It is only natural for you to be awed by those iron man athletes who have the guts and the stamina to run the triathlon and finish it with a bang. Perhaps you are thinking that it is impossible for you to do that given your current physical condition.
It Takes Resolve and a Lot of Preparations
Yes, you are right. It takes a particular type of fellow with a determined resolve to do it by preparing all he can to do the unthinkable. That is the key: preparation. But don’t underestimate yourself. You can also do it as long as you have the resolve, and the preparation that goes with it.
What You Need are the Specifics
Doing a triathlon seems only impossible because you haven’t broken down the whole thing yet. If you examine the specifics, you will understand that it is not an impossible feat to accomplish after all. Many have done it – so can you.
Here are some easy tips on how you can do a triathlon.
1. Determine the right distance
Every person has his limits therefore you cannot beat a triathlon champion if you are just starting out. Determining the right distance for you now will depend on the time you will give to your training and the current skills you have in swimming, biking and running. This incidentally is the usual format of a triathlon.
So, your first order of the day is to determine your stamina on these three sports activities. And only then will you be able to gauge what type of additional training, and how many hours you need to spend in order for you to reach the finish line of a triathlon race.
You will need a fitness trainer from a gym like American Family Fitness or Snap Fitness who is well-versed in helping triathletes to give you an honest to goodness assessment of your present capabilities. He can also help in designing the right workout routines you need to perform to upgrade your skills and your stamina.
2. Start working immediately
As soon as you have the correct assessment and the exact workout routines, there is no time to hesitate. Put your money where your mouth is. Start preparing by organizing your work schedule and by giving emphasis to your regular workouts. If possible, your workouts must be scheduled on a daily basis. Arrange your schedule based on the triathlon date you want to join and working back the date to where you are now.
Preparing for a triathlon takes too much time therefore you just can’t join a triathlon scheduled one month from now. In other words, you need to prepare months ahead of a triathlon race, if possible more than six months, or you will not last even the first leg of the race.
3. Test the waters
Look at the kinds of open waters you will be required to swim. Typically, triathlon starts in open water, i.e. the sea. Therefore you need to get accustomed to long distance swimming in the ocean – of course being reasonably cautious about the condition of the waters.
If you are already used to swimming in the ocean, you can safely tackle a lake swim because there is not much uncontrolled stuff in such locations. Keep on practicing in the open water and pretty soon, you will have the confidence to do it.
4. Practice smooth transitions
Smooth transitions are also an element of success in running a triathlon. As a beginner, you need to make a checklist of every gear that you will need and bring to the transition stations. It is advisable to bring everything you think you’ll need rather than not having something when you really need it.
As you keep on practicing, you will be able to see what the important things are. Eventually, you will be able to eliminate those things that are not really necessary. On the actual race date, it is best if you could take a walk to the bike out and the run out to see where all the gears are located.
5. Master the brick
The brick is the formidable opponent of a triathlete because it will give you the feeling that your legs are as heavy as bricks. When you start feeling this, it, all your spirits will give way, even if you’re still miles away from the finish line. Everything that you’ve worked for, every preparation you have taken will be brought to naught once you get this feeling.
So, to avoid the brick and finish the race, you need to perform what is called the brick workout. This is actually practicing the movements involved in getting off the bike and immediately running on the road. Your legs need to get accustomed to the feeling of the sudden change.
Once your off and running, you will feel that all your hard work are all behind you, and the only thing left is to get to the finish line.