 Six Triathlon 101 TipsWritten by John Mora, triathlete, writer, photographer, and Tri-Masters supporter. John has recently published Triathlon 101, and shares some triathlon tips below. Other articles written by John Mora can be found at the end of this section. Six Triathlon 101 Tips Here's some practical guidelines to help ease your introduction into multi-sports Whether you are a novice triathlete, or an experienced pro, you will find these tips and reminders helpful. Here are some practical guidelines to help ease your introduction into multi-sports. Remember when you were a kid? Think back for a minute and remember a time that was simpler, less worrisome and... well.... more fun. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. And think about the games you used to play... all that running around... your first bike... going to the beach. Let's jump in the pool Let's go bike riding! Race you to the corner! See where I'm getting at here? In a sense, we all grew up triathletes. Sure, we may not have swam, biked and ran in that order, or traversed any significant distances, but we knew the fun of mixing things up a bit. And as playful, energetic children hell-bent on having fun, running, cycling and swimming were three very common summertime activities. Everybody has their unique motivation for getting involved in a new activity, and there are probably as many different reasons people have trained and completed in triathlons as there are different models of running shoes. But I've always felt that one of the greatest lures of the multi-sport world is the sheer enjoyment of combining three different and challenging physical activities into one exciting format. The Sport for the Rest of Us During a recent beginning triathlon seminar put on by the Chicago Triathlon Club, an interesting revelation hit me as I looked at those assembled. The attendants were no longer frustrated runners, limping to triathlon to relieve them of their overstressed ligaments. Nor where they prune-skin swimmers, tired of following the black line at the bottom of the pool. Peddle-happy cyclists looking for a new reason to shave their legs? Nope. Most of the attendants were true newcomers to the sport, many with little athletic background or training knowledge. They were the housewife who never even ran a 10k, the construction worker who could barely swim one length without heaving, and the nurse who had more dust on her Schwinn than on Leona Helmsley's tax returns. There's no doubt today that more and more people-no matter what the background or athletic talent-are interested in total fitness and triathlons. But what's sorely needed is some practical and friendly advice for the newcomer to multi-sports. So I've provided seven fundamental tips that might help you get started... Tip #1: Go watch a race. If you haven't already done so, perhaps your first beneficial exposure to swim-bike-run events should be from the perspective of spectator. (It was while watching a friend complete the now-defunct Bud Light Triathlon on the lakefront that I first caught the triathlon bug.) Besides the motivational factor, watching a triathlon will help you get a feel for the logistics. Watch how triathletes handle the transitions from swim to bike and bike to run. Although you won't be able to get into the transition area, take a distant look at some of the equipment used, as well as how participants set up their transition area. Notice how everything is laid out for the fastest, most hassle-free transition. If you have friends doing the race, talk to them afterwards about your interest in doing a triathlon, and ask for their advice and equipment recommendations. Tips #2: Join a club or group workout session. Getting involved with a club or triathlon group is a great way to get your feet wet. You can join a running group or a cycling club, or there are area triathlon organizations, such as the Chicago Tri-Masters Sports Initiative Programs, that can be a great training and information resource. As far as swimming, masters groups can be found at most YMCA's. Groups provide a great source of social and motivational support. Training in a cycling group, in particular, pushes you hard and helps improve your bike handling skills, an important area that many triathletes fail to work on. Tip #3: Get on a relay team Nobody says your first race has to be a full triathlon. Relay competition has become an increasingly popular offshoot of triathlon. Teams consist of a swimmer, cyclist, and runner that compete against other teams for the top total time. Many teams come close to bettering the professional finishing times. Yet for many, team participation gives them a chance to have fun, improve fitness, and delve into the exciting world of multi-sport athletics. For future triathletes, it provides a stepping-stone to the full distance. For many fitness-oriented people who train regularly in one or two disciplines, relaying offers a comfortable vantage point from which to view triathlon fever. Although not every triathlon includes a relay competition, for the large events it has become a door by which those who want to "feel out" triathlons, those who thrive on team competition, and those with limitations can participate in an exciting event. Tip #4: Work on your weakest sport Once you do decide to go for it, don't make the mistake of working on the one or two legs of a triathlon that you're most familiar with, or that you current have the most training in. If you're going to comfortably finish your first triathlon, you'll have to spend some time on your weakest leg. Chances are, since most triathletes come from a running background and you probably aren't totally adverse to cycling, swimming is your Achilles heel. Don't feel bad. Most triathletes begin with the same trepidation toward aquatics, especially open water swimming (including myself). Try a few lake swims before your first full triathlon, only don't swim unsupervised. Bring a spotter, or inform a lifeguard. "Before you start worrying about your speed or focusing on distance, learn technique. Swimming takes a lifetimes to learn," says Sixto Linares, Ironman triathlete veteran and fitness instructor at the Ritz Carlton Spa. "Have a swim coach, or somebody who is a good swimmer look at your stroke and give you advice." Tip #5: Get fitted on the bike The most important thing you can do to improve your cycling is to make sure you are riding a properly-fitted bicycle. While "properly-fitted" may sound like tailoring advice, a bicycle that you can comfortable ride will translate into greater efficiency. If you're thinking about borrowing your son's banana-seat special, think again. "You don't have to spend $1000," Linares says. "But if you think that you're going to be doing this often, look at entry-level racing bikes." (They can range anywhere from $400 to $800.) Tip #6: Have fun Most of all, no matter what you do to prepare for your