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NEW TO TRIATHLON’S?
Here's some help answering some of your questions...
WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL RACE DISTANCES?
Sprint – Varies per the race, usually about a 400-700 yd swim, a 8-15 mile
bike, and a 2-4 mile run.
Olympic – 1.5k (.93mi) swim, 40k (24.8mi) bike, 10k (6.2mi) run
International – Similar to an Olympic distance, but can vary a little…maybe the
swim is a little longer.
½ Ironman – 1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, 13.1mi run
Ironman – 2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, 26.2mi run
WHAT IS A GOOD DISTANCE/RACE TO START OUT WITH?
This is highly personal and dependent on your level
of fitness and comfort with the three sports. Many people start out with a
Sprint or an Olympic. If you are proficient at two of the three, an Olympic may
be a good choice – providing you make the time to train for it. For the Sprint
distances there are some great beginner series locally, such as the Tri-for-Fun
and Tri-for-Real. Sky High also has low-key races, and even the bigger races
(Pacific Grove, Treasure Island) have a Sprint distance. Maybe you’d prefer
your first experience to be in a lake rather than the ocean or Bay. Take things
like this into consideration and don’t be shy. Talk to the folks you are
training with and those with a little more experience to get a feel for things.
SPEAKING OF TRAINING... WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO
THIS?
Let’s start by saying that everyone is an individual
and we all have different needs. You should ask yourself some questions: how
much time can I give up for my training and still maintain balance with work/
family/ friends. Be realistic about your goals.
As far as the training itself goes, there is no
substitute for good coaching with a real coach. We have some great coaches
through GGTC, so use their knowledge! But you’ve got to get started somewhere
right? Picking up a triathlon training book at your local sporting goods store
is oftentimes a great place to begin putting together a workout plan. The
amount of training depends on: your level of fitness, comfort level with each
individual sport, amount of time you have available, and the distance of the
race you’ve chosen. In general, it’s a good idea to do each activity at least
twice per week, increasing your distances gradually. Don’t forget that weight
training is an integral component of a training program, so you’ll be making
time for that too.
Quite often, people’s goals are simply to finish the
race, enjoy the experience and see what it’s all about. You might not be ready
to invest in a formal coaching program. You just want to see if you like the
sport enough to buy a real bike, right? GGTC has some great options for free
and low cost training. We have track workouts twice a week where you can get
access to a fantastic coach for a nominal fee. The workouts are fun and
butt-kicking at the same time. These track workouts run in cycles building from
the previous ones. Feel free to join in at any time but please introduce
yourself to the track coach so he can ask you questions to help give you the
right workout and ensure that you’ll still be able to walk the next day. We
also have trail runs, and bike rides. You’ll be guaranteed plenty of
conversation and group workouts are great places to ask questions. And come for
a swim in Aquatic Park! Once you start some of the group workouts, you’ll begin
learning of all the training and coaching options that are out there.
WHAT DO I WEAR FOR THE RACE?
Many guys wear a singlet (tight tank top) and a speedo/hotpants. Many women wear a running bra and tri bottoms. Too much for
you? Or too little I guess I should say? Options for the more modest: MEN:
running shorts and a singlet/tank top. Most races will not let you go bare
chested, no stripping in the transition area either. Women: Wear a running bra
and the tri bottoms under your wetsuit then pull on some run shorts and maybe a
tank top in the swim-to-bike transition. The tri bottoms are like a swimsuit
bottom with bike short padding.
“BUT I HAVEN'T GOT A THING TO WEAR!”
Wear clothing that will fit comfortably under your
wetsuit. Avoid cotton! Stick to the “tech” fabrics whenever possible. Many men
wear a singlet and tri-shorts. Women often wear a sports-bra or singlet and
tri-shorts as well. Tri-shorts are simply bike shorts with a much thinner pad
that will breathe nicely and dry fast. Most races will not let you go bare
chested or do any stripping in the transition area. If you’d like to, pull on
some extra gear during your transition – maybe you’d like to run with socks on,
or it’s chilly and you could pull on a shirt (making sure your race number will
be visible).
HOW DO I SET UP AND DO MY TRANSITION WELL?
When choosing your rack pick a spot that you will be
able to find EASILY. Maybe this is the last rack in the row or maybe this is
the rack next to a tree or other marker. Sometimes you will not have a choice
and the race officials will decide for you. In this case you might want to
bring your own marker: a balloon, neon tape, duct-tape, a teddy bear whatever
works for you! Make it visible. Do a practice run through before the start and
make sure you can find your area. Set your stuff up on a towel in the order
that you’ll need it. Be tidy. The more organized you are now the faster you
will be later. Also, be sure to hang your bike by the seat. And don’t be shy to
look around and copy what other folks are doing – we can all learn something
from one another!
When setting up your bike it’s a good time to stop
and think about your nutrition for a moment. Think about easy access. Many
people tape gels to the frame of their bike, or maybe you have already pinned
some of these to your race belt or outfit. This way you can just reach down and
tear one off instead of fumbling around for it in a pocket.
