Triathlete Articles

GET S.E.T. By Wayne Goldsmith
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It’s September 2004. You’re watching the Australians blitz the field in the Olympic Triathlon.
With a tear in your eye as you listen to the National Anthem being played at the medal ceremony, you look at yourself sideways in the mirror in the hall, take a deep breath and ask yourself, “If they can do it, why can’t I?”

You make the decision………This Year is the Year! This Summer I will become a TRIATHLETE!
What next??? How do you take the step from COACH POTATO to COMPETITOR?

To get READY for Summer, try this S.E.T. program.

If you have made the decision and want to take the dive into the swim, the rush to the ride and the big step to the run this program is just the thing you need.

The First Steps:

Starting – Now that you have made the commitment to Try Triathlon, ask yourself three simple questions:
What am I hoping to achieve?
Set a realistic goal that is demanding and challenging yet achievable with a little effort and dedication.
When am I planning to achieve it?
A Goal is a Dream with a Deadline. Set your goal then give it a specific time frame.
How will I go about achieving it?
One simple way to start planning your training program is to sit down and figure out exactly how much time you have available each week for swimming, cycling and running.

For example:

Waking Hours Available Each Day: 14 hours
Less Time at Work or School: 8 hours
Less Travelling Time Taken to get to work or School: 1 hour
Less Eating, Resting, Homework, Family Time, Reading, TV etc: 3 hours

Total Time Available for Training Each Day: 2 hours

(Obviously you can get up earlier, stay up later or cut down on TV to give yourself more training time). This simple time management exercise is the first step in developing a training program that suits your individual needs.

HELPFUL HINT – Find a training partner. Someone who has approximately the same level of fitness and skill as you but more importantly someone who has the same level of commitment. Training with a friend makes it all so much easier and enjoyable.

Energy - When you start training, you are attempting to fine tune your body and give it the capacity to do extraordinary things. Just as the average family car coming off an assembly line has its limitations an untrained person has definite limits in terms of their capacity to exercise. However, Formula One cars do not come off an assembly line and they do not fill up with unleaded petrol at the local Service Station. Treat your body like a high performance machine. Eat well, drink plenty of water, increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables and eat plenty of fresh cereals, grains and other natural complex carbohydrates.

HELPFUL HINT: If you are having a break from training and a rest from being a Triathlete, don’t eat like one! Regular training means eating more food to replenish burned up energy stores. The danger is that if you decide to have a week or two off training but continue to eat the same quantities of food you do when training it is easy to put on the kilos. The best idea is to plan to have a holiday from training well in advance and gradually decrease training loads (and eating) over a two-three week period.

Testing – A great idea to assess where you are in terms of fitness and skill is to do a series of simple tests before you start training. Many people wait until they have been training for a while before testing. However, the best time to test is before you start your program so you can measure any and all improvements over time.

Simple Tests:

Swimming – How far can you swim in 5 minutes? (Endurance test)
How many strokes do you take to swim one lap?
(Efficiency test).
How long does it take you to kick one lap on a kick board? (Kicking test)

Cycling - How far can you cycle (ideally around a track) in 5 minutes?
(Endurance test)
How long does it take you to ride 400 metres? (Speed test)

(When doing cycling tests, try to find a clear, smooth stretch of quiet road and do the tests when there is little or no wind and not much traffic. Measure test distances either with a Cycle Computer or in your car using the Odometer).

Running – How far can you run in 5 minutes? (Endurance test)
How long does it take you to run 400 metres? (Speed test)

HELPFUL HINT: Try to do your tests regularly (monthly) at the same time of day, same day of the week and do the same warm up. If cycling, use the same bike and pedal the same course in the same gear each time you test. This is called “standardising” as it helps to control some of the factors that might influence test results other than your improved performance.

Swimming S.E.T.

Stroke Development –Swimming is a technique based sport. It is essential that you develop good technique and swimming skills before you start increasing the distance being covered at each session. For the beginner triathlete as a general rule remember the three T’s:

Technique / Technique / Technique

Think of it this way. Imagine having your car fitted with the best high performance tyres on the market but not getting them fitted correctly, balanced or aligned. At low speeds, the tyres perform OK and all seems to be fine. However, the more distance you cover and the faster you go, the worse the wobbles become until something else in the car like the steering or suspension breaks down.

In terms of swimming training, most people can improve a little just by doing a few laps here and there. Like the poorly fitted tyre, the more distance you cover and the faster you go the more important technique becomes until your technique will be the limiting factor in continued improvement.

Equipment – You will need a few basic swimming equipment items to get started.

1. Goggles – Buy comfortable goggles that fit your face and (of course keep the water out). Don’t be afraid to try the goggles on before you buy them. HELPFUL HINT – If you buy goggles with a double band (ie the band that fits around the back of your head to keep them on) split the band so that it goes around the top and bottom of the back of your head.

