Archive for the ‘Triathlon’ Category

Training program is largely dependent on the character of the person undergoing it. The type will be dictated by the experiences the trainee has had, the level of performance he gives and can give, the body physique and a number of others.

It will definitely start with a comprehensive plan that will focus on your strength and weakness to develop both of them, one to avoidance and the other to ways that will maximize it.

A good plan is never good enough if it cannot even start. You have to visit first your physician to know the general applications you might do with your body. The adjustments in diet, habits and lifestyles and the extent of use you can endure.

Once a check-up is done, the next best thing you can do is to seek the intervention of a professional trainer (if you are planning to take triathlon a lifestyle). If you’ re not, you can always become a weekend warrior and train whenever it pleases you.

Train on your weak sports and give your best shots on your forte. Training must be gradual and so you must expect a gradual change. No winners won because they sacrificed overnight. In fact, the best triathlon athletes train years before they achieve the Iron Man title. It is always that way, there are no quick fixes to achievements.

Training on any of the fields is recommended to be performed by joining a crowd. This practice won’t only help you gather helpful tips and first hand information but will also adapt you to the similar environment during the race.

The equipments need not always be top of the line. The technology used in developing them will surely help you gain your advantages yet these don’t always tell it all. Often, everything lies on your skills and the products of your hard works as produced from your training program.

When off training, making situations like those that resemble your training periods would prove to be good extensions of your training momentum. This will help optimize your race-like attitude. You may also practice transitions and brick training in here to create an environment for your body to get used to.

A training program does not only include training for the race itself. It also integrates plans after the competition. Usually, this involves recovery period that should be planned systematically since most competitors receive muscle injuries due to rigid training and harsh experiences during the competition

About the Author:

This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on Triathlon & other useful information, please visit http://triathlon.articlekeep.com

For a plan to become feasible, it must be definitely defined and the time table must be properly set, that way, the trainee will be able to adjust well on the transitions of each training modes.

The Training
The onset of the training for a triathlon must be set months or even a year before the actual race. It would be good to lay the foundations early than spread them late. If you are serious with making triathlon competitions your lifestyle, then you must atleast be properly acquainted to the fundamentals years before your decision to join.

Why does it have to take that long you ask. Triathlon is simply a game of endurance made from three endurance sports, which create thrice the effects. If you fail to train on due time for one field then the domino effect of late training is likely to occur.

Training does not only include the development of the physical muscles but also the mental prowess that will determine your mind set during the game. Attitude can still create the difference, especially once the muscles start to give way on the final leg. It will be attitude that will flicker the encouragement to keep on running.

The Race
Most athletes don’t get enough sleep the night before the race. This must not be the case since lack of sleep might spoil your investments on training months (and even years!) before the scheduled date.

All things must be prepared days before the race. The worse things that you might do is to forget to do an essential thing just before the race and find out that it’s too late to start again. Your gears must be in good order, your suits, your equipments and most especially yourself.

An hour before the competition, competitors will be given time to arrange their stuffs. Be sure to put these in strategic positions. Afterwhich, try to gather yourself and release tension, from the crowd and from yourself. A good joke will do or start day dreaming. But never loose sight of your goal, work towards your visualization.

During the race, it would be best if you will focus on the activity itself but don’t be too rigid. Try to relax even while you swim. That way, pressure will be lessened.

After the Triathlon
Normally, because of overwork or overstrain during the competition, athletes experience muscle injuries. After the race would be the best time to relax and enjoy the experiences.

This is the best way to approach the swim-transition.

The first thing that will happen when you stand up is that you will have a moment of dizziness. It is brief and normal. Don’t forget you have basically been laying flat through-out the swim and need a few seconds to regain your equilibrium.

First thing to remember:

DON’T BOTHER RUNNING JUST BECAUSE OTHERS ARE!!

This is not a good strategy and serves no good purpose. If you followed my race-swim advice then you’ve come out of the water feeling very good about your swim split. Maybe you were even pleasantly surprised when you became aware of your finish time.

More importantly, you are relaxed and your heart-rate is not all out of control. Your breathing is even. THAT’S GOOD!! Keep it like that through-out the transition. Don’t get excited and try and rush. You are here to FINISH this race. At this point, rushing to save 15 seconds will hurt more than it helps.

As soon as you stand up and have your balance, remove your cap and goggles. Follow the others towards the wet-suit strip area. As you walk, reach around undo the small velcro pad covering your zipper, grab the cord and pull the zipper all the way down on the back of your wetsuit.(And no, it shouldn’t be on the front like one guy I saw).

