Combining All Three

A triathlon is an endurance sport that combines swimming, cycling, and running. The first documented triathlon was in San Diego, California in 1974 and was organized by the San Diego Track Club. Although there was no precedent for the event, there were 46 participants. The first long-distance triathlon was born out of a discussion among athletes as to which of these three sports, swimming, cycling, or running, required the most stamina and produced the most fit athlete. In that conversation the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon was conceived. Triathlons have expanded to include the Ultra-Triathlons which boasts a total of 320 grueling miles of swimming, cycling and running over three days. For the less hard-core, there are mini-triathlons or sprint-triathlons. A sprint triathlon is an excellent way to explore the sport as the distances are significantly shorter (1/4 mile of swimming, six miles of cycling, 1 1/2 miles of running) and more easily do-able for the average person. And between those two extremes are even more options. Over the years triathlons have gained steady momentum and have become a popular aspiration among professional and amateur athletes. Triathlon participants are usually categorized into professional or amateur, most of which are amateurs. In the amateur division, one competes against others in his or her own age group and gender. This has increased triathlons’ popularity. A triathlete’s greatest challenge is to race strategically to preserve energy and stamina for the subsequent stages of the triathlon. The race always progresses from swimming, cycling, to running and the time one takes to transition from one stage to the next is included in one’s overall time. Triathletes aren’t necessarily competing against one another. It’s commonly an activity one pursues to challenge oneself with little thought of the other participants. Simply competing against the course and the clock is what drives many triathletes. It’s a great sport for staying fit as to be proficient in swimming, cycling, and running, all major muscle groups will be worked. Many triathletes have chosen this sport solely because of its overall fitness benefits. Each segment, swimming, cycling, and running, are cardiovascular and training in three disciplines produces whole-body muscle development. Furthermore, injuries are less common in triathlon training than any of the sports individually. Becoming a triathlete appears daunting, but it’s actually a sport that almost anyone can adopt. People of every age and size can compete. Training manuals, books, coaches, teams, and websites abound. Training for a triathlon is a great way to get in shape and become a lover of physical activity. As with any significant challenge, the inward development in training for a triathlon trumps the physical. Being able to say “I did it!” is one of the great pleasures in life. Before the first Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon, the organizer said, “Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!” Not every sport sets one up for bragging the rest of one’s life. But if you participate in any triathlon, you’ve earned bragging rights for life. For more information on triathlons, visit http://triathlonmicroblog.com and http://runnersmicroblog.com