January 31st, 2012 — Biking, Clothes and Gear, Running, Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Tips
It is obviously quite important for you to have a really good pair of shoes that you can run in when you are going through the closing stage of a triathlon – But equally important is making sure that you have a solid pair of triathlon shoes that is also going to get you through the bicycle leg of the competition as well, otherwise you may end up doing more harm than good before ever realizing it.
Fundamentally, cycling shoes for a triathlon are like regular cycling shoes however they have been modified in some way. The corresponding rules are going to apply with a single difference, in that it is really truly and seriously fundamental for you to be able to get in and out of your shoes as quickly as humanly possible. This is not a factor for any traditional types of bicycle shoes and so many top cyclists accidentally opt for shoes that are hard for them to remove such as shoes that have hard plastic soles for example.
The most crucial thing that you should be looking for when it comes to choosing any type of cycling shoe, whether you are participating in typical road races or in a triathlon race, is a sole that is solid. This is going to make sure that there is not any dampening, as dampening is capable of leading to an overall loss of power. A sole that is made out of carbon is perfect, but this tends to be a deluxe type of option that not everyone can opt for unfortunately. If your budget is not going to permit that you purchase carbon shoes for your triathlon race, then you are going to want to choose a conventional style plastic sole shoe instead.
You are also going to want to have a shoe that is slightly tight, but not overly tight in the heel and in the toes, as well as a shoe that offers an overall snug feel for your entire foot in general. There shouldn’t ever be any wiggle room to speak of in your shoe because this is going to leave you with a loss of power and a movement of the foot that is less efficient, not to mention the eventuality of a blister, and who wants one of those?
You are probably already going to have spent a lot of money on your triathlon gear including your bike and your helmet and your clothing. If you want your shoes to look just as nice, believe me, we understand. Still, make sure that you are choosing the right shoe more than just the most attractive one for the best possible results on race day or even simply while you are training in preparation for race day.
Photo Credits: richardmasoner
Originally posted 2009-10-06 03:17:15. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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January 27th, 2012 — Clothes and Gear, Just for Women, Swim Bike Run
Dressing for your first triathlon can be a challenge. It’s easy enough to dress to go running, but you’ll be cycling and swimming, too, so do you choose one outfit for all three races, or change each time? The time you take between events counts toward your overall time so you want to minimize it as much as possible.
Unless you’re terribly fashion conscious or very modest, you can probably do the entire race in a simple one-piece swimsuit, or a top and bathing suit bottoms. You’ll want to wear a sports bra, no matter what you wear on top, just for adequate support. And you may choose to wear tight-fitting shorts like biking shorts even for the swimming portion. It’s mostly a matter of personal preference, depending on how you feel comfortable.
Some things to consider are whether or not you’re comfortable cycling in a swimsuit, or you’d rather slip on bike shorts for that portion of the race. Alternatively, do you want to go running in the triathlon in bike shorts that you wore swimming and now are wet? It doesn’t take that long to change, and it’s much better to be dry and comfortable as possible instead of distracted by your clothing as you forge through the race.
You can purchase special triathlon shorts
, if you’d rather avoid time spent changing, that can be worn the whole race. They’re similar to biking shorts, but are designed to be worn during the swimming portion while protecting you from chafing during the cycling and not weigh you down during the running part of the triathlon race.
You can also opt to wear special swimming gear, like a wetsuit. A wetsuit will keep you warm, but unless the water is strangely cold that day or the triathlon is in an usual place, water temperature usually isn’t a factor. Wetsuits can also help you stay above the water. If you opt to wear a wet suit, wear your running clothes beneath it to make the transition easier—just peel off the wetsuit and go.
If you want to wear a wetsuit for the swimming portion, be sure you purchase a triathlon wetsuit, not one designed for scuba diving or other water sports. Triathlon wetsuits have slicker outside which promotes faster swimming, and they’re much more easily removed than other wetsuits.
Also, some prefer wearing socks, some blister without them. If you can manage without them, you’ll save time when it comes to the swimming portion. Elastic laces eliminate the need to tie and untie the shoes, as well. You can wear the same shoes for both running and cycling—special cycling shoes clipped to the pedals aren’t necessary.
The most important thing, though, after figuring out what triathlon clothing you prefer, is to train in that clothing. Don’t wait until race day to wear that triathlon wetsuit or shed your socks for running. You’ll swim, bike and run faster and better if you’ve practice in your triathlon clothing for quite a while already.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2008-12-08 18:13:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 16th, 2011 — Clothes and Gear, Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Tips
When it comes to packing in preparation for your triathlon race, it is best for you to break all of your necessities down into four different categories. This way, you can focus on each of the categories one at a time. One example of breaking your categories down is to break everything down into personal items, swimming items, biking items and running items. This is not the only way to do it, but it is certainly a good way to break things down if you are just starting out and trying to get yourself organized.
The items in your personal category of triathlon race gear should include your photo ID and a USAT membership card if you possess one, a Tri kit, nutrition goods such as gels, bars, drinks and electrolytic solutions, sunscreen, body lubricant or Body Glide, chap stick and two towels. You should also have dry clothing packed that you can change into when the race is over, sunglasses for the race and a casual pair as well, braces or wraps if you need them, race information, maps and registration information and anything else that you may need for the race but not necessarily during the race.
When it comes to the next three categories, what you should generally do is to work the category over from head to toe in your mind before moving onto the specific equipment that needs to be used in that particular category of the race. For example:
The items in your swim category of triathlon race gear should include the race issued swimming gap, anti-fog goggles, swim skins or wetsuit, timing chin strap and anything else that you may need for the swimming portion of the race.
