OBS: Detta är lokal kopia av den FAQ (Frequentlyasked questions) som skapats från newsgruppen rec.sport.triathlon.Denhär html-versionen kommer från Thomas Roehr(för eventuella uppdateringar se http://www.interactive.net/~troehr/tri-faq.htmleller http://w3.one.net/~triweb/trifaq)
Last Revised: 02/07/97 by Thomas Roehr (troehr@interactive.net)
What are typical events in a summer triathlon?
What are the standard distances?
What equipment should I plan to take?
How Do I Train?
Why do so many triathletes get upset about wetsuitusage in races?
Why is the "Olympic/Triathlon distance"triathlon 1.5k/40k/10k?
Why is the swim leg of a triathlon relatively shorterin time than the biking or running legs?
What's a "Brick"?
What should I read?
Can we sell stuff through rec.sport.triathlon?
What is the ITU?
Various addresses
Kudos
What are typical events in a summer triathlon?
A summer duathlon is typically a combination of running and biking.
A biathlon is an Olympic winter event consisting of skiing and shooting.
What are the standard distances?
| SWIM | BIKE | RUN | ||||
| EVENT | km | mi | km | mi | km | mi |
| Jr. Youth(7-10yrs) | 0.1 | 0.06 | 5 | 3.10 | 1 | 0.62 |
| Sr. Youth(11-14yrs) | 0.2 | 0.12 | 12 | 7.45 | 3 | 1.86 |
| Short | 0.3-1 | 0.24-0.62 | 8-25 | 5-15.5 | 1.5-5 | 1-3 |
| International | 1-2 | 0.62-1.24 | 25-50 | 15.5-31 | 5-10 | 3.1-6.2 |
| Olympic/Triathlon | 1.5 | 0.93 | 40 | 24.86 | 10 | 6.21 |
| Long | 2-4 | 1.24-2.48 | 50-100 | 31-62 | 10-30 | 6.2-19 |
| Ultra | 3.2+ | 2+ | 100+ | 62+ | 30+ | 19+ |
| Ironman | 3.8 | 2.4 | 180.2 | 112 | 42.1 | 26.2 |
What equipment should I plan to take?
[very important items have an asterick (*)]
SWIM
BIKE
RUN
MISC.
BY TODD JENSEN and LARRY CHAPMAN
The following sections describe how to train for triathlons for peoplewith little or no triathlon experience, but the information is generalenough that it can be used for almost any endurance sport. First thingsfirst. You need to gauge your current fitness level. Get a physical doneby your physician. Ask yourself questions such as, "Do I work outregularly (3 or more times a week)?", "How far can I swim/bike/runcomfortably?", and "Do I have any medical conditions and/or injuries(e.g. asthma, strained ligaments) I should be aware of?" It is importantto understand your current fitness level so that you can properly trainand build onto your fitness without becoming injured.
You should determine your training heart rate ranges. First, you needto know your maximum heart rate (HRmax). You can estimate it using thefollowing formulas:
| Women: | 226 - AGE | = HRmax |
| Men: | 220 - AGE | = HRmax |
Be aware that the above formulas only give estimates - your actual maximumheart rate may be higher or lower. There are tests to determine this, butthe formulas give a good starting point.
Now you should find your resting heart rate (HRrest). This can be doneby taking the average of your pulse for a few mornings after you wake upbut while still in bed. From these two numbers you can determine your trainingheart rate ranges using the Karvonen method. The formula below is usedto find your heart rate at a specific exertion level (from a range of 0to 100%).
