Triathlons

Triathlon Watches: A Guide To Choosing The Best Sport Watch

So, you decided to take up the sport of triathlon. You hopped into the water at your local YMCA pool and began swimming laps. Things were fine for the first 4 laps, but then on lap 12 you couldn’t quite remember if it was lap 11, lap 12 or lap 13.

The next day, you went for a run on your nearby greenway. You were pretty sure the distance was about 6 miles. But later that night you got to thinking. “I wonder what the exact mileage of my run was today. I once ran a half marathon in 1 hour and 32 minutes; I wonder if I ran at that pace at any point during my run today.”

A few weeks later, you get to wondering how many miles you have been averaging each week in swimming and running. You do a guestimate but it would be nice to know for sure.

Hmm… sounds like you need a sports watch!

Continue reading: Triathlon Watches

How To Maximize Your Off-Season Triathlon Training

Many triathletes are now in the off-season of their year-round triathlon training plan.

The term “off-season” is somewhat misleading because it seems to sound rather passive and uninspiring. You don’t really associate ideas like growth, progress, and accomplishment with something termed the “off-season.”

But the truth is, what you do this off-season is immensely important and will largely determine your in-season triathlon performance. One way or another, either through improvement or digression, how you handle the next several weeks in your triathlon training is critical.

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Cold Weather Cycling Gear For Triathlon Training

Let’s say you are one of those tri newbies who started getting into the sport of triathlon last spring.

You did your open water swimming and hit the roads biking and running in the warm summer sun. You succeeded in completing your first triathlon, and now it’s on to bigger and better things in your triathlon goals.

But now the cooler fall temperatures have arrived, daytime hours are shortening, and winter is just around the corner. Perhaps your mindset on cycling is to hang your bike up in the garage for the winter, and start doing spin classes at the YMCA.

With the proper cold weather cycling gear, there’s no reason why you can’t continue outdoor bike training during the cold weather months.

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Cold Weather Training Tips: Swimming & Wetsuits

If you are a triathlete in Southern California or Florida, you are perhaps not as affected by the cold weather temperatures the rest of the U.S. has already begun experiencing. It’s October and the cold weather months are quickly approaching.

What follows are some guidelines for choosing cold weather swim gear, plus tips for cold water swim training.

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How Triathletes Can Deal With Self-Esteem Issues

There is a mental and spiritual side to the sport of triathlon that is every bit as important as the physical aspects of training and competing.

There are numerous mental obstacles a triathlete must contend with, and ways the sport influences people on a “spiritual” level, including our self-image, peace and contentment in life, and our most important relationships.

Fear, feelings of failure, stress, obsessive compulsion, disappointment, and burn-out are just a few of the challenges most triathletes will have to deal with at one time or another. My goal in the next few posts is to cover some of the most common mental and spiritual aspects of triathlon.

This particular post is about self-image.

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Hawaii Ironman: A Triathlete's Guide

On October 11th, the most prominent triathlon race in the world, the Hawaii Ironman (also known as the Ford Ironman World Championship) will take place.

What follows is a triathlete’s guide, including the most important details about the Hawaii Ironman event.

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Stretch Training & Flexibility For Triathletes

I am the first to admit that it took me a long while before being convinced of the benefits of stretching.

Many amateur athletes don’t place a lot of value on stretching. In some respects, it’s understandable. Time is a precious commodity, and stretching is often the first thing to go.

When you are doing speed drills in the pool, or cranking out mileage on your bike, or running hills, it feels like you are doing something worthwhile in your training. All that effort and sweat feels like work. Comparatively, stretching seems quite melodramatic. Heck, you hardly break a sweat, and it seems like you could be sipping your Caramel Macchiato while you do it! It doesn’t seem very Ironman-ish.

But stretching is not just for wimps!

Notice I said “amateur” athletes don’t value stretching.

Professional athletes know how critical stretching is, and they make it a vital part of their training regimen year round.

There is no sport where stretching is more important than the sport of triathlon.

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Strength Training For Triathletes

The number of muscles in the human body varies from about 640 to 850, depending on which expert you consult.

The question was asked, “What muscles are used in a triathlon?”

Here’s the answer:

Your muscles provide the movement necessary for swimming, biking, and running. How well your muscles do this comes down to how conditioned your muscles are to generate force within a wide range of motion. Weak, inflexible muscles can’t generate much power and velocity, and are more prone to injury.

This is why strength training and stretching are a part of triathlon training for most triathletes.

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Dealing With Wind And Waves During Triathlon Swim Training And Competition

Last week, I participated in an Olympic Distance Triathlon in a part of the country where the weather was being affected by Hurricane Ike.

On the morning of the triathlon, there was a “wind advisory” or high wind warning for the area with gusts up to 40 mph. The lake was churning with high swells and white caps.

I began the swim in one of the first waves and on my way to the first buoy, it blew away. People became disoriented, and as I began trying to figure out where to go next, I heard the announcement on a bullhorn for all swimmers to return to shore immediately.

Panic-ridden swimmers began signaling for help, and a boat turned over trying to pull struggling swimmers on board. The remaining 10 waves were not permitted to do the swim, and the swim portion of the triathlon was canceled.

The whole experience prompted me to do this article about windy triathlon conditions because it’s not wise to assume that all the triathlon events you participate in are going to have good weather.

Continue reading: Swimming Through Wind & Waves

The Importance Of Systematic Training For Triathletes

Something that is “systematic” is characterized by order and planning. A systematic approach means methodically following a fixed plan step by step.

For the triathlete, a systematic approach to training will best enable you to accomplish your goals, while minimizing the risk of injury.

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