Triathlon Blog

The town closed the public pool for this week for Christmas vacation, so I only just preformed my home exercises. It works out well, because I got sick after Christmas. I started feeling better today, though.

Anyway, soon I need to get triathlon shorts. Low Jeremy wrote the following article about triathlon shorts:

Your Standards in Choosing Your Triathlon Shorts

Everyone has his unique anatomy. And that, my friend must be the foremost consideration in choosing you triathlon shorts.

You can of course choose to base your choice of shorts on the quality of the material, the price or the over-all construction. But it is good to remember that there is no rule of thumb that will help determine the type that you will wear on the race day. After all, gears and equipments are your personal preferences.

Triathlon shorts are quite hard to recommend due to our unique anatomical structures. This means that measurements of the crotch, butts and lengths vary largely depending on the persons using them. In shopping for your own, it would be best to try on as much types and models as you can to secure that your last choice will fit you comfortably. It will always be miss or hit and you have to pray for your luck.

We cannot provide you the exact answers but allow us to help by presenting several factors that will help lead you towards better choices.

Price You get what you pay for, this rule generally applies to almost all items that we see in the market. Better toss a few more dollars on a triathlon shorts that will help add to your performance than sacrifice to ill-fated shorts. Cheaper triathlon shorts are more likely to be substandard items. Cheap shorts cant provide you durability either because for most conditions, manufacturers cut through quality to give way to quantity of production.

Panels The more panels the shorts have the higher the quality the manufacturer incorporated in the product. Additional panels won’t damage the product, as many people believe. Actually they create more strength.

Liner Any self-respecting triathlon shorts manufacturers know that apart from the shorts itself, the liner plays the major role. Don’t go for those that are made from plastic compartments, thick paddings or gel inserts.

Leg length Fashion dictates the length of triathlon shorts. And as we have seen, the length has been yo-yoing around that no one can actually tell what’s best and what’s not. It is after all, a personal choice between short shorts or not-so-short shorts.

Waist length While we have been discussing how unstandardized triathlon shorts can be, the waist length marks as an exception. To be able to provide enough comfort during cycling, the waist length must be cut high back. And the front side must be cut low so bending is easier.

In most cases, snuggers prove to be of greatest value since they keep in place no matter how rigid the legwork or the waters may be.

About The Author: For more information from Low Jeremy about triathlons, please visit triathlon.articlekeep.com.

What do you think?

Triathlete Magazine has the following suggestions for anyone preparing for their first triathlon:

1. Choose the event you want to compete in

This may be a local race, such as Boulder Peak, or you may want to jump into a national event such as the Chicago Triathlon. It is up to you, but make sure that it is something that excites you and motivates you to get to the start line. Look for an appropriate event soon, as the most popular events fill up very quickly. Finally, pick an event at least three months away so you have time to prepare for it.

2. Get a coach and a training partner

Once you have decided upon completing your first triathlon, drag a friend/partner/relative into it with you, and consider finding a coach. There are some good reasons for this. Training with someone is more fun and more inspiring. Those mornings your pillow is calling you back to bed, the knowledge that someone is waiting for you will make you get out of bed. Working with a coach is a good idea, as they will actively work to keep you motivated while guiding you through your first season.

3. Do some research

If you are going to invest time into preparing for a triathlon, you might as well do it right. Spend a day or two tracking down some triathlon resources. A great way to begin training for triathlon is to read one of the many triathlon-related books on the market. Your local library, or the neighborhood bookstore, is full of resources that can provide you with all kinds of information on triathlon. Everything from goal setting, guidelines for purchasing tri-related equipment and motivational stories are included in these books. Another useful source of information is the Internet. There are entire chat groups and hundreds of Web sites dedicated to triathlon, and many coaching services can be found online.

4. Finding facilities

You will need to find some facilities in which to practice. While running can be done outside almost all year round (dress appropriately!), biking and swimming are much tougher to do as the temperature drops and the snow builds. Most communities have at least one pool, and many gyms offer spin classes, which work well in lieu of outdoor riding. The local YM-YWCA will be a good, inexpensive choice, but depending on your schedule and budget there may well be other options. Pick a facility that motivates you to go, taking all factors into consideration; even if a gym has nice scenery and state-of-the-art machines, if you have to fight traffic after work to get there you may end up avoiding the place.

