How to become an Ironman Triathlete

In the world of the Ironman challenge, it is a very rare phenomenon for someone to finish the race without doing any form of preparation or Ironman training. It takes a lot of hard work, patience and perseverance to just to prepare for the challenge, let alone complete the actual race.


Even the most seasoned triathlete or Olympic runner will find joining an Ironman challenge to be quite a feat. Most even commit the mistake of overtraining simply because it’s the only advice being given when it comes to preparing for this extreme endurance sport. So, before you grab your personalized running shirts and other running gear, here are a few things that you need to know in order to maximize your training:

1.) Biking doesn’t have to involve the outdoors – One of the legs in a triathlon event is biking; the other legs being running and swimming. Most people would think that it’s important to delve into the actual environment of the race by training outdoors. While this is not exactly a bad thing, it can be counter-productive to your training. By biking indoors, you can avoid getting heat-stroke (assuming your body is not yet able to adapt to the heat), traffic and even other training impediments.

2.) Improve your swimming technique – During training, a lot of people neglect their technique. Your technique will make a huge difference in training for and completing an Ironman challenge. I have seen a lot of people fail in Ironman challenges because they got poor swimming techniques. Proper swimming technique will allow a person to be less susceptible to fatigue because they know how to execute proper hand entry and exit and breathing techniques. Getting out of the water is very crucial if you want to complete the challenge; if you have doubts on your technique, you can hire a swimming coach to help you improve your technique.

3.) Bike and run without overtraining – A lot of people make the mistake of overtraining, especially in running. It’s not necessary for you to do high intensity runs for miles every single day; you are just going to wear yourself out before the race. When you bike outdoors, you can also transition to running for a couple of blocks just so you can get used to switching from biking to running and vice versa.

You need to make sure that body can handle the extreme stress from an Ironman challenge so that’s why it’s important for you to consult with your physician before you start training. By training properly and effectively, you can avoid unwanted injuries and maladies from training and during the actual race.

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3 Choices of Running Shirts

Running shirts are a definite must-have for every runner. Unlike your ordinary sweatshirt or even plain shirt, a running shirt is made up of fabrics that can help keep a runner cool by dissipating heat and moisture. Most custom running shirts also have fabrics designed to protect their users from UV rays and helps prevent body odor, chafing and blisters. There are numerous manufacturers that produce running shirts and marathon apparels with different benefits and features to a particular user.

I am going to point out 3 of the best brands of running shirts to help you make the best decision when it comes to purchasing your personalized running shirts:

Mountain Hardwear Colchuck Jersey – this running shirt is made up of Antimicrobial yarn in a polyester blend which will help absorb sweat and moisture away from your body as well as keeping the body cool while running in warm temperatures. While its fabric offers odor fighting features, it lacks UV protection for its user. The shirt is designed with a zipper in front which not only makes the shirt trendy but also regulates the temperature.

Patagonia Airius T-shirt – this particular brand is made up of the EVOH fabric. This fabric contains ceramic components which allow you to stay cool even while running on hot temperatures. This shirt also offers UV protection and prevents chafing. Most runners have complimented this brand of customized running shirts for its comfort.

Pearl Izumi Fly Top – The Pearl Izumi Fly Top is made of Polypropylene material which absorbs sweat from your body as well as keeping you cool. The fabric is also designed to help keep moisture away from your body and the shirt’s underarms contain mesh panels for additional temperature regulation. Despite its features, a lot of runners have complained about its size and tightness.

Even if you want to stay away from these expensive brands, you can use their features as basis when it comes to buying your own set of personalized running shirts. For more information about the best custom running shirts in the USA, visit MyRaceRagz at www.myraceragz.com.

How to Prepare for a Marathon

Marathon is becoming one of the most popular sports in America; according to the 2007 USA Marathon Report, there were more than 403,000 runners who made it to the finish line.

When it comes to running a marathon, you just don’t do it on impulse. It takes a lot of preparation like training, equipment and other important aspects of the sport. Now, I am going to show you how you can thoroughly prepare for a marathon.

Your equipment
You’d need the right set of marathon apparel and running gear to keep you comfortable throughout the entire race while keeping you safe from injuries.

- Running shoes: You need running shoes that have soft soles (branded shoes call it as an air sole or gel sole) to help keep your feet comfortable during the run. It’s also very important to note that running with brand new shoes is not a good idea because it will cause blisters and it may hinder you from finishing the race.
- Personalized running shirts: Running shirts are made of material that won’t absorb sweat like nylon; avoid shirts that are made from cotton. Coolmax clothes are also ideal running shirts when it comes to marathon.