Pull the wetsuit off your arms and pull it as far down to your waist as you can. When you approach the two wetsuit strippers, lay down(on the grass I hope) and they will each grab one arm of your wetsuit and pull it off. when you stand up, they will hand it to you..IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE YOUR WETSUIT, CAP AND GOGGLES INTO THE TRANSITION TENT!!

While carrying your swim gear, go to the bike gear racks and you will be given your bag. If its busy, get it yourself. You should always know exactly where your gear is located before the swim. I always count the rows beforehand.

In the swim-transition tent, empty your bike gear bag and put your swim gear in that bag. A volunteer may help you. Don’t worry about the bag. Just leave it and it will magically appear after the race.

I found that the best system is to have ALL your equipment in that bag. Including helmet and shoes. I used to leave my shoes with the bike and most times they were not where I left them and the bikes are very close together and things get kicked around. It may be awkward to wear shoes from the tent to your bike, but big deal. You should be taking your time anyway and not trying to run.

REMEMBER**YOU DON’T WANT YOUR HEART RACING. BE RELAXED AND CALM. REGARDLESS OF WHAT IS GOING ON ALL AROUND YOU. JUST LIKE IN THE SWIM. LET EVERYONE ELSE DO ALL THE WRONG THINGS.

“Walk at a good pace to your bike. This is just to stretch your legs out.

Don’t grab one of those drinks on the way out. Don’t eat anything.

You will have more fluid loss than you would think possible during the swim. It fools many people, because they’re surrounded by water and can’t seem to imagine it.

Regardless, don’t eat or drink yet. Give your system time to adjust. Make sure your helmet is on properly. Next, take your bike to the bike mounting area. Find a bit of an open spot if you can. This area of the swim-transition can get quite congested. Some people are rushing and accidents happen here.

When you get on your bike click in one pedal before you push off. Then push off, and click the other in when you start moving. Don’t make the mistake of pushing off with both feet out of the pedals. Sometimes you just can’t get them clicked in right away. ALWAYS have one done! Then if necessary, you can pedal out of swim-transition like this. Once you start moving, you have to keep moving. There will be bikes everywhere. Always leave your bike in an easy gear BEFORE the swim. This is your leaving transition gear.

STAY ALERT!!

Congratulations!! You have completed the swim-transition…

The similarities between endurance athletic events like the Triathlon and Prospecting are almost scary. I had no idea they were so much a like when I decided that I should run Triathlons. It just seemed that this old body needed some rejuvenation, and triathlons aren’t as boring as just running forever, they add the possibility of drowning or crashing your bike!

Anyway, the only way to train for endurance sports like swimming, bicycling, and running is to set aside a specific time 5 days a week for training. In my case this is usually Long Slow Distance (LSD) work. This is how I can build a training base for endurance. I judge the level of my training by using a heart rate monitor that tells me how hard I am working. There is a range within which I should train for at least an hour a day.

My only other responsibility is to be sure that I am using the form that is most efficient for each of the events, so that practice really does make perfect. If you practice wrong, then you develop the skill “perfectly wrong.” I don’t want to do that.

Then, all I need to do it DO IT. If I calculate the correct heart rate zone, train on a daily basis, and practice the correct form, then I should be ready to perform in each of the Triathlons I enter.

The same basic factors apply to Prospecting. First of all Prospecting is an endurance event. You benefit most by Prospecting on a regular basis for a long time, long slow Prospecting – LSP.

Secondly, you need to make sure you are doing it correctly, the right form. We, of course, suggest our BLITZ CALL? System for Prospecting, but this works for whatever Prospecting System you use. Far too many sales professionals use a Prospecting method that is admittedly poor simply because they don’t know any other way. This tends to create Prospecting anxiety which means they don’t like to prospect and usually avoid it.

Thirdly, you need to calculate how many Prospecting calls you need to make to accomplish your goals.

The development of the system is probably pretty easy for most people and may even be fun. The problems arise when you actually have to Prospect on a regular basis.

One of the biggest obstacles for me in training is when I feel tired or have had a hard day and don’t look forward to spending two hours or so swimming, biking, or running. Or when the weather is really hot, when the afternoon temperatures have been in the mid 90′s with a dew point of 78! It becomes really easy to rationalize why I don’t need to train that day.

Also, think of all the reasons I should stay in the office and finish some work which is a good reason to skip today.

Nonsense. If I want to be able to walk away from the finish line having done my best, I need to prepare to some degree every day. You can’t develop endurance fast.

All this is exactly the same for Prospecting; you have to do it on a regular basis, day in and day out, week after week in order to accomplish you goals. You can’t sprint through the process; you must build a strong base from which to work.

