Archive for the ‘Triathlon’ Category

Triathlon is basically a game of endurance. Your training, your stamina and your willingness will all help you know what it’s like to reach the finish line. And the equipments you will use can also add up to your real race standing.

You need not invest much on top-of-the-line triathlon gears. A combination of some good equipemnts will create better performances.

Triathlon Bike Any bikes are allowed in a triathlon race. However, there are those that can aid in maximizing your performance.

Central in choosing a triathlon bike are distance, frequency and weight. Some of the more popular options are bikes made from steel frames, titanium frames, carbon fiber frames and aluminum frames. As for the wheels, 650c’s are best for small riders while 700c wheels provide the ideal stability for larger and taller riders.

Running Shoes The shape, size and the inward rolling of your feet should be greatly considered when choosing your shoes. Running is usually the last stage in triathlon competitions. This is when all your energy is consumed. It is best that your running shoes help deliver you towards the finish line.

Triathlon Clothing This may be a full-length wet suit or a two-piece that vary in length, style and function. There are literally thousands of choices for you, be sure that you fit several types before settling on your last pick. But whatever you choose, never consider saggy-looking wet suits made from heavy materials. They wont do you any good. They’ll just drag you while on the race. To get the feel of the actual race, practice the manner by which you will wear and take off your wetsuit during the race.

Consider the construction of the material, the layout, the panels and the seals.

The fit almost tells it all. It dictates your comfort and free movement while on track. The fitter it gets and the more sealed openings are-the better. Snuggers usually are the best choices. They fit comfortably while providing you enough space to move.

An ideal wetsuit should not have the same thickness. Thinner materials must be used in places where rigid actions are done. The chest, on the other hand, must be thicker since it surges into pressure the most. Extra stretchable materials must also be found in your ankles.

Goggles To improve your visibility in water, you must be equipped with a good pair of goggles. Among the popular choices are anti-glare, shock-resistant and anti-fog.

Joining triathlon is one thing. Preparing for it is another. So, to avoid coming short on the finish line, you must prepare for it long before the competition starts.

When

Once you have the desire to join triathlon any time soon, the very first thing that should concern you is the right time of your training. Actually, there is no right or wrong time of training. Early in the morning, late in the afternoon or even on midnight would be okay as long as your body can adapt to your time schedule.

If you choose to train early in the morning the effect would be for your body to boost its metabolism. This is great if you want to maintain your body weight. You burn more calories while training and continue for several hours even you have already stopped.

The best time to train is in the afternoon. You are fully energized at this time of the day for your body has been nourished and hydrated since you wake up.

In case you want to train during midnight, you are free to do so. As was said, as long as your body adapts to your time schedule, anytime is okay.

Where

You have 3 disciplines to hone: running, swimming, and biking. Let us start with running. There are several places where you can improve your running. A treadmill would definitely let you monitor every detail you need. An open ground would keep your session just like the real competition. For you who would run outdoor, one tip that should be remembered is that you must change your route regularly. Doing so would keep you up and about every time.

Stationary bike or real triathlon bike are two ways where you can improve this particular discipline. Again, changing your outdoor route would keep you from tiring so fast.

Unless you have swimming pool at your home, access to train on this discipline is limited. Have a particular time where you can hone this.

How

One thing that you must remember is that no matter how hard you train, it would be useless if you result yourself to over fatigue. To avoid this from happening, take a rest. Your body will improve while resting (untrue to the common notion that the body improves during each session). Make sure you have a good rest after every training to avoid not only over fatigue but also injury and lost of motivation.

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

Even the fittest and the toughest of the athletes do get some shares of pain during the triathlon race. Triathlon is simply a game of endurance. The only thing that one can do is to believe that somehow, he will be able to reach the finish line. One has to battle with distances, with fatigue and with lack of strength. And it is likely that at the end, he’ll be having thoughts of quitting but his inner self will convince him that’s its already too late to quit.

