Tips For Your First Triathlon

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Home Page > Sports and Fitness > Fitness > Tips For Your First Triathlon

Tips For Your First Triathlon

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Posted: Aug 21, 2009 |Comments: 0
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The first time you try anything is going to be daunting or at the very least, a little nerve wracking. However, with a little planning and preparation you can ensure your first triathlon runs smoothly.

The first tip is not to purchase lots of expensive, professional gear. Quite the contrary in fact, the first tip is to stick with what makes you comfortable and avoid wasting money on what could be your first and last triathlon. Don’t worry about this, every race includes novices just like you, and most of them will be competing with basic equipment and kit. If you can borrow a carbon fibre, custom bike then great, but your regular mountain bike will do. You can purchase high quality, relatively inexpensive outdoor gear such as wetsuits, drink bottles and footwear from outdoor online retailers.

Preparation

Training

Train for the distance of your event. Beginners should start off with the sprint event (400m to 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) and try to improve their times for these distances. Give yourself at least eight weeks to prepare for your event. Train across all three disciplines every week rather than focusing too much on your weakest leg. Vary your workouts to prevent boredom and de-motivation setting in. Try running a different course or running with a different running club/partner, training with a kickboard, cycling off-road etc. Continue to incrementally increase your workouts. Once your body gets used to a particular workout, your stamina will cease to improve. Add weights to your swimming session and try resistance training at the gym. Listen to your body. Overworked muscles will lead to injury. When your workouts start to feel easier, you’re ready to push your body that bit further, but not beforehand. Maintain a healthy diet with lots of protein to assist your muscle recovery. If possible, try and train most often at the time the event will be on. You may feel more energetic in the afternoon, but if you’ve always trained after 5pm your body will get a surprise when you need to race at 8am. Practice the transition over and over again.

Planning

Research sprint races and enter yourself so you have a definite goal to work towards. Research the route and know where the transition points are before the race. Memorise where your belongings are at the transition point as searching for your gear will cost you precious time. Educate yourself on the rules of triathlon so you won’t be penalized for faux pas such as cycling in another riders slipstream. Plan your training program incorporating 3 sessions each for bike, run and swim plus rest, weights and stretching. Get your race day equipment ready. Alongside your kit and bike, you should consider: nutrition (bananas, dried fruit, hydration drinks); sunscreen; first aid; towels (one for during the race, one for after); safety pins for your race number; small change for coin-operated lockers; repair kit and pump for your bike; Vaseline for chaffing and for a faster transition if wearing a wetsuit in the swim leg. Road test your equipment, and preferably in a similar setting to the race. Make sure your shoes are worn in, you’re comfortable swimming in your wetsuit or bathers, your goggles don’t fog up or fit too tight, your bike seat is at the right height and you have all your <arel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);" href="http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com"<outdoor clothing</a>

Now you’re ready for your first triathlon. All the hard work will be rewarded when you cross that finish line.

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About the Author:

Julie Samuel is an enthusiastic mountain bike rider, she is a strong advocate for healthly living and exercise. She is a large interest in marathons and triathlon events. She likes to review different types of outdoor gear and outdoor clothing.

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Tips for Tiny Triathlon Transition Times

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Home Page > Sports and Fitness > Outdoor Sports > Tips for Tiny Triathlon Transition Times

Tips for Tiny Triathlon Transition Times

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Top X Training Tips For Wakeboarding Without Water

Just like most sports, wakeboarding definitely has an on- and off-season. There will be months when it is too cold to even step outside in a wetsuit, let alone go get wet and try to do tricks while compensating for uncontrollable shivering. Aside from drooling over professional quality wakeboards to buy in the shops, there is actually plenty you can do to improve your balance, your spin, your air and your fitness for wakeboarding over winter. Here's how to make the most of the on-season, by making the most of the off-season.

General fitness for wakeboarders

There are several areas of the body you should focus on to maintain your strength for wakeboarding – but do remember that just about any activity is better than nothing! If you want to stay focused on your wakeboarding muscles though, you should:

* Work your legs with squats, extensions and curls
* Keep up your core strength – work on your abs and back, and concentrate on your pelvic floor also
* Use the rowing machine (or go rowing!) to combine a cardio workout with strength training for the shoulders and arms

Flexibility exercises

Pilates and yoga classes are great for focusing on flexibility. They also help cultivate the type of muscle fibers you want for wakeboarding- long and strong for stamina. If it all gets a bit mystical for you, though, martial arts training often involves an extensive stretching component.