When you start you will see that LSP is really not that difficult it just needs to be done on a regular basis. I will also expect to see more sales people on the circuit since you know that Training for Triathlons or Prospecting is the same.

Sell Well and Often

Bill Truax

Bill@BlitzCall.com

? Copyright 2006 WJ Truax

About the Author

Bill Truax is a Sales Management and Field Operations Consultant living in Cleveland, Oh. He conducts Sales Team Assessments trains Managers and Leaders, and Field Sales Professionals both in the field and in workshops. He has 3 books and 2 CD’s on Prospecting and Making Cold Calls and conducts a variety of skill based seminars, workshops, and train the trainer programs. Visit his website at www.BlitzCall.com

One of the greatest marvels in human experiences is the beginning of each adventure?or misadventure. And with each time we begin, the experiences we’ve learned prove to be more beneficial than not starting at all.

Each step of training must be regulated and done according to the typical (and standard) measures that must be used to avoid definite pitfalls.

On training for a USA triathlon, a beginner must secure to it that he had been active for quite several months before joining a competition. That way, his body is more or less conditioned to the rigidity of routines involved in the courses. After all, triathlon is not for the faint-hearted. One must literally have the discipline and endurance enough to keep him in the game.

For a start, beginners should first see their physician to gather data on the routine that must first be done. Current health statues is vital in initiating a training program for a triathlon.

Of the three stages in a USA triathlon, the swim is the most intimidating aspect. Begin with your feet getting wet. Advance to longer distances after several months. (It takes a very slow process to build endurance remember?) Start with two or four laps and develop gradually until you can do continuous swimming of 400 to 600 meters.

Though you may have trained well, pool swimming is still different from open water swimming. It will require you to adapt and so take advantage of the training time to make yourself accustomed to crowded lake swimming.

Cycling takes up most of the race duration. Please allow considerable attention on training this aspect. The first move shall be the choosing of the bike. Professionals from bike shops can best help you in your choice. However, your personal preference must still be on top. Assure to it that your choice fits your cycling needs, body and allows comfortable rides.

During training, it is important that you know the type of terrain that you will encounter. This will help dictate the course for which you will conduct your practice.

The run may be the easiest junction of the race. Nevertheless, it still requires the endurance and strength the above activities require.

Practice also on the transition stages. These usually are the most challenging parts that will outdo the major parts.

Because injury is a normal part of the competition, it would be best for the trainee to avoid any circumstances that will lead towards such incidences. Practices like warming up and cooling down, gradual increase in distances and wearing of appropriate suits, clothes and accessories must have some place in your attention.

In the world of triathlons, men triathlon clothing may be the difference between doing well and winning the race.

In these days of high tech fabrics and unique methods of clothing construction, what you wear has never been more important.

If you are competing in worn, torn clothing, consider revamping your wardrobe and your racing attitude by choosing the latest kinds of clothing.

The rise of technology advanced clothing is perfect for anyone who wants to gain a leg up on their competition and enjoy newfound success in the sport of triathlons.

Perfect For Land Or Sea

Since triathlons take place both on land and in water, it makes perfect sense that mens triathlon clothing should accommodate both environments.

Today’s latest pieces of triathlon clothing take its cue from the amphibians that occupy both types of living.

Instead of having to change outfits between each stage of the race or suffer through bulky, heavy, inappropriate clothing that can chafe, aggravate, and hamper your movements, these technologically advanced pieces of clothing are custom made for triathletes by triathletes.

Type Of Clothing

When it comes to the typical triathlete’s apparel , there are many options in the specific types of clothing available.

Typically though, there are two main options: wear a two piece uniform of shorts and a shirt or wear a sleek one piece outfit.

The difference between these two types of clothing is vast, and the preference is strictly a personal one.

If you are wondering what type of triathlon outfit would be best for your specific style and needs, you are strongly urged to try both types.

Some individuals find the one piece suits a dream, since they fit your body like a second skin.

Other athletes stand by the tradition of wear separates during their racing and stick to the basics.

Triathlon shorts are available in two main styles: trunks and form-fitting shorts reminiscent of traditional bicycling shorts.

Both types of these shorts are custom made for running, swimming, and riding in a triathlon.

The trunk style of triathlon shorts are made in a similar style of swimming trunks, but featured a padded crotch region to make riding your bicycle more comfortable.

Similarly, form-fitting shorts are made with less padding which, unlike bicycle shorts, are more comfortable for running and swimming.

Both of these types of shorts are made from technologically advanced fabrics that are capable of drying quickly and weigh next to nothing.

The Water

When the water temperature is incredibly cold for those early morning or late season triathlons, look no further than wet suits.