first triathlon, don't take the whole thing too seriously. The sport of triathlon came about as a result of a bar bet-two slightly inebriated fools trying to outdo each other. With that in mind, keep your approach to the sport on the light-hearted side. If you do that, you'll remember what it's like to feel like a kid again. John M. Mora is a freelance writer and advertising copywriter living in Plainfield, Illinois. He is co-author of Paula Newby-Fraser's Peak Fitness for Women, available in bookstores everywhere. He is currently working on another triathlon training book, due out in the spring of '98. ?? To Tri or Not To Tri...Time to get serious about your fitness? Why not plan on finishing your first triathlon this year? Have you ever had the experience of striving for something and finding out down the road that you don't have the time, energy, or motivation to follow through until completion? Or worse, killed yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually to accomplish a goal, only to realize that you didn't enjoy one single bit of it? If you really want to get fit this year and succeed in finishing your first triathlon, you've got to set a realistic goal. Now, "realistic" is a different determining factor for everyone, and what may be realistic for one person is totally insane for somebody else. All of us have unique responsibilities in terms of work, family, and social responsibilities. The trick is to determine a commitment level that will contribute to a balanced lifestyle (and not cause stress or imbalance). You may have multiple goals, but the more focused you are, the better your chances. There's nothing wrong with having multiple goals, as long as you are realistic about your time and capabilities. For now, why not just focus on one chief goal? With that in mind, and with the Mrs. T's Triathlon looming in the near future, let's move forward with some triathlon tips and training schedules that will help you become a lean and mean triathlon machine... Decide on the right distance for you. Don't make the mistake of setting your race goal too high above your current fitness level, especially if your base training has been minimal. (Base training is a term that describes a fitness foundation of regular aerobic exercise in an endurance sport over an extended period of time.) Are you willing to put in the training that is required before attempting a Sprint or Olympic distance triathlon? If not, what about a relay? If you have a specific race coming up soon that you are thinking of doing, do you have enough time to train? For example, if you come from a running background, but your longest run thus far has been six miles and your cycling and swimming have been nil, the long course Springfield Ironhorse triathlon next month is not realistic. Besides your current fitness, consider how much time you have to train, how training will affect your family life, career or both. While a Sprint distance requires a relatively small amount of training, training for an Ironman can be like taking on another full-time job. Set your sights on a specific race. Now comes the moment for you to put it all on the line and choose a specific race as your triathlon goal. Check the race calendar at the back of this issue of Windy City Sports for a list of multi-sport events in your area. Ask your triathlete friends which races they would recommend. Some things you should look for when reviewing races: • number of years the race has been around • USA Triathlon sanctioned (not an absolute necessity, but the top races usually are) • what your triathlon friends (the ones who have done the race) say about it • swim course safety, such as the number of lifeguards and how clearly you can see the swim buoys • aid stations on the run course (and on the bike course for Olympic distances or longer) • race application fee • post-race food and activities • available lodging and accommodations in the race area (if staying overnight) Ideally, you should be looking for a race that gives you ample time to get up to speed, depending on the inventory you took in step one. Don't plan for a race that will rush your training. If you're new to the sport, it's best that you keep things as simple as possible for your first few races. Local events within driving distance are better than having to deal with air travel and taking apart your bike to fit into a bicycle case. (Although the multi-sport air travel vacation is a great little getaway ideal for the veteran, it's not the best choice for the beginner.) Decide what you would like to accomplish. There are three reasons to race: to finish, to improve, or to win. Unless you're a professional athlete or top age grouper, your goal will likely be to finish or improve upon previous finishing times. Ask yourself, is this a race I just want to finish, or am I willing to put in the necessary higher level of training to set a personal best? If your next triathlon will be your first ever, then it's best to set an objective of simply finishing. (Look at it this way-if it's your first race, it'll be a personal best anyway, no matter what your finishing time. So you may as well just concentrate on finishing.) By taking this approach, you'll take a lot of pressure off yourself-expectations coming from within or from others-concerning some preconceived notion of performance. You've got enough to worry about with your first race; don't create undo tension by demanding that you cross the finish line at a set time. Sample Training Schedules Following is some sample workout schedules for both the Sprint Distance and the longer Olympic distance triathlons. You'll notice that "brick" workouts play a large part in the schedule. These are workouts where you transition from one sport to another, simulating what you might go through in a race from the swim to the bike or from the bike to the run. These training templates are loosely based on the "key workout method," pioneered by eight-time Ironman triathlon champion Paula Newby-Fraser. If you're interested in not just finishing a triathlon, but doing well, this approach includes one workout in each sport that is specifically designed to improve your overall performance by simulating race conditions or building endurance. You'll also find some workouts are optional. Gauge how you feel on those days. If there are signs of overtraining-elevated heart rate, moodiness, fatigue and sensitivity to light--back off and take a recovery day. Sample Training for Sprint Distance Race (.75k swim, 22k bike and a 5k run)
Sample Training for Olympic Distance Race (1.5k swim, 40k bike and a 10k run)
John M. Mora is a freelance writer and marketing consultant living in Plainfield, Illinois. He is co-author of Paula Newby-Fraser's Peak Fitness for Women and author of a new book, Triathlon 101, which can be order from Human Kinetics by calling 1-800-747-4457 or online at Amazon.com. Copyright 2008 Tri-Masters |
