Useful Information On Triathlon Training

By Scott Bailey


In triathlon, competitors complete multiple-stage competitions in a continuous and consecutive manner. It is an endurance sport testing how fast one can move while enduring the hardship involved in the races. Running, biking, and swimming are the three activities that make up the competition. Time spent while transitioning from one activity to another is also counted towards the final time taken. The root of the term is in the Greek language. When the term is translated to English, it means three sports which is a consistent definition with the sport.

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.

In the first transition, people move from swimming to biking. The label T1 is given for this transition. The second transition is labeled T2 and it involves people moving from biking to running. Time spent in T1 and T2 is counted towards the overall time of the athlete. Transition areas are made in different sizes to accommodate the varying numbers of participants. Before races begin, transition areas are utilized as social headquarters.

The origin of triathlon lies somewhere in the 20s. However, the celebrated version as it is known began in 1974 in San Diego. The event was organized by two people called Johnstone and Shanahan. These two were associated with Track Club of San Diego. The first event incorporated running, biking, and swimming, but in a different order.

In 1989, a worldwide regulatory body was founded to take on the government of the sport. The body is named as the International Triathlon Union, abbreviated as ITU. Its goal has changed from what it was at the beginning. Initially, the goal was to make triathlon an Olympic game and that was achieved. Competition levels in this sport are three, that is, junior pro-athletes, age-group athletes, and elite pro-triathletes.

Several days in advance are given for people who intend to participate in an event to sign up. After signing up, participants are given colored swim caps, timing bands, and race numbers. Timing bands are for use in electronically timed races only. Any applicable information that participants may need to know such as applicable rules and the course to follow is communicated beforehand.

In major events, it may be a requirement for athletes to have their bikes checked-in at the transition areas in advance. Security is maintained in the transition area after bikes have been checked-in. Several different techniques have been devised for starting races. One of the methods is mass starts where competitors start competing at the same time when the start signal is given.

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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