From: chapman@fc.hp.com (Larry Chapman)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon
Subject: FAQ
Date: 1 Jun 1995 14:33:24 GMT
REC.SPORT.TRIATHLON
Frequently Asked Questions (faq)
Last Revised: 5/25/95 by Larry Chapman (chapman@swttools.fc.hp.com)
1) What are typical events in a summer triathlon?
2) What are the standard distances?
3) What equipment should I plan to take?
4) How Do I Train?
5) Why do so many triathletes get upset about wetsuit usage in races?
6) Why is the "Olympic distance" triathlon 1.5k/40k/10k?
7) Why is the swim leg of a triathlon relatively shorter in time than the
biking or running legs?
8) What's a "Brick"?
9) What should I read?
10) Can we sell stuff through rec.sport.triathlon?
11) Various addresses
**************************************************************************
1) What are typical events in a summer triathlon?
Swim
Bike
Run
A summer duathlon is typically a combination of running and biking.
A biathlon is an Olympic winter event consisting of skiing and shooting.
**************************************************************************
2) What are the standard distances?
SWIM | BIKE | RUN
km mi | km mi | km mi
---------------------------------+---------------+---------------
Jr. Youth 0.1 0.06 | 5 3.10 | 1 0.62
(7-10 yrs) | |
---------------------------------+---------------+---------------
Sr. Youth 0.2 0.12 | 12 7.45 | 3 1.86
(11-14yrs) | |
---------------------------------+---------------+---------------
Short 0.3~1 0.24~0.62 | 8~25 5~15.5 | 1.5~5 1~3
---------------------------------+---------------+---------------
International 1 ~ 2 0.62~1.24 | 25~50 15.5~31| 5-10 3.1-6.2
---------------------------------+---------------+---------------
Olympic 1.5 0.93 | 40 24.86 | 10 6.21
---------------------------------+---------------+---------------
Long 2 ~ 4 1.24~2.48 | 50~100 31~62 | 10~30 6.2~19
---------------------------------+---------------+---------------
Ultra 3.2+ 2+ | 100+ 62+ | 30+ 19+
---------------------------------+---------------+---------------
Ironman 3.8 2.4 | 180.2 112 | 42.1 26.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
**************************************************************************
3) What equipment should I plan to take?
SWIM
Swimsuit
Goggles
Towels (sit on in transition area, dry off, wipe feet)
Bucket (with water to wash sand off feet)
Wetsuit
Swim cap
Sunscreen
Petroleum jelly (crotch, nipples, underarms)
BIKE
Helmet
Bike shoes
Socks
Bike shorts
Bike jersey/singlet
Gloves (probably not in a short race)
Cycling glasses
Water bottles
Spare tires/tubes
CO2 cartridges
Tool kit
Floor pump
Frame pump
Bike lube
RUN
Running shoes
Socks
Shorts
Singlet
Hat/Visor
Sunglasses
MISC.
Watch
Race number
Race information
Writing instrument
Identification/passport
Money/credit card
First aid kit
Fluid replacement drink
Energy food
Misc. warmer cloths (tights, jacket, helmet cover, etc.)
**************************************************************************
4) How Do I Train?
TRIATHLON TRAINING
TODD JENSEN
GETTING STARTED
The following sections describe how to train for triathlons for
people with little or no triathlon experience, but the information
is general enough that it can be used for almost any endurance
sport. First things first. You need to gauge your current fitness
level. Get a physical done by your physician. Ask yourself
questions such as, "Do I work out regularly (3 or more times a
week)?", "How far can I swim/bike/run comfortably?", and "Do I have
any medical conditions and/or injuries (e.g. asthma, strained
ligaments) I should be aware of?" It is important to understand
your current fitness level so that you can properly train and build
onto your fitness without becoming injured.
