Goodbye

I Have had a lot of fun sharing all that I could with evryone about my knowledge of triathlons. I am sad to say that this is my last post, but I will still be training for triathlons and maybe I will compete against some of you. If any of you have any questions, I refer you to look at triathlon.blogspot.com. It is a great blog and they really know what they are talking about.

Have fun and happy training!

Conditioning

     If you are just beginning to train for a triathlon, then you should be conditioning about four days a week. With the running aspect of your conditioning, try to go out there and run for distance, not for speed. Do this about two days a week and on one of them, try to implicate a cycling workout to go along before it. Practice your transition speed one day of the week and make sure to be picky about it. Critique yourself!
     The swimming portion of it should be done about three days a week and should be for distance as well. Keep this up for about eight weeks and then Try to pick up the pace.

The Proper Way to Stretch

Importance of Water

Empty water bottle at 14,000 ft. By: domesticat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/domesticat/3104016535/

     As the days get hotter and hotter, our bodies need to replenished more often. Water helps our bodies to get the necessary amount of replenishment and allows our bodies to cool down. If their was ever a time to need a nice bottle of water, this would be it.
     Water balls come in many different shapes and sizes and I highly recommend a small 20 ounce bottle for anyone because it gives you quite a bit of water, yet is fairly easy to carry.

Open Water Swims

Water by the Docks By: Broken Haiku
http://www.flickr.com/photos/broken/5632733/

     I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice in open water. The difference of swimming in a pool and in a lake is astronomical. You need to practice "slicing" through the waves rather than having to swim over every wave that comes towards you (which will be a lot).
     Many of the best triathletes say that the secret to open water swimming is practice. They swim in open water year round and know what they need to do to "slice" through a wave in a short amount of time. If you do not live an a climate that allows you to swim in open water year round, I suggest that as soon as you can, go out and work your butt off to try and keep up with the people that do.
   

Running Partner

     A lot of people like to run by themselves, while others like to run with someone else. Recently I got a new dog and he loves to keep me company on my runs. It seems like running with a dog gives me a better work out because he pushes me to run a little faster than I would have wanted to. Some dogs really want to go for a run anyway, so you might as well the work out while taking your dog outside.

Warm Weather Runs



Crim Festival of Races 10 mile run 2010. By: I Run Flint
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irunflint/4937704178/in/photostream/

      As the weather warms up, more people start to run. As more people start to run, it gets a lot more difficult to find some moving space on bike paths or trails. One of the most important things to think about when running in warm weather is to always be hydrated. Drink water before, during and after your run in order to be well hydrated. Even if you know that the path will be full so you will have to run a little slower than usual, you should still keep a healthy mindset by being prepared for the heat.

Swim 2000

I recently purchased some swimming gear at swim2000.com. This site is amazing! All of their inventory is organized into easy to find places. One of the best things for me was that they had their own triathlon section on their website. Everything that is needed in the swimming portion of a triathlon and more is located there. This saved me a lot of time by making it so I didn't have to search their entire website just to find the things that I need. I strongly suggest that you check this website out and if you like it they know how to treat you well. my items came in less than four days and I just requested standard shipping.

-Happy Buying

     Many people have different reasons for wanting to do a triathlon. I found a woman's blog about her journey from "Couch potato to triathlete." Here is a little from her biography:
    

     My name is Carol Scheible. When I was 20, my cousin started doing triathlons. I remember thinking “That sounds really cool, but I could never do that – I’m not athletic enough”.

Twenty years later I was overweight and out of shape, and generally miserable. I decided to make a commitment to follow a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life. I lost a bunch of weight without any exercise. Then I hit a plateau where I could not lose any more.

So…I decided to start running. While searching for run training programs online, I ran across this great plan called Couch to 5k at a website called Beginner Triathlete. That old thought about how cool triathloning sounded came back to me …it was tucked away in the back of my mind all those years. This time, instead of thinking “I can’t do it”; I thought “I will do it!”.

After finishing the Couch to 5k training plan, I added biking and swimming to my workouts, and completed my first triathlon in April 05. I am now hooked on the sport of triathlon and am fitter than I have ever been in my life.

My brother, Mark, has been doing triathlons for several years and he is a great help to me – giving me lots of advice and support and answering all my neophyte questions. Thanks, Mark!

My brother-in-law, Tom, is a runner and fitness enthusiast and has always been an inspiration to me.

I’ve recently met a guy on my master’s swim team named Jon. He’s a master’s elite triathlete and actually wins races. He’s very inspiring and is kind enough to share his wisdom with me. He says all it takes is persistence. I think he’s just being modest and is very talented. What they heck, tho, I’ll dream big and tell myself that maybe I can win someday too.

The site Beginner Triathlete is a wonderful resource for triathletes – both novice and veteran. Also, read my post on Getting Started in Triathlon.

Here is the link to her blog and I strongly suggest that you go and check it out for yourself!

http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com/

Discovering Which Distance is Right for You

     When you look at all of the different lengths and different types of triathlons, it is easy to not know which one you would like to compete in. Regardless of your goals you should start with a sprint or an olympic triathlon in order to fully understand what it takes to complete a triathlon under pressure.
     Many people like to be able to find a distance that they really like and stick with that for years. Others, however, may try all of the different types of triathlons and enjoy mixing it up. This is difficult because it is best to train for one specific distance rather than training for an ironman and competing in an olympic distance triathlon.
     Try what you want but remember to be careful when training and always make sure that it is something that you want to do, not something that you feel like you have to do.

