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Q. I'm looking to complete one this summer, it will be a short one and I'm a beginner...what do I need to buy, train, and do I need my own bike....the more details the better...the triathlon I'm looking to complete its in Solana Beach, Ca at the end of July.
Answer
A triathlon is an endurance sports event consisting of swimming, cycling and running over various distances. In most modern triathlons, these events are placed back-to-back in immediate sequence and a competitor's official time includes the time required to "transition" between the individual legs of the race, including any time necessary for changing clothes and shoes. As a result, proficiency in swimming, cycling, and running alone is not sufficient to guarantee a triathlete a competitive time: trained triathletes have learned to race each stage in a way that preserves their energy and endurance for subsequent stages.
How a triathlon works
In a typical triathlon, event organizers take advantage of a host town's hospitality. Major races require athletes to register and attend a race briefing the day before the actual race. This race briefing details the course, the rules, and any problems to look out for (road conditions, closures, traffic lights, aid stations). At registration the racers are provided a race number, colored swimming cap, and, if the event is being electronically timed, a timing band. Often racers are also given competitor wrist bands that allow them in and out of the transition area or other athlete-only areas. At a major event, such as an Ironman or a Long Course Championship, triathletes are required to set up their bike in the transition area the day before and leave it overnight under guard.
For shorter distances the racers arrive at the venue about an hour (or more) before the race is to begin. They register and receive their swim cap and number, then proceed to set up their spot in the transition area. For most races, competitors have their race number marked on their arms and legs, along with having their age group marked on their calf.
In the transition areas, athletes will generally be provided with a rack to hold their bicycle and a small section of ground space for shoes, clothing, etc. Generally, transition spots are allocated to racers by their competition number, though in some events, athletes choose their spot in the transition area on a first-come, first-served basis. In some races, the bicycle stage does not finish in the same place it begins, so athletes set up two transition areas: one for the swim-to-bike transition, and one for the bike-to-run transition.
Racers are generally categorized into separate professional and amateur categories. Amateurs, who make up the large majority of triathletes, are often referred to as "age groupers" since they are typically further classified by sex and age. One feature that has helped to boost the popularity of such a complex, time-intensive sport is the opportunity to compete against others of one's own gender and age group. The age groups are defined in five or ten year intervals.
In some triathlons, amateur athletes may have the option to compete against others in heavier-weight divisions. "Clydesdale" athletes are generally those men over 200 pounds, while "Athena" athletes are generally women over 150 pounds. These weight based divisions are not officially sanctioned in any of the professional or Olympic events.
As in most marathons and other competitive endurance sport events, there is typically a lower age limit, though many races have been organized to allow children and teens to compete in their own categories.
After setting up their transition areas, athletes don their swim gear and head to the swim area (usually a lake, river, or ocean) for the race start. Depending on the water temperature, swimmers may be permitted to wear a wetsuit - triathlon specific wetsuits are now common. Depending on the type and size of the race, there may be any of the following methods implemented to start the race. Mass starts, traditional in full distance events, see all the athletes enter the water at a single start signal. In wave start events, smaller groups of athletes begin the race every few minutes. An athlete's wave is usually determined either by age group or by predicted swim time. Wave starts are more common in shorter races where a large number of amateur athletes are competing. Another option is individual time trial starts, where athletes enter the water one at a time, usually 3 to 5 seconds apart.
The swim leg usually proceeds around a series of marked buoys and exits the water near the transition area. Racers run out of the water, enter the transition area, and attempt to change from their swim gear into their cycling gear as rapidly as possible. In some races, tents were provided for changing clothes. However, competition and pressure for time has led to the development of specialized triathlon clothing that is adequate for both swimming and cycling, meaning many racers' transitions consist of little more than removing wetsuit and goggles and pulling on a helmet and cycling shoes. In some cases, racers leave shoes attached to their bicycle pedals and slip their feet into them while riding. Some triathletes don't wear socks, decreasing their time in transition even more.
The cycling stage proceeds around a marked course, nearly always on public roads. In many cases, especially smaller triathlons, the roads are not closed to automobiles, though marshals are often present to help control traffic. Typically, the cycling stage finishes back at the same transition area. Racers enter the transition area, rack their bicycles, and quickly change into running shoes before heading out for the final stage. The running stage, also typically held on public roads, usually ends at a separate finish line near the transition area.