You should determine your training heart rate ranges. First, you
need to know your maximum heart rate (HRmax). You can estimate it
using the following formulas:
------------------------------
Women: 226 - AGE = HRmax
------------------------------
Men: 220 - AGE = HRmax
------------------------------
Be aware that the above formulas only give estimates - your actual
maximum heart rate may be higher or lower. There are tests to
determine this, but the formulas give a good starting point.
Now you should find your resting heart rate (HRrest). This can be
done by taking the average of your pulse for a few mornings after
you wake up but while still in bed. From these two numbers you can
determine your training heart rate ranges using the Karvonen method.
The formula below is used to find your heart rate at a specific
exertion level (from a range of 0 to 100%).
---------------------------------------------------------
(HRmax - HRrest) x (%effort) + (HRrest) = HR%effort
---------------------------------------------------------
Example:
HRmax = 220 - 26 = 194 (assuming a 26-year-old male)
HRrest = 45 (averaged over 7 consecutive mornings)
HR_80% = (194 - 45) x 0.80 + 45 = 163
Using the table below, you will know what your heart rate should be
for certain types of workouts. In the beginning of your training,
you'll mostly be training in the lower ranges. As the races get
closer, you'll begin to explore the higher ranges of your heart
rate.
----------------------------------------------
Level %effort Type of Training
==============================================
I 60% - 70% Overdistance, Endurance
----------------------------------------------
II 71% - 74% Endurance, Speedwork
----------------------------------------------
III 75% - 80% Endurance
----------------------------------------------
IV 81% - 90% Intervals
----------------------------------------------
V 91% - 100% Race
----------------------------------------------
A PLAN
Would you try to build a new home without a floorplan? You don't
want to train without a plan, either. With a plan, you know exactly
what you need to do to achieve your goals. The plan also prevents
you from overtraining, which is discussed later, and allows you to
fit training in around other activities and work. You may want to
base your training on the amount of time you have to work out.
Instead of trying to run 5 miles over your lunch hour, you may want
to plan on running 40 minutes and not be late for your 1:00 meeting.
Know how hard or easy you want to work out - use your heart rate to
make yourself work harder or to keep yourself from working too hard.
Your plan doesn't need to be detailed, but it should be flexible for
those unplanned for instances. Keep a training log with notes of
what you did each day and how you felt. You should also write it
down so you can compare notes later when you create a plan for next
season. The following sections divide up the season into 5 parts:
Base, Intensity, Peak, Race, and Recovery. After reading these
sections, you should have a better idea of how to plan your season.
BASE BUILDING
Before you start "real" training, you'll want to strengthen and
prepare your body for the stresses it will need to handle. This is
done by doing easy training and slowly increasing the amount of time
or distance spent swimming, biking, and running. It is not a time
to see how fast you can run 5 miles or to be hammering in the
biggest gears on your bike - these types of activities will most
likely lead to injuries. This is because it takes longer to build
up the strength of your ligaments, tendons, and muscles than the
time it take to build up your aerobic capacity (i.e. lungs and
heart). Base building will slowly but surely strengthen the muscles
your need to do your chosen sport. Most of this training should be
done in heart rate zones I and II. You should avoid training in
zone III - in this zone you can build your endurance, but your body
doesn't recover as well and can become depleted over a period of
time if you continue to train at that level. Zones IV and V should
be avoided until you have built up enough strength to handle the
higher intensities.
You can prevent injury by following your plan. Depending on your
current level of fitness, Base building can last anywhere from 6
weeks to 26 weeks. Follow the 10% rule - never increase the
distance more than 10% above the maximum distance you have done in
the last few weeks. For example, you rode your bike 100 miles last
week, you wouldn't want to ride more than 110 miles this week. Base
building workouts should seem easy, but may leave you tired. It is
important to get enough rest and eat properly during this time.
This may also be the time to put yourself on a regular schedule,
fatigue can creep up unnoticed at any time.