The items in your bicycling category of triathlon race gear should include a helmet with your helmet number on it, your bike with a bike number on it, your bike gloves if you choose to wear them, socks if you choose to wear them, proper bicycling shoes, a well stocked bike kit with tubes, tools and CO2, water bottles and anything else that you may need for the bicycling portion of the race.
The items in your running category of triathlon race gear should include a running hat or a running visor, a racing number with a racing belt, proper running shoes and anything else that you may need for the running portion of the race.
Keep in mind that if you have a transition bag for your triathlon race gear, you will eventually become much more accustomed to the idea of packing before the race and what items you need and where they need to go for the best results. Over time you will learn to identify if any items are missing and if any important gear needs to be added. In the meantime, having a list like this is going to make the entire process far less stressful.
Photo Credits: rodderz
Originally posted 2009-08-21 03:23:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 13th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Tips, Triathlon Training
If you are a beginner to the world of triathlon racing, then you probably have a wide variety of different questions. The best advice that you can receive as a beginner planning for a first time triathlon is to take it easy and enjoy yourself, because triathlon racing should be fun, and it certainly isn’t brain surgery. Here are some tips for obtaining success in your first triathlon race:
1 – As a beginner in a first triathlon race, your training should be targeted for a shorter distance type of race such as a sprint triathlon race for example. Sometimes you may even be able to find a beginner triathlon race that is being advertised in your immediate area. Races are capable of filling up pretty quickly, so make sure that you sign up now if you are interested, and then you have a goal race that will help to keep you committed in your training.
2 – Come up with your own training plan for your first triathlon race. There are plenty of triathlon trainer plans that can be found online, in books or through gyms, so shop around until you find one that suits you.
3 – Work on your swimming as part of your training regimen for your triathlon race. Find a pool that you can train at. If you can possibly find a masters swimming program or a swim coach, do so, otherwise, look for a triathlon coach or an experienced triathlete that can help you with your training, because most beginners to the concept of a triathlon race have a big need for swimming practice.
4 – Beginner training for your triathlon race should include reasonable mileage. Do not over train in the beginning no matter how badly you want to, especially not if you are already reasonably strong as an athlete. As a triathlon trainer beginning a first triathlon race, you should work on the weakest event in your arsenal, making sure that you can finish the other events rather than necessarily worrying about winning them. After you finish your first triathlon race, then you can worry about building up speed and beating the other racers.
5 – Next, as part of your triathlon race training you are going to want to practice the transitions from event to event, but be careful not to go overboard. You can do brick workouts where you go for a bike workout and then transition into a running workout, but make sure that you are taking it easy rather than overwhelming yourself.
6 – Listen to the instructions before the race. If you have questions, ask them as soon as you can. Everyone was once a beginner to the triathlon race circuit, so do not be afraid to ask questions where you need answers, otherwise you may end up messing up because you were too shy to speak up.
Photo Credits: (klaus)
Originally posted 2009-08-18 03:18:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 18th, 2011 — Clothes and Gear, Swim Bike Run
You have probably spent months if not years preparing for the upcoming triathlon race, so in all honestly, the last thing that you need right now is to have your mind wandering to things that you may have forgot. Why worry about whether or not you forgot something, when putting together an effective packing list takes so little time? There is no doubt about it, if you want to get a new personal record, you need to keep your mind on the race rather than on other things. This unique packing list is designed to help you remember everything that you need to bring for your triathlon so that you can prepare your gear and be completely prepared in time for the big day which is probably just around the corner.
You may not need to use everything on the list, but being over prepared is always infinitely more beneficial than being under prepared. These items are listed individually, but you may need more of a certain item depending on the distance of the race and other factors. For example, when we mention ‘water bottle’, what we mean to say is ‘enough water to get you through the race’, and the same goes for electrolyte drinks and energy gels as well.
Personal Items to Pack:
- Identification, race registration papers, and other important documentation. Be sure you have your USAT Card.
- Clothing, including a jersey, tri-shorts, socks, shoes and anything else you may need before and after the race.
- Towels for the staging area, make sure to bring two or three, more if you like.
- Body Glide Skin Lubricant
, in order to prevent chafing.
- Sunglasses, in case it is too bright outside to manage. Plus the UV protection is good for your eyes.
- Energy Gels
, to keep your energy up between events.
- Electrolyte Drink
, excellent for restoring electrolytes more quickly than water.
- Watch, with timer or stop watch function is best.
- MP3 player, should the event happen to allow the use of them. Very good for getting into your groove and staying motivated.
Swimming items to pack:
- Swimming cap.
- Swimming goggles.
- Swimsuit/Swim Trunks/Wetsuit.
Biking Items to pack:
- Your bicycle, obviously. Can’t do this portion of the event without one.
- A sturdy helmet,
- Water bottle – make sure your bike has a water bottle cage or it’s too difficult to juggle.
- Spare tire.
- CO2 Bike Pump
and CO2 Cartridge
.
- Hex Bike Tool
for repairs. Hopefully you won’t need it, but if you do it’s easier to have this on you than not.
- Cycling Gloves
to protect your hands. Full-finger is especially useful in events that happen during the winter.
- Road Cycling Shoe
Running Items to Pack:
- Running hat or running visor, something to protect your face.
- Proper running shoes.
- Fuel Belt
with water, energy gels and other vital equipment.
As this is a lot of stuff you need to make sure that you have a bag that is big enough to carry everything in. The only thing you won’t need is the cat! You should take a few weeks to get everything ready so that you are completely prepared in time for the event. Knowing that you are prepared for the race so long in advance should help you focus on your training.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2008-12-09 11:05:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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