Sprint triathlon, like those of Iron Man or half-Iron competitions are composed of three disciplined events namely, swimming, biking and running. Sprint, being a smaller scale as compared with other variations may not require you the same endurance other types have but still it requires some great will power. In usual cases, sprint triathlon takes off half the original distance Olympic standards have.

Sprint triathlon only takes 750 meters of swim (considerably short for a triathlon race), a biking distance of 20 km and a run of 5 km. Not much of a suffering right? But it is for the beginners.

Olympic distance, on the other hand, has standard of 1.5 km of swimming, 40 km of biking and 10 km run for the last leg.

Iron Man Triathlon, which seem to have the primary aim of testing the limits of the physical body and the mental endurance of a racer requires one to finish 3.8 km of swim, 180 km for the bike lap and a run to hell of 42 km.

Once you embark on a sprint triathlon competition, the first thing you need to do is to condition your body for the grand day ahead. This can only be acquired through proper training, which normally lasts for not less than 13 weeks.

Set an achievable goal first. That would be better since you can work on it. Set your hopes high but do not go beyond plans that you believe would not work. Now that you have a specific point to get to, schedule your training program and start working on it. Assure to it that your plan will always be in accordance with the specific events that you are about to join. Do not just swim meters by meters. Or ride the bike for as long as you want. Or run miles on end. See to it that in each session, there is a specific aim that you are working with, say endurance or speed.

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 guys, shaving their legs for the big race has pretty well become an important part of Ironman race preparation. Its right up there with carbo loading and pre-race hydration.

Actually, more to the point, its become a tradition and the mark of a real honest to God triathlete who has truly arrived. Well, at least in the minds of some.

I doubt if all novice ironmen actually realize why leg-shaving takes place and why the heck they’re putting themselves through it in the first place.

At least in the beginning there was one and only one logical reason to shave your legs for an Ironman. It all started with cyclists who shave their legs all the time in the event they have one of those nasty crashes where exposed skin meets the ashphalt highway. Its far easier to clean and treat road-rash if the blood and dirt isn’t dried and matted into your hair. Actually, it works. I’ve crashed a few times and its surprising just how much faster these abrasions actually heal when the affected area is smooth and easy to treat. Plus, pulling off a bandaid becomes virtually painless.

I came to realize early in my career that there’s also another very good time to shave not just your legs, but your arms and chest and stomach as well. It was my very first Ironman in Hawaii in 1984 when I ran into this guy who had been a competetive swimmer for years. He talked about four of us into shaving all our body hair off. He actually arranged for a hair salon in Kona to shave us all after they closed for the day.(all it costs was three bottles of wine). Then he insisted that we go back to our rooms and use a razor and shave with it as well. This in effect was taking all the hair stubble off leaving a completely smooth surface. He insisted this be done the eve of the race, not before. This, he said, was something competetive swimmers did all the time.

Well, I couldn’t believe it when the gun went off and I hit the water race morning. I had never experienced a feeling like it. I literally glided through the water. It was like all resistance was gone and it suddenly seemed effortless to propel myself forward. In that moment it became abundantly clear to me why fish don’t have hair. You virtually ‘slide’ through the water. After all that training, it was such a bonus to have this extra advantage on race morning.

I highly recommend it, but of course if you are wearing a wetsuit, all bets are off. It has to be a “no wetsuit” swim.

As stated earlier, the only real reason to shave your legs otherwise, is to make cleaning abrasions easier.

There are those who honestly believe shaving their legs makes them bike faster, but that’s a stretch. But hey, if it makes you feel faster, go for it. Actually, I’ve tried Ironman Canada with and without shaving and really, I don’t believe bike times are any faster and any speed advantage is in ones head.

So, should you shave your legs before that first Ironman? Sure, why not. If it makes you feel more like an Ironman then of course you should. That’s if you don’t mind taking the time and putting up with that itching when the hair starts to grow back.

