I was recently invited to join iAmTri.com, a social networking site for triathletes.

I am already a member of AthleteFocus.com and Fastloop.com, as well as a few triathlon groups on Facebook, and one triathlon group on CouchSurfing.com.

Which raises the question, what is the value of these kinds of social networking sites for triathletes?

Here are a few benefits of these types of social networking sites for triathletes...

#1  Do I wear underwear?

Okay, here are a few things on the underwear issue.

As you do your bike training, on rides over 50 miles I suggest wearing cycling shorts or bibs, which have pads in the seat to save your rear end. As you can see, they are not cheap. No, you don’t wear underwear beneath the cycling shorts or bibs.

Tri shorts are shorts you can swim, bike, and run in. The seat pads aren’t quite as thick as the cycling shorts, and I often use them on rides under 50 miles. You don’t wear underwear beneath the tri shorts either.

I use running shorts in my training, and most running shorts have an underwear-like liner within them. Most people still wear underwear beneath them.

For a female transitioning from swim to bike in a triathlon event, most females pull their bike/run gear over their suit, as opposed to changing out of their swimsuit. For female triathletes, sometimes the women's swim suit offers very little in the way of chest support. As a solution, some people wear a 2-piece swimsuit with support or wear a tank top that has a built-in bra over your swimsuit during the bike and run.

While we’re at it, I might as well mention Udder Cream, which comes in handy for long bike rides.

Whether you’ve just decided to do your first triathlon or you’ve already done 30 of them, it’s important to identify a specific triathlon race that you are training to compete in.

Doing so gives you a solid goal to work towards, and a focal point to build your training program around.

Triathlon training is a year-round commitment with the following phases:

Base Training -- building an endurance foundation

Intensity Training -- developing speed, force, and increased anaerobic capacity

Peak -- tapering and becoming race ready

Race --  competing in your key race

Recovery -- resting the body, and preparing to begin a new cycle