Don't worry about speed or times yet, that is what the next periods
are for. At the end of the Base period, you should be able to
easily cover the distances you want to race. For example, if I
wanted to do an Olympic distance triathlon such as the Sun-Times in
Chicago, I should be able to swim 1 mile, bike 25 miles, and run 6
miles. Even if you can cover the distances now, you would still
want to have some sort of Base period to prevent injuries later.
Plan on spending more time training in the sports you are weaker in.
For example, if you already run 10K's, you'll probably want to
devote more of your time to swimming and biking.
INTENSITY
Now that you have a Base of fitness, you're ready to add more
Intensity to your workouts. Again, most of the training will be
done with your heart rate in zones I and II, but now you should also
be doing some speedwork and intervals where your heart rate goes
into zone IV for short periods of time. The Intensity period should
be no longer than your Base period.
To improve performance, push your body just above what it can do
comfortably, and then allow it to recover. This translates into the
hard/easy training method. If you do a hard workout one day, you
probably want to take it easy the next day or even take the day off
as rest. This will allow your body to recover and rebuild, and your
muscles will become stronger as you adapt to the greater amounts of
work.
Intensity can be achieved in different ways. You may want to try
some fartlek work in the beginning - going hard for a few minutes
when you feel like it. Or timed intervals - go hard for X number of
minutes with Y number of minutes rest. Running or biking up hills
is also a good way to achieve Intensity.
Group workouts are a great way to force yourself to work hard. Most
people find they can train more regularly, at a faster pace, or at
greater distances when they have other people to work out with. Try
to find a club or group to train with when you want to do some
higher intensity workouts. Most cities have a Masters swimming
team, a running club, and a bike shop that knows about the local
rides. You might need to do some searching, but it is worth the
effort.
Keep in mind that group workouts usually end up being a higher
intensity than workouts done individually due to the competitive
genes that seem to surface when groups of athletes get together to
train. The 5x100 Easy set in the pool becomes 5x100 Sprints. The
group ride turns into a classic cycling road race with attacks and
speed surges. The group run turns into a charge on the course
record. If your want an easy workout or plan on training in heart
rate zones I and II, you might be better off going out by yourself.
PEAKING
A few weeks before racing, you should reduce the amount of time and
distance you are training at and concentrate on speed. You can do
this by doing shorter, more intense workouts. Races used as
practice are also useful. Do some short cycling time trials or
running races, especially if you're having trouble motivating
yourself to train - they can be fun and a good workout at the same
time. You should be doing some training in heart rate zones I and
II to keep your endurance, but a good portion of your training will
be in heart rate zone IV.
The idea of peaking is that you have the endurance base necessary to
finish the race, now is the time to work on performance.
RACING
Depending on the distance of the race, you need to take a few easy
days or more to allow your body to be fully recovered and refueled
for the race. Everyone is different - some people need weeks of
rest, others can train right up to the day of the race and still
perform well. A good sign of how rested you are is your morning
heart rate. If it's higher than normal or your legs feel heavy and
sluggish, you probably should train lightly or not at all in order
to be prepared for the race. A good rule of thumb for longer
distance races such as marathons or Ironman triathlons is to reduce
your training time with two weeks to go before the event to about
70%, and with one week to go reduce your training even further to
about 30% of your normal time.
If you're racing every weekend, you really don't need to worry about
adding much Intensity to your workouts during the Racing season.
Races can be your hard workout - train lightly to keep active and to
keep your endurance between races. If you're not racing much, you
need to keep doing some hard workouts or race simulation to keep in
race-shape.
As far as what to do during an actual race, experience is the best
factor. For specific help, pose your questions to triathletes in
your area. Some helpful hints for a triathlon are listed below:
* Plan and pack what you are going to wear and use during the
race the night before. Create a checklist to make sure you
haven't forgotten anything.
* Arrive early enough to the race site so you can scout out the
transition area and course. You may want to even do this the
day before if it is a long race or you are unfamiliar with the
area.
* Leave more time than you think you will need for setting up in
the transition area, warming up, and waiting in line for a
port-a-john.