---------------------------------------------------------
(HRmax - HRrest) x (%effort) + (HRrest) = HR%effort
---------------------------------------------------------
Example:
HRmax = 220 - 26 = 194 (assuming a 26-year-old male)
HRrest = 45 (averaged over 7 consecutive mornings)
HR_80% = (194 - 45) x 0.80 + 45 = 163
Using the table below, you will know what your heart rate should befor certain types of workouts. In the beginning of your training, you'llmostly be training in the lower ranges. As the races get closer, you'llbegin to explore the higher ranges of your heart rate.
| Level | %effort | Type of Training |
|---|---|---|
| I | 60% - 70% | Overdistance, Endurance |
| II | 71% - 74% | Endurance, Speedwork |
| III | 75% - 80% | Endurance |
| IV | 81% - 90% | Intervals |
| V | 91% - 100% | Race |
Would you try to build a new home without a floorplan? You don't wantto train without a plan, either. With a plan, you know exactly what youneed to do to achieve your goals. The plan also prevents you from overtraining,which is discussed later, and allows you to fit training in around otheractivities and work. You may want to base your training on the amount oftime you have to work out. Instead of trying to run 5 miles over your lunchhour, you may want to plan on running 40 minutes and not be late for your1:00 meeting. Know how hard or easy you want to work out - use your heartrate to make yourself work harder or to keep yourself from working toohard.
Your plan doesn't need to be detailed, but it should be flexible forthose unplanned for instances. Keep a training log with notes of what youdid each day and how you felt. You should also write it down so you cancompare notes later when you create a plan for next season. The followingsections divide up the season into 5 parts: Base, Intensity, Peak, Race,and Recovery. After reading these sections, you should have a better ideaof how to plan your season.
Before you start "real" training, you'll want to strengthenand prepare your body for the stresses it will need to handle. This isdone by doing easy training and slowly increasing the amount of time ordistance spent swimming, biking, and running. It is not a time to see howfast you can run 5 miles or to be hammering in the biggest gears on yourbike - these types of activities will most likely lead to injuries. Thisis because it takes longer to build up the strength of your ligaments,tendons, and muscles than the time it take to build up your aerobic capacity(i.e. lungs and heart). Base building will slowly but surely strengthenthe muscles your need to do your chosen sport. Most of this training shouldbe done in heart rate zones I and II. You should avoid training in zoneIII - in this zone you can build your endurance, but your body doesn'trecover as well and can become depleted over a period of time if you continueto train at that level. Zones IV and V should be avoided until you havebuilt up enough strength to handle the higher intensities.
You can prevent injury by following your plan. Depending on your currentlevel of fitness, Base building can last anywhere from 6 weeks to 26 weeks.Follow the 10% rule - never increase the distance more than 10% above themaximum distance you have done in the last few weeks. For example, yourode your bike 100 miles last week, you wouldn't want to ride more than110 miles this week. Base building workouts should seem easy, but may leaveyou tired. It is important to get enough rest and eat properly during thistime. This may also be the time to put yourself on a regular schedule,fatigue can creep up unnoticed at any time.
Don't worry about speed or times yet, that is what the next periodsare for. At the end of the Base period, you should be able to easily coverthe distances you want to race. For example, if I wanted to do an Olympic/Triathlondistance triathlon such as the Sun-Times in Chicago, I should be able toswim 1 mile, bike 25 miles, and run 6 miles. Even if you can cover thedistances now, you would still want to have some sort of Base period toprevent injuries later.
Plan on spending more time training in the sports you are weaker in.For example, if you already run 10K's, you'll probably want to devote moreof your time to swimming and biking.
Now that you have a Base of fitness, you're ready to add more Intensityto your workouts. Again, most of the training will be done with your heartrate in zones I and II, but now you should also be doing some speedworkand intervals where your heart rate goes into zone IV for short periodsof time. The Intensity period should be no longer than your Base period.
To improve performance, push your body just above what it can do comfortably,and then allow it to recover. This translates into the hard/easy trainingmethod. If you do a hard workout one day, you probably want to take iteasy the next day or even take the day off as rest. This will allow yourbody to recover and rebuild, and your muscles will become stronger as youadapt to the greater amounts of work.
