Triathlon is one of the competitions that most strongly attract the attention of fans and athletes, both for its spectacularity and for the great demand it demands from those who practice it.
What is triathlon?
It is a combination of three disciplines in a single competition: swimming, cycling and running. Three disciplines that demand from each participant a series of skills and a great effort that take physical condition to a higher level.
Of course, whoever decides to enter this competition should know that it will not be easy, because it is a test that will demand the best of each athlete. The only training for the test already demands a level that very few are willing to give. It is a test for those who want to go, once and for all, higher, stronger, stronger… all at once.
You will have to learn how to run and jump to be well prepared in your triathlon.
What does each of the triathlon events consist of?
Each of the three triathlon events (swimming, cycling and running) has certain characteristics and demands.
There are two official categories of triathlon.
a) Sprint: swim 750 meters, cycle 20 km and run 5 km. b) Olympic: 1,500 meters of swimming, to which are added 40 km of bicycle and 10 km of running.
In the case of Olympic triathlon there is the alternative of relays: there can be 2 or 3 people who participate, who can distribute the specialties or sections of the distances.
Whatever your goal (whether you want to participate as a professional or amateur, leading alone or as a team triathlon) you will have already realized that it is a test that will demand the best of you, and will force you to reach unsuspected extremes of your physical condition.
So we are going to give you a series of tips to train for this test.
What do you need to train a Triathlon – Boards, Tips and Tricks?
Tips for training for triathlon:
- Train with a wetsuit. Of course, it is an investment and a nuisance if it is hot, but in the long run you will see that this material that helps you cut water more easily, and makes it less hard for you to pass this liquid into the air, avoiding cramps and colds, is worth its weight in gold, because not only will it improve your health: It will also help boost your timestamps.
- Nothing behind others. Doesn’t going after another swimmer take away a position of privilege, does it refer you to second place? Maybe, but it has an advantage: it reduces water resistance and makes you go faster. What makes you save time and improve your brand. And at the end of the day what matters is the total time of each competitor in the triathlon, and not who is ahead of the curve.
- Learn to eat on the bike. The triathlon is a test of great wear, long duration and extreme demand, so it is not unreasonable to eat food during the test. The most comfortable time to do it: while riding the bike. Try eating high-energy foods while pedaling, especially to see how your stomach assimilates them.
Improve your running technique. The race is the decisive moment of a triathlon, as it occurs after moments of great wear and fatigue. That is why it is important that you work in the long and vigorous stride of your stride, so that you can get a greater distance with less effort, and in a better time.
- Improve your transitions. The moments of the competition in which more time is lost and the rhythm of the effort can be damaged, are the changes between one discipline and the next. That is why it is better that you enhance your changes from one medium to another: from the pool to the bicycle, and from the bicycle to the track, with all that this implies: change of shoes, clothes, use of towels … In this sense, working on automatically making these movements is the best alternative. And learn, by the way, to do more than one activity at a time: change your shoes while you get off the bike.
- Fight dizziness when getting out of the water. It is something very common between one moment and another of the triathlon, because it goes from one medium to another, and from a horizontal to a vertical posture, so dizziness and nausea seem inevitable. The best way to avoid it is to kick harder during the last moments of swimming, to bring more oxygen to the brain.
- Attach the shoes to the pedals of the bike. Some recommend a very radical resource to move from the bicycle to the track: gluing the shoes to the pedals of the bicycle. That way you take off your shoes about to reach the track, and pedal stepping on them. Then you jump off the bike, and you run barefoot.
- Prepare your legs for the race. To avoid losing momentum when moving from the bike to the track, it is recommended to sprint in the last stage of the race, so that your legs are oxygenated, and there is no loss of rhythm or possibility of cramps.
Instructions for training a Triathlon – Tables, Tips and Tricks
How to train for a triathlon?
The basic thing you should know about training for a triathlon is that you have to necessarily start from a solid physical base, because the demand that will be made of you will be very extreme. Triathlon is a discipline that combines the toughest of some of the most demanding events in athletics. That is why, to start in it you must start from the base of the exercises that allow you a good condition and physical resistances.
- Forward stride. It is an ideal conditioning to pedal better on the bicycle. It consists of taking a step forward, and then recovering the starting position in a strong step back. It is necessary that between each step you stabilize with your arms in the center. In this way you will forcefully compress your pectorals and your abdomen in each phase of the movement. To increase its effectiveness, try to keep an angle of more than 90 degrees in each stride. Don’t let yourself fall suddenly between strides. With that resistance you will notice all your muscles working. Enter with the heel of the first foot, and then stabilize with the middle of your other foot. The movement of the exercise is completed with a step. The idea is to finish vertically, and then take the next stride with the opposite leg.
It will be a good start to perform 20 repetitions of each set, alternating 10 of each leg, to reach 30 strides. - Cross kick. It is an exercise that increases coordination, mobility and promotes cardiovascular functionality. The idea is not to kick hard, but to get a constant speed leg movement, and follow a good cadence. You should tread firmly with the support leg and flex it a little while you tense all your muscles. Then you must define with your hand the aura and place where you should go foot opposite the arm. When kicking, contract your abdomen tightly and extend your hand forward as far as you can. When kicking the idea is that you try to touch the hand with the tip of your foot. The idea is just that you try, you don’t need to get it. It is important that you do not bow when doing so. Do the same movement with the opposite hand and leg. Don’t increase the speed of the exercise, or you could injure yourself. Perform 20 repetitions.
- Supine bridge. For this exercise you should lie on your back, resting your arms firmly on the floor. Then you should raise your hips while tensing your buttocks. You should do it until your abdomen and knees form, between them, a straight line. With the strength of your arms tense the abdomen. With this you will be able to work different muscle groups in a compartmentalized way. Perform 20 repetitions. It is important that you do not lean completely on the ground, because that way you would lose the necessary tension.
Tips for Training a Triathlon – Boards, Tips and Tricks
The best exercise for triathlon is the so-called self-loading, which you should perform as follows: rest your knees on the floor while holding your weight on your hands slightly open above the shoulder line. With them you will tighten your entire lumbar square.
Your abdomen should descend low until your hands stay at the same height as your shoulders. Avoid pauses, because that way you will lose the strength and tension necessary for the exercise to give you the result you want.
Perform repetitions of 20, and if you get it reaches up to 30. It is an essential routine for swimming.
We invite you to read other posts of interest such as: How to train on an empty stomach or how to train Half Marathon