When the Olympics season sets in, we prepare ourselves to watch some of the miraculous events and achievements. We wait desperately to see the birth of new sporting stars. Sports prove to be true entertainers for those who watch them and for those who take direct parts in it! It is really very thrilling to observe the constant progression of a race. And it is more appealing to get to know about the endurance levels of the participants. Triathlon, a major event in the Olympics, is based on the power of endurance of each of the participants! It is all about getting soaked in water, shedding gallons of sweat and moving your legs intensely till the point of completion.
What is Triathlon?
It's a multi-sporting event involving the competition of three continuous and sequential sporting events. A typical triathlon will consist of swimming, cycling and running over various distances.
What is the Rule?
Generally the basic rule by which a triathlon is played varies from place to place but the main principle behind it is that it is an individual sport in which each athlete has to compete with the others for the fastest overall course completion time. It has two transition periods at the end of each sport which is used in changing apparels and for getting the appropriate equipments required.
Triathlon and Fitness
Triathlon individuals tend to be fit physically. Rather a lot of individuals choose this sport to gain physical fitness. The sport helps you to strike more balance in whole body muscular development than what you can expect from swimming, running and cycling on an individual basis. There are specialized techniques that can be used in this sporting event to improve the efficiency as a whole. It also prevents injuries that can be incurred from long hours of training. It also provides cross training effect by doing various types of activities within a period of time.
Constituents of Triathlon
It consists of a 1.5 km swim followed by 40 km bike ride and lastly a 10 km run. After a mass start, the race becomes continuous with no pause between the three sports. A good timing with fast transitions between the sports is essential for a good performance.
- Swimming: It's the most exhausting discipline of triathlon. The freestyle swimming is very popular. Training for the swimming should be done in a gradual manner, i.e. gradually increasing the distance. An athlete should be really fit specifically for this sport. An average fit person can perform this activity but it will immensely cost his stamina. Training will bestow the athlete at least some level of fitness so as to allow him to complete the sport and come out of water without feeling exhausted. Once the distance has been mastered, the athlete should now look for completing the required distance in the minimal possible time.
- Cycling: The second discipline of the triathlon is the sport of cycling. Though usually underestimated as one of the easiest sports, it becomes extremely difficult after swimming. Gain control over breathing and then cycling is the best way to complete this round. This will help in gaining the lead.
- Running: It's the last and the most tedious part of the triathlon series. The key to mastering this is to develop a steady pace rather than going for a short sprint. The best way is to use long strides to gain maximum mileage and to maintain a steady pace.
Benefits of Triathlon and Its Training
- It improves cardiovascular endurance.
- It involves all the muscle groups of the body.
- It is an excellent method to lose weight. This is one of the reasons why this event has gained lots of attention despite being a very young sport. The more a person progresses the greater is his weight loss.
- It facilitates an overall improvement in physique. Running develops long lean muscles, swimming helps to sculpt the upper body and cycling tones the lower body.
- The gradual training slowly increases the energy levels.
- It prevents injuries as the body gets tougher and is able to take up more stress. However, excessive workouts can cause overuse injuries also.
- Regular exercise is known to lower blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of heart diseases.
- Reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
When we used to take part in any sporting event held at our schools, our parents used to motivate us by saying, "Participation is more important than winning!" This is true! After all, there will be one winner. And others will be the runner-ups. But the challenge lies in successful completion. In that process, an athlete is able to develop his physical fitness as well. He may reconstruct his ambition, thinking "May be another time or in the next term"!
