December 9th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Swimming, Triathlon Tips, Triathlon Training
The majority of the athletes that are participating in triathlons actually have a fair bit of reservation when it comes to the race’s swimming portion. Even good swimmers still have reservations regarding the swimming leg of the triathlon event, and it would be crazy not to be a little worried about the requirements of this particular part of the race.
The swim happens to be a real challenge for a number of different reasons, including the fact that the swimming portion of the race is going to dictate how the remainder of the race is going to go for you. If you end up having a rather lousy swim, then you are likely also going to have troubles when it comes to getting back mentally into your original race plan. If you end up having a good swimming portion on the other hand, then what you are going to be doing is setting yourself up for a really good race.
No matter how well you end up doing on your swim, you are still going to have to contend with what are known as pre race jitters. You are also going to have to deal with the contact during the start of the swim as well, and the sheer amount of exhaustion that comes with the territory of this race. So what can you do in order to improve? Here are some tips that you may want to consider.
- First, become confident regarding your swimming ability. You should get a swimming coach that can look after your swimming form, offering you feedback. The approach that you take here should be focusing on improvement in one or two of your greatest flaws so that you can refine your stroke. If you have access to an underwater swimming camera then you can fine tune your stroke even more by watching your performance and tweaking your swimming.
- Practice your start. After you take a bit of a short warm up in your pool or any place else, you should allow your heart rate to return to normal and then go really hard for around 100 to 200 yards before you settle into the pace that you use for racing. This is going to allow you to get more accustomed with racing because you are normally going to go hard at first before you settle into your pace.
- Try swimming blind. This is a good drill, involving practicing with your eyes closed. Do not try this in any place where there are other swimmers because you are likely to go off course a bit when swimming blind. This is going to help you become more in tune with your body while swimming since there is nothing to distract you.
Photo Credits: matt coats
Originally posted 2009-12-10 03:41:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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Swimming for a Triathlon Here are some tips for any triathlete when it comes to training and then racing in the swimming leg for any triathlon competition. The first leg for any triathlon is going to be the wettest one, and yet it should be the one that is the most relaxed and the......
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December 5th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Swimming
The first leg of every triathlon is going to be the wettest, but it really also should be the most relaxed and the most enjoyable leg of the race. If you experience a good swim, then the rest of your race is going to be good as well regardless of your ability. Some triathlons are short while others are long, but any way you look at it, you are going to have to do some swimming. The swimming aspect of your triathlon needs to feel like you put forth a good effort, but it should also be relatively relaxed, and you should be moving through the water while expending as little energy as possible. The swim needs to be fast, but you should not overwhelm yourself because you still have two more legs to get through, and they tend to be significantly more complicated.
Swimming efficiently as well as swimming within your own personal limits is going to allow you to accomplish all of the goals mentioned above and more. You need to be able to design a personal training plan for your triathlon swimming that is going to allow you to complete between three and four swimming workouts every single week. Here are some things that you should consider when putting such a training plan together:
- Your workout should always have a warm up period and a cool down period.
- Your workout should always include some technique work for swimming.
- One or two of your workouts should offer primarily easy requirements for swimming with low rest, base endurance at approximately 60 % to 70 % of your max heart rate.
- One workout per week needs to include a sustained swim at a fast-as-you-can-go pace for the entire length of the swim.
- One workout should include shorter, faster work but it should offer more rest in between repeats.
- You should do plenty of open water sessions, as often as you can, so that you can practice your techniques with navigation.
- You should determine whether or not kicking technique will be necessary. If you are going to be swimming using a wet suit, then you are not going to need kicking very much if at all.
- Even if you do not plan on using a wet suit for your swim, some of your swims should be done with a wet suit for practice, just in case you end up changing your mind and using a wetsuit after all.
Make sure to change up your workouts as much as you can, because the more practice that you get, the better prepared you will be to handle anything that happens during the swimming portion of the triathlon. Keep this in mind when you are practicing, and spend at least several weeks before the triathlon event practicing your swimming for the best possible results.
Photo Credits: regeniabrabham
Originally posted 2009-08-04 05:52:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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Tips for Swimming in the Triathlon Swimming in the triathlon is different from any other kind of swimming. There are tips which will allow you to perform well in this portion of the competition without sapping all of your energy. This is important seeing as you will still have two kinds of competition to engage in......
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November 12th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Tips, Triathlon Training
Even the fittest individuals need extra training when they compete in a triathlon. Your training for triathlon means setting a schedule and sticking to it. This is important not just so you will do better in the actual competition. It is important so you will be able to avoid injury both in training and during the competition. With the right training, you will also avoid some of the common errors which some athletes commit when in a race.
Creating a Proper Schedule
The right kinds of training schedule for a triathlon includes making sure you get the right amount of rest. Training for triathlon is not an all-day everyday kind of thing. This kind of mentality can lead to serious injury. Examples of injury include deep muscle tearing and pulled tendons. Your muscles need to relax for at least one day out of the week. This will allow you to catch your breath and your muscles to mend.