* Swim starts can be scary, especially if you are not used to
swimming in the open water. Be prepared to get pushed, shoved,
kicked, and swam over if you want to keep up with the pack. If
you feel nervous about the close body contact, start off to the
side or back.
* Have landmarks picked out so you can navigate your way over the
course. Those big orange buoys that are easy to see from shore
can be difficult to see in choppy water. Try sighting tall
buildings or towers so you can swim as straight as line as
possible.
* About 100 yards from shore, start thinking about how you are
going to transition to the bike. Think about what order you
will put your clothes and shoes on and which way to exit the
transition to start the bike leg. Remember to strap your
helmet on before you get on the bike!
* For the first mile or so on the bike, spin an easier gear.
This is to get your legs used to going in circles instead of up
and down. Get aerodynamic as soon as possible.
* Concentrate on catching the person in front of you. After you
pass them, start going after the next person ahead of you.
Avoid riding at along side someone at their speed - either pass
or back off, as people have a tendency to group up on the bike
which can lead to packs forming.
* Make sure to drink plenty of fluids during the bike leg. If
the swim was long, you are probably already somewhat dehydrated
at the beginning of the bike. The bike is the best place to
build up your fluid reservoirs for the run ahead.
* Coming into the bike transition, practice the same mental
technique as you did when you were finishing the swim. Think
about how you will transition to start the run - where to enter
the transition with your bike, how to change shoes and clothes,
where to exit to start the run.
* Your legs will probably feel heavy and stiff when you start
running. Try shortening up and quickening your stride to turn
your running muscles on.
* Again, remember to keep drinking fluids. Most people cramp up
or slow down not because they run out of energy, but because
they become dehydrated.
* The run turns into a survival session for a lot of people, but
try to keep moving and think positive thoughts.
* Finish strong.
After the race evaluate your performance. Did you meet your goal,
whether it was to run a certain time, place overall, or just to
finish? If you didn't, try not to be negative about it. Rather,
ask yourself what can you do to improve next time and then work at
it. Remember to keep a healthy perspective about triathlon and how
it fits into your overall life.
RECOVERY
This period follows the racing season and gives your body the time
it needs to fully recover from the abuse it took from racing. You
shouldn't become a couch potato, or you have to start from ground
zero next year. Do easy training. Take time to try other sports.
Lift weights to rebuild strength in muscles that you do not use
swimming, biking, or running (e.g. your abdominals). Don't worry
about losing some fitness, but try to keep off any unnecessary
pounds.
This is also the time to evaluate your plan. Did you meet your
goals? Were they too high or too low? Start planning for next
year. If you were injured, look at your training log to find things
you should avoid. (Did you do four days of running in a row when
you had only been used to doing two?)
After recovering, you are ready to start the whole cycle over again,
beginning with creating a new plan for the next season.
SOME FINAL WORDS
"If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more
stupid, triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise." P.
Z. Pearce, M.D.
Just remember, triathlons are only as hard as you make them. When
many people think of triathlons, they think of the Hawaii Ironman,
but most triathlons are much shorter and can be completed by almost
anyone with the proper training. Finishing can be a reward in
itself. Just tri it, but be wary of Dr. Pearce's warning more is
not always better. If you train properly, you'll stay healthy, be
competitive, and probably end up finding training is just as fun as
racing. Good luck!
REFERENCES
[1] Rob Sleamaker, SERIOUS Training for Serious Athletes.
[2] Triathlete Magazine, June 1991
(Updated 11/12/92)
**************************************************************************
5) Why do so many triathletes get upset about wetsuit usage in races?
The basic issue with wetsuits is that in addition to making open water
swims safer by providing the wearer with added warmth and flotation they
also provide a speed advantage. The speed advantage comes from the added
flotation that puts a swimmer's body in a higher and more "correct"
position. This is the position that a good swimmer swims with anyway by
using proper technique.
Therefore, wetsuits speed-up a poor swimmer with poor body position much
more than they speed-up a swimmer that already uses good body position.