2. Swim Cap – Keeps the hair out of your eyes and gives your hair some protection from chlorine. HELPFUL HINT – Dry your cap after each use, turn it inside out and sprinkle lightly with a talc powder. This prolongs the life of your favourite cap.

3. Swimming Costumes – Buy the most comfortable pair. Look for a style that is comfortable, long lasting and with small, smooth seams (ones that are unlikely to rub or cause friction when swimming). HELPFUL HINT – Don’t throw out old worn costumes. Keep them and wear them over the next pair when it wears down. The double layer of old swimmers provides enough “modest” covering and saves you money in the long term.

4. Fins / Flippers – A good investment and provide variety in training. Look for fins that are strong, durable and flexible – not too long – the ones commonly used for Scuba Diving are not really good for swimming. HELPFUL HINT – Put your name and phone number on your Fins!

5. Kick board – Useful training aid and helps provide some variety in training. Buy a small one – bigger ones can cause your body to sit too high in the water. HELPFUL HINT – Hold the kickboard by the sides, hands towards the rear of the board (the end nearest to your head) with your fingers underneath and thumb on top. This hand and arm position most closely simulates those required for fast swimming and a good catch. Holding the board by the top end teaches you to sit too high in the water with low hips and holding the board by the rear teaches you another bad habit – Fingers above wrist entry position – a definite no-no.

6. Pull buoy – A good training tool to help isolate the arm action whilst providing stability and floatation to the legs. HELPFUL HINT – Triathletes need to become efficient using their arms only when swimming. This is because the need for leg power is greater in cycling and running than swimming. The last thing you need is to get out of the water with tired, fatigued, heavy legs. By practicing pull in training, you can learn to become efficient without the need to tire your legs. Start by doing pull work with the pull buoy only. After a few weeks add a “band” – a rubber band that keeps your legs from moving too much when pulling. Make these by cutting an old car inner tube cross ways to form rings 5-8 cms wide. When you can effectively maintain a stable body position – ie without too much side to side movement or “Snaking” – drop the pull buoy and do Band Only Pull (or BOPping for short).

7. Mesh Bag – A plastic mesh bag is the ideal thing to keep all your gear together and allows it the opportunity to dry out between sessions. HELPFUL HINT – Find a spot at home where you can hang your gear bag up to allow the water to run off and the gear to dry. Mould can quickly ruin your favourite swim gear.

Training –

First off, learn to BREATHE correctly. A swimming breath is like the one you take just before stepping up to speak in public – deep, relaxed and with a full exhale. You should time the exhale to finish just before your mouth clears the water line for the next breath in. When you turn your head to breathe, leave one ear, the corner of your mouth and one goggle in the water – (correct head movements in swimming are very small).

Next – Learn to relax in the water. Easier said than done but absolutely crucial to good swimming. One way to do this – and there are no real short cuts – is to do lots and lots of slow, easy swimming. Put a pair of flippers on, go to the pool and just swim slow, easy laps. Sing songs to yourself, or mentally re live every detail of your last holiday. Time in the water is the best thing to learn how to relax. From relaxation – anything is possible!

Thirdly, Most triathletes have difficulty with kicking. Usually this is because the hip flexor muscles and muscles around the ankle used for effective swimming kicking are often made tight by running and cycling.

Before and after swim sessions spend time doing a series of leg stretches for the hips and ankles.

Kicking is like walking. It starts with a slight movement with the HIPS, then THIGH, THEN KNEE – SHIN and finally a slight flick at the FOOT. HIP-THIGH-KNEE-SHIN-FOOT.
You basically practice kicking every time you walk so you should be good at it!

Cycling S.E.T.

Safety – Purchase the best quality helmet you can afford. One that meets the appropriate Australian safety standards and is stocked by a reputable dealer. If using an old helmet, carefully check the straps and fasteners and make certain the helmet fits firmly and snugly. Remember the old saying…Cheap Helmet……Cheap Head! If using an old bike, one that has not been ridden for some time, clean it, check it, look over the brakes, double check the rubber on the tyres for cracks and splits, tighten the nuts that secure the seat to the frame and the handle bars to the front forks.

Also check your pump and spares kit to see if everything is still in working order. Ideally do a practice tyre change before you go out for that first ride.

Check recent Road Rules in your area particularly those rules that apply to cyclists.

Equipment – Buy the best possible bike you can afford. One that has been fitted to your body size and body proportions. If buying one from a shop make sure that it is correctly fitted to your unique needs before you leave the shop. Most bike shops will sell a “packaged” bike – one that is assembled with a set of components, wheels, frame etc from the same manufacturer. If you have a choice spend the most money on a quality, well fitted frame, to which you can add higher quality components over time rather than spend money on trendy gear fitted to a cheaper frame. Correct bike fit and set up is the key.

Cycling is one sport where you get what you pay for. Look to spend $1200-$1500 for a good quality new bike. Most bikes can be made to fit the majority of cyclists with only minor adjustments straight off the shop floor. Make sure the bike includes an after sales service agreement (6-12 months being the norm).

