| WHAT IS A TRIATHLON? Triathlon is an exciting sport where competitors swim, bike and run a pre-determined distance. Even the unranked amateur athlete has an opportunity to compete head-to-head against the sport's top athletes at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. This is because a number of slots are made available to the public on the basis of an annual lottery. If you get one, you'll have to qualify by competing and completing a qualifying race, usually no shorter than a half-ironman. Triathlon can be demanding in terms of time and discipline, but with the proper commitment you can train for and finish a triathlon. HOW TO GET STARTED: Equipment and supplies necessary for a triathlon are not expensive or difficult to find, though state of the art bikes can be quite expensive. Nor do you have to be a hardened athlete to be a triathlete. But you do need to take its slow and build up your endurance. Prior to embarking on a training program be sure to consult with your personal physician. That's just good common sense for anyone starting a new exercise regime. There are some excellent training programs, as well as general triathlon information, available at Beginner Triathlete, Triathlete Online and Trinewbies Online. For a first race you might want to set your sights on one that is two or three months away and look for what is called a sprint triathlon, or what I prefer to think of as a mini-triathlon. Its been a long time since I've thought of anything over 100 yards as a sprint! Some of these races can be as short as a 400 yard swim, a 12 mile bike and a 2 or 3 mile run. I recommend this distance for a first time triathlon. The swim leg of these short races is often held in a pool. The next step up is a middle distance, commonly referred to as the International or Olympic distance. This is usually a 1.5 kilometer (.9 mile) swim, 25 kilometer (15 mile) bike, and a 10 kilometer (6 mile run). Half Ironmans consist of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and a 13.1 mile run. And of course the Ironman, which is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run, is the classic distance. Be sure to arrive at your race early. Check out my humorous experiences for some advice on the some of the hazards triathlon. THE TRADITION OF KONA: The Holy Grail of the sport, for both professional and amatuer, is the Hawaii Ironman held at Kona in October (see link above). Though founded in 1978, the event is already steeped in tradition. There are the legendary finishes of Paula Newby-Fraser, who stands alone among triathletes as the winner of eight Hawaii Ironman competitions, more than any other woman or man! Julie Moss' 1982 collapse and crawl to the finish as well as Paula Newby-Fraser's collapse in 1995 are still inspirational. Both fell, disoriented and dehydrated, within yards of the finish line and in first place, only to be passed as their exhausted bodies refused to move forward (Moss came in second in the 1982 race, crawling over the finish line; Newby-Fraser finished fourth in the 1995 race). Moss' dramatic televised finish, where she was passed in the final ten yards while on her hands and knees, is credited with leading to the rapid growth in the sport in the 1980s. Among men, Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and Scott Tinley are the unsurpassed giants of the sport. There are also the amateur legends like The Incredible Huck Huckaby, a 61 year old ultra-runner who hated the swim. In the 1980 race he strode through the shallows for almost the entire 2.4 mile swim (since moved to deeper water), and may well be the only triathlete whose feet had to be treated after the swim rather than the run (from walking on coral). And let's not forget Walt Stack, the 73 year old finisher who took 26:20:00 to complete the 1981 Hawaii Ironman, after stopping for a breakfast of pancakes at the Kona Ranch House on Alii drive before crossing the finish line. That act of bravado is not likely to be repeated as the Ironman organizers later implemented a mandatory cut-off time of 18:30:00, which has since been trimmed to 17 hours. So, now you're psyched and ready to get started. Great, but don't overtrain. You do not need to do more than one sport a day, and you do not need to train every day. Too much training can wear you down and make you prone to injury. Remember, you will be cross-training, which means that what you do in one sport will help strengthen you somewhat in another as well. And always stay hydrated. As you read around you will realize that the mantra of the triathlete is "Drink, drink, drink." No one wants to bonk after months of training for lack of fluids. This means you must drink before you get thirsty. For longer practices and races you will want to have some nutritious food snacks on hand. Rest is also very important, both in terms of sleep and in taking one or two days off from training to allow your body to recuperate. Definitely take time to go see a race to get an idea of what it's all about. You may even want to volunteer to help by calling the race director ahead of time. Race directors love volunteers and it's a great way to be a part of the event. The Triathlantic Association even offers volunteers a free entry to a future Triathlantic race of their choice. And remember. If it were easy, everyone would do it!. |
