Triathlon 101
Triathlon is a unique sport, combining three endurance sports into one unforgettable event. As it is such a growing sport, there are always lots of new folks at the start line and these new folks are given loads of support and encouragement from the spectators, volunteers, and other racers. It is a wonderful and inclusive community and we look forward to helping individuals feel a sense of belonging in this healthy, energetic, forward-thinking community!
Race Types and Distances: A multisport event is technically any race that incorporates several different disciplines or sports, such as swim & bike, or skiing & snow shoeing, but typically it refers to a race involving swimming, biking and running. The normal sequence of events is swim, bike and run, although some venues make it more logical to have a different sequence such as swim, run and bike. A duathlon typically involves a run – bike – run combination.
Standard distances for most triathlons are as follows:
Race Swim Bike Run
Kids of Steel <7 50m 1.5km 500m
Kids of Steel 18-23 1500m 40km 10km
Super Sprint/Try-a-Tri 500m 10km 2.5km
Sprint 750m 20km 5km
Olympic 1500m 40km 10km
1/2 Ironman 2000m 90km 21.1km
Ironman 3800m 180km 42.2km
Age Groupers: ‘Age groupers’ is a term often used in triathlon and it really isn’t too special. It basically refers to anyone older than 23 that is not a professional triathlete (so that basically is most of us!) As in other sports, awards are based on age divisions, and in triathlon, your age division is the age you are as of Dec 31 of the year of competition. Most races offer age groupings of 5 years, but some smaller races have categories of 10 years.
Race Schedule: In the Calgary region there are a host of events offered each season. In the early season most races have an indoor pool swim whereas the latter races usually use one of the man-made lakes in and around the city. Due to the recent growth of the sport and the number of folks that are just getting into triathlon, there are now lots of shorter distance options for the novice athlete. Many of these sprint and super sprint events offer a transition workshop the day prior to the race to help folks become more familiar with this important aspect of triathlon racing. For a draft listing of sanctioned races in Alberta see the Alberta Triathlon website at www.triathlon.ab.ca/content.php?id=105. Some of the races in eastern B.C. are also popular with locals (see Tri B.C. website at www.tribc.org/)
Equipment: As with most sports or recreational pursuits, you can go all out and get the top of the line gear and the latest technical gadgets or you can keep it simple. At the minimum you should have the following equipment:
• swim suit
• goggles
• running shoes
• a bike (either road, tri or mountain bike)
• an approved, safe helmet (ANSI or SNELL)
As you get into the sport you may find that Santa’s wish list gets longer and longer. You might add fins, paddles, and a pull-buoy for your swim workouts, cycling shorts, tri-bars, a bento box, and a power meter for your bike, elastic laces for your sneakers, and finally jazzy race attire to feel super fast for your special races this season. These are all add ons to the basic tri kit and we are happy to help you research and pick some new gear if/when you decide to add it!
Indoor Cycling: During the long winter in our region, some folks continue to ride outside, some turn to commuting to work on their mountain bikes, but others prefer turn to indoor bike training. In Calgary there are many options to keep cycling fit during the long dark cold months. Many fitness centers are now offering regular spin classes whereby you ride with a group under the guidance of an instructor on spin bikes. Another alternative is purchase your own stationary or resistance trainer. These trainers are available at most local bike or tri stores (www.tri-it.ca or www.speedtheory.ca). These can be used with mountain or tri or road bikes and is a great investment as it allows you to hop on your own bike on the trainer and cycle along to your favorite movie.
Brick Workout: brick is a term used for a workout that includes a bike workout followed immediately by a run. This type of workout is very sport specific and helps train your legs to deal with running after biking. Bricks can be short (30mins biking, 30mins running) or long (4 hour biking, 1 hour running) and yet other workouts can involve several shorter sets of biking followed by shorter run segments. This workout is often considered the cornerstone to triathlon training and it is advisable to incorporate at least one brick workout a week leading into your race season.
Race Types and Distances: A multisport event is technically any race that incorporates several different disciplines or sports, such as swim & bike, or skiing & snow shoeing, but typically it refers to a race involving swimming, biking and running. The normal sequence of events is swim, bike and run, although some venues make it more logical to have a different sequence such as swim, run and bike. A duathlon typically involves a run – bike – run combination.
Standard distances for most triathlons are as follows:
Race Swim Bike Run
Kids of Steel <7 50m 1.5km 500m
Kids of Steel 18-23 1500m 40km 10km
Super Sprint/Try-a-Tri 500m 10km 2.5km
Sprint 750m 20km 5km
Olympic 1500m 40km 10km
1/2 Ironman 2000m 90km 21.1km
Ironman 3800m 180km 42.2km
Age Groupers: ‘Age groupers’ is a term often used in triathlon and it really isn’t too special. It basically refers to anyone older than 23 that is not a professional triathlete (so that basically is most of us!) As in other sports, awards are based on age divisions, and in triathlon, your age division is the age you are as of Dec 31 of the year of competition. Most races offer age groupings of 5 years, but some smaller races have categories of 10 years.
Race Schedule: In the Calgary region there are a host of events offered each season. In the early season most races have an indoor pool swim whereas the latter races usually use one of the man-made lakes in and around the city. Due to the recent growth of the sport and the number of folks that are just getting into triathlon, there are now lots of shorter distance options for the novice athlete. Many of these sprint and super sprint events offer a transition workshop the day prior to the race to help folks become more familiar with this important aspect of triathlon racing. For a draft listing of sanctioned races in Alberta see the Alberta Triathlon website at www.triathlon.ab.ca/content.php?id=105. Some of the races in eastern B.C. are also popular with locals (see Tri B.C. website at www.tribc.org/)
Equipment: As with most sports or recreational pursuits, you can go all out and get the top of the line gear and the latest technical gadgets or you can keep it simple. At the minimum you should have the following equipment:
• swim suit
• goggles
• running shoes
• a bike (either road, tri or mountain bike)
• an approved, safe helmet (ANSI or SNELL)
As you get into the sport you may find that Santa’s wish list gets longer and longer. You might add fins, paddles, and a pull-buoy for your swim workouts, cycling shorts, tri-bars, a bento box, and a power meter for your bike, elastic laces for your sneakers, and finally jazzy race attire to feel super fast for your special races this season. These are all add ons to the basic tri kit and we are happy to help you research and pick some new gear if/when you decide to add it!
Indoor Cycling: During the long winter in our region, some folks continue to ride outside, some turn to commuting to work on their mountain bikes, but others prefer turn to indoor bike training. In Calgary there are many options to keep cycling fit during the long dark cold months. Many fitness centers are now offering regular spin classes whereby you ride with a group under the guidance of an instructor on spin bikes. Another alternative is purchase your own stationary or resistance trainer. These trainers are available at most local bike or tri stores (www.tri-it.ca or www.speedtheory.ca). These can be used with mountain or tri or road bikes and is a great investment as it allows you to hop on your own bike on the trainer and cycle along to your favorite movie.
Brick Workout: brick is a term used for a workout that includes a bike workout followed immediately by a run. This type of workout is very sport specific and helps train your legs to deal with running after biking. Bricks can be short (30mins biking, 30mins running) or long (4 hour biking, 1 hour running) and yet other workouts can involve several shorter sets of biking followed by shorter run segments. This workout is often considered the cornerstone to triathlon training and it is advisable to incorporate at least one brick workout a week leading into your race season.