Wakeboarding simulation sports and activities

There are actually quite a few ‘real' sports that will help your wakeboarding immensely, without a lake in sight! Try out:

* •Snowboarding: Snowboarding uses many of the same muscles as wakeboarding does, and when you master a trick on the slopes it is ten times easier to do it on the wake. Snowboarding is great for balance and board control.
* Skateboarding: is much more universally accessible and much cheaper! Make sure you practice riding switch on a skateboard – it is much more difficult to do on wheels than on water, so when you get back behind a boat it will seem like a piece of cake to ride switch.
* Trampolining: If you can set up a wakeboard handle to hang onto while trampolining, you can get some awesome invert practice in. If you can, look for trampoline bays with padding for the springs – sometimes the natural temptation to go for the other side of the wake – which would be the hard ground on a trampoline – is too strong!

Watch instead of do

Watching wakeboarding videos, especially instructional videos, is a great way to help with your own visualization of tricks, both old and new. Some studies show that people who visualize a task actually learn it more effectively than people who are told how to do it … so sitting down and exercising your imagination muscle may be the best preparation for summer!

Waterskiers World & Ski Surf & Snow are specialized retailers for all you watersports, surf and snow equipment. We stock a huge range of waterski's, wakeboards, kneeboards, tubes, wetsuits, life vests, ropes, gloves and anything else you need for a fun day out on the water. For more information or to view our range, visit Wakeboard

Tips For Buying Wetsuit

It becomes obvious for the water sports lovers to buy wetsuit to sustain thsevere temperature of water. It even becomes compulsory when you are surfing or diving somewhere around UK. A well suited wet suit walks you through the harsh water, if you are little aware about the wetsuit.

Don’t buy surfing wetsuit casually; you need to have look and a survey keeping in mind certain things before buying. A little research is always better before buying a wetsuit.
It is necessary to see the fit first. The ill fitting wet suit does not serve the purpose of keeping you warm. Where as a good fitting wet suit permits a very little water in. This water gets the heat from your body hence keeps the water around you little warm while surfing. It should be fit at the wrists and ankles. If the suit is very tight then also it won’t serve the purpose as it doesn’t help in keeping the body warm.

The wetsuit you buy should be comfortable enough to keep rashes at bay. The loose suit will allow the sand or salt to enter causing pain to your body. A well fitted wetsuit will be the best accessory one can have for the surfing and diving.

You also need to have a look on the performance of wetsuit. More stretch means less resistance. Such wet suits will wear out soon. You cannot depend on them for durability.

Check the warmth as it is important factor for you while surfing or diving as you will be in water for long time.Wetsuits cannot be bought by their thickness. Result matters, how warm and how long a wet suit can keep you is very important.

Along with comforts, the performance has to be checked. The expected results have to be met. The best answer for all these queries is Billabong, O'neill, roxy, ripcurl, quicksilver.

Mostly wetsuits are made of Neoprene. Many degrees of stretch are easily available as a choice. Seams are there to make a perfect fitting wet suit. You can have few seams with good performance but durability is in question. So again you have to be careful before selecting.

Wetsuits can be bought on the basis of season, whether they are meant for summer or winter. Flatlocked stitching allows water to surge in. So this wetsuit is good for summer. Blind stitching can be used for the winter as it does not allow water to surge in.

You can have these many points in mind before going for wetsuit. Apart from performance and durability style also matters a lot. You can get a wide range of wetsuits at Billabong, O'neill, roxy, ripcurl, quicksilver as these shops are the destinations for wetsuits.

Geeta Rao writes here about the variety available in wetsuits. She further writes how to choose wet suits, what the aspects are to buy these. Even fabric and the stitching of wetsuits have to be carefully chosen.

Tips Concerning Wetsuits During A Triathlon Race

Wet suits are typically a personal choice in Triathlon competitions unless you are a member of a team that mandates a definite type of suits. Nevertheless, triathlon as a whole is an individual sport which allows participants to choose their personal gears, equipments and suits.

The major gears aside, the wet suit plays one of the major roles in helping you win or lose the game. Sometimes, it creates the make or break momentum. The mile you have earned during the swim period may be lost only because your wet suit failed you.

The best wet suits are those that fit snugly into the athlete's body. This may sound easy yet the differences are told by the unique body build the racer has. People are often fooled by the impression that the wet suit does not fit correctly when all the while, it has the proper fit saying "the suit is too tight'.

Proper fitting can't actually be given by standard measures. However, the general rule of thumb dictates that there must never be any leaks in regions covering the neck, arms and the feet. While most wet suits work on the principle of trapping enough layer of water between the skin and the neoprene (which by the way is the typical choice of material among racers), the space must not still allow a constant flow of water.

The fit tells it all. Most racers in the triathlon don't get the advantages of wet suits because either the suit doesn't fit well or they don't wear it right.

When wearing your wet suit, on practice or during the competition, it is best that you leave your socks on. This will act as a lubricant for the entrance of your feet on the holes of your suit. To prevent your toenails from snagging or stretching the neoprene, a very delicate material, you can use non-petroleum products to make the removal easier during the transition stage.

