Introduction to Triathlon
If you’re new to the sport of
triathlon, no matter what your background, don’t be intimidated by what’s ahead
of you. We all started as beginners! So here’s a rundown of what to expect and
how to plan for your first triathlon.
Triathlon Race Distances
Sprint Distance is 750 meter
swim, 12 mile bike and a 5k run
Olympic Distance is 1500 meter
swim, 24 mile bike and a 10k run
Half Ironman Distance is 1.2
mile swim, 56 mile bike and a half marathon (13.1 miles)
Ironman Distance is a 2.4 mile
swim, 112 mile bike and a marathon (26.2 miles)
The best way to start out in
triathlon is to pick a sprint distance race. Try not to get carried away and
sign up for an Ironman as your first tri. Ideally you want to get experience in
the other distances and get comfortable with what it takes to complete one.
Training & Gear
You don’t necessarily need to
buy all new gear when starting out in triathlon (unless you want to, of course.
Shopping is fun, right?). You may be able to get by with what you already have.
The necessities are:
Bathing
Suit (or tri clothes) & Goggles
Towel
(for your transition area)
Bike
& Helmet
Sunglasses
(to protect your eyes, especially while cycling)
Sneakers
Water bottle
Remember that the key to
training is consistency. Sounds almost too simple, but it really does make a
difference in the long run.
When you start training, build
up gradually. More is not always better, so follow a good plan, be sure to have
a recovery week every 2-3 weeks and take one day off completely every week.
Recovery and adaptation from training is just as important as the training
itself.
Besides swimming, biking &
running there are other types of workouts you can include in your training:
Strength, Yoga & Pilates
Swimming, biking and running
can lead to imbalances. By including strength, corrective exercises, yoga or
pilates, we balance out our bodies by loosening up what’s tight and
strengthening what’s weak.
Bricks
To get accustomed to the
feeling of running off the bike, it’s important to include bike/run bricks in
your training, which is a bike ride followed immediately by a run. Race day is
not the first time you want to be dealing with that strange heavy leg feeling!
Transition practice
Transitions are not something
you want to ignore in your training. It’s the best way to get “free speed”. By
being calm and efficient it’s easier to get your transition times down compared
to the work that’s required in getting faster in swimming, biking or running.
Pre-Race
Before the race, you’ll want to
make sure everything is in good working order.
A pre-race tune up for your
bike is always a good idea (no one wants a mechanical breakdown in the middle
of their race!), but at the very least you should check your tires, gears and
lube your chain.
Check that your goggles aren’t
all scratched up and make sure you have a decent pair so you can see clearly
during the swim. It’s always good to bring an extra pair with you to the race,
just in case either you need it or a fellow triathlete needs it. Karma goes a
long way!
Race Day
On race day, you want to give
yourself plenty of time to set-up and warm-up before the start. You’ll be
picking up your number (unless packet pick-up is available the days preceding
the race), setting up your transition area, getting body-marked (that’s where
they write your number on your arm and age on your calf), and of course
visiting the porta potty (everyone’s a little nervous on race day, so there
will be a line).
Always remember “nothing new on
race day”. Race day is not the time to try a new nutrition product or new gear.
That’s what training is for.
Happy racing!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joan Scrivanich is a USA Triathlon and USA Track & Field
Certified Coach in New Jersey. Her background is in Exercise Physiology with a
graduate degree from Columbia University and she has been an endurance athlete
for over 20 years. Find out more about Joan at www.TriCoachJoan.com and follow
her at www.twitter.com/TriCoachJoan and www.facebook.com/TriCoachJoan