Should you shave completely(not your head, by the way) for a no wetsuit swim? Without a doubt, YES. Its an advantage.

I hope this clears up the mystery of leg-shaving for some.

My name is Ray. I’ve created a site full of training and racing tips for the beginner triathlete/novice-ironman. Come for a visit.

http://triathlon-ironman-myfirstironman-ironstruck.com

When it comes to triathlon wear , there is a wide variety of options on the market. For triathletes, the difference in attire is truly a personal choice.

Although some teams may mandate specific uniforms, the sport is generally individual, allowing each participant to choose his or her desired outfit.

When it comes to triathlon wear , the traditional material is neoprene, the same type used in wetsuits.

This is generally due to chilly water temperatures that can cause you to lose valuable time due to cold shock.

Furthermore, using a wet suit for your triathlon suit allows you to use the item for other sports, including scuba diving or surfing.

There are three main items in triathlon wear : full, sleeveless, and two-piece suits.

Again, the choice is purely personal, as each different competitor enjoys a the feel, protection, and mobility of different suits.

The full suit is a one piece suit that covers arms and legs.

This suit is the best multisport suit and can complete cover the arms and legs completely or only cover the legs to the knees and the arms to the elbows.

Sleeveless suits are a one piece suit that stops coverage at the shoulders, but continues to cover the legs to either the knees or the ankles.

Finally, two-piece suits employ mix and match system for triathlon clothes that can include long or short bottoms with long tops, short tops, or no tops at all.

If you are interested in purchasing a multisport suit, consider the difference in the neoprene.

Suits made for surfing, kayaking, or diving are made from thicker, less movable neoprene that may not be flexible enough for the demanding sport of a triathlon.

Like other clothes , choose a suit that is in the middle of the road to ensure the most usefulness.

About the Author

Learn more about <A href=”http://www.Gear4Triathlons.com/triathalon-racing.html” target=_new>Triathalon Racing . Do you have what you need to improve your workouts and your races?

You may have been training for weeks or months already, but now it is 2 weeks before your race and it’s time to think about resting. Many triathletes find this more difficult than swimming 5,000 yards, biking the hills, or running a half marathon!

Here are some things to keep in mind if you are beginning your taper or rest period before your race.

1. Do longer warmups and warmdowns. You can keep your distance up, but start to add more to the beginning and end portion of your workout. This ‘active rest’ will assure that you are well rested for your race but not out of shape.

2. Avoid big meals and sugar. Tapering is an adjustment for your body, and your immune system may not be as strong during this time. Big meals and carbohydrates like sugar will wear your immune system and leave you susceptible to colds and flus. Keep in mind that as your workout intensity decreases, you must decrease calorie intake accordingly.

3. Get as much sleep as you can before midnight. Ideally, get to bed by 10:30. The sleep you get before midnight is the most crucial to your recovery. You will feel more rested if you can do this for at least 2 weeks before your event.

4. Lay off the strength training. This is more of an individual call (some people feel better if they are doing some strength work all the way up until the event, others will be too broken down unless they take a good 2 weeks off), but at the minimum, you should go lighter in the weeks leading up to your event.

5. Avoid caffeine. It may be tough if you are a coffee addict, but 2 weeks of not having that morning cup will give you more natural energy for your race. Take it from 6-time Ironman champion Mark Allen- he practiced this for every race and it worked pretty well for him!

6. Increase your meditation or yoga. Less time working out means more time to prepare mentally! If you don’t do yoga already, don’t start now. However, find some quiet time during the day to get away from work and working out to clear your mind. Think about how easy that swim will be since you are well-prepared with Tri Swim Coach!

7. You will have more energy during your rest or taper period. Don’t be tempted to use it! Save it for your event and you will be glad you did.

Have a great race!

About the Author: Kevin operates the website http://www.TriSwimCoach.com, a resource for beginning through intermediate level triathletes looking for help with swimming. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled ?The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming? on http://triswimcoach.com.