Multi-Sport Tidbits

The triathlon is a three-decade old race that combines swimming, biking and running in order to test endurance, speed, focus and desire. With a variety of distances, the triathalon has grown from an ultra-endurance oddity to an Olympic sport in an amazingly short period of time. The granddaddy and most prestigious of them all, The Hawaii Ironman World Championship, is rumored to have been born of a beer-laden bar bet about who are truly the world's greatest athletes -- swimmers, cyclists or runners. Whichever expert (swimming, cycling or running) wins will determine the greatest athlete. I hope there was a designated driver. Cheers.

Triathlons, like the triathletes who do them come in many different shapes and sizes. There are ocean events, lake events, even indoor events. Some are an endurance ordeal while others are a sweet memory by the time you work up a good sweat. The table below breaks down the most common distances in a triathlon. Note that the sprint distance triathlon is the least standardized, but the fastest growing event in the United States.

A significant allocation of resources should always align with focused goals. For instance, if you want to complete your first sprint distance triathlon and lower your resting heart rate from 98 to 82, seven hours cardiovascular activity a week might do the trick. However, if you are aiming to complete a sub-12 hour Ironman distance race 9 months from now, twenty-one hours per week of training in the three disciplines may be necessary. How you use your resources of time, energy, money, emotion and space is going to be the key to your satisfaction. Think about what you hope to gain from training and how it might fit into your lifestyle.

Triathlon Equipment

Equipment can make you faster. It can make you more efficient, effective and much more comfortable during training and competing. Many triathletes hope to buy greater speed and efficiency by always obtaining the latest greatest gizmo. However, I subscribe to the “McGyver” approach to tools and toys – make the best of what you have. As the wisdom of tradition shows, it is a poor carpenter who blames her tools. We will discuss sound, informed equipment decisions.

Triathlon and People of Color

People of color make up less than one percent of the triathletes in the United States. Barriers to entry include equipment expense, specialized training information, time demands, lack of affiliation within respective communities of color, etc. When I competed in the 2000 Ironman New Zealand, I was surprised to learn that I was the only person of African heritage out of more than 700 participants.

Triathlon and Women

Women represent 1 in 5 triathletes in this country. That number is growing as a record number of sports apparel, sports marketing and other fitness organizations target this economically attractive and emerging consumer group. With the increasing respect and deployment of Title IX, success and celebrity of female athletes and opportunities for girls to play and compete, women are the fastest growing segment of multi-sport athletics. The Danskin Women’s Triathlon Series, which Team Dream is connected to and very fond of, has eight (8) races around the country. Other international organizations are developing all-women competitions and training opportunities all over the world this very moment.

Triathlon and The World

Although triathlon originated in the USA in the 1970s, it has really taken the hearts of experienced and novice athletes abroad. There is a national triathlon association in as many third-world countries as there are in first-world nations. You can race on every continent except for Antarctica (it does have a marathon, so anything is possible). Largely due to the Olympics using triathlon as the opening event in the 2000 Games in Sydney, the sport is experiencing a boom of sorts.

Triathlon and You

The triathlon is a personal journey. My mentor Sally Edwards likes to ask, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” Although there are numerous benefits in triathlon training and competition, the real beauty is in the discoveries you make about yourself, your world and how the two of you connect.