Calling the triathlon experts now....

Any wetsuit advice?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/orca-trn-thermo-wetsuit-wiggle-exclusive/#tabCustReviews

£100.  My cheapo one from tesco eight years ago ain't fit for purpose, far too tight round the shoulders.  I only have 5 weeks before I go to Gozo expecting to swim 2-3 miles a day so time to stop fkin around.  If the above doesn't seem reasonable can anyone suggest why not and what I should/should not be looking for in an entry level wetsuit. Considering prescription goggles too as a little sea water in eyes doesn't sound as bad as a little sea water in eyes with contact lenses in.

The one thing you should be looking for in any wetsuit is fit and comfort for you Rob. The manufacturers will sell you on any old shinola with this and that which will make little difference. If you can make it along to a decent local shop with an infinity pool (check online) they'll get you to try on suits to swim in. If you explain your price point to them and give them a rough guide of the type of swimmer you are they can give you some useful feed back from the side and you can say what suits you in the water.

On the specific suit there are a few around that price point but they tend to be broadly similar but remember you are unique.

I'm not a big warr water swimmer myself but I'd be careful not to overdo it if you're thinking of using it in Gozo. Temps in the 90's and wetsuits which have a goal of allowing to you to swim efficiently often in cooler temps and help keep you warm won't always go. Most races below a certain temp some way below the 90's and people tend not to wear a wet suit.

I'm listening, Rob.
Can't impart any knowledge, but I'm listening.

Ah that is really nice of you to say Tommy and Makybe Diva.  It is occupying my mind a lot of the time these days and I am very lucky to have this Tri group that I am training with down Brighton way, a proper good bunch of people.  Remember parkruns are for all people of all ages and abilities andthey are all over the country and they are all over free.  Just saying nothing stopping anyone giving. A whirl.

Marvellous stuff Tommy.

Thought they called it the 200yd dash when you were at school.  I find I am constantly stuck between boredom and addiction with it all.  Considering the people I am surrounded by I think it is almost inevitable I will enter a half Ironman in September and a full Ironman in 2016.

Think I did 400m in 75s at school.  Well short of the speedsters but well in the top half of the yea

Absolutely no Jack Palance.

I can't tell you just how much I hate running/walking long distances - which equates to anything over 200m!

I'b be dead - with a slit throat - after the first 200m!

ran 1 mile 8.40
walked back 14.45

total 2 miles 15 stone 7 lb beer belly 46

want to do sub 2 hours half marathon
the 46 was my beer belly in inches I 51

Cheers EO good advice

Good stuff that Capt F, and good luck.  Do keep us informed of your updates, i always like to read about how other people are doing with this kind of stuff. My first HM was about 2:12 but my last one was 1:42. Think 2hr HM is 9:07 min/mile so you are well ahead of that already and bet you will be surprised at how 1 mile becomes 2 becomes 5 becomes 10 etc.  I really wanna lose weight too, I went from 13st to 11.5 stone in about six months last year.  Packed up smoking in January and, despite training for Brighton Marathon I put on weight and am over 12st now.  Every time I fancied a smoke I ate a Snickers.  Bonkers mental but would love to lose, say 15lb (that wouldnt even be my fighting weight or make me slim) and gain 30s a mile running.

The bike is the key Rob.

I still don't know how fast I can go because I haven't done the training or weight loss for my running but as a young man I was a sub 30 minute road race 10k man so I'm reasonably confident I can get down to sub six minute miles again as I'm about a six and a half guy at the moment. The swim I am already a solid 12 minutes man but it's usually a 750 swim and I think I can eke out another minute there. So I'm guessing I've got 29 minutes for swim and run. These have tended to be pool based so you're only looking at 30 seconds per transition but with wetsuit you're quite a bit quicker in the water but your first transition is slower.

Here's where it gets interesting because I've just done my own thing on the bike and been cycling about 34 minutes pre run for the 20k and I went into my local bike shop and he had me on the turbo and he told me I was basically a bag of shiit and was just doing it off peddling like buggery. Apparently, very much like swimming it's also a technique based event as much as it is blood and guts. How was I to know? So I'm doing an awful lot of one legged turbo cycling looking to take out my dead spots and I can already feel a difference but I've resolved myself to really going for it over the next year and forgetting about competing and concentrating on things I should have already done like base miles and lots of other things.

I'm happy to finish in the top few in races currently but before I'm too old I'd like a real flourish where I do what I can to be the best I can be.

1.36 miles 10.45  10% gig first mile 7.59 lot downhill tho
walk back 2.72 total

Update

5 miles 53 17 secs

weight just over 15 stone still boozing

feel good tho

8.58
9.21
9.11
9.37
9,45
10.16
11.07
11.25
11.24      9 miles 1:31:27  first 3 at sub 2 hour half

14 stone 12 lb cant give up the Ale feeling good tho

One advantage of being 15 stone is that you will burn 50% more calories than a 10 stone man doing the same exercise.  Keep churning out the miles and the weight should drop off.  A 15 stone man running 9 miles must be about 1500 calories.  A 10 stone weakling might only burn 1000.  A pound a week weight loss is a realistic aim I reckon.  Some people say that to lose weight any quicker than that is not healthy anyway.

Gl with ironman

Ttt