rumour has it that Tench may be doing it as well but a little quicker than me!!!

Haven't decided yet how many and which ones I am going to participate in, but Erding is quite high on the list, as is Karlsfeld. I am probably aiming for the Olympic distance. Tegernsee Triathlon is quite nice as well, although last year it rained and the water was 16°C and thus comfortably warm compared with the air at 11°C ...

Will want to get on my bike soon as well, although not before Easter, as the last cross country marathon of the season in Germany is on the 18th and 19th of March and after that we'll be on holiday. But - any time after Easter, I am in for bike rides, any distance, (almost) any profile. Snow should have disappeared by then.

I am not doing an Ironman. Not this year.

@mandy1
Ironman eh? good fun in store for you! your two best friends...Pain and Suffering. have done Ironman Switzerland a couple of times and would be happy to talk equipment etc with you. haven't joined a club here in Munich so am always looking for other people to hook up with for long rides/runs, would be cool to meet up at some point.

the tri at the Olympic Park is super well organized. do it!

@ Everyone

So good to get some responses. I wrote Tench that I figured I would get some replies once the snow melted and here we are.

I would love to get together for some rides, swims etc...I am off on a three week vacation and will be back April 16th. The weather should be just about perfect then. I will be sure to post and suggest some dates.

This year I have only planned Erding and Munich Tri in July. But always open for a little more fun.

@ Hurricane

Just ordered a new bike. Cannondale R700 Féminine. I am crossing my fingers we will be a good match as I did not get a long test ride. Any thoughts?

OK then, take it easy..and talk to you in a few weeks!!

-Mandy

Don't you people know that Sport ist Mord?

I'm thinking of moving to Munich to work. I have been competing (in the loosest sense of the word) in triathlons for a couple of years.

Is there anywhere in or near Munich where you can practice open-water swimming?

Loads of lakes. Regatta lake at Oberschleissheim is perfect. Gonna be a month or 2 before it warms up though

OMG - is that where you train, Tench? I think I need a sighting. Actually, I moved to Riedmoos which is a short bike ride from the Ruderregatta in Oberschleissheim.

Yep, stuck my hand in the regattastrecke last weekend and it was damn cold.

Tench

I thought swimming wasn't allowed in the Regatta? or do you go at specific times? or do you swim in the lake next-door?

No, it says 'swim at your own risk'. I see people swimming there all the time. Usually, I just dip in and get the hell out - it's usually too cold.

The lake next to it is very pretty and has a raft floating in it. It seems pretty quiet at least when I've ridden by on my bike.

Hi,

For the Erding run will people be using special swim suits...need to know if I should buy one since it may be bloody cold.

I tend to clam up in cold water so I suppose I should do some lake swims before hand.

Thanks

PS. I will be doing my first one!!! ahaaaa

@Stanford

You don't *need* to buy a special swim suit - I think last year at Erding only about half of the competitors in the sprint distance were wearing wetsuits and the water was 22°C which was fine with just a swimsuit.

Personally, I did the swim in my bikini bottoms and a sports bra and then put my cycle/running suit on over the top when I got out of the water. It was a warm day so I dried out quickly and didn't have any chafing problems.

Markus and I are doing Erding too, so good luck and we'll see you on the start line!

Bron

Bron,

Thanks for the info...a little bit to late as Ive just shelled out 250 Euros on a suit...so it would be a waste of money not to use it!!!

But on the other hand it doesnt make for a pleasant sight around my mid rift...sucks it all in and makes a funny shape!!! Na ja I will train with it and see on the day...

Is it worth going to Erding and training the route before hand...my girlfriend seems to think it makes sense?

@Stanford, well they say you go faster with a wetsuit, so you can feel happy about that. My husband has bought one too, as well as a particularly attractive one-piece romper suit thing that he can wear under it and then do the cycle and run in.

We didn´t do the course before the race last year and it went fine, but it´s not such a bad idea. Do you know where everything is out there?
One thing that is definately worth practicing is getting out of the wetsuit quickly when it is wet.

I hope this helps,
Bron

Bron,

Not sure yet but will check out the website. Plan to do my training here in Solln tomorow, next week Manchester and then the week after I will check out Erding.

