I actually had a couple of people ask me a few questions the other day in regards to my post about the Athleta Sprint Tri…which for me was CRAZY because I didn’t know I had that many people reading! BONUS POINTS! Not gonna lie, but it made me feel grreeeaaaaat!
Anyway, a lot of you had some questions about getting started in triathlons. Granted, I am absolutely not an expert…in fact, I pretty much suck at the sport, but I do enjoy it and have done upwards of 10. I’ve never done anything longer than an Olympic Distance, but I’d like to try a Half Ironman next year. As for a full Ironman?! Psshhh….I’m not that crazy 🙂
1. How many different distances are there for triathlons?
Tri’s can vary in distances from sprint, olympic, half ironman, and full ironman distances. Sprint tri’s can change from race to race, but they typically involve a 750 meter swim, 12-13 mile bike (20 km), and a 5k run. Sometimes the swim will be a bit shorter, and often times (in Colorado anyway) the bike ride will be closer to 20 miles. An Olympic distance race involes a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike, and a 10k run. A half ironman gets longer with a 1.9km swim, 90km bike, and a half marathon run. Lastly, the super long and crazy distance that got popularized by the Ironman Hawaii race is a 3.8km swim, 180km ride, and a full marathon at the end. HELL to the NO on that one…but I guess I’ll never say never. If I could quit my job, maybe I’d give it a try!
I mean, does this look like fun?!!
 2. How do you get started in triathlons?
I jumped into triathlon purely blind, and with lots of help from the internet! To be honest, I don’t remember why I decided to give one a try. I just made the decision one day and registered for the 2007 Boulder Sprint Tri before I could think twice about it. Triathlon really comes down to commitment and dedication but honestly, if you’re already active and exercising 5-6 times per week, you will definitely be able to complete a sprint tri. There are plenty of training schedules online that you can follow for free, as well as lots of descriptions of foreign phrases like “brick workouts.” For the record, bricks are workouts that involve two exercises back-to-back; most commonly, this involves going for a ride and immediately following it up with a run. They suck but are effective in helping you adjust to that weird jello-leg feeling you’ll have in between the bike and run.
 How come I never see celebrities in my race? I’m pretty positive I would go 10x faster if I was running along side my Matthew!!
3. Is it expensive? What kind of gear do I need?
It is and it isn’t expensive. In general, the two clothing items you’ll need for race day are some type of wick-away shirt (most likely a tank top) and a pair of tri shorts. Of course, you’ll see athletes wearing lots of other items, but this is the simplest way to go. Of course, not everyone has tri shorts laying around the house so you’ll have to purchase them, but I promise they are worth it. They have less padding then regular bike shorts which makes them dry quicker after the swim…but still enough padding to make the bike more comfortable on your booty!
 For training, all you need for the swim is a suit (unless you prefer the whole nudity thing but I’m not entirely sure you’ll make it into the water without getting stopped!) and goggles. Often, you will need a wetsuit for the open water swim, but those can be rented for $40-50 on the day of the event. Running is the same way–you really just need the shoes to train and race in. The cycling portion of the race is where you will spend the most $, especially if you don’t have any type of bike already. If you decide you like cycling and triathlon, then a road bike with the clipless pedals and the cycling shoes and the gloves and of course, a helmet, are must-have purchases. However, if it’s your first one, you definitely don’t need to go hog wild at the bike shop. How do you even know you’ll like it?! Both my sister and my bff did their first sprint tri’s on mountain bikes because that is what they had at home. Sure, it was a little frustrating for them to be passed so easily by cyclists with skinny-tired bikes, but let’s face it: bikes are expensive. Don’t spend the money unless you’re sure you’re actually going to like it; nay, love it 🙂 As for the pedals and the shoes? Same rules apply. Being clipped into the pedals on your bike takes some getting used to, and you definitely want to make sure you’re comfortable on the bike before you take that next step.Â
Bottom line? It’s supposed to be fun! So many people get nervous and panicked but at the end of the day, it’s all about having a good time and challenging yourself. And besides, what’s the worst that can happen? I have a good friend who choked on the swim of his first–and only!–tri and had to be kayaked back to shore. To this day, his story of “failure” is still one of the funniest and most entertaining stories he tells….and it definitely beats out any of my “success” stories 🙂
On a completely separate note, is the Tour de France like crack to anyone else besides me? (Wtg Cadel, but I’m very sad for Andy Schleck…I like that guy!) I am so addicted…which doesn’t bode well because you know what else I’m addicted to? SHARK WEEK!!!!! This is the sole reason I love the Discovery Channel and my fave week of the year is fast approaching. Anyone wanna watch sharks annihilate people with me?!!!
Heather Balogh Rochfort is a freelance writer and author with a focus on outdoor adventure, travel, and fitness. Colorado born and bred, she loves backpacking, trail running, backcountry skiing, and packrafting, especially with her husband, one-year-old daughter, and lovable rescue mutt Tally.
3 Comments
Haha I have a ton of friends who LOVE shark week, but I’ve never understood it.
LOVE your post about tris…because I’d like to try one. Thanks for sharing the info.
So excited for Shark Week…primarily because I only get like 30 channels at my house which are all pretty much terrible. What date does the fun begin??
August 31, this Sunday!! Shark Week is seriously the best time of the year!