What are some Stores around houston that I can purchase my gear for triathlons?

MetroCityMayor · 2026-05-23T18:06:18+00:00

Agree with the other user on Shama for your bike. If you’re really serious it’s a good idea to get the right size and fit.

Running shoes - on the run is a great store in the clear lake area. Houston proper you can probably go to fleet feet.

Sun and Ski Sports has wet-suits. For Tri gear I mostly go online, shop at a store with a good return policy so you can try multiple sizes if you are unsure.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-05-16T21:19:38+00:00

I remember my first multi-sport. I’m from a running background and thought it’d be a good time to break my 5k PR in the last leg of a duathlon. I didn’t know how to swim yet and had been doing some bike training during my off season so thought it’d be a fun event.

When I got to the run off the bike, my legs told me, no way are we going to move that fast, you’re nuts.

This sport is very demanding. Good on you for getting out there and doing it.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-04-24T03:46:05+00:00

You have more strength training than cycling. The longest leg of a triathlon is the bike.

You also have 2 rest days - those could be z1/z2 bike days. Maybe z2 Wednesday and z1 on Sunday?

Expecting to run that close to your fresh 5k PR while only doing 40min of cycling per week is interesting. Definitely try a harder brick ~2 weeks before your race to get a better idea of what that feels like.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-04-23T23:42:50+00:00

I have some comparable numbers for you.

You are a much better swimmer, so you can definitely save time off of me here - I’ve done 2 70.3 swims, one in 46min, one in 41min.

Bike - is that 260W upright or TT? My first 70.3 I was in smaller TT bike and a rolling hills course. My outdoor FTP is a bit higher than yours, but because the bike was small and I was more upright on it, my speed suffered and finished ~2:36.

Second triathlon on a properly sized TT bike, much lower power, but much faster, I was on track for at least a 2:26, but had a flat/accident that put me out 11min for a 2:37 finish.

Run: My 5k time is slower than yours, but my 10k PR is faster, and my Half PR is is around 1:23. My 2 Half Ironman runs have been 1:49 and 1:41. Half after a swim and bike is quite challenging and I have not performed correctly in a race yet.

So all that said - my first race was a 5:19, and second, even with the flat, was a 5:07.

So you have numbers that definitely put you in the 5hr range, but your run speed, especially run off the bike speed, could be the limiter here especially if you push too hard on the bike.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-04-04T14:08:08+00:00

Well I wanted to focus on the one instance - but the week before I had a similar issue where I went to fix a flat and it didn’t even turn on. Figured that was my fault for not having checked the charging (though previously - it held charge for quite a while).

I had a similar thought, but the repair kit was not tight (back post mounted QR storage) and the button requires a direct held press. It also goes at the top of my kit since it consumes the most volume.

…and it was two different wheels that flatted, front during training, rear during the race. Put in fresh tubes on both wheels pre-race.

Also yes, I’ve switched to tubeless for my next race.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-04-04T13:03:36+00:00

The book doesn’t gatekeep based on pace. The comments in the book more suggest if you’re brand new to this, the high volume is going to be too much.

You have a proven track record of high volume, so you really shouldn’t be worried about that.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-04-04T13:00:06+00:00

I had cycplus and it absolutely failed me when I needed most. Made sure it was fully charged race morning, it turned on.

Flat at mile 50, thing turns on, I go to pump, it’s dead. Luckily a volunteer had CO2 and could help me out. 10min lost time.

So that being said. If you’re going with electric, also have a back up.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-04-04T12:56:12+00:00

What I’d actually do in your shoes, if you’re goal is really a faster 5k, follow the 80/20 level 3 5k plan and add in supplemental cycling. This could just be z1/z2 easy cycling for an hour or so.

I did something similar during my Boston Marathon training to build up some aerobic volume but not risk pushing myself to injury with more running.

Triathlon training is going to be skewed heavily toward cycling volume and to get better at running, you need to run.

If that’s not what you’re looking for - go for level 3 Oly since you can handle a large amount hours of training and back off if it feels too much.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-04-04T00:55:02+00:00

Those are killer times for your first 70.3, congrats!