In most races, "aid stations" located on the bike and run courses provide water and energy drinks to the athletes as they pass by. Aid stations at longer events will often provide various types of food as well, including such items as energy bars, gels, fruit, cookies, and ice.
Once the triathletes have completed the event, there is typically another aid station for them to get water, fruit, cookies, and other post-race goodies. At the end of most larger or longer events, the provisions and post-race celebrations may be more elaborate - ranging from ice cream and professional massage tents to cookouts and barbecues.
Rules of triathlon
Traditionally, triathlon is an individual sport: each athlete is competing against the course and the clock for the best time. As such, athletes are not allowed to receive assistance from anyone else inside or outside the race, with the exception of race-sanctioned aid volunteers who distribute food and water on the course. This also means that team tactics, such as drafting, a cycling tactic in which several riders cluster closely to reduce the air resistance of the group, are not allowed.
This has begun to change with the introduction of triathlon into the Olympic Games. Many Olympic-distance races, including the Olympics themselves and ITU World Cup events, now allow drafting during the cycling stage. This change has sparked extensive debate among the triathlon community, with supporters feeling that it brings triathlon rules closer in line with international cycling rules and practices, and opponents feeling that drafting has the potential to negate gains achieved by an individual in the swim, and gains an individual would have the potential to achieve during the cycling leg. Drafting has become the standard format for professional-level ITU events and the Olympics. However, the majority of amateur events retain the non-drafting format.
Triathlons are timed in sections: 1) from the start of the swim to the beginning of the first transition (swim time); 2) from the beginning of the first transition to the end of the first transition (T1 time); 3) from the start of the cycling to the end of the cycling leg (cycling time); 4) from the beginning of the second transition to the end of the second transition (T2 time); 5) and finally from the start of the run to the end of the run, at which time the triathlon is completed. Results are usually posted on official websites and will show for each triathlete his/her swim time; cycle time (with transitions included); run time; and total time. Some races also post transition times separately.
Other rules of triathlon vary from race to race and generally involve descriptions of allowable equipment (such as wetsuits, which are allowed in the swimming stage of some races -- generally when the water temperature is below 78 degrees Fahrenheit or 26 °C), and prohibitions against interference between athletes.
One important rule involving the cycle leg is that the competitor must be wearing their bike helmet before the competitor mounts the bike and must remain on until the competitor has dismounted; the competitor may remove their helmet at any time as long as they are not on the bicycle (i.e. while repairing a mechanical problem). Failure to comply with this rule will result in disqualification.
Additionally, while on the bike course, a competitor is required to ride their bicycle at all times. Should a competitor's bike malfunction they can proceed with the race as long as they are doing so with their bicycle in tow.
Triathlon and fitness
Triathletes tend to be extraordinarily fit, and many amateur athletes choose triathlon specifically for its fitness benefits. Because all three events are endurance sports, nearly all of triathlon training is cardiovascular exercise. In addition, since triathletes must train for three different disciplines, they tend to have more balanced whole-body muscular development than pure cyclists or runners, whose training emphasizes only a subset of their musculature.
Specialization of swimming, cycling and running in triathlon
Each element of the triathlon is a little different from those sports if encountered alone. While amateur triathletes who also compete in individual s
A triathlon is an endurance sports event consisting of swimming, cycling and running over various distances. In most modern triathlons, these events are placed back-to-back in immediate sequence and a competitor's official time includes the time required to "transition" between the individual legs of the race, including any time necessary for changing clothes and shoes. As a result, proficiency in swimming, cycling, and running alone is not sufficient to guarantee a triathlete a competitive time: trained triathletes have learned to race each stage in a way that preserves their energy and endurance for subsequent stages.
How a triathlon works
In a typical triathlon, event organizers take advantage of a host town's hospitality. Major races require athletes to register and attend a race briefing the day before the actual race. This race briefing details the course, the rules, and any problems to look out for (road conditions, closures, traffic lights, aid stations). At registration the racers are provided a race number, colored swimming cap, and, if the event is being electronically timed, a timing band. Often racers are also given competitor wrist bands that allow them in and out of the transition area or other athlete-only areas. At a major event, such as an Ironman or a Long Course Championship, triathletes are required to set up their bike in the transition area the day before and leave it overnight under guard.
