Triathlon Newbies Should Consider These 4 Tips

Are you thinking about joining a triathlon competition? If you have enjoyed athleticism in the past or are involved in endurance sports and are interested in joining a triathlon, the first step is to know exactly how to approach your triathlon training. Training correctly is very important when it comes to endurance sporting events like triathlon. If you do not have enough training, then your competitive performance will be poor and you may even become injured or ill as a result.

What should triathlon newbies keep in mind?

1 – First and foremost, when you are first starting out it is absolutely vital that you pace yourself. You need to avoid trying to prove to anyone else that you can do it, including yourself, your family, your spouse, or even your dog. You need to be able to start off slowly, and you need to be able to gradually build yourself up to longer workouts and greater speeds. If you do not do this, the only thing that you will prove is that you can make yourself too exhausted to be able to be competitive properly on race day. If you don’t take things slow, you’ll go too far and will end up hurt or sick, potentially for weeks.

2 – Next, you need to keep in mind how important it is for you to stretch well. Lack of stretching is going to rob your muscles of their strength, as well as taking flexibility away from your movements, which can lead to some truly serious injuries. Your stretching regimen should be truly involved, and it should it should cover all of your muscle groups at once. You should take your time, and you absolutely should not ever take stretching lightly because it is truly vital for your training regimen.

3 – If you ever feel like you are too tired to work out in the same intensity level that you planned, stop. This does not mean that you cannot push yourself to the limit, but what it does mean is that you need to know and thoroughly understand your capabilities and limits. If you go too far, you put yourself at risk for injury, illness and burn out. You need to be able to listen carefully to your body to know when you are strongest, and when you truly need to rest in order to restore your health.

4 – Building on the aforementioned tip, when you build a schedule for working out, you should stick to it, but only as long as you are not putting yourself at risk. Build a strong mental focus and you will find it easier to be committed and to feel energized when you go about your workout every day. You should plan your workouts up until the day before the race, exercising caution not to overdo it or to over tax your body.

Originally posted 2009-01-27 14:22:03. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Triathlon Terms

triHere is a brief glossary of terms used in triathlon training and triathlon racing.

70.3
- This term is used to describe a Half Ironman race distance, which is a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike an 13.1 mile run.

140.6 – This term is used to describe an Ironman distance, which is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run.

1/2 IM - This term is used to describe a Half Ironman race distance, which is a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike an 13.1 mile run.

1/2 Mary – This term describes a half marathon, or a 13.1 mile run.

10k - This translates to 6.2 miles.

2 a Day - This is a term referring to completing two workouts each day.

40/30/30 - This is a term referring to calorie percentages for carbs, proteins and fats.

5k - This translates to 3.1 miles.

Aero Bars - These are handlebars on a bicycle that face forward and that have places where you can place your elbows. These aero bars make it possible for triathletes to maintain a more comfortable and more aerodynamic position on the bike.

Aerobic Exercise - This is a term used to describe any type of exercise that is performed at a moderate level of intensity over an extended period of time in order to maintain a slightly elevated heart rate. Swimming, biking or running for long periods of time at a moderate pace are also considered to be aerobic exercises.

AG - This is an acronym for Age Group.

AHR – This is an acronym for Average Heart Rate.

Anaerobic Exercise – This is an initial phase of exercise, or it can be used to describe short, intense bursts of exertion such as in jumping, sprinting and weight lifting.

Anaerobic Threshold – This is the exercise intensity level at which lactic acid is being produced more quickly than it is capable of being metabolized, meaning that it begins to accumulate within the blood stream.

Aquabike - This is the swimming stage followed by the biking stage without a running stage.

AR – This is an acronym for Adventure Racing.

AT – This is an acronym for Anaerobic Threshold.

ATP - This is an acronym for Annual Training Plan.

Basal Metabolic Rate – This is the amount of energy that is expended while you are at rest in an environment that is neutrally temperate in a stage where your digestive system is currently inactive, requiring approximately 12 hours worth of fasting, known as the post absorptive state.

Base – This is the solid foundation for fitness that you use to build speed and power.

Bike Porn – This is a slang term for photographs of brand new bicycles that colleagues and team mates pass around for showing off.

BMR - This is an acronym for Basal Metabolic Rate.

Photo Credits: jimmyharris

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