Training and practicing
Months before the actual marathon, your body needs to be in peak physical and mental condition; which means you need to step your training and practice runs to another level if you want to finish a marathon.
- Weight lifting: On your non-running days, it’s ideal to go to the gym and lift some weights. This will help build muscle endurance as well as keep you in great condition.
- Practice runs: For practice runs, it’s ideal to wear your customized running shirts and running shoes; think of it as a dress rehearsal. This will help boost your confidence as well as your enthusiasm in finishing the race.
- Diet: Runners tend to burn a lot of calories during the race; which is why some people tend to go on a high calorie diet which allows them to store healthy carbohydrates. Once your healthy carbohydrates are depleted, your body will burn fats for energy; this doesn’t entail you to go on a high fat diet. Food like wheat bread, pasta and rice are great sources of healthy carbohydrates while fish, beef and chicken are ideal sources of protein to help keep your muscles healthy.

Other important preparations
- Visit the doctor: Weeks before running the marathon, you should check with your doctor and determine if you’re in excellent condition to run. Prevention is better than cure; having yourself checked out by the doctor is very important because he or she might be able to detect physical ailments like torn or strained muscles, ankles and so on.
- Proper sleep: You need to get adequate amounts of sleep the night before the marathon. This basically means that you can’t stay up late at night if you want to survive or even finish the race.

With the right amount of preparation, you can make it to the finish line.

The Facts behind a Triathlon

Source: http://leehuang.blogspot.com/2010/04/urban-triathlon.html

What is a triathlon?
A triathlon is a major sporting event that combines 3 activities in one race; running, biking and swimming. To date, there are 5 variations on the length of the triathlon:



• Sprint - 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run
• Super Sprint - 400m swim, 10k bike, 2.5k run
• Olympic - 1500m, swim 40km bike, 10km run
• Half Ironman - 1.9m swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run
• Ironman - 3.8m swim, 180km bike, 42.2km (marathon) run

How does one prepare for a triathlon?
A triathlon is not a walk in the park, nor is it something that you can do out of impulse. A triathlete trains for months before an upcoming event and improving his or her physical condition, including cardiovascular strength, mental and even physical strength. A triathlete also needs to consume the right amount of food months and a day before the race.

Since there are 3 parts of a triathlon, the athlete must train in running, biking and swimming. Because there are variations to the length of the triathlon, your training requirements will also vary; a sprint type of triathlon will require you to run 3.1 miles, swim ½ mile and then bike for 12.4 miles.

What are the equipments needed?
You only need a handful of trigear, or triathlon equipment, for a triathlon event. You’d need basic marathon apparel like customized running shirts, 2 to 3 pairs of running shoes, cycling shorts, swimming apparel and biking gear.

There’s no big secret in winning a triathlon; it’s a race where the last man or woman standing wins. If you feel like you want to challenge yourself, then you can join a triathlon event in your state or area; just make sure you train properly so you won’t put yourself in harm’s way.

What are the Different Kinds of Running Shirts?

At first glance, you may think that it’s OK to run with just a simple T-shirt, shorts and then running shoes; but did you know what your comfort is also relevant to how well you’ll do in terms of running? Aside from that, there are also practical reasons why a lot of runners choose to buy personalized running shirts than just wear any other shirt like:

1.) Cotton shirts are usually thick and when it absorbs sweat, it will weigh you down and affect your speed. It can also cause some chafing or blisters.

2.) Customized running shirts are made of materials that wick away sweat and keeps the body ventilated at all times.

So what are the different types of running shirts?

1.) Long sleeve running shirts – These shirts are very useful for running in cold weather; like early morning runs or an evening sprint.


2.) Running singlets – Running singlets, or tank tops, are great because they offer the most comfortable running experience. Singlets are breathable and lightweight, with some designs meant to hold your race number without needing the use of pins. These running singlets are ideal for people who like to participate in races every year.


3.) Marathon shirts – Like running singlets, marathon shirts are simply T-shirts designed to help keep you comfortable and ventilated throughout the entire race.

What to look for in a custom running shirt
You can always choose to purchase custom running shirts, instead of buying branded shirts, to help save you a couple of dollars. If you want to choose this option, you may want to make sure your custom running shirts have all the requirements below:

1.) Your running shirts should be made from lightweight material and should be able to keep you dry.

2.) Tags behind the neck can cause irritation and itchiness so make sure your running shirts have none.

3.) If possible, look for shirts that are made from wicking fibers, like CoolMax.

4.) Avoid cotton shirts at all times.

Now that you know everything there is to know about the different kinds of customized running shirts, drop by MyRaceRagz to get the lowdown on the best personalized running shirts. Visit their website at www.myraceragz.com or click on the Link on the sidebar.