First Sprint Triathlon Tips
Posted by amy in Episodes, Fit Life
I officially did my first sprint triathlon – here’s what you need to know!
In this Fit Life, I’m giving you some tips for your first triathlon. I just did my first one and although I wanted to get a better time, I’m very pleased with finishing at 1:55, especially at 3 months pregnant! A sprint triathlon is usually about a 400m swim, 13 mi bike and 3 mi run. I learned a lot on the way and I want to share that with you so when you decide to take the plunge, you are prepared!
Triathlon Tips:
The first thing is to make sure you follow a program. Now, this is true of any fitness goal but choosing a program from an expert, we knew that our training would adequately prepare us. We picked Hal Higdon. If you want to look in to all that’s needed for training for any kind of triathlon you can also check out BeginnerTriathlete.com. Tons of information for anyone looking into the sport.
One of the best ways to prepare on race day is to have your transition station set up. This is where you will change from swimming to biking and then later from biking to running. Just lay out a big towel by your bike and then lay out everything you need for the race on your towel. This could be a snack bar or sports drink and of course your shoes and socks. You can gain a lot of time, or if your not set up correctly lose a lot, during your transition.
Take a few moments and get set up for whatever you need.
Finally, make sure you practice in race-like conditions. We did lots of swimming but our race was in a river in a rainstorm so the current, the waves, the rain and wind AND all the people, made for an overwhelming experience. I think if we’d swam outside a couple of times beforehand, it wouldn’t have been such a shock.
Well these are just a couple of things that I learned during my first triathlon. Let me know your top tips!