So You Want to Do a Triathlon: Part 3: Equipment and Where to Get It

Equipment You Will Need

You will need to be equipped for all three sports and more. At a minimum, you will need for training:

• A good pair of running.
• Running clothes.
• If you are a woman, you will need a sport bra.
• Swimsuit.
• Swim goggles.
• For outdoor (lake) swimming, you will also need a swim cap (men too; this is important for visibility)
• For outdoor swimming, you'll probably want to get a wetsuit as well unless you will be swimming in a warm climate.
• A comfortable bicycle that fits you. For the competitive triathlete, the bike can be a tri bike or road bike. For the less competitive, a mountain or commuter bike will do.
• A bike helmet.

For the race, the following additional items are recommended:

• One or two piece high-tech triathlon suit. The idea is to wear one outfit for the whole race to reduce transition times. If you are wearing a wetsuit, you would wear this under your wetsuit.
• A race number belt. This makes it easy to attach your running number when you get off the bike.
• Sunscreen.
• Running hat.
• Water bottle(s) and energy gels.
• A watch.
• Clipless pedals and bike shoes to match.
• Special laces for your running shoes so that you can just slip on your shoes without tying them.

Important: Running is an impact sport that can be hard on your joints. Thus it's essential to get a good pair of running shoes. Running shoes come in various designs that are made for the way you run. Run in the wrong pair of shoes and you likely will injure yourself. Thus I strongly recommend buying your running shoes from a quality running store with knowledgeable salespeople. I do not recommend you purchase your running shoes from discount stores or chain stores that lack the knowledgeable salespeople who can fit you correctly.

Where to buy equipment?

First of all, you can get running gear in most running. Bikes and gear can, of course, be obtained from most bike shops and you can get swim suits in most sporting good stores. In addition, there are a few triathlon stores that cater to the triathlete. These are great places to find triathlon-specific gear, supplies, wetsuits (for purchase or rental), and advice.

For those living in the Seattle area, here are a list of some places I like:

• Speedy Reedy. Located in the Fremont area of Seattle. Great, helpful staff. Lots of gear, free advice, and wetsuits for purchase or rent. http://www.speedyreedy.com
• Triumph Sports. Located in Leschi neighborhood of Seattle. Similar to Speedy Reedy in what they offer. http://www.triumph-multisport.com
• Most REI locations. You won't get the personal touch and as knowledgeable staff as Speedy Reedy and Triumph but most REI locations carry most tri gear, including wetsuits. http://www.rei.com

Cost of Equipment

So what will it cost to train and compete in a triathlon?

• $80-$130 for a pair of shoes
• $20-$50 for a swim suit
• $30-$200 for a tri outfit.
• $30-$40 to rent a wetsuit. $180 - $300 to buy one.
• $500-$3000 for a decent road or tri bike.
• Another $100-$300 for bike gear (lights, helmet, shoes, etc.)

So You Want to Do a Triathlon. Part 2: How and Where to Train

So You Want to Do a Triathlon, Part 1: Getting Started

So You Want to Do a Triathlon. Part 2: How and Where to Train

It is the rare person who comes to the triathlon strong in all three events. More than likely, you are a runner, cyclist, or swimmer who is looking to round yourself out or challenge yourself. In fact, you may need help in all three sports plus putting all three together.

When I came to the sport, I didn’t know how to swim very well. In fact, I was afraid of swimming, especially in open water. I enrolled in a class recommended by a running buddy that was targeted at the novice triathlete. The class and the other classes and clinics I have taken since that time have made all the difference for me.

Another good resource is the local triathlon clubs. Search for “triathlon your-city-name” using any search engine.

Indoor swim lessons

Many athletes will need swimming lessons. I did! Where to go:

• Many health clubs offer private or group lessons.
  
• Most YMCAs and public pools offer private and group lessons. If you live in Seattle, start at http://www.seattle.gov/parks/pools.asp


• Mary Meyer Life Fitness. Mary and company run an excellent series of beginner, intermediate, and advanced swim technique lessons targeted at the triathlete. Year round. http://marymeyerlifefitness.com/

Outdoor swim clinics
Since most triathlons are run outdoors, you will want to do some of your swimming outdoors in a lake.

• Mary Meyer Life Fitness. Mary and company also offer outdoor swim clinics in the summer months. Highly recommended. http://marymeyerlifefitness.com/


• There are lots of free group outdoor swims in the many areas of the country, especially those areas like Seattle that host a lot of triathlon races. If you live in Seattle, you can find many outdoor swims at http://seatri.org/. This is the website of the Seattle Triathlon Club.

Cycling lessons and group rides

• Many bike clubs offer group rides. In Seattle, Cascade Bike Club offers group rides most days of the week starting from various locations. Most rides are free to non-members. http://cascade.org/


• Many health clubs offer spinning classes which you may find helpful for building cycling muscles. (Though it's important to also get outside and practice your "real world bike" skills.)

