Swimming in a Triathlon
For those who are fit and love the challenge of multiple sports, triathlons can be the perfect answer. Triathlons encompass running, biking and my personal favorite swimming. If this is your first swimming triathlon, there are a few things you need to know.
The first, is what equipment you will need to train and compete. This equipment includes, a swimsuit, nose clip, goggles, a swim cap and floaties. Okay, maybe you don’t need the floaties, but the other pieces of equipment/accessories are extremely important. When you go shopping keep something in mind: the brighter your accessories, the safer they will be. A bright color allows others to see you in the water, avoid hitting you, and find you in case of emergency. When you search for a swimsuit, you will find one specifically made for this type of swimming. They are made using pliable rubber around the neck and shoulders to facilitate movement and will have a zipper so that you can get out of them quickly for your next sport. These suits are custom and when fitted properly, will ensure the best performance for your race.
Once you have purchased your accessories, you will need to decide what type of triathlon you would like to participate in. There are three main types, Olympic, Ironman, and Sprint. The Sprint is the easiest one to begin with, once you complete one of these you can move on the more challenging ones. The Ironman is much more challenging but incredibly gratifying. Once you have decided this, you can begin training. You should start out small, swimming for maybe half an hour to an hour a day a few days a week. You will need to take days off in between to allow your muscles to rest and your body to work at its peak performance. You should include stretching exercises and weights in your workout to improve your flexibility and strength. Working slowly and building up your time is the best way to prepare for a race. As you train, your endurance will increase and with that, your speed. Exercise is important, but it’s not everything. Make sure that you eat a healthy balanced diet so that your body can reach it’s full potential.
Start out slow and remember that training for a triathlon is a long distance haul, not something that can be done over night. The better your training, the better your outcome will be.
Sydney Garrison is an avid cyclist and sports enthusiast. She is also a partner in an online bike rack store.