To be honest, I shalln't be too worried about time and since I swim so slow I doubt the wet suit will make much of a difference...

Stanford

It will be about finishing in an average time... nothing more.

Stanford,

Usually the slower you are the quicker in percentage terms you will swim with a wetsuit over not having one. Although if this is going to be your only race I would suggest that shelling out for a suit is a bit much for 750m. However, I also would check the race rules as some events will specify that under a certain water temp (Usually 18 degrees celsius) every competitor must wear one.

I don´t think that they make wetsuits compulsory here. Last year at the Tegernsee Triathlon (another fun one, by the way), the water was 16°C so they put up a sign saying that wetsuits were recommended and they would allow people who thought it was too cold to swim to just bike and run, starting the bike ride 20 min after the main start gun (for a 500m swim). However, if anyone wanted to swim, even without a wetsuit, they let them.
I did it as a relay with my sisters, so we made the youngest one do the swim (has to be some advantage to being oldest). She said it was actually a relief to get into the water as the air was only 11° and she was standing there on the start in a bikini.

@Pascoe, are you doing Erding too?

Bron

has anyone done the Tegernsser triathlon before? i'm thinking of doing it this year and am looking for a bit more info on it.
i've looked at the website and all that, but any opinions etc would be nice!
i'm trying to figure out if there are any requirements for participation and when one must regester by and which distance to do

@ Mere,

Tegernsee was great last year. It would have been even better if it hadn´t been p***ing with rain!
What sort of requirements are you thinking of? There are no minimum times that you need to be able to do as far as I know.
It all seemed pretty friendly with a real spread from pros right down to first time triathletes. On the sprint there were plenty of people using mountain bikes and my husband used his city bike (complete with luggage racks).

The bike leg had a few hilly bits but nothing too mountainous and the run was a flat out-and-back along the lake.

They were also happy for me to change my entry at the last minute from a single person to a relay.

Hope this helps,
I am probably doing the sprint again, but without my sisters to help.

Bron

awesome! thanks Bron!
yeah i was thinking of the sprint. i've done a few triathlons, but they were also a few years ago.

mental support

Hello,
Well, I was chatting to a couple of Toytowners who thought it would be good to have a list of local triathlons.
Anyway, MRRC already have one which is more comprehensive than anything I could do, so here's the link:

http://www.mrrc.de/laufvera/laufvera1.htm#Triathlon

I was thinking of doing Bad Tölz, Tegernsee Tal, Karlsfeld and BUGA. Karlsfeld are full for sprint entries, so you can only do the Olympic distance for that one. I think the others still have places.
Erding (this Sunday) is full.

Bron

Just a quickie,

To see how it went for you @Erding?

It was fcuking cold...my wet suit didnt make me go faster as going as slow as I do - it would take much more than a wet suit to help! Fcuk, was it me but how do people put their heads in cold water like that. I got over taken from next group even though they started 15 mins after me...

I have to said it was load of fun...even the run - I think I will look out for another one - even coming last doesnt put me off. But if so my shit mountain bike will be replaced with some speed demon bike and of course I will continue to swim whilst praying to God that I get some fcuking inspiration on technique!!!

Laters

somebody has to. Well done for competing and good luck next time, maybe someone else will come last

Thanks...I shall bare that in mind.

Im hoping to find a very fun general pulic kind of race...with lots of unfit people.

Then I will improve my chances of finishing in the middle.

We can all keep on dreaming..

Thanks again

@Stanford, well done!
We had to miss out this time (urgent trip back home), but I think we will do Tegernsee which was pretty friendly last time. There were also plenty of people using mountain bikes.

Maybe you should get together with some other people for a couple of training sessions and swap tips on going faster/ not being last. I can post up here when and where we are doing some of our training and I think there are other TTers who would be up for some group rides, runs or swims.

Bron

Bron,

It was last in the swim will look if it was last overall today!!! I still live in hope...

I am in the UK during the week but if you guys are doing something on the weekend that would be great. When is Tegernsee? I'd be interested.

Stanford

@ stanford

It might be worth your while checking out Total Immersion. The techniques are quite technical, but well worth learning.