5. Developing a program

You’ve taken the hardest step — the first one. You’ve decided to begin training, but don’t train in vain. Train smart. You want to get the most you can from the time you are investing in training. More doesn’t always equal better.

Having a program to follow will help you to maintain your motivation, get you to workouts and develop your burgeoning talent. The best way to ensure that you are maximizing your training is to get a coach, but if that is not a viable option, it is possible to figure out your own training plan by doing some research.

One common mistake new triathletes make when starting out is training their best event. Running fast after struggling through a swim practice gives them a feeling of confidence. Nobody is equally strong in all three disciplines of triathlon, so focus more on your primary area for improvement so you become a well-rounded triathlete. For example, if you are a weaker swimmer, try to hit the pool three times a week and bike and run twice a week.

Read entire triathletemag.com article by Lance Watson.

I plan to use Lance Watson’s article as a guide as I prepare for my first triathlon. What do you think?

I went swimming this morning, and Dan did swim with me. Right now I only need to train to get in shape, because I don’t plan to do my first triathlon for a little while. However, eventually I have to get triathlon gear. I just read the following article by Mike Herman about triathlon gear:

A triathlon is an athletic event that tests the athlete’s endurance in three separate sports - swimming, cycling and running.

Athletes participating in a triathlon are required to complete all the three, starting with the swimming, then the cycling and last, but not least, the running, in the shortest possible time.

The triathlon requires the athletes to have optimal fitness levels in order to just complete the race, let alone to actually compete and place well.

Apart from physical fitness, athletes are also need to use the right kind of triathlon gear that helps them in staying even with if not getting ahead of the other athletes.

Athletes who want to succeed in a triathlon, not just finish, but actually compete, need to invest in the best triathlon gear available in the market.

However, selecting the best triathlon gear is not always an easy task due to the number of brands available. Most companies that manufacture triathlon gear claim that their products are the best, which often adds to the confusion.

Looking Beyond Brands Of Triathlon Gear

In order to select the best triathlon gear, athletes need to look beyond brands and companies and invest in those products that suit their specific requirements.

The athletes may have more or less the same physical build but triathlon gear requirements often vary, depending on personal preferences and specifications of the athlete.

Swimming gear:

Equipment required for the swimming event of a triathlon includes goggles, a swimming suit and a wetsuit.

Although these may not seem essential to an amateur, successful professional athletes reveal that investing in the right equipment for swimming is as important as the gear both in cycling and running.

It makes a difference when it comes finishing and REALLY makes a difference if “winning” the triathlon is your plan.

Athletes opt for swimming gear that is scientifically designed to pose the least resistance to water and that includes the technology involved in todays wetsuits.

Cycling gear:

In triathlons, and biathlons, the cycling leg requires an athlete to invest in a good bicycle, a helmet, clothing and cycling shoes, aero-bars, seat and peddles.

While selecting cycling gear, athletes need to make sure that these offer the least resistance to air. This will help in gaining those crucial seconds over their competitors.

There are specially designed bikes, but the key to being a good cyclist is NOT only about having a good, expensive bike, IT IS about working out, training, and being on the bike.

Running gear:

The running gear used in a triathlon includes running shoes and appropriate clothing.

Getting in the right running gear is necessary because athletes have to cover a distance that requires proper shoes.

If not, the athletes may have to deal with blisters, sores and even muscle sprains.

Especially with running shoes, but also with swimming and cycling appearal and equippment, workout with the gear a number of times before racing with them. Never race with something that you are not used to training with.

All of this will provide you with a comfort level that ensures a well-earned race, or even a victory.

About The Author: Learn more about the best triathlon gear and triathlon racing and click on over to Mike Herman’s site Gear4Triathlons.com.

What do you think?

I’m still contemplating about whether or not to stop drinking alcohol (for now). My brother-in-law Dan says he got his swimsuit, so he’ll train with me tomorrow morning at the pool.

I just stumbled upon an interesting website, iamsarah.org. It’s the website of Sarah Reinertsen, the first female above-knee amputee to become an ironman triathlete. Here’s the story she has on her website:

October 15, 2005 will always be a red-letter day for Sarah Reinertsen, since it’s the day she became an Ironman, completing the hardest Ironman of them all, in Kona, in 15 hours, 5 minutes. Sarah’s dream became a nightmare in 2004, during her first try, when she missed the bike cut off by just 15 minutes; a year later, the benefits of new coaching, training and nutrition regimes paid off.