Be sure that the crotch fits snugly as this may tell the difference. Without its proper placement, the upper part of the wet suit may fit poorly. Once you are comfortable with the pants, the next thing you would want to do is to secure the upper suit. It is just a matter of pulling it and sliding your arms into the holes.

If you are using a full wet suit, you must secure to it that there is no space between your armpit and the neoprene. Wetsuits are critical during the race. If they aren't perfectly donned, they can create true differences. In most cases, they restrict your from moving freely just because the lower suit pulls the top from its proper place. Wetsuits are designed to be pulled easily into and out from your body, especially when you and the suit are wet.

It is best to leave your socks on if you are to wear the wetsuit. This will prevent the material from stretching due to pulling from your toes. Pull the bottom of the pants further until the crotch is snugly fit. This junction is critical so please do it carefully. If you are using a full-length wetsuit, you have to ensure that the dividing section between the lower and upper parts are placed on their respective positions.

Afterwhich, drive your arms into the armholes. Secure to it that the space between your armpit and the suit is just enough to let you move if you are using full suits. If however, you prefer to use Long Johns, you would no longer be bothered with the sleeves. Now the question arises, which works better, Full Suits or Long Johns?

If it is the advantage of speed that you like, you can turn to full suits. These work well for more experienced swimmers who can produce long but lesser strokes since full suits help conserve energy by cutting the water easier. Long Johns however, leave your arms free which can better help facilitate higher stroke counts. These also provide the feel of water.

If you have practiced enough, it is possible for you to wear or remove your wetsuit in less that 10 seconds during the race. After all, triathlon wet suits are designed to be taken in and off quickly. But whatever you do, never sit down while taking it off. This will add 5 seconds or more on your transition time.

Low Jeremy maintains http://triathlon.articlekeep.com. This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

Buying A Cheap Wetsuit – Some Tips

When purchasing a cheap wetsuit there are some things to be taken into consideration before you choose which one to buy. The most important consideration is always going to be the fit. A wetsuit that does not fit well will be uncomfortable, may cause chaffing and will not be warm. Your wetsuit should allow some water to enter which is warmed by the body and provides a layer of insulation. If the wetsuit is too big too much cold water will enter and you will be cold and saltwater and sand between your skin and the suit will cause rashes and be uncomfortable. Always check the fit at the ankles, neck and wrists to make sure water cannot enter through any gaps. If your wetsuit fits well it should stretch and move with you.
In addition to the fit other things to look for include warmth, durability, performance and comfort.

Warmth

A thicker wetsuit will be warmer but will also be less flexible and have lower performance. For a winter wetsuit the neoprene should be between 3mm and 5mm (sometimes 6mm is used) and for summer wetsuits a thickness of 2-3mm is adequate. Warmth can also be affected by the lining. Coated, mesh or lined neoprene is often used to improve warmth and help to reduce wind chill but again the use of these lining will reduce the performance. It is therefore a balance between warmth and performance so keep your particular needs in mind when choosing the thickness of the material and the type and thickness of the lining.

Durability

Durability is affected by the type and thickness of the material used for the wetsuit. Superstretch material, used in high performance suits will be comfortable and highly flexible but will have reduced durability. In general, higher performance, more expensive wetsuits are less durable than cheaper, lower performance suits. If you are purchasing a used wetsuit look for wear at the knees as this is the area that tends to show wear first.

Performance

A wetsuit that stretches with you and offers very little resistance will give good performance and is very dependent on the price of the wetsuit. Expect to pay for an expensive wetsuit if you need the highest performance.

Comfort

All the preceding factors contribute to the comfort of a wetsuit. In addition the number and placement of the seams can contribute to how comfortable the suit is. More panels, with more seams will improve the fit but the seams can be uncomfortable and reduce the flexibility. The suit needs to stretch enough to feel comfortable and allow freedom of movement. The more stretchy a wetsuit is generally the more expensive and less durable. A cheaper, less stretchy suit will be warmer but movement will be more restrictive.

In the end it comes down to a balance between cost, comfort and durability. If performance is ultimately important to you choose an expensive wetsuit and be prepared to replace it more frequently. If cost is the deciding factor be prepared for a less comfortable suit that is slightly more restrictive but will last longer.

For more information on wetsuits and some good deals on cheap wetsuits check out Cheap Men's Wetsuits or Cheap Women's Wetsuits

Tips For Your First Triathlon

Tips for Tiny Triathlon Transition Times

Top X Training Tips For Wakeboarding Without Water

Tips For Buying Wetsuit

Tips Concerning Wetsuits During A Triathlon Race

Buying A Cheap Wetsuit – Some Tips

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