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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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.