About Triathlons
Triathlons have inspired many athletes to take their sport and fitness to the next level. The mixed event endurance races include timed swimming, cycling and running. Thousands of triathlon races are currently held worldwide each year, some of which have over 1,500 participants. There are many types of triathlons and many considerations to be taken while training for one.
-
History
-
The first triathlon-type race was held in France in 1920. The first known triathlon was held in San Diego, California in September of 1974 and the first modern long-distance triathlon event was the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon which has been taking place annually for over 30 years. The Ironman came about by combining three existing races in each sport and whoever performed best overall, U.S. Navy Commander John Collins deemed, would be the Ironman. "Ironman" is now an official label of the World Triathlon Corporation. In 1989 the International Triathlon Union (ITU) was formed. In the Olympic Sydney Games in 2000 a Triathlon was included as a sport.
Types
-
There are about 10 different types of triathlons which are all made up of different swim, cycle and run distances. These categories include, the Full Triathlon, Half, Olympic, Sprint, Super Sprint, ITU-Long Distance (02), ITU-Long Distance (03), Novice (Australia) and Kids of Steel. The Full Triathlon also known as the long distance or Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run.
Time Frame
-
The time it takes a trained athlete to complete a triathlon varies greatly depending on the type of triathlon, the age, gender and amount of training an athlete has prepared with. In 1978, Gordon Haller became the world's first Ironman, having completed the race in 11 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds. Craig Alexander of Australia finished first place at the Ford Ironman World Championship 2008 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii with a time of 8 hours, 17 minutes and 45 seconds. In the 2008 Ironman Austria, Sandra Wohlenhorst of Germany set the new women's record with a time of 8 hours, 47 minutes and 25 seconds. In 1996 Luc Van Lierde of Belgium finished an Ironman in 8 hours, 4 minutes and 8 seconds.
Considerations
-
Triathlons are not your average race and in fact many triathlons are not easy to get into. The Ironman, for example, admits athletes through lottery. Lottery winners must have completed an event that has a combined distance of 70.3 or greater within one year of the race they hope to enter. There is a U.S. division as well as an international division and there are a limited number of slots open. There are also entry fees for these lotteries which can be in the several hundred dollar range for world championships. There is no other race which pulls at the body in three different challenging ways or requires the amount of stamina and preparedness as a triathlon. Athletes must work their way up into the big races.
Training
-
Serious triathletes must commit a large amount of time to training. With three major events to train for, their body must be more capable and tuned than someone who is training for a singular race event. Luckily there is some amount of cross-training that occurs or training might take longer than athletes are able to fit into their schedule. Still many average triathletes in training will spend 20 hours a week, the same amount as a part time job, during the months leading up to a big race. Cardio and muscular fitness must be prime but a triathlete's body must also be fed the proper nutrition and enough calories for the endurance needed through all of the training not to mention the actual races.
Benefits
-
When in training, triathletes must choose food that will nourish their working bodies, but they also get to eat a lot in general. With their bodies working in prime condition, triathletes often claim that during their times of peak performance training they never felt more alive or healthy. This is why some triathletes claim to have caught the "tri-bug," even if it does mean they have to get up at 4a.m. to log running miles before work.
-