Running lessons
Many communities have running groups. Some are coached, others are more loosely organized. The most important thing is to have others to run with, especially if you are training for longer races.

• In the Seattle area, I have been a member of ChuckIt. (http://www.runchuckit.com/) This is a running group coached by Chuck Bartlett. Many triathletes are members too.
  
• Free group runs from most running stores (including in the Seattle area, Super Jock 'n Jill, Seattle Running Company, Road Runner Sports, Nike Town, etc.).

Triathlon clinics and Brick workouts
While you need to practice the individual components of the triathlon, you'll also benefit from clinics and workouts that specifically concentrate on two or three of the components of a triathlon.

• In the Seattle area during the summer, Mary Meyer Life Fitness coaches a number of different clinics and workouts including the triathlon clinics which help you put together all three events (http://marymeyerlifefitness.com/). Full disclosure: I help coach these clinics in the summer as a volunteer. Other areas of the country have similar coached programs.


• Many communities have triathlon clinics or brick workouts sponsored by triathlon clubs. A brick workout is when you work on two of the three components of a tri during a single workout. This means that you either swim and bike, bike and run, or swim and run. I like to do at least one brickout workout a week when I am training for a triathlon. In addition, I like to do all three events (a tri workout) at least once before my first triathlon of the season. You don’t need to be part of a group to do a brick or triathlon workout, but if you are planning on swimming outdoors, you should never do a swim workout alone.

Cost of Lessons/Coaching/Clinics
Coaching can range in cost from free to expensive:

• Indoor swim lessons: $10 to $50 per lesson.
• Outdoor swim clinics: $20-$50 per clinic.
• Outdoor tri clinics: $20-$60 per clinic.
• Group swims: most are free or nominal charge.
• Personal coaching: $30+ for each lesson .

So You Want to Do a Triathlon, Part 1: Getting Started

So You Want to Do a Triathlon, Part 1: Getting Started

It’s hard to believe it has been over three years since I started training for my first triathlon. I came to the sport from long distance running as a way to actively train and compete in a sport while recovering from running injuries. This post is meant to help those people who are curious about triathlons and have considered competing in one but have a few questions.

First of all, competing in a triathlon consists of completing three events in rapid succession: swimming, cycling, and running. Unlike most other sports you can't really do a triathlon without entering a race. Technically you still could do your own "personal triathlon", but that kind of defeats the purpose. Doing a triathlon is about training to compete in a race. Your goal might be just to finish a triathlon or it might be to finish competitively in your age class. My goal for my first triathlon was simply to finish it without drowning. Fortunately, I succeeded in meeting that goal and from then on was hooked on this challenging sport.

The Different Types of Triathlons

Though many people associate triathlons with the Ironman triathlon events, there are actually four major classes of triathlons:

• Sprint Triathlon: This is the shortest of triathlons but contrary to its name the legs are longer than what most would agree was a sprint (e.g., the run is not a 100 yard dash). Unfortunately, the sprint is not standardized in its event distances. Generally, the swim is ¼ to ½ mile. This is following by a bike ride of 9-15 miles. And the race typically ends with a 5K (3.1 mile) run. If you've never done a triathlon, this is where you should start. For most competitors, a sprint tri will take from 1 to 3 hours to complete.
• Olympic Triathlon: The Olympic distance race is the one—you guessed it—that they do in the Olympics. It consists of a 1500 meter swim (.9 mile), a 40 K bike ride (24.9 miles), and a 10 K run (6.2 miles). Expect the race to take 3 or more hours to complete.
  
• Half-Ironman Triathlon: This distance essentially doubles the Olympic's bike and run portions of the race while increasing the swim only a tad. The half-ironman is exactly half of an Ironman event and consists of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. This event is also known by a newer name: the Ironman 70.3, which is the sum of its event distances in miles. Competitors generally complete this event in 4 to 10 hours. While not as grueling as a (full) Ironman, this triathlon is nonetheless very difficult and should only be attempted by the athlete who has trained for 6+ months for a race.
  
• Ironman Triathlon: This is the event many people associate with triathlons…and insanity. An Ironman event consists of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride (often over hilly terrain) and finishes with a marathon run (26.2 miles). Any one of these events might be considered an extreme challenge for most people. Now put the three events back to back, and you have one of the toughest events on the planet: the Ironman triathlon. This event should only be attempted by an athlete in excellent shape who has trained for 6 months to a year prior to the race. The race takes anywhere from 10 hours to over 24 hours (a day!) to complete.

So You Want to Do a Triathlon. Part 2: How and Where to Train

Welcome to My New Blogger Blog

I decided to change how and where I blog. I used to have a single blog at aspadvice.com. You can still reach it by going to http://aspadvice.com/blogs/plitwin. I'm retiring that blog and moving to a two-blog system:

1. I will use this blog on http://plitwin.blogspot.com/ for more personal stuff.


2. I will use a new blog (which is not quite setup) http://weblogs.asp.net/paullitwin for my technical ramblings.

Hope this works out. Thanks for reading.

Paul