Sarah’s mother, Solveig Fuentes, was one the hordes of people waiting for her to cross the finish line. Not much could be heard over the chant of “Sarah! Sarah!”

“We expected her to finish sometime after 11, so we were really surprised and thrilled when it happened at 10:05 p.m.,” Solveig said. “I was watching her face as she crossed the line, and she almost had a look of disbelief, like she couldn’t believe it had really happened.

“For me, seeing Sarah realize this dream was even better than giving birth,” Solveig added.

Since completing her historic feat, Sarah’s life has been a whirlwind of activity. Among other things, she appeared on Nightline on Oct. 21, wrote an MSN blog and even rang the opening bell at the NASDAQ. Her achievement has inspired others to commit to their dreams; Sarah will, of course, never stop reaching for hers.

Her impressive success motivates and inspires me.

What do you think?

I wanted to blog earlier this week, and I plan to blog everyday from now on, but in the last few days I had to figure out how I’m going to start. I did go swimming on Thursday morning, and I did about 1700 yards.

I know I have to start training more than on just Tuesday and Thursday morning. I wrote down a 25 minute routine to do in the mornings when the pool isn’t open, consisting of squat thrusts, jumping jacks, etc. Unfortunately, I can’t find the paper at the moment, but when I do I’ll post it.

Additionally, I’m going to do a short Yoga routine. The Yoga routine won’t only be good to help develop the fitness necessary to do Triathlons, but also will help ensure I train my flexibility enough. I sometimes think I don’t stretch enough. The yoga routine I use is Power Yoga the Complete Workout - Stamina, Strength, Flexibility with Rodney Yee.

At night, I’m going to lift weights with a weight bench, barbell, and dumbbell set I have in my basement. I have to go light, though, because I hurt my shoulder a few months ago. I feel pain if I lift to heavy with my arms.

Witt all that exercise, I need to keep a serious eye on my nutrition. I have to make sure I am getting enough vitamins, minerals, protein, and energy to sustain my workouts and repair my muscles and such. However, I also want to make sure I am eating healthy, since I’m training for a triathlon I cannot afford to get fat. Since, I’m a vegan, I have special concerns as well. I currently take a protein powder supplement, and fortified cereal.

There’s one more major and immediate change I think it’s wise to make. However, unlike the others, I’m unsure if I really want to do this. I think I may need to stop drinking and smoking. I drink often, and smoke occasionally. Not only do I need to stop for the health benefits, but time concerns as well. I already work a lot, and I need to make sure I have enough time to train for triathlons. The problem with drinking is that I lost both the time I spend out drinking, and the time that I oversleep the next day, etc. What do you think? Discuss this issue in the forums, and I’ll make a decision before tomorrow.

As a semi-normal 20-year-old guy, I try to keep in reasonable shape. I spent a lot of time this last summer sprinting and jogging. I dislike running in the cold, so as the northeastern winter came I decided to lap swim in the town pool on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, the only two mornings it opens to the public

Not only do I happen to live with my brother-in-law Dan (and my sister- his wife - and their baby girl Mikaela - my niece), but also he happens to work as a swim coach. He comes down with me and coaches me by writing my swim workouts and providing motivation. From what he tells me, when he finds his swimsuit or buys a new one, he plans to start swimming on Tuesdays and Thursdays too.

The other day, on our way back home from the pool, he suggested something that would have probably never crossed my mind. He asked me if I wanted to do some triathlons, after extensive training of course.

In case you don’t know, a triathlon is an athletic event involving swimming, cycling and running, in that order. In most modern triathlons, these events are placed end-to-end in immediate sequence and a competitor’s official time includes the time required to transition between the individual legs of the race, including any time used for changing shoes and clothes.

I like the idea. I’m going to do it.

I’m completely new to triathlons, in that I’ve never even seen one. I know how to run, bike, and swim, but not with expertise. My endurance needs a whole lot of work.

It’s going to be a long hard road to become a bona fide triathelete. I’ve got a ton of constant training and research to do. I started this blog so I can share what I learn as I learn it and share my story as it develops.