January 20th, 2012 — Swim Bike Run, Swimming, Triathlon Training
Beginners to the triathlon tend not to worry so much about the running and bicycling legs of the race, although they require thought and preparation on their own. Running and bicycling for beginners, however, are familiar childhood activities, and are not as foreign as swimming. Swimming has always been limited to summer months, or for those few with access, indoor pools. When children would swim, they would do so in fun, not as a competitive race, as they would with running and bicycling. As a result, beginners find that swimming requires the greatest focus in the early stages of training. Here are some excellent tips for swimming training for your first triathlon.
>> First and foremost, you need to become comfortable within the water and what this is going to take is swimming, swimming and more swimming. There is absolutely no other way to get comfortable with the water than to get into the water and simply to make it happen. The more comfortable that you are in the water, the better you will perform when training for and acting in your first triathlon. There is nothing wrong with being a little nervous when swimming, but you must overcome this in order for you to succeed.
>> Know specifically what it takes to train for the swimming you will be expected to perform. You must get the most out of every swimming workout that you participate in, so that you can learn where to place your focus and how to win.
>> While swimming style is purely a matter of preference in some situations, the best swimming stroke that you should be prepared to use is the freestyle, which is ideal for covering a great deal of distance in a small amount of time. While you can combine a variety of different strokes, the best stroke to begin with when training for a triathlon is the freestyle stroke.
>> When you are swimming in the freestyle position in the pool, you should do the ladder, which means that you should be pretending that you are climbing a ladder as you are moving through the water. This is a powerful move for when you are learning to swim for a triathlon. This will help you develop your reach and your down stroke, because efficiency truly is key when it comes to your triathlon swimming training. If you are swimming inefficiently, then you are forcing your body to go through more work than is necessary, and this forces you to tire out more quickly as a result. Keep your body close to the imaginary ladder, elbows high as you pull yourself through the water and practice this often for good results. If you pull through the water and your arms are extended fully, then your stroke is inefficient and you will never win the race.
Photo Credits: Michael Lokner
Originally posted 2009-05-27 16:58:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 5th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Swimming
One thing most any person who was on a swim team will lament is swimming drills. They will tell you tales of torturous coaches who created long drills. They will tell tales of practices which seemed to last all day and left them drained. All will admit in the end the drills made a difference in their ability to swim strong and outlast the competition. These are drills which you can complete yourself with the same stellar results. The important thing to remember is you may not enjoy the drills while you are doing them. Stick with it and you will see undeniable results.
Pyramid Drills
One of the swimming drills which are done by most coaches is the pyramid drill. This drill involves starting with a short sprint of about 50 yards and then building gradually to 500 yards. You then go back down to 50 yards. The trick is to allow only a certain amount of time for each interval as you go up and down. You will notice a difference in your ability to complete the intervals as your strength and skill improves. You will crave the breaks as well as the increased speed this drill will help to create.
Timed Drills
This is a drill which is similar in nature to the pyramid drills. The difference in the timed swimming drills is you maintain a certain length of swimming. The amount of total time in which you have to complete the length will remain constant. What will change is the length of the intervals. A normal overall length for these drills is 500 yards. You will start with 25 x 50 yard drills. Increase to 1 x 500 yard drill with either 25 or 50 yard increases. The goal is to increase your endurance by increasing the speed at which you can complete the sections.
Drag Drills
Creating drag is one of the swimming drills every coach seems to like to use. This means using kick boards, floaters or weights to create drag and resistance. The object is to complete increasing lengths every time you work out. This will help to develop the strength in upper and lower body strength. You will train your muscles to pull an even heavier load than your body weight. This way when you are swimming without the resistance you will be able to glide through the water. This is also a good opportunity to concentrate on your swim stroke.
Closed Fist Drill
There are many variations on swimming drills which do not occur normally to people. Closed fist drill is a drill which teaches you to use your forearm as a mechanism to pull you through the water. By not being able to use your hand to pull you through the water, you have to use the forearm to pull you. The drill is completed by completing 10 x 25 yard sets. Start out with untimed sets with a one minute rest between. Gradually work in time restrictions with less rest in between swims.
Photo Credits: kenoncjones
Originally posted 2010-03-31 10:15:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 16th, 2011 — Half Ironman Triathlon, Swim Bike Run
The Ironman is a competition which is reserved for only the most in shape individuals. People aspire to be able to compete the competition, but do not believe they have the level of fitness required to complete the challenge. This is why the half Ironman triathlon has been growing in popularity. You do not have to use an entire day to complete the race. You also do not have to go nearly as far with the half triathlon. This allows more people to step up to the race which is as close to the full Ironman as they are comfortable competing in.
The Distance of the Half Ironman
As you can imagine the distances for the half Ironman triathlon is about half of what the regular Ironman is. You will have to complete a 1.2 mile swimming leg, a 56 mile cycling leg and a 13.1 running leg. This is still longer than the average triathlon which means you will have to dedicate a lot of time and energy to your training.
