What To Know About Triathlon Training

By Scott Bailey


Triathlon refers to a multiple-stage competition in which competitors complete three continuous and consecutive endurance disciplines. In general, triathlon entails running, swimming, and cycling, with all the three parts of the race completed in immediate successions over varying distances. Athletes in this sport are called triathletes. The competition is about who takes the shortest time to complete the race, including the time spent in transition. The Greek language is where the word triathlon originated. Its translation into English means three sports.

Athletes change their gears in a transition region, which is provided to them in advance before race starts. In the transition area, athletes transition from swim to bike or bike to run. All the supplies and accessories the athlete needs such as bikes and sports gear are held in the transition area. Triathlon training is done intensively and vigorously to boost the endurance of the athlete in preparation for the race.

The first transition entails moving to biking from swimming and it labeled T1. The second transition, which is labeled T2 involves transitioning to running from biking. Athletes spend some time in transition and it is added to their final time. The number of participants is a huge variable, so the size of transitions areas also varies a lot. Transition areas serve as social headquarters before the beginning of races.

Triathlon began somewhere in the 1920s. However, its modern variant began in California in San Diego. The event held in California happened on 25, Sept, 1974 and entailed people biking, swimming, and running. Credit for conception, and directing of the event is given to Don Shanahan and Johnstone Jack. Both Johnstone and Shanahan were members of Track Club of San Diego.

The global body responsible for governing this sport was founded in 1989. It is called the International Triathlon Union, ITU. The main goal of ITU at the time it was being established was to enter triathlon into the Olympics. Later, ITU would become the organizing and sanctioning authority for World Triathlon Series and World Cup. Three main competition levels exist, that is, age-group athletes, junior pro-athletes, and elite pro-triathletes.

Participants must register and sign up for any event they intend to participate in days before the event happens. Those who register are given race numbers, timing bands, and colored swim caps. Timing bands are only used if the race is to be timed electronically. Participants usually have information regarding the course, applicable rules, and possible problems they need to be on the lookout for communicated to them way in advance.

In major events, athletes have to check-in their bikes at the transition area in advance. Bikes that have been checked in are them guarded until when they will be used by the athletes. Different methods are used to start races. Some of the methods are wave and mass starts. Mass starts involve a single start signal being given so that all athletes can start the race simultaneously.

If an event is wave started, athletes are released in small bunches at predetermined intervals. A start signal is given at the lapse of the predetermined time intervals. This method is less commonly used in long races than in short ones.




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