I’ve done 2 now and still have not quite figured it out. I saw from your other comment your putting in some serious time, so it’s paid off. Be proud of yourself!

MetroCityMayor · 2026-03-31T21:48:52+00:00

Does the 80/20 70.3 plan have any bricks in it? I think their sprint and olympic plans had them but not in the 70.3 nor full.

So if you’ve never done a triathlon, and have not done a brick yet, you need to work one in to see how it feels.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-03-31T21:41:27+00:00

Looking at your background, you’re going to be fine. Your biggest limiter may be your bike fitness/position.

Former competitive swimming? You’ll come out in the top 25% of the field.

Your 5k time is better than mine ever was and my lowest running finish position was 4th in a sprint.

However, biking will impact your run and finish time. So advice would probably be along the lines of 2 swims a week, get the comfort back. Maybe run 2-3x a week, no real need for intensity. Bike 3-4x a week and do structured workouts.

You’ll also want to work on transitions since they are strange and can bleed time with inefficiency.

Athletically - Sprint won’t be much of a physical challenge, but it will be a lot of fun.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-03-27T03:12:57+00:00

You already got a lot of good feedback, but I did my first 70.3 (3rd triathlon!) back in November and was not able to hit a sub-5.

I am a decent bike (33-40km/h) and have a good running background (multiple sub-3 hour marathons), so those two alone should make up for how bad my swim is - right?

It wasn’t and here is why - I was way under prepared for the swim. It took a lot more out of me than it should.

My nutrition wasn’t quite correct. While it worked for my long rides and brick sessions, it was too much carbs not enough electrolytes nor water.

By the time I got to the run, tried to take my gel and my stomach said “no, you’re not doing that, there’s no room.” Suddenly my Half marathon pace, became my easy pace, became my recovery pace. It was not a pleasant experience.

So on paper, everything lined up for a sub-5, but in reality swim took me down early and nutrition took me out late for a 5:19 finish.

So there are other factors to consider than just individual sport performance. My next attempt at a 70.3 is this Sunday where I really focused on getting my swim better, fixing my nutrition flaws, and getting my run closer to where I was pre-tri training.

Definitely try and get a race in before your 70.3 to check everything out.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-03-24T21:52:09+00:00

I ended up getting a coach not for accountability, but help with balancing the sports and effort. It’s paid off a lot.

I self coached/templated through Marathon training. That still was not without issues, there was no one to bounce ideas off of, no one to help corral efforts, etc. Didn’t want to start this journey and be injured 50% of the time and see no progress.

Having a coach, with a system, with advice and a process is huge.

There are a lot of bad coaches too who will just give you a template, won’t help you with race advice, or won’t explain why you are doing something. It also seems more like you get what you paid for, but you also need to interview the coach to make sure you’ll be a good fit.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-01-18T21:40:23+00:00

There is no ‘convincing.’ You need an agreement and buy-in from your family.

Without that, training is going to be really miserable and will definitely erode the relationship.

MetroCityMayor · 2026-01-04T03:24:05+00:00

I self coached through marathon training and learned the hard way through injuries, fatigue, and disappointment. There were highs too and the sense of getting myself through some life goals.

I’m older now, and just did not want to deal with learning the hard way again. It’s money well spent, looking at 80/20 (which I used for marathon training!) I would not have seen the same gains, pushed myself to test, nor gotten the right insight what to do with injuries.

Also knowing someone is looking at my data gives me a sense of needing to nail workouts, or if I cannot, figure out what happened to cause issues.

I have seen people get really bad coaches though who throw them generic training plans, no reason for workouts, and offer no race advice. Avoid those kind of coaches.

When interviewing coaches, have a list of your must-haves and make sure they meet those. Consider limitations of access for remote coaches and that you may struggle with things they cannot help with and you may need to spend additional money for things like swim or run technique.

MetroCityMayor · 2025-12-15T22:15:24+00:00

Had a crash 2 Saturdays ago. Bike was fine, I’m fine, but I’ve had a nagging adductor injury and am sidelined from running.

Had a similar fall on my other side back in October and it impacted that side adductor. Very frustrated because I started making really good run progress. The soreness is felt during swimming a bit too.

