One Week Out From Indoor Tri

Another Sunday under my belt as I got up early and did a one hour spinning class, ran and then swam. Specifics can be found under my Tweets. I'm not going to bore you by inserting my workouts into a blog entry.

I'm now one week out from doing my first ever indoor triathlon. I've done outdoors for years and years but this will be the first time I've done one of these.

Course Information: The Indoor Triathlon is based on time (60 minutes of racing for each competitor) unlike an outdoor triathlon based on distance. Participants are allowed times for safe transition between race legs. Transitions don’t count toward the 60 minutes of racing time.

• 10-minute swim in lap pool
• 10-minute transition (swim to bike)
• 30-minute bike in cycle fitness studio
• 5-minute transition (bike to run)
• 20-minute treadmill run

Overview: The Indoor Triathlon is based on time rather than distance - meaning you receive points for going further in a specific period of time, not going faster over a fixed distance. Participants are graded on a curve. The furthest distance in each category gets the most points (actual number is based on total participants), the shortest receives 1 point, and your "score" for the discipline is based on the points you achieve. All three disciplines count equally toward your final score. Therefore, your rank and score will not be determined until all participants have completed the event.

In the Pool: Participants will swim for 10 minutes in the pool. There will be no more than two participants per lane. Each wave will have 10 participants, with all participants starting at the same time. Participants will be body marked with their assigned number and must wear the event-issued swim cap. The swim caps will be given out at the pool. The head ref for the pool will use a whistle or horn to mark the start and stop time. Participants are required to be in the pool for the start. Once started, participants are allowed to stop to rest by hanging on the wall, lane line or by standing. When the stop whistle or horn goes off, all racers must stop and return to the start end of the pool. Participants will be given credit for total lengths completed measured in ½ lengths. For example, if you've finished 20.8 lengths you will be given credit for 20.5 lengths.

T1 (Transition 1, from the pool to the bike): Participants will be given 10 minutes from the whistle or horn to go to the locker room, change into clothing for cycling/running and get to the cycling room. Again, please be prompt, but safe and considerate of others while moving through the facility. Bike shoes with cleats are not allowed on your feet until you have reached the cycling studio. The 10 minutes allowed should be adequate to make the transition in a safe, controlled manner. We recommend bringing your bike and running gear for a smoother transition 2.

On the bike: Participants will bike for 30 minutes. Each bike will be outfitted with a bike computer calibrated to measure "distance" by counting the number of times the flywheel goes around. All computers will be calibrated the same, and we will try to make the "distance" reported realistic for a road bike. However, the total is not meant to correspond exactly to the actual distance cycled. Bike computers will not show cadence. The bikes will be calibrated to have the same resistance. As resistance is a constant, participants are not allowed to adjust resistance and will be disqualified if seen making any adjustments. Participants are not allowed to bring their own pedals. The spin bikes will have pedals with toe clips for use with regular running shoes on one side and Shimano clipless compatibility on the other. Time permitting, participants can adjust the handlebar height and seat height positions. The head ref for the bike area will ensure the trip counter on each bike computer is reset to zero before each wave starts and that no one gets off to a false start. At the end of the 30 minutes, the head ref will signal participants to stop. Volunteers will record the total distance based on your bike's computer. Participants will be allowed to bring towels and have water bottles while on the bike.

T2 (Transition 2, from the bike to the run): Participants will be allowed 5 minutes to transition from the bikes to the treadmills. Please be courteous of other people as you make your way to the run.

On the run: Participants will run 20 minutes. The run segment will be done on treadmills. We will make every effort to ensure all treadmills are of the same brand and are calibrated accurately. The head ref for the run area will ensure that no participants press their start button before the start is called and that all participants stop their machines at the end of 20 minutes. Treadmills will be set at a 0% incline and may be adjusted as long as you do not have a negative incline. Participants can control how fast they set their treadmills and can change the speed throughout the 20 minutes. If you need a break, slow down the machine. Participants must remain on the belt of the treadmill for the entire 20 minutes. If you choose to stop early and step off the belt, your distance will be recorded at the point you stopped. Otherwise, volunteers will record distances at the end of the 20 minutes. Participants will be allowed to bring towels and water bottles with them for the run.

Scoring: Volunteers will record the distances of each participant in each event and tabulate the final score. Results will be available online at www.lifetimefitness.com/events no later than Tuesday following the event, but we will try to try to have them online earlier if possible. Ranking will be provided for Open Men, Open Women, Masters Men and Masters Women.

Today I got up early and reported to a one hour spinning class, as mentioned at the beginning of this blog entry. I did this as I wanted to become aquainted with the spinner they will be using in the tri. Now, I know we have a lot of dedicated spinners out there so, little help please:

• I adjusted properly for saddle height. Now, wondering about handlebar height? Should I go lower to fit more of the tri-bike setup? Or just go 'high' and stay relaxed since it's all about cadence for this indoor event.
• Have the seat closer to being above the pedals? Behind the pedals? Again, its all about cadence.
• Any other suggestions on how to get the most out of the spinner will be most welcome. Leave a comment below and help out an old man.

Now then, with all three elements addressed and not even 10:30 am yet, all that is left is for some father-son bonding, shoveling snow off the roof, and a Epsom salt bath to soak the muscles. Think I'm joking about shoveling snow off the roof? Think again.

The Tundra calls for a variety of talents – click on image for larger view

Look Out Below! – click on image for larger view

Oh, for those wondering....the Retül bike fit went very well. Gear West is sending me before/after video and pics so I'm holding on my full report until I have those.

So, maybe sometime Monday. Otherwise it will be the end of next week as I'll be in New Jersey on business and dealing with the insanity of the East coast.