Train for Your First Triathlon

swimming

Determine What Your Goals Are

Figure out how long you want your first triathlon to be. How you start your training for your first triathlon will depend largely upon you and what shape you are in. Do you want to do a half sprint, a full sprint, or an Olympic triathlon? We will start slightly ambitious and go for a sprint length triathlon. Doing a 15 mile will allow you to test yourself, help you familiarize with the transition areas, and allow you to test your equipment.

Starting out

Obviously you are not going to be able to just walk out of your house and start running for five miles, or swim a half mile. You would spend yourself, not to mention possibly damaging your joints. You have to work into things, so you ease into it. Begin with a walk / run program. There are many websites out there with programs for this, and they are effective at getting you running in weeks. If you are overweight you may want to start out with riding a bike and losing a bit of weight before attempting jogging or running. Your joints will be grateful to you. Something else you can start out with is high rep strength training.

  • Never increase your training duration or distance more than ten percent over the previous week.
  • Always have one week a month be a rest week of sorts. This is extremely important.
  • Try to train for your single event three to four times a week.

Focus on either bicycling or running for between two to six months to build your aerobic capabilities. Once you have done one for the range given, then move to the other. Do not attempt to do two or even all three until you are in the kind of shape that will allow for it without hurting yourself.

Plan for swimming, running, and biking

Once you have yourself built up and ready from your previous training regimen, it will be time to train for all three sports at once. In general for a sprint triathlon, you will only have need to train two times a week in each of the three sports. That equates to six days with one rest day. You could also have one day where you do two of the three events, and then the next four days you only train for one. Then you can have 2 days off a week.

Thirteen weeks to race day

Despite what you might think you can lose weight in a weight lifting routine if you keep it serious and do not slack off. It would need to be a high rep / low weight routine so that you do not bulk up. Combine this with your jog routine. It will also help build bone density, and strengthen your joints. At first all of this exercise will leave you sore. After a few months you will feel better, you will be less sore, and you will have more energy.

Photo Credits: Photo Mojo

Originally posted 2009-10-13 03:03:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Training Tips for Beginners Who Race for Fun

bikingThere is a large variety of athletes who participate in triathlons. These can range from the professional triathlete to the people who just appreciate being able to compete and finish. These different types of athletes lead to different requirements when it comes to training. The professional type of athlete will train to push his capabilities, and develop his technique. However, the latter type of athlete shouldn’t have that approach to training. They compete for fun and health, and training should not be any different. Here are some training tips for beginners who race for fun.

- Fun is most important. Instead of speed, focus on distance goals. You should be sure to become use to running and jogging before a more intense running regimen

- Work on distance before intensity. Slowly build up your distance until you reach your goal. Once you have met your goal, and then build up intensity.

- Wear the proper attire. Comfortable clothing should be, with supportive running shoes.

-Similarly run or walk on smooth, soft surfaces when you can.

-Repeat workouts enable the athlete to quickly building up their capability in jogging. At a track, the way to train is to jog one lap followed by walking one lap. When that becomes easy, go for 2 laps jogging, one lap walking.

- Learn about the race conditions that you will face in your triathlon. If you will run on pavement versus a dirt path, the bike portion will be held in hilly terrain; you can match your training to the race day so you are comfortable and can better enjoy you race.

- Do not worry about special features on your bike or special shoes. Just try to be comfortable.

-Know the distances in the race, and train for 110%. If you will run for three miles, train for three and a half. A half mile swim should be trained for with swimming for 3/4 of a mile.

-Rest when you need it. You are planning on just finishing, so do not worry about rushing through transitions. That is where the body becomes taxed the most, when having to transition over a few seconds. Instead, take you time, stretch a little, and enjoy the race.

-Bring support to the triathlon. Friends and family can provide great motivation to help you through the more difficult legs of the race.

-Prepare for long workouts and races by taking food and water with you. If you are feeling thirsty, then it is too late to drink fluids. Also do not experiment with food choices, instead picking something that the body will readily accept.

-Prepare for the race a few days in advance, making sure not to forget anything on race day.

-Most important: make an appointment and get a checkup and talk to you doctor before competing. A triathlon is a taxing experience which your body should be in good enough shape to attempt.

Following these steps will help ensure a fun and enjoyable triathlon experience for the beginning athlete.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-02-02 05:23:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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The Secret to Running Marathons Like a Pro

Marathons are run in every city. There are some more popular than others. Each offers its own challenges for the participants. No matter what skill level the marathon you are looking to enter, you are sure to want to perform well. This means doing much more than just crossing the finish line. If you would like to place high when running marathons, it will take the right kind of training exercises. It will also take the right kind of precautions to avoid injury. There are a few things you can do to make the difference between ordinary and extraordinary training for a marathon.

Avoid Injury

One of the most common mistakes people make when running marathons is tearing muscles while training. This is possible when you increase the amount of running to the level which is necessary for a marathon. The best training for a marathon means starting at least a year in advance of the marathon. This will allow you to gradually increase the speed and the distance which you are running. You should gradually increase not by the day, but by the week. This is the kind of gradual increase which will help to condition your muscles.

Stretching is one of the most important parts of marathon running which will help you avoid injury. Because you are running much longer than an ordinary run, you will have to do a more intense stretching. This means stretching before you get started. You should then run for about a half mile and stretch again. This will allow your muscles to get a more thorough stretch because they will have heated up from the exercise. The looser your muscles are, the less chance you have of tearing any muscles while you run.

Use High Intensity Training

It will benefit you to take breaks in your long distance running to use High Intensity Training. This is where you run as hard as you can for a short period of time. Take a break half as long as your exercise and then repeat. This should be done for about 15 minutes. The intervals should be one minute of running and 30 seconds of resting. This might sound like training for a sprinter, but it has been proven to be highly effective in creating endurance, strength and stamina which is handy when running marathons. Complete three of these sets in a day and you will increase your breathing capacity and so much more.

Running the Route

Good advice for anyone running marathons like a pro is to run the route you will be racing on for at least a month. If the route is not available to you, it will help you to run a route which has similar changes in elevation and the right length. This is not always easy to find. Some runners turn to stationary tracks to simulate the route. This is only recommended if you integrate it with running on the ground. There is a difference between running on a stationary machine and running on the ground.

Photo Credits: infomatique

Originally posted 2010-03-28 03:57:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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