Triathlon is a sport of multiple disciplines.
There are the obvious three, swimming, cycling and running and many people speak of a fourth - nutrition.
In order to successfully navigate from the start line on the beach to the finish line of any triathlon you need these basic skills, when you start to look at longer events, nutrition becomes more relevant. If you are planning on tackling an Ironman the order of importance may actually be reversed with how you fuel your body being most important. Get your food plan wrong and you're in a world of trouble.
Whilst I agree with the above I believe there is another discipline that I have not seen anyone else note, one that precludes these others (IMHO). For mine, the first discipline of triathlon is getting off your ass and doing it. That's it, that's the basic requirement. If you want to be able to complete an open water swim, you'd better get up and do something about it. Thinking about having to ride your bike then be able to run, get out of the house and do it. The event you're facing will be challenging, granted, but by getting moving early and consistently and the hard work is done before the starter pulls the trigger.
In my pathway to the race on Sunday I have had to make many compromises.
I have a full time job, I have a wife (an amazing understanding, supportive and beautiful one who tends to read these musings - but I digress...) and two kids. I also have had a training program that dictated sessions chewing up countless hours per week, recently up to 8 hours for a single session. To be able to fit all of these requirements into the hours we are all allocated I've had to be flexible in what I consider to be waking hours. Because I wanted to spend my weekends with my family, instead of joining the rest of my training mates on long rides and runs I tended to rise well before the sun and churned out the miles in the garage. My alarm set based upon how long I needed to ride and what time the family's activities were scheduled I would get in the few hours of sleep I could. Before the final long session preceding this weeks taper my phone was sounding at 2am.
Let me just put it out there - I'm not a fan of morning. Period.
I do have my goals set and I love my sport therefore I had to get off my ass and get the job done.
The same principle applies to winter training - if you want to arrive at the start line ready to roll and enjoy the day you had better have done the work when the opportunities were presented.
Five years ago I signed up for my first triathlon, a mini "Fun Distance" race with a 150m swim, 5km ride and a 1.5km run. I survived the swim, rode my converted mountain bike and peddled in my runners and knew nothing of sports watches or elastic laces.
In summary, I had no idea what I was getting myself into - I loved it.
Fast forward and I'm now on the brink of starting the big show, chasing the footsteps of the sports elite (we are giving them a 20 minute head-start after all). We will be launched in the early hours of Sunday morning and are presented the challenge of reaching the finish line, 140.6 miles distant, within the time limit of 17 hours.
They say that good things come to those who wait; I say, if you want something awesome, you'd better get off your ass and go get it.
There are the obvious three, swimming, cycling and running and many people speak of a fourth - nutrition.
In order to successfully navigate from the start line on the beach to the finish line of any triathlon you need these basic skills, when you start to look at longer events, nutrition becomes more relevant. If you are planning on tackling an Ironman the order of importance may actually be reversed with how you fuel your body being most important. Get your food plan wrong and you're in a world of trouble.
Whilst I agree with the above I believe there is another discipline that I have not seen anyone else note, one that precludes these others (IMHO). For mine, the first discipline of triathlon is getting off your ass and doing it. That's it, that's the basic requirement. If you want to be able to complete an open water swim, you'd better get up and do something about it. Thinking about having to ride your bike then be able to run, get out of the house and do it. The event you're facing will be challenging, granted, but by getting moving early and consistently and the hard work is done before the starter pulls the trigger.
In my pathway to the race on Sunday I have had to make many compromises.
I have a full time job, I have a wife (an amazing understanding, supportive and beautiful one who tends to read these musings - but I digress...) and two kids. I also have had a training program that dictated sessions chewing up countless hours per week, recently up to 8 hours for a single session. To be able to fit all of these requirements into the hours we are all allocated I've had to be flexible in what I consider to be waking hours. Because I wanted to spend my weekends with my family, instead of joining the rest of my training mates on long rides and runs I tended to rise well before the sun and churned out the miles in the garage. My alarm set based upon how long I needed to ride and what time the family's activities were scheduled I would get in the few hours of sleep I could. Before the final long session preceding this weeks taper my phone was sounding at 2am.
Let me just put it out there - I'm not a fan of morning. Period.
I do have my goals set and I love my sport therefore I had to get off my ass and get the job done.
The same principle applies to winter training - if you want to arrive at the start line ready to roll and enjoy the day you had better have done the work when the opportunities were presented.
Five years ago I signed up for my first triathlon, a mini "Fun Distance" race with a 150m swim, 5km ride and a 1.5km run. I survived the swim, rode my converted mountain bike and peddled in my runners and knew nothing of sports watches or elastic laces.
In summary, I had no idea what I was getting myself into - I loved it.
Fast forward and I'm now on the brink of starting the big show, chasing the footsteps of the sports elite (we are giving them a 20 minute head-start after all). We will be launched in the early hours of Sunday morning and are presented the challenge of reaching the finish line, 140.6 miles distant, within the time limit of 17 hours.
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| This finishing chute for Ironman Melbourne, 2013 |
Fantastic post Andy. Great to see the comparison over the years (in the photo). Never forget to thank Jo everyday for her support and patience.
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