So you've made the decision to train and compete in a triathlon. You invested in the necessary gear and equipment, followed a sound training plan, and you've identified one or more triathlon events to compete in. It would also be wise to be mindful of the triathlon rules. Here's why... USA Triathlon In case you didn't know, USA Triathlon (USAT) is the sanctioning authority for most, if not all, triathlons you will participate in. There are rules. … [Read more...]
Athletes often say about their sports performance, "It's mostly mental." In other words, many athletes have a similar set of physical skills and capacities, but what often enables one athlete to perform better than another is "mental" -- things such as confidence, focus, calm, resiliency, determination, and self-control. We are prone to especially notice the superior athletic skills and abilities of epic athletes like Michael Jordon and Tiger Woods. They, however, attribute mental … [Read more...]
Do yourself a favor, get a triathlon gear bag. Things go so much smoother if you can transport your triathlon gear in a bag specifically designed for that purpose. A newbie may think of this as a "luxury" -- until they leave behind or lose an important gear item on race day as a result of a sloppy pack and travel plan. There is a tremendous amount of gear you have to pack and carry to a triathlon. … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
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. … [Read more...]
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. … [Read more...]
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. Olympics Triathlon Facts Triathlon debuted in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney along with taekwondo. Brigette McMahon (SUI) and Simon Whitfield (CAN) won triathlon's first Olympic gold medals. The 2008 men's USA Olympic triathlon team consists of: Jarrod Shoemaker Matt … [Read more...]
Yesterday I did a Sprint triathlon, which is typically 0.5 mile swim, 12.4 miles bike, and 3.1 miles run. Some are shorter, some are longer; the bike ride for my Sprint triathlon yesterday was 16.5 miles. The first triathlon many newcomers do (which I suggest) is the Sprint triathlon, and yesterday I tried to see it all through the eyes of a beginner. Here are some suggestions that I hope will make your first triathlon race a great experience. … [Read more...]
#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. … [Read more...]
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 foundationIntensity Training -- developing speed, force, and increased anaerobic … [Read more...]
Connect with us