Rapidgrid Gower Peninsula Triathlon Frequently Asked Questions

What is a triathlon

A triathlon is an athletic contest in which participants compete three events in succession. Usually these events are swimming, bicycling and running.

What is a biathlon/duathlon?

A biathlon/duathlon is an athletic contest in which participants compete two (or three) events in succession. Usually these events are bicycling and running. Basically a biathlon/duathlon is a triathlon without the swimming. The general distinction between a biathlon and a duathlon is that a duathlons often split up the run so as to be a run-bike-run event.

What are the distances for triathlons?

There are no set distances for triathlons. Many triathlons use various distances that conform to the land/water available to them. There are, however, a few "common" distances: Name Swim Bike Run Sprint .75km 20km 5km Olympic or International 1.5km 40km 10km Long Course 2.4m 112m 26.2m The terms "short course" and "long course" generally refer to distances less than and greater than Olympic distance respectively.

Is triathlon an Olympic sport?

Triathlon made its Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Sydney in 2000.

What are the governing bodies for triathlon?

The international governing body for triathlon is the International Triathlon Union http://www.triathlon.org/ (ITU) The U.S. governing body for triathlon is USA Triathlon http://www.usatriathlon.org/ (USAT)

What are the rules of triathlons?

Triathlon rules vary by race and governing bodies. For individual triathlons, check the race packet for rules for the race. For ITU races, the rules can be found at http://www.triathlon.org/rules/index.htm For USAT races, the rules can be found at http://www.usatriathlon.org/Frames/fs_rules.htm Even if your race is an ITU or USAT event, you should still check the race packets for changes/exceptions to the rules.

Should I buy a wetsuit? What kind of wetsuit should I buy?

Whether or not to buy a wetsuit is a personal decision. If you are not sure you may want to check local bike/run/tri shops in the area to see if they have one you can rent. If you live in a warm climate there may be no reason to buy one, however if you live where the waters are often in the 70s or colder you should probably consider one If you are going to buy a wetsuit, make sure you get one that is made for triathlon. A dive/jet ski/etc wetsuit will not give you the freedom of movement you need to swim effectively. Triathlon wetsuits generally range from about $100 to over $400 depending on the type and quality. There are several types of triathlon wetsuits on the market: TypeDescriptionAdvantagesDisadvantages Shorty: No sleeves with short legs Cheap, easiest to remove in transition Least exposure protection and speed improvement Farmer John: No sleeves with long legs Improved warmth over Shorty without sacrificing range of motion Less speed improvement than a full suit, slower transitions than Shorty Full Suit: Full sleeves with long legs Fastest suit with best exposure protection Arm movement somewhat restrained, slowest transition, most expensive

Where can I find a place to train?

Most suburban areas have pools available for lap swimming. The YMCA and health clubs are a good place to start. Many areas have city recreational centers that also offer lap swimming. Often local high schools or colleges will have a lap pool, call and ask if they allow public use.>/p? If you don't know about any in your area, US Masters Swimming offers a searchable list of swim locations at http://www.usms.org/placswim/search.php A great international list can be found at http://www.swimmersguide.com/. Finding a place for open water swims in your area can be more difficult. Many areas have lakes with public beaches but the swim area is often cordoned off to a small, easily life guarded space. The best bet is to ask other triathletes in your area where they train.

Where can I find information on swim training?

The best bang for the buck is probably to find a masters group in your area. For information on masters swimming in the US refer to US Masters Swimming http://www.usms.org/. Many people have had tremendous success with Total Immersion http://www.totalimmersion.net/. The general consensus is that if you are not already a good swimmer who is just looking for refinement, TI is a good place to start.

What is drafting?

The ITU defines drafting as: The technique of riding in a pack during the cycling event. They define draft zone as: An imaginary area approximately three bicycle lengths long and six feet wide surrounding each competitor during the bike segment. Basically drafting is a method to increase your speed or decrease your effort by lowering your wind resistance.

Should I buy a road bike or a triathlon bike?

You don't need a triathlon bike to do triathlons. Modified road bikes are very common in triathlons. If you already own a road bike or plan on doing other types of riding you may be better off with a road bike with clamp on aerobars. The advantages of a triathlon bike are in the posisitioning. They are setup to keep you more comfortable when in the aero bars and to work the quads less, saving them for the run. Often triathlon bikes are more aerodynamic than road bikes.

Where can I find information on bike maintenance?

Sheldon Brown has a great website devoted to bike maintenance and other bike related issues at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/repair/index.html.

How do I avoid cramps during the run?

Two good suggestions to avoid cramping when you start the run: Stay hydrated on the bike. During the last couple of miles on the bike stretch your calves by standing on the pedals and dropping your heel down.