As a beginner it is not necessary to purchase one bike for training and another for racing.

HELPFUL HINT: If you have not ridden a bike for some time (or never ridden a bike) develop your bike handling, manoeuvring and cornering skills before purchasing a set of Tri-Bars (Aerodynamic bars, bull horns, aeros etc etc). Whilst the Tri Bars are excellent for decreasing the wind forces trying to slow you down, they are tricky for the novice or inexperienced rider to handle, particularly when cornering at speed. Also Tri-Bars are for leaning on in a comfortable, low resistance position – they are not something to grab tightly and forcibly hold your body in an aerodynamic position. Work on flexibility in your hamstrings and lower back to enable an easy position on the Bars.

Training – Remember the three P’s of Cycling training:

Position – Position on the bike (as a result of being fitted correctly) is important. Position of your body on the bike in terms of minimising the amount of resistance from wind is also important. Position of your body when cornering can make a huge impact.

Pedalling – The key to good pedalling technique is to think smooth circles instead of push down – pull up. A good way to practice this is to “listen” to your pedalling action when riding or training on an indoor trainer. You should hear a constant, even, smooth “buzzing” sound coming from the gear cogs rather than a broken, uneven noise made by a “push push” action.

PREVENTION – As in prevention of injury and accident. Safety is the number one priority of all cyclists.

HELPFUL HINT- Organise a ride with a local cycling guru. Sometimes the person at the bike shop is also a rider and they may be able to ride with you. Having an experienced, knowledgeable rider watch the way you “sit” a bike on the road is invaluable.

Running S.E.T.

Shoes – Even before you take the first steps into running for triathlon, have a close look at your shoes. Invest in a good pair of shoes, ones that have been fitted correctly by a professional. If you have feet problems see a sports podiatrist or sports physiotherapist and get professional advice before setting out on that first run.

Consider the three “S” of good shoe selection:

Shock Absorption – Your shoes must have the capacity to absorb shock.

Stability – If you need it, look for shoes that advertise good stability.

Shop around – There are many shoes on the market that are excellent for runners of all abilities, ages, sizes and weights. The most expensive shoes are not always the best. Try on several pairs of shoes before settling on one. Listen to the advice of the salesperson but make up your own mind.

HELPFUL HINT: When you find a pair of shoes that you really love buy two pairs and alternate use each running session to share the wear. Also it gives you a good back up system if training in rainy conditions.

Environment – Running is one sport where equipment plays only a small role. The major consideration for running is the environment you are running in and on.
1. During the hotter months run in the cooler times of day. If you have to run when the sun is high, remember to dress in cool, light coloured clothing, wear a light coloured cap, splash sunscreen on exposed skin and if going for a run longer than 10 minutes take a water bottle.
2. Cold weather is not really a problem providing your dress for it. The danger is often wearing too much clothing when you start out which results in overheating when you warm up. In colder climates look at Lycra ski pants (long knicks) to keep your legs warm and perhaps light cotton gloves to keep your hands and fingers from getting cold. A woollen beanie is sometimes a good idea in really cold weather. A breathable jacket (like Gore-Tex) over a t-shirt is usually a good combination in all but the coldest climates and if the jacket has a pocket you can put the beanie and gloves in it if you get too hot! ( It is also a good place to hide toilet paper in case nature calls when you are out training!!!).
3. Hills are great conditioning tools and add variety to training runs. When approaching a hill, stay loose and relaxed and lean slightly forward.
4. Hard surfaces – As a general rule where possible stay off roads concrete and cement surfaces. Even the hard sand at the beach can be too hard for minimal shock running. (It is a good idea to wear your shoes even when running on the beach. Minimises shock from hard sand and protects your feet from possible nasties like needles, glass and stingers).
5. Altitude – When running at altitude (where the lower pressure of the air makes breathing more difficult), you may need to train a little slower than usual. In Australia, where the tallest mountains are around 2200 metres it is unlikely that you will experience too many problems with running “high”.
6. Rocky trails are a great variation in training but are not without hazards. Rough, uneven surfaces, tree roots, rocks, trees and shrubs can be dangerous when running through the bush. If running on trails that you are not familiar with, run a little slower and try to land heels first.

Depending on the time you have available try to fit in three runs each week. As a rule of thumb (depending on your level of fitness) try the 50 / 60 / 75 formula for your three training runs, ie do one run at 50% race distance, another at 60% race distance and the third at 75% target race distance.

Take plenty of time to warm up (light jog, stretching) and always cool down with a short walk and more stretches.

Now that you’re S.E.T. get R.E.A.D.Y. and GO GO GO.

Be a Tryathlete. Try the S.E.T. program and have a great Triathlon Summer.

The Simplest Way to Get Ready for Your First Triathlon
GET S.E.T.

The copyright for the above article is owned by Wayne Goldsmith