Cheers
B

@bugs

Thanks for that I will check it out. Was talking with my other half last nite, who swims like a fish, about to what extent swimming is a technical sport or talent. When I was younger I was a sprinter and it was clear that speed came first to a certain body type (in general) but when I look at other swimmers I see all types of shapes and sizes who can swim fast. I think I will take some lessons with a couch who can analyse what the fcuk is going wrong...

It is particulary soul destroying swimming front stroke and finding some little old lady (complete with swim cap) head above water doing breast strokes faster than me...believe me it does happen. Funnily enuff superficially I look like I am doing the strokes correctly but something is missing what Ive not got a clue. But I shouldnt be too hard on myself as I learnt to swim properly only 3 years ago and 1.5 ago front stroke.

Thanks again.

Alike swimming to golf. In golf you can hit the ball with much power but if you don't hit it spot on you will not get the distance (if you are lucky - if you are unlucky you will lose your ball or worse hit it 20 feet forward ) If you let the club swing by gravity and you hit the ball 100% spot on it will travel most of the distance anyway.

TI teaches you to streamline properly through the water. So rather than generating more power or speed, you focus on not losing so much momentum between strokes, so your strokes become more efficient and you need less of them to keep moving forward. Fewer strokes mean you have more energy at the end of your swim which makes a better triathlon

Thats the theory at least - I am still getting to grips with it though - like I mentioned, it is quite technical, but definitely worth it in the long run (I still swim "slow" but a lot faster than I could about 3 months ago)

B

@bugs, did you do a TI seminar?
I've got the book and have been trying to concentrate on the advice given in it. I don't know if I have got much faster, but I do swim a lot more efficiently than I used to (don't puff like a steam engine after each lap).

Regarding training, I'd like to do a bike session on Sunday, will probably post proposed route etc. up here if we get ourselves organised. I'm concentrating on rowing until Saturday though.

Bron

P.S. The Erding results are online.

No, I got the book too and I read the forums quite a lot - which is very helpful because people struggle with similar things. The drills in the book are very good for technique - took me a while to convince myself, but they really do help a lot.

A friend of mine told me the best way to improve technique is to make a video - maybe we sould get everyone to Dantebad one weekend and make some videos.

Just checked the results, I came fifth from last and did it in 2hrs which was spot on my goal.

So I am very happy...

I am not around this weekend but the weekend after if there is any training sessions - defo count me in.

You can PM.

@Bron

Do you have a link for Tegernsee?

Thanks

Some local triathlons:

Bad Tölz, 11.6.06 http://www.tri-ath-lon.de/

TUM, 17.6.06 http://www.triathlon.sp.tum.de/

Tegernsee, 9.7.06 http://www.taltriathlon.de/

Karlsfeld, 16.7.06 http://karlsfelder-triathlon.de/

BUGA, 30.7.06 http://www.muenchentriathlon.de/

Some group training would be fun whenever people are interested/have time.

Bron

Mate, good going. The first ones are always the worst. I did the olympiapark one 2 years ago and it was a disaster. Lost my goggles 30secs before the start of the swim, then went the wrong way on both the bike and the run.
Use it as a learning experience. It does get easier.

As for the swimming, it's definately the hardest of the 3 to master. It really is 80% technique and 20% fitness. I've not improved much at all in the last 2 years. The total Immersion stuff is pretty good if you're learning from scratch. However be warned, you will feel a pillock doing alot of the drills in a public pool and it does take time to progress, especially if you're learning from a book.
One-to-one coaching would definately be the best bet for quick results.

hehe. Tench is right, it does take time, but I reckon there are a few things that can be instantly corrected and bring overnight results. Some good tips (some written by Terry Laughlin - writer of TI) can be found here for instance.

Thanks guys, I am off to Greece this weekend so I shall try a few routines out in the see where no one can see me!!!

I think I will wait a few weeks and then do the Tegnersee run...

Hi all,

Just a few questions for those oh so wise and experienced triathlon people here.

Was thinking or doing the Tegernsee Tri (the shorter distance)

But am new to this so have a few questions...