Although typical wetsuits are bulky, thick, and cumbersome, the triathlon wetsuits are sleek and lightweight.

These wetsuits were first engineered in the mid-1980s by triathlete Dan Empfield.

Fed up with the old fashioned wetsuits suitable for scuba diving but not triathlons, Empfield created a suit that was lightweight and allowed considerable mobility, but was still warm for those chilly waters.

Unlike other wetsuits, the texture of the construction fabric is slick, which allows the athlete to slide through the water with the greatest of ease.

For this reason, triathlon wet suits should not be used for any other sporting event, especially surfing, since the material is fragile and the fabric can easily tear when it comes in contact with sandy surfaces.

Finally, Empfield’s wet suits were made to be donned and taken off quickly and easily, which allows you to save precious minutes during the transition periods between each stage of the race.

Just like your regular clothes , wearing the right outfit to a triathlon can greatly affect your performance. For this reason, take special care when purchasing the outfits for your favored sporting event.

Hopefully I can give you a few bike-training tips that will help you prepare for your first Ironman Triathlon.

I’ll repeat what I said in the bike-equipment page. Be sure when you purchase I bike that it is the proper frame size for you. Also make sure that experienced bike outlet personel fit you to that bike.

In other words, if you really stretch at the bottom of the pedal stroke, the bike is not set up properly. If you are all scrunched up and are not extending your legs far enough, the bike is not set up properly. Something as simple as raising or lowering the seat can make a huge difference to your pedal stroke. It’s important to make use of all the big muscles.

You’ll find that bike-training involves much more than biking itself. Something as simple as having the bike set up properly will make your transition into the run a lot less painful.

When it comes to the actual bike-training, many first time Ironman hopefuls have the wrong idea. You don’t have to go out and cycle hundreds and hundreds of miles. Maybe one day if you decide to really go for it and try and place in your age group you might want to look at more intense training. For your first attempt at an Ironman just remember. You’re not going out to set a new record for the bike split. You want to FINISH this thing!

I would recommend doing one 7 or 8 hour ride about 8 weeks from Ironman day. Go out with a couple of people. Pack lots of food and water and plan to be gone for the day. Don’t worry about how MANY miles. All you are doing is getting an idea of what it will be like to be on the bike for that long.

For the rest of the training year, try and bike 3 or 4 times a week. You can do 1 or 2 of those rides on a wind-trainer or at a gym on one of their exercise bikes. As your season progresses, try and plan for one longer ride of 2 or 3 hours once a week. Don’t worry about how many miles. Pay more attention to actual time on the bike and finding a cadence and speed that you’re comfortable with. I strongly recommend heart-monitor use on the bike.(check my website for section on heart-monitor training). Try and stay at or below your target heart rate and your fitness level will continue to improve over time.

Be sure to try different fluid supplements and different types of solid nourishment until you find what agrees with you and then go with it. I would recommend getting used to one of the gels, because they are handy, and packed with nourishment and most likely found on every Ironman course.

As your season progresses, you should try and do one transition ride every week. The best day for this is the day you’re on your wind-trainer. Ride for at least an hour and then run IMMEDIATELY after for at least half an hour. This will help you get used to the bike-run transition. Its not necessary to bike 4 or 5 hours and then run 15 miles in order to see what it feels like. Trust me, after an hour on the bike, you’ll get the idea after about 4 strides into the run.

I won’t kid you. There’s nothing on earth that will ‘truly’ prepare you for what you will experience when you leave the bike transition tent and head out on your first Ironman marathon. However including bike-run transition training into your bike program will certainly help.

Due to time pressure, majority of racers often forget that one of the central things in a race is for your gears to fit properly. When its too tight, then it must have the proper fit, right? Yes.

There are no standard measures that can help us in choosing our wetsuits. We only have to trust on our best judgement and trust on the luck that you have the perfect wet suit.

Triathlon races allow absolute personal choices for gears and equipments. However if you were joined in a racing team, it would be possible that you get to follow the prescribed uniform.

Wetsuits are critical during the race. If they aren’t perfectly donned, they can create true differences. In most cases, they restrict your from moving freely just because the lower suit pulls the top from its proper place.

Wetsuits are designed to be pulled easily into and out from your body, especially when you and the suit are wet.

It is best to leave your socks on if you are to wear the wetsuit. This will prevent the material from stretching due to pulling from your toes. Pull the bottom of the pants further until the crotch is snugly fit. This junction is critical so please do it carefully.

If you are using a full-length wetsuit, you have to ensure that the dividing section between the lower and upper parts are placed on their respective positions.

