Have you ever wanted to do a triathlon? I bet you’ve at least thought about it. You can, you know. Really! Don’t stop reading. It’s true! Triathlon provides fantastic fitness and endurance. Furthermore, you can lower your BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol, and you may just drop a few pant sizes along the way.
Aug. 14 is the STARR TREK Triathlon hosted by STARRS (South Texas Area Runners Riders and Swimmers). The kids’ event (ages 7 to 11) is a 100-yard swim, 3.1-mile bike and half-mile run, while the adults’ is double that. “What? I thought triathlons were longer,” you say. Not always. There are many shorter triathlons called sprints. These distances are attainable and allow you to train without feeling like you should give up your day job or your family! (No offense to my Half Ironman and Ironman posse. I am a devotee of all long-distance sporting events, but I want to make this article palatable – not scary – for the newbie.)
To encourage you, I have made a list of reasons you should do a triathlon:
You have a deadline
Once you have signed up and sent in your money, the race will happen, and you must be ready. If not for deadlines, we wouldn’t get anything done. Yes, I know Britney Spears knew she had to perform at the MTV Awards and still wasn’t ready, but let’s just forget about that.
Cross training
All three disciplines recruit different muscles, giving your body time to recover. And for those of us who have seemed to develop ADD over the years, the constant change is a bonus.
Holistic change
As you train, you will notice a direct correlation between how you treat your body and how your workouts feel. Eat heavy food, and you will feel heavy when you run. Lose sleep, and you will feel tired when you bike. Skip lunch, and you will have nothing for your swim after work. Triathlon training is a holistic approach to fitness, as you need adequate fuel and energy to accomplish the task. So in the process, it may just motivate you to skip the fried food, eat some fruit and turn off the T.V. to hit the sack earlier.
You will get over yourself
You will be focusing on completing an event and not just something besides making one (or all) of the following look better: your bottom, arms, thighs or (insert your personal favorite here). By taking your goal outside of such surface qualities, athletes often find these other things happen, and they weren’t even looking. And – one of the coolest parts of a triathlon – you will see athletes of all shapes and sizes. It’s a myth that all the athletes look like they should be lifeguards on Baywatch.
Part of a community
One of the greatest assets of the sport is the eclectic mix of people. Nowhere else can you see a college student, dentist, waitress, nurse, attorney, stay-at-home mom and an ex-drug addict in one setting aside from your family reunion. And they’re chatting and getting along just fine! In the process, you get to meet pure swimmers, cyclists and runners. Each discipline has its own culture, language and unique vibe.
Old people rule!
It’s true! To really develop in all three sports requires maturity, discipline and years of training. For the most part, the fastest participants in triathlons are 35+, 40+ and even 50+. It’s great to be part of a sport where the young 22-year-old doesn’t always have the advantage. No offense to you 22-year-olds out there!
We DON’T want to be No. 1.
Fattest City, that is. Don’t contribute to this statistic. Get out and move! Our climate makes year-round outdoor training possible. There’s no reason not to. ‘Nuff said!
What you should do:
Sign up for a race. Go to starrscctx.com for information on how to sign up for the STARR Trek Triathlon. Sign your kid(s) up, as well. Or go to trifind.com and find a race in your area. Once you are signed up, you are officially committed. Make sure you have adequate time to prepare. Expect eight to 12 weeks for a sprint-distance triathlon.
Join STARRS. STARRS boasts nearly 300 members and is full of activities and people who can help you. In fact, if you join, they have clinics this summer to prepare for the STARR TREK. The clinics are for ages 7 and up. Visit starrscctx.com.
Get some direction. Hire a coach, attend the STARRS triathlon group clinics this summer, get a training plan online or get one of the multitude of great books on the topic. Seeking proper advice now will save you from lots of mistakes and possible injury. Take it from someone who discovered her big chain ring on her bike during a triathlon. (If you don’t know what this is, when you find out, you will realize how dumb I was.) Do your research, and talk to and listen to people who know more than you do about the sport.
Dawn English of Equilibrium: Triathlon Coaching for Real Life also partners with Finishline Performance and Fitness to conduct training groups. She specializes in training runners and triathletes for specific event goals based on their schedule, history and skills.