1. Is it just a case of paying or do you need to be a member of a club or association?

2. Can it be done on a mountain bike as I've no road bike here YET?

3. Do you need a wetsuit, I have a surf wetsuit that I can swim in but if the water was warm and it wasn't needed
then I'd prefer to go without the suit, or at least till i get into it enough to get a proper suit...

I guess what I'm really after is a friendly Tri to start with

Hello,

I am not going to call myself wise or experienced, but I may be able to help with your questions.

1. For the sprint, you just pay. No club or association required.
You can put a team name down on the entry if you want, but it doesn't need to be a triathlon club. I usually just leave that bit blank.

2. Mountain bike is fine. They asked last year on the entry form if you would be using one, but only so that they could give you a rack that was wide enough for the bike. Markus did it on his city bike (complete with luggage rack).

3. You do not *need* a wetsuit. My sisters and I did a relay last year. Smallest sister did the swim in a bikini (Welsh girls are hard).

Good luck, and enjoy! Actually that reminds me, I should put my entry in.

Bron

I use to do triathlons, the mini distances. Over the years it has been the ironman distance. Erding was my favourite Anyway I swam in my cozzie (even wore my sports bra under it), didn't bother taking it off for the cycling just put on my running gear jumped on my bike and off. Well sort of off, I was always first from the bottom of the list. And then just hopped off my bike for the running bit.
The supportes are great, I really loved all the cheering that went on, one year Lothar Leder was also competing and I was coming in from running he was doing the bike/run change, the crowed really cheered, I thought it was for me (yeah right) so just put up my arms and ran in as if I was first, the crowed loved that as well and more cheers went up. I felt like a million dollars. Brilliant buzz.
Anyway if anyone wants a racer...I have two in the cellar. Not much good with two children although if and when I start training again, I sure will fly when I take the trailer off!

@ Bron Thanks for the help

okay I've another what may seem like a stupid question but where is Tegernsee



Is it easy to get to by trains, I'm new enough here and still finding my way around but have no car...

so just wondering if it would be awkward to get to??

The village is actually Gmund and we got the train there last year. I think we will do the same again, so if you want someone to travel with, PM me nearer the time.
Bron

Thanks Bron,

Now all I have to do is get some more trining in to make sure I can reach the finish line

Hi all, I'm new to Toytown but have been in Munich for 3 years.
I too did Erding.
2:12.30 for the Olympic distance. Came in second in AK4 in Bayern and 88th overall.

There is an English speaking cycling group that meets up regularly from HP in Dornach (25% of the riders at HP employees) the reason we meet in Dornach is it gives easy access to some great rides. Tend to do 70 - 100km at 30 km/h
Also we meet at the Olympiabad at 07:00 every Tuesday.

Many of the people involved are members of two Tri clubs (Landshut because they have a Liga team) or a club based in Ismaning (beause we live in East munich and MRRC is too far)

So if anyone is interested or wants more info reply. Tegernsee is a good local one and a good one to do as a relay.
Also MRRC.de is a good place for road races, the Alpen cup is good for serious bike rides http://radmarathon.com/home.php

Here are some good local races for interest:
June 2006
11.06.2006
Bad Tolz OBB* www.tri-ath-lon.de
25.06.2006
Rothsee Triathlon*www.rothsee-triathlon.de

July 2006
09.07.2006
Tegernsee Triathlon OBB*       www.taltriathlon.de
23.07.2006
Schliersee Triathlon * www.sandoz-alpen-triathlon.de
30.07.2006
Auerberg Triathlon OBB* www.triteam.de

August 2006
06.08.2006
Middle distance
Tutzing OBB* www.tutzing-ski.de
Kuehbach Triathlon* www.kuehbach-triathlon.de
21.08.2005
Dingolfing Zeitfahren http://www.rsv-dingolfing.de/

Cheers
Richard

Hi Richard,

Great result at Erding.
Are you the bloke who wore the GB kit at the olympiapark tri 2 years ago?
Is the date for Schliersee correct? I would like to do it but thought it was on 15.7 which rules it out for me.
One more thing.. Do you know if there's much of a Timetrial scene in munich and if it's easy to get into?

cheers,
james.