Race day is quickly approaching and you’ve been doing your best to train and prepare for what will be a memorable day. If this will be your first triathlon, you may be trying to figure out what the heck you should wear on race day. If you haven’t thought about it yet, now is a good time to start. Deciding what to wear can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. If you follow our guidelines below, you will be well on your way to looking good and feeling great during your triathlon.
Learning and practicing proper run form and developing run economy will serve all endurance athletes well. Beginner to professional – this is one of the best ways to run stronger and longer while reducing the risk of injury.
Most athletes new to the endurance arena, namely runners and triathletes, overlook or discount the importance of learning the fundamentals of running. I suspect this may be the case for several reasons, but quite simply, humans are land animals. When we want to run, we run. Unlike swimming, where proper form has a major impact on forward movement and successfully swimming, you can easily fudge running for at least a mile or two 3… 2… 1… BANG! The gun goes off and your race begins. Your adrenalin soars. It’s time to swim! You know how to swim, but this time it’s a little different. There’s other athletes all around you, no black line to follow and you can’t put your feet down.
Open water swimming – especially on race day, can cause a lot of athletes stress and anxiety. However, with a little practice and a few tips and tricks you can boost your confidence and shave minutes off your open water swim. Triathlon may be considered an individual sport on race day, but getting to the start line doesn’t have to be. Joining a local triathlon club brings a seemingly endless number of benefits. Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned athlete, you can’t go wrong. In addition to group training opportunities, the fun and camaraderie is priceless. The memories will be endless and sharing your passion with other like-minded people is sure to pay off. Not sure if joining a club is right for YOU? Continuing reading and then decide.
If you’ve been a swimmer your entire life, you can stop reading here! However, if you’re like the vast majority of triathletes, swimming is where you struggle the most. Let’s face it, humans are land animals. Swimming proficiently does not come easy, but rest assured there is hope. The preseason is an excellent time of the year to improve upon your weakness in the water and start swimming faster. Instead of ignoring your swim skills (or lack thereof), it’s time to face them head on with 3 simple keys towards your next swim PR.
At any given point in time most endurance athletes know a friend, colleague or coworker who is battling an injury. Or worse, maybe it’s you who is suffering from a run induced or related injury.
There is no question, INJURIES SUCK! Unfortunately this is not uncommon as studies show that about 60-65% of all runners/triathletes are injured, at some point, during an average year (by definition, an ‘injury’ is a physical problem severe enough to force a reduction in training). While running injuries are the most common among triathletes, swim and bike injuries can also occur and are just as frustrating. Below we will look at examine the leading causes of injuries and what you can do to be proactive in preventing them. If you’re a triathlete, you already know the sport can become an expensive habit. Ahhhh – the toys and the gadgets. I love them all, but unfortunately I’m not a very good bank robber (or know anyone who is).
With that being said, if you are lucky to have a few extra bucks laying around and you’re trying to figure out what’s going to make you faster and give you an edge next season, I’d say hire Ridgewood Tri Athlete to coach you ;). If they’re already coaching you, then consider putting that money towards a CompuTrainer. In my opinion, the CompuTrainer is hands down, the best training tool/gadget/accessory dollar for dollar. While race wheels certainly look cool, $3,000 for a time savings of 4 minutes over 112 miles isn’t exactly the best ROI. However, if you follow my advice, the CompuTrainer can potentially knock 30+ minutes off your bike split over 112 miles for half the price if you learn how to use it. |
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