**************************************************************************
6) Why is the "Olympic distance" triathlon 1.5k/40k/10k?
As the sport evolved the largest emerging series used these distances. The
origin is not exactly clear but a 1500m swim is the standard "long" swim
race, the 40k timetrial is a cycling standard, and 10k is the most popular
road racing venue. The international triathlon governing bodies needed a
distance to promote for the Olympics and picked the "most popular" format.
**************************************************************************
7) Why is the swim leg of a triathlon relatively shorter in time than the
biking or running legs?
This question has been debated endlessly over the years. Triathletes that
excel in swimming want a longer swim and triathletes that are poorer
swimmers tend to be happy with the status quo. The basic reason for short
swim legs is that swimming, especially in open water, is the biggest
limiter to people participating in triathlon. Also, in many parts of the
world, trying to map out a long swim course is very difficult (think about
a 4+ kilometer swim in your average lake).
**************************************************************************
8) What's a "brick"?
A "brick" workout, in the triathlon community, is a bike ride followed
immediately by a run. It seems nobody really remembers how it got its
name but a couple guesses are:
* Bike-Run-ICK!
* That's how your legs feel for the first part of the run.
* Named by the man who invented it - Dr. Matthew Brick.
* Named by Mark Sisson and Scott Zagarino one day in 1988 after they
completed a Bike-Run workout -- "Just another brick in
the wall".
**************************************************************************
9) What should I read?
Newsgroups:
triathlon: rec.sport.triathlon
swimming : rec.sport.swimming
biking : rec.bicycles.racing
running : rec.running
Web Page
http://iac.net/~miller/triathlon-home.html
http://werple.mira.net.au/~pb/tri/tri.htm
Magazines:
220
300 Carlsbad Village Drive
Suite 108A-220
Carlsbad, CA. 92008
(619) 722-6348
US220mag@aol.com
Triathlete Magazine
Editorial & Advertising Dept.
voice (310) 394-1321
fax (310) 458-6248
Inside Triathlon
1830 North 55th Street
Boulder Colorado 80301
(303) 440-0601
Triathlon Sports,
P.O. Box 2590,
Taren Point, NSW 2229
Australia
Tel +61 2 524 1455
10 issues/yr, $4.95AUS per issue. Overseas subscriptions available.
Triathlete(UK)
The Apprentice Shop
Merton Abbey Mills
Watermill Way
Wimbledon
London SW19 2RD
UK
Triathlete(Germany)
Winning International Verlag
22 Rue de la Concorde
B-1050 Brussel
Belgium
Triathlete(France)
Winning International
n 449072 R
16 place du Havre
75009 Paris
France
Books:
Ageless Athlete
by Richard Winett
Biathlon Training and Racing
by Ken Souza
The Complete Triathlon Training Manual
by Bob Johnson and Patricia Braggs
Dave Scott's Triathlon Training
by Dave Scott
The Fit Swimmer
by Marianne Brems
The High Performance Triathlete
by Katherine Vaz and Barcley Kruss
Iron Will/Ultimate Challenge
by Mike Plant
Mark Allen's Total Triathlete
by Mark Allen
The Mental Athlete
by Kay Porter and Judy Foster
The Road To Kona Never Ends
by Dr. Patrick McCary
Science of Triathlon Training and Competition
by Glen Town
Scott Tinley's Winning Triathlon
by Scott Tinley
Serious Training for Serious Athletes
by Rob Sleamaker
Science of Cycling
by Ed Burke
Stretching
by Bob Anderson
Swim, Bike, Run
by Gelnn Town and Todd Kearney
Human Kinetics Publishers
Training and Racing Biathlon
by Mark Sisson
Triathloning For Ordinary Mortals
by Steven Jonas
Triathlon - A Triple Fitness Sport
by Sally Edwards
Triathlon - Going The Distance
by Mike Plant
Triathlon Training and Racing Book
by Sally Edwards
The Two Wheeled Athlete
by Ed Burke
***********************************************************************
10) Can we sell stuff through rec.sport.triathlon?