    

Different types of Triathlons

     There are four different lengths to a triathlon: sprint, olympic, half-ironman and ironman. Each has its own difficulty and its own techniques.
     A sprint triathlon is the shortest of the four. It consists of a .75 kilometer swim, a 20 kilometer bike ride, and a 5 kilometer run. It is for people that are new to triathlons and for people that like to keep a fast pace the whole race. If you cannot train for more than ten hours a week, I would recommend this distance for you.
     An olympic triathlon is a 1.5 kilometer swim followed by a 40 kilometer bike ride and then finished with a 10 kilometer run. This type of athlete would be someone that has a solid amount of endurance built up and people who can spend 10 to 15 hours a week training.
     A half-ironman triathlon consists of a 1.2 mile run, a 56 mile bike ride , and a 13.1 mile run. This is for people who have been competing in triathlons for over one year and have at least 20 hours a week to train.
     An ironman is the longest triathlon there is. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a marathon (26.2 mile run) to finish the race. These are for the most experienced of triathletes that can dedicate at least 30 hours a week in training.

Swimming Technique

Swim training 19 By Michael Lokner
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lokner/3551186181/

     Swimming can be broken down into two parts: arms and legs. Your arms are doing one thing while your legs are doing another at the same time.
     Your legs should never stop moving while you swim. There should be a nice 3 to 1 ratio of kicks per stroke when swimming. try to focus on keeping your legs straight and have them kicking at a constant rate.
     A lot of people think that the faster you move your arms, the faster you will go. This is not true. When swimming, your arms should guide your body as you reach forward and then pull the water back. When you reach, you should try to reach as far as you can and slice through the water. When you pull, You should be feeling it in your chest. This is where a lot of your speed comes from.
     It is important to remember that the best swimmers have a small splash. Try to minimize your splash by focusing on everything.

To Train or Not To Train

     In the off season of triathlons, I find myself getting lazy with my workouts. I debate whether or not I should go all out in a workout just to see where I am or if I should just stick with my basic "just stay in shape" workouts. There really isn't an off season for triathletes, but I like to know that I don't have a competition any time soon.
     The more I think about training the less I actually want to go and do it. I believe that the winter time is a good time to focus on the fundamentals of each part: swimming, cycling, and running. In order to do this you must do your workouts at a comfortable pace and try to over exaggerate everything. If you do this, the "off season" will not last so long.

Goggles for Life

Goggles By Julie K in Taiwan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliekintaiwan/143427203/

     When we go to the store we can try on all of the clothes that we want to make sure that they are the perfect fit. If we want to, we can even walk around in them for a little while. You know, get the feel for them. The thing about shopping for a good pair of goggles is that we can't try them on in the store.
     Do you know what size nose piece you have? Do you think that you would be able to tell just by looking through a package? I didn't think so. Also, some goggles might fit you perfectly when you aren't in the water, but right when they touch one drop of water, they leak like its their job.
     My recommendation is, if you ever find a pair of goggles that fit you perfectly, remember them. Hold on to that pair of goggles for your life. Take care of them like they were your baby, because it can take a long time to find the perfect pair of goggles.

How Much Do You Inspect Your Shoes?

171.365 By rbbaird
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbbaird/4636728964/

     When looking for a good type of running shoe, what are the things that matter most? For me, I like my shoes to be a little tight around my foot, yet still be comfortable. It's not only about the comfort though, I also try to go for the look. I'm an athlete and people should be able to tell that I am by looking at my name brand athletic apparel. Anyway, I think that people buy shoes for many different reasons.
     For a triathlete, shoes are like a mathematicians calculator or a chefs frying pan, without them, you probably won't get very far. When you go to get your shoes, know what you want, know how much you are willing to spend and know how to inspect a shoe.
     How do You inspect a shoe? To inspect a shoe you first have to look at it. Decide if you like they way it looks. Then, try it on. Is the bounce nice? Do they fit right? How do you think they will feel after running a 5k? Then, tug on the sides a little bit to see how much they stretch out. I like to have a little stretch in my running shoes for the occasional swollen ankle.
     Happy shopping!

Are Triathlons Easier if Your Flexability is High?



HathaYoga Championships -Bikram-Ron Sombilon Gallery (466) By Ron Sombilon Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23889619@N04/4151856340/


     If you are flexible, your muscles have a larger range to extend and give you a better projection when running and swimming.
     When you are swimming, flexibility plays a major role in the extension of your forward arm. It will give you a better "glide" motion and help when you make the second part of your stroke by allowing you to pull more water.
     When you are running, flexibility help you complete an entire leg rotation and make it so you can spring off of the ground easier.
     Cycling is in another category because being flexible doesn't help cycling too much, do to the fact that your legs can only go where your pedals allow.
   All in all, your flexibility will help you immensely, from start to finish. You can get a better stretch before and after races and help prevent pulled muscles.



Competition: Göteborg 25 By Michael Lokner
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lokner/3761781110/

 In order to be a successful triathlete, you have to eat healthy. Healthy foods provide people with the proper nutrients that their body needs. Even for the training portion of a triathletes journey, healthy food plays a major role. As we push our bodies, we have to use our energy.

Where does energy come from? What is energy? Energy comes from carbohydrates. One of my personal favorite sources of carbohydrates is spaghetti. If you eat about two cups of spaghetti before every workout, you will not be as tired as you would if you ate three donuts. Be careful not to over eat. If you do not burn off all of the calories that you eat, you will find that it is a lot easier to gain weight and get out of shape fast.