Afterwhich, drive your arms into the armholes. Secure to it that the space between your armpit and the suit is just enough to let you move if you are using full suits. If however, you prefer to use Long Johns, you would no longer be bothered with the sleeves.

Now the question arises, which works better, Full Suits or Long Johns?

If it is the advantage of speed that you like, you can turn to full suits. These work well for more experienced swimmers who can produce long but lesser strokes since full suits help conserve energy by cutting the water easier.

Long Johns however, leave your arms free which can better help facilitate higher stroke counts. These also provide the feel of water.

If you have practiced enough, it is possible for you to wear or remove your wetsuit in less that 10 seconds during the race. After all, triathlon wet suits are designed to be taken in and off quickly. But whatever you do, never sit down while taking it off. This will add 5 seconds or more on your transition time.

About the Author:

This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on Triathlon & other useful information, please visit http://triathlon.articlekeep.com

If there were anything more difficult than the transitions of the triathlon race then swimming would be it. Truly an endurance sport, swimming in triathlon races can actually dig the life out of you, especially when your body is not well adapted to the conditions that it requires.

You may have some basic backgrounds in swimming since it is known to be the most popular pastime sport Americans have. But you, when you’re seriously into the game of triathlon then backgrounds are no longer enough to let you know the feeling of reaching the finish line.

Your triathlon training in swimming can cover all or most of the strokes. And you may choose to use them during the race, after all no one says that freestyle stroke is a guarantee to get through the swim stage. Nevertheless, as we might have observed most racers are comfortable with freestyle stroke because it provides speed.

But competitors, at one time or another, can be seen using different strokes for whatever purpose they deem necessary. The problem with this though is that they have to break the momentum and start with a new stroke over again once they gain their speed. Somehow, this creates the struggle and that is what we want to eliminate. You have to get through this junction as smoothly as you can be.

You can get this through training. If you cant cross the pool straight for now, you never have to worry since practice will always create more perfect ways to achieve what you first set your mind to achieve.

Swimming is not only an activity of endurance, it also requires you tons of patients to get the proper technique and strength. Thrice a week practice will do you best, other than that you may over-exhaust your self or lack training.

While the swim part is not actually the longest stage, it still garners the longest training to master. After all, swimming is nearly a hundred percent technical.

On the general view, swimming should not be taken as the speed game. You only have to get through it to be able to reach the 2nd and last lap. It must not tire you, it only has to warm you up. It will prepare your muscle to flex during the last two legs of the race. The trick lies in the efficient use of energy so there will be more for the run and the bike stages.

You can’t expect to see yourself swim but you can trust an eye from a good trainer. He will show you the details of your flaws and will help you work on them.

About the Author:

This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on Triathlon & other useful information, please visit http://triathlon.articlekeep.com

When it comes to finding the best triathlon gear on the market, you may be overwhelmed at the sheer amount of options available on the market.

Instead of choosing equipment that is either inappropriate for the sport or for your specific needs, strive to do the research before you begin shopping.

A couple of minutes of research can save you a tremendous amount of time, effort, and money when it comes to shopping for the best triathlon gear for you, regardless if you are interesting in competing in an amateur event or striving for perfection in a professional event.

By far, the best triathlon gear available for purchase is appropriate footwear.

If you are in possession of the correct type of footwear, then you are much more likely to succeed in any event, be it a triathlon, biathlon or 10K.

Since the triathlon consists of three completely different types of sporting s, you should strive to choose a type of footwear that can easily switch from one to the other. Furthermore, since the swim portion of the is usually the place where triathlon contestants lose the most time dressing and undressing, your footwear should be easy to put on and remove.

However, your footwear should fit comfortably, which is a major consideration when it comes to purchasing any types of footwear for an athletic .

The appropriate clothing is an essential element when it comes to choosing triathlon gear.

Before you purchase any type of triathlon clothing, consider the specific type of clothing. The main difference between the clothing options depends on the number of items worn.

In both men and womens clothing, triathlon gear is available in a one-piece option or multiple pieces. The preference is completely personal, so do not feel that you have to choose a specific type of outfit specifically because other athletes choose to wear the clothing, try them out yourself and see what works best for you.

Furthermore, you may choose to purchase special outfits designed for use in the water as well as on land. This type of apparel is similar to a wetsuit, but remains versatile and comfortable.

In addition to the gear that you wear during any triathlon, the other important piece of gear that you will choose to use is your bicycle.

This piece of equipment is a necessary part of the triathlon as a sport and often needs to be purchased with a triathlon in mind.

Even if you have a professional cycling bicycle, you may find yourself out shopping for a new bicycle when it comes to competing in a triathlon.