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| The swim is the first and shortest leg of the triathlon. Training for most of us is in a pool. I recommend joining a Masters Swimming program once you're in good enough shape to swim a quarter mile (come on, its only 440 yards or 18 laps in the pool!) comfortably, even if slowly. A Masters program gives you a coach to work with (and he'll make you work), a set time when you are expected to swim, and the comraderie of others. The good news is these programs are usually quite affordable and widely available. The bad news is that the workouts are at dawn. See commitment above. If you need help finding a pool near you, check out this handy pool locater which lists pools in the U.S. and many foreign countries. Be sure you can swim the entire distance of your chosen race and then some. Develop the good habit of not holding on to the wall after every lap or touching bottom with your feet. Work on covering the distance and doing so in good form. Plowing through the water with poor technique will make you expend more energy for diminishing returns. A great resource for all swimmers, including beginners, is Terry Laughlin's book Total Immersion, which is chock full of valuable information that can help make you a better swimmer, with or without a coach. The website cannot substitute entirely for the book so get a copy at the bookstore or libray. Most people have a pronounced preference and breathe solely from either the right or left side when swimming the crawl. A good habit to develop is to learn how to breathe from either side. It may seem awkward at first, but after only several weeks of practice you should be able to do it like it was second nature. You will then be breathing every third stroke rather than every second stroke, which will make you swim faster and with what feels to me like a smoother rythm. It also makes a big difference both in terms of comfort for the neck, navigation in open water, and as a tool to help relieve the monotony of long swims. There are only so many interesting things you can come up with while looking at a black lane-line on the bottom of the pool! Check out Swim Magazine for regular monthly training tips. If you practice in a pool and your triathlon has an open water swim, try to get some open water practice in a lake or the ocean before the big day. Ocean swims is a website where swimmers can find a schedule of competitive open water swims in the ocean. Open water swimming is not like swimming in a pool and you don't want any surprises on race day. Be sure not to swim alone in open water and to obey any restrictions. In open water swims be sure to pick your head up often to sight the buoys and the finish. This is a skill worth practicing even in the pool. In my first triathlon I didn't do this often enough. As I neared what I thought was the finish area I happened to look to my right and saw several dozen swimmers about 200 yards to my right on a bearing away from me and heading toward the correct finish area. Oh boy! The equivalent of an extra 18 laps to swim just to catch-up! That was the last whack of the two by four I needed to learn that lesson. |
| If swim training is made difficult by pool hours, the bete-noir in bike training is finding a safe place and enough time for a workout. Always wear your helmet. Be extremely careful. Professionals as well as accomplished amateurs (Judith Flannery) have been hurt or killed by traffic even when obeying all traffic laws and safety rules. Try to find a place to ride with minimal traffic, yield the right of way, and always be ready to react. Many of us resign ourselves to rides that will entail stops. If you belong to a gym, spinning classes can be a big help as can an exercise bike at home. But don't grow complaisant. You still need on the road experience. Drink a lot of water and/or other liquids before, during, and after your ride. The beginner should take time to familiarize himself with the ride of the bike. Start slow and notice how it takes corners and what you have to do to control it. There is also a a knack to getting hold of the water bottle, drinking from it, and securing it while riding. If you use clipless pedals or toe straps, practice with them until you are sure you can quickly remove your foot from the pedal in the event of a quick stop. It is also important to be able to be aware of how your body movement affects control of the bike. Looking over your left shoulder to see behind you for example creates a natural tendency to turn the bike to the right. It only takes a moment to veer off the road! Using aerobars or placing one's hands on the center of the handlebars in an aerobar-like position makes the bike's handling even more sensitive. |
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| THE SWIM |
| THE BIKE |
| THE RUN |
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| THE AUTHOR |
| The run is the last leg of the triathlon, usually half as long in time as the bike, but can be crucial to the outcome of the race or an individual achieving his personal goals. At this point in the race, you're tired, and you still have the hottest and hardest part of the race ahead of you. One renowned triathlete once said that at the start of the run, you're only half way through the race. As with the other legs of the triathlon, it is extremely important to stay hydrated. Consume water at every opportunity from aid stations along the course. In sprint triathlons, the run can be an easy place to improve your position if you are at the back of the pack. The reason is that with short distances runners tend to string out in a long line, wearily keeping pace with the runner in front. It takes only a momentary burst (ok, maybe a gasp at this point) of energy to move past the runner in front of you before settling back into the pace, catching some breath, and repeating. If you want some company while running check out the Road Runners Association of America for a list of running clubs in your area. RRCA clubs can offer you training programs and a friendly atmosphere in which to train once or twice a week. All runners from the casual beginner to the seriously competitive are welcome. Many clubs sponsor races of varying distances. |
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