For shorter distances the racers arrive at the venue about an hour (or more) before the race is to begin. They register and receive their swim cap and number, then proceed to set up their spot in the transition area. For most races, competitors have their race number marked on their arms and legs, along with having their age group marked on their calf.
In the transition areas, athletes will generally be provided with a rack to hold their bicycle and a small section of ground space for shoes, clothing, etc. Generally, transition spots are allocated to racers by their competition number, though in some events, athletes choose their spot in the transition area on a first-come, first-served basis. In some races, the bicycle stage does not finish in the same place it begins, so athletes set up two transition areas: one for the swim-to-bike transition, and one for the bike-to-run transition.
Racers are generally categorized into separate professional and amateur categories. Amateurs, who make up the large majority of triathletes, are often referred to as "age groupers" since they are typically further classified by sex and age. One feature that has helped to boost the popularity of such a complex, time-intensive sport is the opportunity to compete against others of one's own gender and age group. The age groups are defined in five or ten year intervals.
In some triathlons, amateur athletes may have the option to compete against others in heavier-weight divisions. "Clydesdale" athletes are generally those men over 200 pounds, while "Athena" athletes are generally women over 150 pounds. These weight based divisions are not officially sanctioned in any of the professional or Olympic events.
As in most marathons and other competitive endurance sport events, there is typically a lower age limit, though many races have been organized to allow children and teens to compete in their own categories.
After setting up their transition areas, athletes don their swim gear and head to the swim area (usually a lake, river, or ocean) for the race start. Depending on the water temperature, swimmers may be permitted to wear a wetsuit - triathlon specific wetsuits are now common. Depending on the type and size of the race, there may be any of the following methods implemented to start the race. Mass starts, traditional in full distance events, see all the athletes enter the water at a single start signal. In wave start events, smaller groups of athletes begin the race every few minutes. An athlete's wave is usually determined either by age group or by predicted swim time. Wave starts are more common in shorter races where a large number of amateur athletes are competing. Another option is individual time trial starts, where athletes enter the water one at a time, usually 3 to 5 seconds apart.
The swim leg usually proceeds around a series of marked buoys and exits the water near the transition area. Racers run out of the water, enter the transition area, and attempt to change from their swim gear into their cycling gear as rapidly as possible. In some races, tents were provided for changing clothes. However, competition and pressure for time has led to the development of specialized triathlon clothing that is adequate for both swimming and cycling, meaning many racers' transitions consist of little more than removing wetsuit and goggles and pulling on a helmet and cycling shoes. In some cases, racers leave shoes attached to their bicycle pedals and slip their feet into them while riding. Some triathletes don't wear socks, decreasing their time in transition even more.
The cycling stage proceeds around a marked course, nearly always on public roads. In many cases, especially smaller triathlons, the roads are not closed to automobiles, though marshals are often present to help control traffic. Typically, the cycling stage finishes back at the same transition area. Racers enter the transition area, rack their bicycles, and quickly change into running shoes before heading out for the final stage. The running stage, also typically held on public roads, usually ends at a separate finish line near the transition area.
In most races, "aid stations" located on the bike and run courses provide water and energy drinks to the athletes as they pass by. Aid stations at longer events will often provide various types of food as well, including such items as energy bars, gels, fruit, cookies, and ice.
Once the triathletes have completed the event, there is typically another aid station for them to get water, fruit, cookies, and other post-race goodies. At the end of most larger or longer events, the provisions and post-race celebrations may be more elaborate - ranging from ice cream and professional massage tents to cookouts and barbecues.
Rules of triathlon
Traditionally, triathlon is an individual sport: each athlete is competing against the course and the clock for the best time. As such, athletes are not allowed to receive assistance from anyone else inside or outside the race, with the exception of race-sanctioned aid volunteers who distribute food and water on the course. This also means that team tactics, such as drafting, a cycling tactic in which several riders cluster closely to reduce the air resistance of the group, are not allowed.