Now that you’re all set up how do you get out of that
wetsuit? It’s never pretty. And like your transition area, it’s all about how
well you prepared beforehand. Use a body lubricant generously around your
ankles and wrists to avoid having to hop around like a lunatic in a
straightjacket.
When exiting the transition area with your bike it is
a good idea to steer it by holding the seat, rather than the handlebars. This
will help keep you from mangling your shins on the pedals as you go. Practice
running with your bike in your bike shoes. Learn to love that ‘there’s no way
this can be safe’ feeling.
Coming back in from the bike is called your T2. By
this point, simple tasks like tying a pair of running shoes can seem a bit
involved. A suggestion might be to try out elastic laces or a quick-cinch like
you find on a backpack. Try several easy on/easy off options and see what one
works best for you.
No matter how you set yourself up it is always best
to practice transitioning before race day comes along. Now that you’re a
triathlete you no longer can simply think about swimming, biking and running –
but how you’re going to get from one to the other as well!
WHAT SHOULD I DO FOR MY NUTRITION?
Again this is individual, it’s a trial and error process. As much as you are
training physically for the race, you need to train nutritionally. As you get
some races under your belt you will know what works for you. One important
piece of advice: race day is not the time to try anything new! Train with what
you’ll be racing with. Oftentimes this can mean doing some detective work and
finding out what kind of sports drink/bars/gel’s are offered at your race and
then train with that. If that doesn’t work for you, then plan on bringing your
own.
The night before – A medium sized meal, heavier on the carbohydrates, not too
much protein/fat/fiber. The “carbo loading” party the night before the race is
not your free pass to eat 3 plates of spaghetti! Truly the Carbo Loading Party
should be 2 nights before the race, this is when you want to increase your
carbohydrate stores. For your first race think bland, nothing too crazy. This
is probably not the time to try the spicy shrimp and scallop cream sauce. Drink
lots of water for a couple days before the race (which you should be doing all
the time anyway, right?). If it’s going to be a hot race, like Wildflower,
consider incorporating some kind of sports drink with electrolytes and salts
into your pre-race hydration plan.
The morning of – Again think medium to small sized, bland, carbohydrate based,
low fat/protein. Common pre-race foods: bagels, toast, oatmeal, bananas. You
want to avoid anything that can upset your stomach (especially when you throw
in the stress and strains racing imposes on your gut!).
During the race – For a sprint distance you will likely not need anything except
water or maybe a sports drink. For an Olympic distance or longer you need to
develop an eating/drinking plan. What has worked for you in training? What are
the weather conditions expected for the race? Is it going to be hot? If so make
sure you are not just drinking water, you will need a sports drink to replace
the electrolytes and salts you will lose through sweating. Do you need solid
food? The gel-based supplements (PowerGel, Goo, Clif Shot, etc.) are based on
simple carbohydrates/sugars that will enter your system quickly. You need to
drink water with them. They will last in your system for about 45 minutes. The
bars (Cliff bars, Power bars, etc) are composed of more complex carbohydrate
and will take longer to get into your system. They are not a quick fix. For
endurance sports, combing the benefits of both is a good way to go. For an
Olympic distance many athletes will use 2-4 gel-based supplements and forgo the
solid food. You need to decide what is right for you. If you choose to combine
the two, one way is to cut the bar into small pieces and stick it to the
toptube of your bike frame or put it into a Ziploc baggy. Alternate between a
piece of a bar and some gel as you progress through the race, as consuming a
whole bar at one time may make you visit the port-o-potties/bushes on the run
portion of you race! The bike and transition area is a good place to consume
the gels/bars (don’t compromise safety on the bike for a gel though!). Whatever
you choose to do, try it out in training first.
COMMON TERMINOLOGY
Bonk – To run out of energy, you need some food!
Brick workout – Two or more events combined; commonly a bike workout followed
by a short run to help the adaptation between the muscle groups.
DNF – Did not finish
DQ - Disqualification
Drafting – Following closely behind another biker. This is illegal in races and
can get you DQ’d. Learn the rules!
Negative split – Running the second half faster that the first half
On your left – What you should say as you attempt to pass another biker
T1, T2 – T1= swim-to-bike transition, T2= bike-to-run transition
OTHER RESOURCES
http://www.usatriathlon.org/
http://www.tricalifornia.com/
http://www.trifind.com/
GTEAT INFO FOR NEW ATHLETES:
http://www.sfbike.org/?triathlon
http://www.inlandempirecycling.com/Cycling/hand_signals.htm
http://www.hulaman.com/triathlon/open_wtr.html
http://www.trinewbies.com/
HEAR WHAT OTHER FOLKS HAVE TO SAY…
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/beginner/first.html
http://www.netfit.co.uk/triathlontraining.html
http://www.transitiontimes.com/home.cfm
What to wear?
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/gear.htm
THE DISCLAIMER:
None of the above is intended to be a substitute for: doctor’s or nutritionalist advice or the
individual training supplied by a real coach. We hope we’ve provided you with
some basic information to use as a starting point. The sport of Triathlon is
very exciting and addictive! Get involved! GGTC hopes to provide you with a fun
and supportive environment, people to train with, and resources for
information.
See you at the races!
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