Triathlons

How To Choose Triathlon Running Shoes

Yesterday was a long run day for me, which meant 15 miles. Afterwards, I felt it mostly in my feet; a mild flair up of Plantar Fasciitis.

Whether it’s maintaining the proper energy-saving freestyle kick, climbing hills on the bike, or pounding the pavement on your run, triathletes put a lot of demands on their feet. Out of the 3 components of triathlon, running is the hardest on your feet.

Choosing running shoes can be difficult, as well. Here are some things you should know about running shoes for triathletes.

Continue reading: Triathlon Running Shoes

Tips For Successful Transitions In Triathlon Races

You spend countless miles and hours in the water, on the bike, and pounding the pavement running, training for a triathlon.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of minutes or seconds between one competitor who places in their division, and another competitor who doesn’t. So why squander away time with bad transitions?

It would presumably take hundreds of training hours to lop 2 minutes off your swim time, and yet 1 hour of transition practice would likely take 2 minutes off your transition time.

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How To Deal With Muscle Cramps During Triathlon Training And Competing

Every triathlete dreads the ‘c’ word: cramps!

In addition to being excruciatingly painful, a muscle cramp could feasibly prevent you from finishing a race you have trained a long time to compete in. I’ve experienced cramps in my feet and toes while swimming, my groin while biking, and my calves and hamstrings while running.

Though cramps can come during the swim or bike portion, they are more common during the run since a person is more susceptible to fatigue or dehydration nearing the latter states of a triathlon.

Continue reading: Prevention & Treatment Of Muscle Cramps

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

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 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.

Continue reading: Bike Seats & Bike Saddles

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

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.

Continue reading: Triathlon Bike vs Road Bike

Triathlon Gift Ideas For Your Favorite Triathlete

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 triathlete in your life by surprising them with a special tri surprise.

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

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

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.

Continue reading: From A New Female Triathlete...

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

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:

Continue reading: Women's Triathlon Tips

Packing & Preparing For Triathlon Race Day

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.

Continue reading: Packing & Preparing For A Triathlon

Ways For Triathletes To Save Money And Cut Costs

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.

Continue reading: Money-Saving Tips For Triathletes