Category: Triathlon

Starting Off Running on the Right Foot

Starting out in running should be simple, stress-free and fun. It is a time to enjoy yourself, not to weigh yourself down with expectations and unlikely goals. In fact, I believe the reason so many runners don’t keep up their running after the first few attempts is because they fail to make it the release valve it should be, and let it become yet another stress in our already stressful lives. Once it becomes a duty or a drudge you’re just around the corner from giving up – another broken New Year’s resolution to haunt you year after year!

So, how about this for advice: if you’re doing a run but you’re out of breath and you’re honestly not enjoying it… well just stop. Walk for a while or just sit on the grass. Enjoy the scenery, watch the other runners, listen to the birds (or the cars). Maybe do

… Read the rest

Triathlon Swimming

  • Hand entry – If your head is at 12 o’clock, your hands should enter the pool at 1 and 11. This helps prevent “cross over” which basically makes you swim like a snake back and forth through the water. You lose a lot of energy constantly trying to keep going straight. This also prevents over-rotation of the shoulder and hips which can also bleed power from your stroke.
  • Hand glide position – This is where you start your pull. You want to make sure you hand reaches to the pool wall and glides for a moment at head depth before you start your pull. This lets you get every last bit of forward momentum before starting your pull and lets you get some “glide time” for a second or two on each stroke – that way you are fresh when you get out of the water.
  • Kick – You want
… Read the rest

Run Faster with Interval Training

Long intervals take two minutes or more and are very tiring. In interval training, a runner may run a quarter mile 12 times, averaging 1 minute, with a 110-yard slow jog between each. A weightlifter may lift a heavy weight ten times in a row and then repeat another set of ten. Runners run intervals as fast as they can and recover enough to run the same fast pace several times. Runners need very short recoveries between intervals, usually only about 30 seconds; but weight lifters need much longer recoveries, at least two and a half minutes. Runners become short of breath and feel a burning in their muscles when lactic acid starts to accumulate in muscles, but it takes only a few seconds for a trained athlete to recover between each hard run. On the other hand, weight lifters feel burning caused by tearing of the muscle fibers and … Read the rest

Women Triathlon Bikes

Compared to a regular road bike, women’s triathlon bikes are designed with a different geometry. The seat tubes of a triathlon bike are inclined more forward with 75 to 78 degrees of inclination and are lower on the front end to provide a time trial position. Due to its steeper seat tube angle, the quadriceps are emphasized more. This spares the running muscles so you can conserve some energy for the run later on.

Ordinary road bikes on the other hand are designed to corner, climb, and sprint. Their seat tube angles range from 72 to 74 degrees and are set up to cater for common riding positions. They are more upright and less aerodynamic so they require more muscle power to move them forward.

However, if you do have a decent road bike, there is no need to panic and go out and get a new bike. You can … Read the rest

Buying Triathlon Gear

In order to have a smooth transition between each discipline (swimming, cycling, and running), proper and effective equipment should be worn throughout the entire race. Good clothing is number one on the list. A triathlete wears a wet-suit underneath their clothing to take off after running. Some people choose to take a few minutes in every transition, but in all cases this will result in losing your time and others may make it ahead of you while you are changing clothes during the bike-swim transition.

A wet-suit is made in a fabric that increases buoyancy and reduces drag, which allows you to earn a faster time in the swim segment. Unlike other sport wet-suits (e.g. surfing), triathlon wet-suit provides more flexibility in the arms and legs, lighter, more efficient and give less resistance while swimming lengths. It is generally form fitting therefore it does not bulge on areas like the … Read the rest

First Sprint Triathlon

Sprint triathlon is one of the sports that are rising in popularity today. It is gaining popularity because it caters to beginners of its mother sport the triathlon. It consists of three disciplines: swimming, biking, and running. It is just like the triathlon but it is much shorter in distance. Awareness in health also helps boost the popularity of the sport where young people are interested to join.

Dynamic training is required for a sprint triathlon because it demands a physical tone up especially to those that are not engaged in any sport and less experience individual. One must have a good cardiovascular workout and an athlete must have fit muscles for it involves multiple disciplinary activities and each discipline need different muscles. Therefore enhancing muscle strength is very important to help an athlete endure in this sport.

All the participants wear wet suits because swimming in open water is … Read the rest

History of the Modern Triathlon

If you consider yourself an advocate of womens’ equality, consider that triathlon is one of the most progressive sports of the 21st century. Unlike most sports, the prize purse offered in a major race, is the same for men and women. The lack of gender bias shown in triathlon is both empowering and unifying, as it increases the value of women’s sports and brings men and women together in the same competitive field. When an Ironman commercial aired regularly on ABC’s popular Wide World of Sports in 1980, triathlon began to become a household name.

As the popularity of triathlon continues to grow, its enduring value in the current sports climate becomes increasingly more evident. Despite being one of the most expensive sports to engage in, Triathlon participation continues to grow. One reason might be that a triathlon allows the athlete to incorporate his or her family into the training … Read the rest

Structure Swim Training Plan

A) Novice. This person hardly swims. They have not done a race yet or have done one but floundered. They may sink when trying to kick on their side. Or they may not be able to swim at all!

B) Advanced Beginner/Intermediate: This person has done a few races but feels like they don’t “get” the swim portion. They feel like they don’t have the endurance and feel wiped out after a long swim.

Both A & B types should spend some time on the basic drills: kicking on your side and shark fin drill. These will help to improve your balance in the water, which ALL of us, as humans, need to work on.

However, A-types should spend more time on these basic drills. Keep practicing until you feel more balanced in the water. Use Zoomers fins at first. Take a whole month to master these drills if you … Read the rest

Triathlon Nutrition Made Easy

Food is fuel, and when one of the things you should be doing when preparing for a triathlon is making sure your giving your body the right fuel. Changes to your diet may be in order to make sure that you’re getting the right triathlon nutrition, and you may even want to consider taking supplements.

You’ll have a far better chance of succeeding if you eat the right foods and consume the proper amount of calories, minerals, and vitamins. Your body needs to be in tip-top shape if you really want to succeed. That means you’ll need to be in good shape, follow the proper training regimen, and do what you can to avoid any injuries.

One of the things you need to do when you’re training for a triathlon is to feed your body what it needs to perform at its best. Some people blow off triathlon nutrition because … Read the rest

Proper Running Shoes

Protection

A well made pair of shoes includes extra protection to avoid issues of discomfort or pain while the feet are under more stress. A midsole section helps to give protection against hard surfaces or objects that are run over. The softer the midsole the greater protection and cushioning it can provide. But, the soft midsole is not the most durable and means it is necessary to replace the running shoes more often.

Controls overpronation

Overpronation relates to rolling the foot too far inwards while running, which also flattens the arch of the foot. It helps to avoid this foot position because it can jar the knee and tilts the leg inward. The risk of running in this fashion can lead to foot problems like bunions, plantar fasciitis and shin splints. There are plenty of running shoes that are made to fix this specific type of problem. Most of these … Read the rest