August 2008

Bike Seats For Triathletes: Tips For Choosing A Bike Saddle & Preventing Saddle Soreness

April 21, 2024August 30, 2008 by Jim Palmer

Maybe you’ve never given much thought to your bike seat.

People invest a lot of time determining the brand of bike to purchase, the correct bike fit, the bike’s components, and the right tires.

A new bike obviously comes with a seat, yet typically people don’t really question or investigate whether their bike bike seat is the best bike seat for them. Mistake!

Triathlons & Training = A Lot Of Seat Time

In the sport of triathlon, the biking mileage is the longest compared to the swimming and running portions. For example, in a full Ironman triathlon, you bike 112 miles.

Because the biking portion is the most significant, a triathlete spends a lot of hours and logs a lot of mileage training on his or her bike. This means a lot of time sitting on your rear end.

As I began increasing the mileage on my training rides, I noticed that it wasn’t so much my legs that were aching, but my neck, wrists, lower back, and butt. The right bike seat can make a huge difference in your training for and competing in triathlons.

Should Triathletes Buy A Triathlon Bike, Or Will A Road Bike Suffice?

April 21, 2024August 27, 2008 by Jim Palmer

If you’re a newbie, then you are probably wondering if you should have a tri bike or not.

My story goes as follows…

I was a runner who got into cycling, and eventually took up the sport of triathlon. By the time I got to doing triathlons, I already had a road bike.

The big question was: Should I get a triathlon-specific bike to train and compete in triathlons?

Here are some things you might want to consider.

Tri Bike vs Road Bike

First, let’s explore the primary differences between the two.

Triathlon Gift Ideas For Your Favorite Runner, Cyclist, Swimmer, or Triathlete

April 21, 2024August 23, 2008 by Jim Palmer

Trust me, when Christmas rolls around or a birthday, a triathlete will be thrilled to receive a triathlon-related gift.

You don’t necessarily need to wait for a special occasion.

Show a little love to the runner, cyclist, or swimmer in your life by surprising them with a special surprise.

Let me give you some ideas on picking out the perfect triathlon gift.

A New Female Triathlete Shares Her Journey & Fear Of Swimming In Open Water

February 6, 2018August 21, 2008 by Jim Palmer

Every now and then I plan to share the stories of other triathletes, ranging from newbies to seasoned veterans.

Diane is a newbie triathlete, and I asked her a few questions about getting into the sport of triathlon and how she is dealing with her swimming phobia.

Women’s Triathlon Tips: How To Get Started As A Female Triathlete

April 21, 2024August 20, 2008 by Jim Palmer

Sometimes my 9-year-old daughter Jessica will give me her 5-word lecture on the way it is. She says, “Dad, girls rule, boys drool.”

In many ways this applies to the sport of triathlon. Some of the most successful triathletes in the world are women, and women are fueling the growth of the sport of triathlon. It’s likely that the 2008 Summer Olympics will spark more interest.

There are an increasing number of triathlon resources just for women. To get you started, take some time and explore the following areas:

Packing & Preparing For Triathlon Race Day

August 27, 2015August 18, 2008 by Jim Palmer

I just returned home from a triathlon trip; I competed in an Olympic distance triathlon a few hours from where I live.

With it fresh in my mind, what follows are some tips regarding race day of your triathlon, including what to pack and how to prepare the night before the event.

Bike Training: Hills

July 10, 2017August 15, 2008 by Lynnette Walczak

When cycling, my theory on hills is: Don’t fear them.

That said, every single “newbie” cyclist I’ve ridden with (including myself when I was just getting into cycling) has gotten so nervous and psyched out as they were approaching a hill that they usually weren’t able to pedal efficiently through the hill.

That’s how someone explained it to me once. When you see a hill in the distance, prepare to pedal through it — as if the hill isn’t even there and you’re just tunneling through the hill to the other side.

How do you do that?…

I have 2 hill-climbing strategies that get me through most every type of hill on a bike:

1. Focus on your pedaling motion, find a groove.

2. Switch gears a lot when pedaling up hills.

Ways For Triathletes To Save Money And Cut Costs

April 21, 2024August 14, 2008 by Jim Palmer

You probably need a line-item in your personal budget for triathlon.

The financial investment in tri gear, events, nutrition, and an endless list of other things definitely adds up.

A person could easily spend in the thousands of dollars for a year of training and competing in triathlons.

What follows are some ideas on cutting tri costs.

Yesterday, a friend of mine rode his new custom-made $6,700 Waterford bike over to my house to show me.

If I had that kind of money to spend on a bike, I’d buy one too. I don’t.

Creating Your Triathlon Nutrition Plan

August 27, 2015August 12, 2008 by Jim Palmer

Last night, the NBC coverage of the Olympics had a piece about what USA swimmer phenom, Michael Phelps, eats in a day.

Answer: about anything he can get into his mouth in the largest quantities possible.

He spends a minimum of 5 hours every day training, and it takes a tremendous amount of carbs and calories to keep up.

One article states that Phelps’ “secret” is eating lots of pasta and pizza. This alone could be enough of a motivation for people to take up the sport of triathlon — the reward of eating whatever you want, as often as you want.

But before you go down that road, I’d encourage you to take some time and investigate the specifics of a sound triathlon nutrition plan. If you are a newcomer to triathlons, this may involve a major diet overhaul.

How To Beat The Triathlon Blues

July 10, 2017August 8, 2008 by Jim Palmer

This morning when I woke up, being a triathlete felt like a burden.

It’s August, and my swimmer’s shoulder is holding up, but it’s not totally quite right either. Swimming on consecutive days bothers it, and so I still need a day of rest between each swim session to maintain it. I can’t play tennis with my wife Pam and daughter Jessica because it bothers the shoulder. It keeps me from things I otherwise would enjoy doing.

My feet have also been hurting this week (plantar fascitis). Biking or running seems to agitate them lately. I’ve gone through all this before but this wasn’t the best time for it to pop up with a couple of my most important races ahead of me in August and September. I can’t afford to pull back on my training now. I didn’t sleep well last night; but the training must go on. So, this morning I’m dragging myself out of bed. I’m going to run on the YMCA treadmill; it will allow me get in some running, while minimizing the factors that can mess with your feet while running the road.

Do you get the gist of this post so far? It’s called “triathlete blues,” and it often hits around August when you’re a little worn out, and your most important goals are still ahead of you. Your body has acquired its aches and pains, the summer heat begins to wear on you, and all kinds of frustrations get into your wheel house. You start daydreaming about putting your bike on eBay, taking up ping-pong, and catching up on the movies you never saw but wanted to. You are sick and tired or organic, low-fat, fruit smoothies, and ready to head to DQ for a Blizzard.

If you have the “triathlon blues,” here are a few tips for dealing with it.

2008 Beijing Olympics Triathlon: A Crash Course

October 21, 2023August 3, 2008 by Jim Palmer

Are you ready for the 2008 USA Olympics?! With just a few days to go, I thought it might be helpful to break down the details on the 2008 Beijing Olympics triathlon competition.