Looking for a goal to help you start or stick to working out? Bored with your routine and feeling up for a challenge? This month at HealthStyles, our focus has been on Cross training and there is no better form of this then the sport of Triathlon.

Many people hear “triathlon” and immediately write it off as an event for only the elite and most fit people. But did you know there are several distances in the sport of Triathlon? Undoubtedly, the toughest physical challenge in all of sports is the highly recognized Ironman distance, where participants swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and then top if off with a full marathon!!! While that is certainly hardcore and takes an enormous commitment to train for, there are other distances within the sport of triathlon as well, including the Sprint distance.

Sprint distance triathlons are an excellent way to get into the sport. Most sprints include a 750 yd swim, (that’s just 15 laps in a 25 yard pool), bike 10-15 miles and finish with a 5k, (3.1 mile) run! If that still seems daunting, give it a shot anyway! The best part is you are training for 3 disciplines, the swim, bike and run, so your body and your mind get lots of variation with different movement patterns and muscle activation, and won’t be overworked in any one area. It is also much easier to find the time to train in the three disciplines for a Sprint Triathlon due to the shorter distances.

Another great part of sprint triathlons is that you can make them as competitive or non-competitive as fits your style and goals. Participants are timed in each of the 3 disciplines, along with two “transition times”, (the time it takes a participant to get from the finish of one discipline to their transition area and back out on the course for next discipline). There are 2 transition times, T1 and T2, respectively, and these times are added to the actual times for the swim, bike and run to give each participant a total event time.

Most races have an elite division, age-range divisions and typically some sort of buddy division. There really is a race within the race for everyone! Here in our great state of Colorado, we have many triathlons with the traditional “season” usually beginning in late May and running through October. As you get more involved the sport can get pricey, but you can get started with minimal investment of a good pair of swim goggles, a good pair of running shoes and a bike that isn’t too heavy …I’ve seen everything from mountain bikes and hybrids to road bikes and tri specific bikes, so don’t let that stop you!

Triathlons are all about achieving a personal best, starting from whatever level of fitness you are at. You can shoot to improve in each discipline, while enjoying the physical challenge of participating in 3 different areas. And the best part …Crossing the finish line!

There are some truly amazing triathlon events such as the Susan G. Komen Tri for the Cure, that offer pre-event training clinics and training plans for beginners. Other cool events such as the My Way or the Tri Way, allow you to pick in which order you want to do the 3 disciplines.

Stop by any HealthStyles Exercise Equipment store to pick up your copy of Competitor magazine for a full list of Triathlons in Colorado. So go on, Give it a TRI!

For more information about the sport of triathlon check out www.usatriathlon.org.

By Tonja Harding, HealthStyles Exercise Equipment.

In order to train for a triathlon, it’s important to swim, bike and run as much as possible while learning to improve technique. Discover the importance of mixing workouts when practicing running, biking and swimming with help from a professional endurance coach in this free video on training for triathlons.

Video of the Danskin Triathlon held on June 10, 2007 in Austin, Tx.

This is a video of my first triathlon on July 5, 2009. I hope it helps people understand how triathlons work and that you don’t have to be super fit to participate in them. I have a podcast as well at parkedthoughts.com where my co-host (Jeff) and I talk about training for and running marathons and triathlons.

Source www.beginnertriathlon.com

On December 25th, 2008, Ben Davis decided to get his life together. He weighed 360 pounds and was a miserable person. Then he started jogging….