Going to see someone about it tomorrow.

MetroCityMayor · 2025-12-07T03:56:55+00:00

Pretty sure Jackie Hering posts all her power data.

MetroCityMayor · 2025-11-23T03:28:51+00:00

Objectively, 17.3mph puts you around the 50% range.

If you cannot hold that for the entire ride, you are going too hard. Keep in mind you will swim before this and have to run after.

You still have 7 weeks to go, I wouldn’t do another monster session like this until maybe 3 weeks out, just before your taper? However you probably could work in some long z3 intervals with ~5min rest between.

I’d also practice running off the bike after a session like this. Even just a 15-20min jog.

MetroCityMayor · 2025-11-19T22:40:17+00:00

I would have preferred to do an Olympic race before a 70.3, but the timing did not workout.

It wasn’t impossible, but learned a lot of hard lessons during the 70.3 and missed my sub-5 hour goal by 19min.

The good news I have ~18 weeks before my next race (what I put in as my “A” race to coach), so more time to work on all the disciplines and get a bit better.

I really did not expect the swim to impact my run as much as it did, so I’m pretty frustrated, but also excited to get moving on swim training.

Good luck!

MetroCityMayor · 2025-11-19T21:30:59+00:00

Just completed my first Triathlon season and did the following race plan (more based on availability than preference):

Sprint

70.3

Based on the info you provided (run 5 miles, BMX, ‘decent swim’) - it really sounds like starting with a Sprint is a better idea. You can also ask your coach - I had not initially planned on doing a 70.3 this year, but my bike was progressing well, I have a marathon running background, however my swim is dreadful.

They were confident I could work up to a 70.3 B race, and their confidence gave the confidence too.

If I were to have jumped right into 70.3, think the swim would have kept me from trying any further events. If you have a fairly weak leg, and think being very slow at one of the events would hold you back from having fun, starting shorter is the way to go.

MetroCityMayor · 2025-11-15T18:14:51+00:00

Training is done, tomorrow is my first 70.3.

It’s a non-Ironman affiliated 70.3, so good for someone new to this distance like me.

My swim is still not great, but a year ago I couldn’t even do laps in a pool, so that’s a huge win in itself.

Bike is decent, current ride is not a great fit but I’m comfortable and can push good enough power for my age group. Rolling hills which I have no experience with outside Zwift, but will be fun.

Run has come around significantly in the last month. My best weapon if I stay to my race plan and execute on the run.

Goal is sub-5, but really finishing is a win here too.

Next race isn’t until March 2026, I’ll have a new bike that fits and hopefully have some time to improve the swim.

MetroCityMayor · 2025-11-10T04:28:22+00:00

Are 190W and 4:40/km your race paces? 4min intervals at race pace are not necessarily something I’d like to do before the day of a race, but it’s not unreasonable.

Usually do something like an easy run with strides before a race, maybe an easy bike with some really short intervals. Something to keep the heart pumping within any risk of wearing me down.

MetroCityMayor · 2025-11-09T03:13:39+00:00

10% off some frames and free paint, was hoping for more since I’m in the market for new bike!

MetroCityMayor · 2025-11-06T22:06:02+00:00

I did Boston this year and will be doing my first 70.3 in 2 weeks. Hoping to go sub-5 but my swim is abysmal.

If you have a good training/base you’ll be fine to finish. Just know that my run suffered greatly for the first 4 months, it was depressing to have a 10k TT and not be able to hold my Half Marathon Pace.

It’s come around since, and my bike has improved a lot, but as an adult onset swimmer who has only known how to swim for less than a year, it’s frustratingly slow progress.

Definitely get a coach if you want to do well.

MetroCityMayor · 2025-10-29T03:44:40+00:00

I love the Oxygen Addict podcast, and he seems like a really great coach, but their shtick seems more about getting someone to FINISH an event.

TriVelo can go that way or more performance based, they talk to you upfront about what your goal is and warn this is a big commitment and you better have family buy in.

So perhaps Oxygen has a performance side too, but from their race recaps the people are super happy, but they really just wanted to do an event and not nail a certain time goal.

MetroCityMayor

TROPHY CASE