OFFICIAL POLICY FOR COMMERCIAL
POSTS ON REC.SPORT.TRIATHLON (R.S.T)
This posting is addressed to all commercial entities and individuals who
wish to post the sale of items on the rec.sport.triathlon newsgroup. Its
purpose is to specify the policy for such posts to this newsgroup. The
content of this posting has been endorsed by readers of this newsgroup and,
as such, represents our respect for this newsgroup and our desire to maintain
its integrity. While there are currently no enforced rules governing the use
of the Internet for commercial purposes, just remember that any company or
individual who abuses their priviledges can expect to receive much abuse in
return.
1. Policy for Commerical Entities
It is undeniable that equipment plays a significant role in triathlons. Most
readers are interested in hearing about new products and their availability.
However, the consensus of this group is that we much prefer the "soft sell"
approach to the "everything must go!" approach. With that in mind here are
guidelines for posting:
a) Commercial entities which contribute useful information to this group, in
addition to merely selling their wares, have traditionally earned a great
deal of respect on this newsgroup. We welcome insights on available
products, previews of products coming to market, and we always gladly
receive any and all triathlon discussion.
b) We permit the posting of new product announcements, sales promotions, and
of course special r.s.t. sales. However, we request that such announcements
are limited to a description of what's available (no laundry lists, please),
how long the sale is on, and how to obtain more information. Here are two
examples we consider appropriate:
Hey, I've got 500 carbon fiber aero water bottles I need to unload real
cheap. Please send email to ironman@kona.com for more info and pricing
information.
Tri Products Unlimited has a number of products available for sale.
They include our famous NeverFlat tires, Stealth aero bars, and
Terminator titanium frames. Please send email to products@tpu.com
for a complete list of items available and pricing information.
Ok, so maybe we should leave the marketing to you, but you get the idea.
c) Any commercial posts should use "AD" for the subject header.
d) We discourage the posting of price lists. This can lead to excessive
postings as competitors engage in an advertising fest.
e) We assume that commercial entities will use restraint in the frequency of
such posts, limiting them to no more than one per week per company.
f) Companies are permitted to include a brief description of what they sale,
along with contact information in the FAQ. Check the latest version of the
FAQ on who to contact and your information will be inlcuded in future FAQ's.
g) As an alternative to posting to r.s.t, vendors are encouraged to set up a
World Wide Web page. Your home pages will also be added to the triathlon
Web page. This is actually a much better medium, because you can have
online ordering, photos, etc. The advantage to r.s.t readers is that *you*
(rather than some anonymous vendor) control use of your company's resources.
2. Policy for Individuals
It is recognized that individuals often have used equipment for which
they are trying to find a good home. Such postings are permitted on
rec.sport.triathlon.
a) Such posts should use "FOR SALE" in the subject header.
b) Please be sure to include complete information regarding what you have for
sale, including: make and model, size, all parts and components included,
price, shipping arrangements, and contact information.
***********************************************************************
11) Various Addresses:
World Wide Web Pages
http://iac.net/~miller/triathlon-home.html
http://multisport.com/mol
http://www.emporiumone.com/Triathlete
World Triathlon Corporation (Ironman)
PO Box 1608 US Hwy 19 N
Tarpon Springs, FL 34688-1608
Triathlon Federation/USA
3595 E. Fountain Blvd.
Suite F1
Colorado Springs, CO.
80910
Tel 1-719-597-9090
Fax 1-719-597-2121
e-mail Trilocke@aol.com (Steve Locke, Executive Director)
ETU President
Tom O'Donnel
101, O'Connel Street
Limerick
Irland
Tel int +35 361 41 88 11
Fax int +35 361 41 83 12
Australian Triathlon Association
Triathlon NSW,
The Secretary,
P.O. Box 1112,
Manly, NSW 2095
Australia
Tel +61 2 976 2444