The right schedule is also important because it will give you the chance to make sure your training for triathlon is varied enough. You do not want to train heavy on one aspect and neglect the rest. All aspects of the race are important for a good finish. If you feel you are not performing as well as you should in one area, simply push yourself harder when in that training section. Do not allow yourself to reduce your performance capability in one section just to improve your performance in another. This is counterproductive behavior. If you have any question about your training schedule, you can take a look at what others are doing. Do not follow theirs exactly as all schedules should be individually tailored to your needs.
Learn a Rhythm and a Cadence
One mistake people will make often when training for triathlon is to not make dry runs. This is important for you to be able to learn a good pace for how you will run the race. You need to learn at what level you are performing at your optimal level. The right pace will help you to not waste all of your energy in the early parts of the race. Conserving your energy will allow you to pass those who were passing you earlier in the race. Run your race rather than being sucked in to running at the same pace as those around you.
Train with Your Race Equipment
Another very common error athletes make when training for triathlon is training with one piece of equipment and racing with another. You should be as familiar as possible with your race equipment when you are racing so that you can perform your best. This includes the bicycle you will use in the race as well as the wetsuit. If you train with one thing and race with another, you run the risk of being unfamiliar with how it operates. You can end up really damaging your performance even though the equipment used in the race is better than what you trained with.
Photo Credits: Wootang01
Originally posted 2010-03-17 10:43:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 11th, 2011 — Running, Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Training
When competing in a race which involves running, there are a few different pointers which need to be kept in mind. Some people feel their normal run in the morning will suffice in training to run. This is wrong because you will not be training yourself higher levels of endurance or performance. You need to set a schedule, log your accomplishments and find a good pace. You will also need to invest money into a good pair of shoes and running clothes. If you stick to these pointers you will be able to do more than just finish the race.
Buying the Right Equipment
The very first thing you need to do when training to run is making sure you have the right equipment. This includes having a good pair of sneakers. Many runners have taken to having their feet analyzed to get all of the support they need while running. Some have even taken to getting custom made sneakers. Make sure the sneakers you buy and train with are the same ones you will be racing in. This goes for the clothes you will be wearing for the race as well. You need to be familiar with how everything will feel as you run to get the maximum performance in the race.
Setting an Effective Running Schedule
Next, you need to create a running schedule which will help you maximize your performance. This includes mapping out routes and setting goals while training to run. You should take into account your past performance when setting your schedule. Try not to set your schedule too far in advance so you can change things up as your performance level increases. Make sure that you are not increasing distances or lengths of time running at too fast of intervals. This can put a dangerous strain on your body. Only go up a maximum of 10% per week.
Keeping a Running Log
After every run you should sit down and write out everything which happened on your run. This includes times, speeds and routes taken. You may even want to log weather conditions. This will help you to track everything which happens while training to run. You will be able to map out changes in performance and problems encountered. This will help you in creating your schedule and finding what works for you in training and in racing.
Finding Your Race Pace
One of the most important things when training to run is finding a comfortable pace. This is important so that you can maximize your performance throughout your run. If you waste all of your energy at the beginning of the race, you will have nothing left at the end. A good pace will make it possible for you to sprint at the end of the race. This is the sign of a seasoned runner who has good discipline. Those who keep a good pace for themselves while running will actually outperform those who tried to run hard at the beginning of the race.
Photo Credits: Sonic Fitness
Originally posted 2010-03-16 10:37:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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Preparing Yourself for the Triathlon Run 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......
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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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November 9th, 2011 — Biking, Swim Bike Run
Here is the final installation of our glossary of triathlon cycling terms and definitions.
Team Pursuit - This is a type of race that is similar in nature to the individual pursuit style of racing, however instead there are two different teams, each of which is made up of four riders. These teams will ride in pace lines, with the leader changing either every half lap or with every lap. The standard distance for this type of race is a distance of 4000 meters. The time for the team is taken upon the third rider crossing over the finish line, meaning that the fourth rider on the team does not have to finish the race.
Technical – This describes a portion of a racing trail that is designed to test the handling skills for the rider.
Time Trial – This is a race that involves riders or teams of riders going around the course or the track individually. The team or the rider that has the fastest time is deemed the winner of the competition.
Toe Clips – These are either straps or clips that are designed to securely fasten the feet of the rider to the pedals of the bicycle.
Track Bike - This is a very simple style of bike that is used for the purpose of racing on a track. This type of bike only has a single speed gear without any freewheeling, and it does not have any brakes.
Track Stand - This term describes the act of balancing the bicycle while the feet are on the pedals. During a match sprint style of racing, the riders typically begin in track stand because they want to allow one another to set the pace for the race so that they can take full advantage of the slip stream for the purpose of drafting.
Velodrome – This is a type of track that is specifically built for the purpose of bicycle racing. It is typically comprised of two long straight areas and two short curved areas that bank sharply. Most of these types of tracks are only 1/3 of a kilometer in length, though some can be as short as only 200 meters, or as long as a full 500 meters in length.
Weenie Gear - This is another word that is used to refer to granny gear. Granny gear is described as being the lowest of all gears on the mountain bike, and this particular gear is typically used when you need to climb a very steep grade while riding your bike.
Wind Out - This is a type of sprint that develops relatively slowly, and involves a gradual level of acceleration to the top speed.
Photo Credits: Nelson D.
Originally posted 2009-11-12 03:42:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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