This has begun to change with the introduction of triathlon into the Olympic Games. Many Olympic-distance races, including the Olympics themselves and ITU World Cup events, now allow drafting during the cycling stage. This change has sparked extensive debate among the triathlon community, with supporters feeling that it brings triathlon rules closer in line with international cycling rules and practices, and opponents feeling that drafting has the potential to negate gains achieved by an individual in the swim, and gains an individual would have the potential to achieve during the cycling leg. Drafting has become the standard format for professional-level ITU events and the Olympics. However, the majority of amateur events retain the non-drafting format.
Triathlons are timed in sections: 1) from the start of the swim to the beginning of the first transition (swim time); 2) from the beginning of the first transition to the end of the first transition (T1 time); 3) from the start of the cycling to the end of the cycling leg (cycling time); 4) from the beginning of the second transition to the end of the second transition (T2 time); 5) and finally from the start of the run to the end of the run, at which time the triathlon is completed. Results are usually posted on official websites and will show for each triathlete his/her swim time; cycle time (with transitions included); run time; and total time. Some races also post transition times separately.
Other rules of triathlon vary from race to race and generally involve descriptions of allowable equipment (such as wetsuits, which are allowed in the swimming stage of some races -- generally when the water temperature is below 78 degrees Fahrenheit or 26 °C), and prohibitions against interference between athletes.
One important rule involving the cycle leg is that the competitor must be wearing their bike helmet before the competitor mounts the bike and must remain on until the competitor has dismounted; the competitor may remove their helmet at any time as long as they are not on the bicycle (i.e. while repairing a mechanical problem). Failure to comply with this rule will result in disqualification.
Additionally, while on the bike course, a competitor is required to ride their bicycle at all times. Should a competitor's bike malfunction they can proceed with the race as long as they are doing so with their bicycle in tow.
Triathlon and fitness
Triathletes tend to be extraordinarily fit, and many amateur athletes choose triathlon specifically for its fitness benefits. Because all three events are endurance sports, nearly all of triathlon training is cardiovascular exercise. In addition, since triathletes must train for three different disciplines, they tend to have more balanced whole-body muscular development than pure cyclists or runners, whose training emphasizes only a subset of their musculature.
Specialization of swimming, cycling and running in triathlon
Each element of the triathlon is a little different from those sports if encountered alone. While amateur triathletes who also compete in individual s
Can anyone tell me what being a triathlete is all about?
HoneyB
I became interested in triathlons when I found out that actress Alexandra Paul (who played Stephanie on Baywatch) participated in the Ironman (triathlon) competition and I've always been curious about it. I've watched the Ironman competition and I watched the triathlon race at the last Olympics. There's a triathlon in NY that will be airing on NBC this Sun. at 1pm that I plan on watching as well. I'm obviously fascinated with this sport but I no longer want to solely be an observer. I want to participate. Now I used to be a runner and I have no problem picking it (running) back up again. I know how to ride a bike although I haven't ridden for long distances but the only thing I see as a possible obstacle is that I don't know how to swim. Are there any triathletes, triathlon enthusiasts, or anyone who knows the sport that has been in/encountered a similar situation? Does anyone have general information that they think would be useful to me? Please be as descriptive as possible. Thanks.
Answer
If you want to do a triathlon, you'll have to train for all 3 sports. Increase you distances and durations running, on the bike, and swimming. There are lots of shorter distance tri's you can do to start w/ to see if it's for you (don't start w/ an Ironman or even half Ironman!). Short courses are often like: swim 400 m, bike 10 miles, run 5K or similar distances. You'll have to learn how to swim of course, and spend time on the bike. A good bike, good shoes, other quality gear will help. I've only done 3 triathlons (short course to Olympic distance), but just start small and work up!
If you want to do a triathlon, you'll have to train for all 3 sports. Increase you distances and durations running, on the bike, and swimming. There are lots of shorter distance tri's you can do to start w/ to see if it's for you (don't start w/ an Ironman or even half Ironman!). Short courses are often like: swim 400 m, bike 10 miles, run 5K or similar distances. You'll have to learn how to swim of course, and spend time on the bike. A good bike, good shoes, other quality gear will help. I've only done 3 triathlons (short course to Olympic distance), but just start small and work up!
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Title Post: Ok can somebody give me a detail description of triathlon?
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