The Trademark of the Name
For those looking to compete in a half Ironman triathlon, keep in mind that not all competitions will be called this. The reason why is because the name is something which is owned by the Timex corporation. Many organizers will get around this rule by calling their race a half iron length triathlon or something similar. This may be confusing for some people looking for this challenging competition. Fear not, as long as the legs of the competition are the right length you will find the challenge you are looking for. Most major cities will have at least a few of these length competitions every year no matter what name they go by and who sponsors them.
Training for the Race
Due to the fact the half Ironman triathlon is longer than the average triathlon, there is a lot of training which is involved in getting ready to complete the race. The important part of the training is to give yourself an ample amount of time to train. It is recommended to train for at least a year before competition. This way you will be able to slowly and steadily work up to the distances you will have to compete at. If you try to train at the level without the right period of time, you can easily injure yourself.
It is important to make sure when training for the half Ironman triathlon that you rest enough. Your body will become fatigued easier if you do not take at least one day off every week. Your muscles need time to recuperate between workouts. This will allow your endurance level to shoot through the roof as well as make it possible for you to train without injuring yourself. Make sure to also vary the training you are completing between the different legs of the race. This will allow you to get the right amount of training for every section.
Photo Credits: iamarkus
Originally posted 2010-03-18 03:45:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 15th, 2011 — Running, Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Training
Running is a sport which is easy to get in to. You do not need a lot of specialized equipment to get started. Running for beginners only requires a good pair of shoes and some good advice. This way you can get started off the right way. The most important things to remember is to start slow, keep things interesting and to always stretch before you run. By following this advice, you will not only be running next week, you will be running years from now as well.
The Right Pair of Shoes
Just because you are just getting started doesn’t mean to go out and buy just any running shoe. Even running for beginners can be taxing on one’s feet. The wrong pair of shoes will make things just that much harder. This still does not mean you have to break the bank. It is a good idea to have your feet looked at. You can be told which parts of your feet need more support than others. This way you can buy a shoe which will offer the correct amount of support. You will also be able to buy the shoe which will be the right size and width.
Starting Out Slow
Too many people want to get started running a mile a day. This is a mistake because it will cause you to get discouraged. Running for beginners should start off by walking with a little running thrown in. Walk for about a half hour and run for maybe a third of the time. Over the next month, you can increase the amount of time you are running and decrease the amount of time you are walking. By the end of a month you may be able to be running the entire thirty minutes. If it takes longer, that is okay just keep at it.
Keeping Things Interesting
The best way running for beginners can be kept interesting is to find new challenges for yourself. This can include signing up for a short race. You don’t have to sign up for the first ironman you see, but consider a short race for such a thing as a charitable event. This way there will not be a lot of pressure for you to perform. It will be more about completing the training and doing your best in the race. This way you will be running every day with a purpose.
Always Stretch
The best advice in running for beginners is that you should always stretch. No matter how good you get at running or how long you run for, your muscles will never reach a point where they are impervious to strains, tears or pulls. The best way to stretch is to warm up your muscles with a little walking or with a small jog. Once the muscles are warm, do some toe reaches and other stretches which will concentrate on stretching the hamstring, quads and calf muscles. This way you can avoid injury.
Photo Credits: keone
Originally posted 2010-03-16 03:34:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 10th, 2011 — Running, Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Training
Running in a triathlon is unlike any other running you have done in your life. This is because the triathlon run is completed after you have already swum and rode a bike. You will be tired and ready to stop, but you will need to dig in and find a new well of strength. The running portion of the race will start after you have already found your second and maybe even your third wind. This is why the training you go through should teach you to push through the walls of fatigue.
Increase Your Running Distance
The first thing you will need to do when preparing for the triathlon run is to increase the distance you are running every morning. This is not something you can do fast. If you add an extra mile to your morning run without any build-up, you can seriously injure yourself. The best advice is to make sure you are increasing your distance gradually over time. Increase at a rate of 10% every week. This will allow your body to work into the increased distance. If it takes you longer to work into the increased training amount, that is okay.
Increase Your Speed
Once you have reached a good training distance for your triathlon run, it is time to work on your speed. This is once again something which will have to happen slowly. If you try to run fast in a race after you have been jogging every morning, your body will simply crash. Make sure you are setting goals in your training schedule which will allow you to slowly work towards lowering the amount of time you need to finish the distance you have set for your training. This way you will condition your body to the higher level of performance.
Find a Good Pace
Make sure you are working at a good pace while you are training. This is good advice no matter what you are training for. In the triathlon run, you will want to make sure you are not thrown off your pace by those around you. If you always train at a good pace, this will translate into a pace which will be manageable in your actual race. One way to maintain a pace is to create a cadence which you can use. This way if you feel you are out of pace you can easily reset yourself by thinking about your cadence. This can be something like what the military uses to stay in step.
Dry Runs Are Important
The triathlon run will be different from just running and you need to be ready for what you are facing. The beast way to do this is to go through a dry run. This means setting up a triathlon course of your own. You should try to get friends to help you with this so your equipment will be where you left it. Make sure that you have the right amount of strength and stamina to finish the race before you run in it.
Photo Credits: Sonic Fitness
Originally posted 2010-03-14 10:27:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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