Thinking of Becoming a Triathlete?

Who can be a triathlete?

Becoming a triathlete is all about thinking of yourself as a jack of three trades rather than a specialist in one sport. You’ll probably need to learn a lot about sports that you have never tried before, but in a short time, and with the right level of physical and mental effort and equipment, you can become a triathlete-in-training.

Background and age

Triathletes come from a multitude of backgrounds and age groups. Some realize early in their teens that they want to be a multi-sports athlete, whereas others decide in their fifties or sixties to seek a new challenge. Your reasons for taking up triathlon will be individual to you, and while you may already have some knowledge of one sport, much more will be needed to understand and become proficient in all three sports. That’s the crux of triathion – being competent at three sports at the same time. It’s a compromise: frustrating at times but rewarding to those who persevere.

Swimming, cycling and running present us with different challenges, especially as no one skill or piece of equipment transfers over to another sport. Swimming is very skilful and requires regular practice; former child-swimmers will find that they have an advantage here, cycling is a technological sport in which your equipment can have a major effect on your comfort and speed, but hard work and practice play an important role in creating the perfect synergy of triathlete and machine. Running is simple and low on equipment but it suits lighter athletes and people with little injury history. To blend all three together is an art that makes training constantly varied and fun. Whatever your background, even if it is in ball sports, gym training or occasional fun runs, you can still become a triathlete.

Patience

Wanting to be a triathlete is a worthwhile goal because you can continue competing in single sport events. You will no longer consider yourself as a ‘swimmer’, ‘cyclist’ or ‘gym rat’; instead, you can think of yourself as a tri-athlete. The important watchword is patience. You cannot translate fitness from one sport immediately into another. You will not understand all about bikes after one ride, or know exactly what it will take to make you fit enough to complete a triathlon.

If you view this period as a transition, like moving from one sport to another during a race, you will realize that it can’t be rushed. Be mindful that you have a lot to earn, you must practise and there are many changes your body must make to morph into a three-sports body’ type. Enjoy the process and the finish-line feeling will be much sweeter.

There’s nothing worse than someone who is so desperate to progress that they take two steps back for each one they leap forward. Have patience and the coming months and years of training and racing will be life changing.

Who can be a triathlete?

Becoming a triathlete is all about thinking of yourself as a jack of three trades rather than a specialist in one sport. You’ll probably need to learn a lot about sports that you have never tried before, but in a short time, and with the right level of physical and mental effort and equipment, you can become a triathlete-in-training.

Background and age

Triathletes come from a multitude of backgrounds and age groups. Some realize early in their teens that they want to be a multi-sports athlete, whereas others decide in their fifties or sixties to seek a new challenge. Your reasons for taking up triathlon will be individual to you, and while you may already have some knowledge of one sport, much more will be needed to understand and become proficient in all three sports. That’s the crux of triathion – being competent at three sports at the same time. It’s a compromise: frustrating at times but rewarding to those who persevere.

Swimming, cycling and running present us with different challenges, especially as no one skill or piece of equipment transfers over to another sport. Swimming is very skilful and requires regular practice; former child-swimmers will find that they have an advantage here, cycling is a technological sport in which your equipment can have a major effect on your comfort and speed, but hard work and practice play an important role in creating the perfect synergy of triathlete and machine. Running is simple and low on equipment but it suits lighter athletes and people with little injury history. To blend all three together is an art that makes training constantly varied and fun. Whatever your background, even if it is in ball sports, gym training or occasional fun runs, you can still become a triathlete.

Patience

Wanting to be a triathlete is a worthwhile goal because you can continue competing in single sport events. You will no longer consider yourself as a ‘swimmer’, ‘cyclist’ or ‘gym rat’; instead, you can think of yourself as a tri-athlete. The important watchword is patience. You cannot translate fitness from one sport immediately into another. You will not understand all about bikes after one ride, or know exactly what it will take to make you fit enough to complete a triathlon.

If you view this period as a transition, like moving from one sport to another during a race, you will realize that it can’t be rushed. Be mindful that you have a lot to earn, you must practise and there are many changes your body must make to morph into a three-sports body’ type. Enjoy the process and the finish-line feeling will be much sweeter.

There’s nothing worse than someone who is so desperate to progress that they take two steps back for each one they leap forward. Have patience and the coming months and years of training and racing will be life changing.