Triathlon 101
As I approach my first triathlon this Sunday. I am walking through the decisions I made in training for the swim, the bike and the run.
First Step: Deciding to do a triathlon.
What’s a triathlon like?
Last year, my brother was doing his first ever international (olympic distance) triathlon. He’d done two sprint triathlons the previous two years. Both times, I was not able to see him compete.
Now, when I played my trombone in a local jazz big band, I was always excited when my family or friends came out to support me. I seemed to have more energy. I played better. I had more fun. For those times, when no one could come, I always felt a little sad. When you have a passion, you want to share it.
Knowing how I felt, I decided that I would make sure to see my brother compete in the 2009 Chicago Triathlon. I was so happy I did. It was so energizing. You see all these people (big guys, little girls, big girls, little guys, some fit people, some not so fit people) all smiling as they cross the finish line. There is this constant hum of the crowd cheering on everyone even if you don’t know them. Doing a triathlon has always been on my to do list. After having seen a triathlon in person, I resolved to be out there in 2010. It was super inspirational just being part of the energy.
At big events, there is usually a pre-event expo, that is open to the public. At the expo, you can check out the latest gear and vendors pushing their wares. Many of the big events will have festivities celebrating the competition such as Bands, DJ’s, and food boths. So, Its definitely an event you can take your kids to and enjoy as a family.
If you have any interest in doing a triathlon, marathon, 10k, 5k, or any event at all, Here’s your assignment:
Go to active.com or trifind.com, find your nearest Triathlon event, and attend as a fan. Be there to cheer on the participants or better yet friends. They love it, and you’ll be inspired. If you have the time, volunteer to help out. Without the volunteers, the events won’t take place.
Next post, I’ll talk about choosing a Triathlon Distance. Why did I skip the sprint and jump right to the Olympic (International) distance?