Intensity can be achieved in different ways. You may want to try somefartlek work in the beginning - going hard for a few minutes when you feellike it. Or timed intervals - go hard for X number of minutes with Y numberof minutes rest. Running or biking up hills is also a good way to achieveIntensity.
Group workouts are a great way to force yourself to work hard. Mostpeople find they can train more regularly, at a faster pace, or at greaterdistances when they have other people to work out with. Try to find a clubor group to train with when you want to do some higher intensity workouts.Most cities have a Masters swimming team, a running club, and a bike shopthat knows about the local rides. You might need to do some searching,but it is worth the effort.
Keep in mind that group workouts usually end up being a higher intensitythan workouts done individually due to the competitive genes that seemto surface when groups of athletes get together to train. The 5x100 Easyset in the pool becomes 5x100 Sprints. The group ride turns into a classiccycling road race with attacks and speed surges. The group run turns intoa charge on the course record. If your want an easy workout or plan ontraining in heart rate zones I and II, you might be better off going outby yourself.
A "classic" workout that is very triathlon specific is the"brick". The origin of the word is mysterious at best but theidea is simple - follow a ride with a run. These workouts tend to be tougheron the body than some others so be careful with frequency! Some athleteslike to do a 1-mile run after almost every bike ride. There are many varietiesand the workout should be tuned to the race coming up. If an Ironman isyour goal then an 80-mile ride followed by a 10-mile run would be a toughbrick. If a shorter race is your goal then a 25-mile ride with a 4 milerun would be more appropriate. Another version of the brick entails takinga wind-trainer to a running track and alternating intervals on each. Thebrick is a good way to get used to what many think is one of the toughestparts of the race - the bike-to-run transition.
A few weeks before racing, you should reduce the amount of time anddistance you are training at and concentrate on speed. You can do thisby doing shorter, more intense workouts. Races used as practice are alsouseful. Do some short cycling time trials or running races, especiallyif you're having trouble motivating yourself to train - they can be funand a good workout at the same time. You should be doing some trainingin heart rate zones I and II to keep your endurance, but a good portionof your training will be in heart rate zone IV.
The idea of peaking is that you have the endurance base necessary tofinish the race, now is the time to work on performance.
Depending on the distance of the race, you need to take a few easy daysor more to allow your body to be fully recovered and refueled for the race.Everyone is different - some people need weeks of rest, others can trainright up to the day of the race and still perform well. A good sign ofhow rested you are is your morning heart rate. If it's higher than normalor your legs feel heavy and sluggish, you probably should train lightlyor not at all in order to be prepared for the race. A good rule of thumbfor longer distance races such as marathons or Ironman triathlons is toreduce your training time with two weeks to go before the event to about70%, and with one week to go reduce your training even further to about30% of your normal time.
If you're racing every weekend, you really don't need to worry aboutadding much Intensity to your workouts during the Racing season. Racescan be your hard workout - train lightly to keep active and to keep yourendurance between races. If you're not racing much, you need to keep doingsome hard workouts or race simulation to keep in race-shape.
As far as what to do during an actual race, experience is the best factor.For specific help, pose your questions to triathletes in your area. Somehelpful hints for a triathlon are listed below:
After the race evaluate your performance. Did you meet your goal, whetherit was to run a certain time, place overall, or just to finish? If youdidn't, try not to be negative about it. Rather, ask yourself what canyou do to improve next time and then work at it. Remember to keep a healthyperspective about triathlon and how it fits into your overall life.
This period follows the racing season and gives your body the time itneeds to fully recover from the abuse it took from racing. You shouldn'tbecome a couch potato, or you have to start from ground zero next year.Do easy training. Take time to try other sports. Lift weights to rebuildstrength in muscles that you do not use swimming, biking, or running (e.g.your abdominals). Don't worry about losing some fitness, but try to keepoff any unnecessary pounds.
This is also the time to evaluate your plan. Did you meet your goals?Were they too high or too low? Start planning for next year. If you wereinjured, look at your training log to find things you should avoid. (Didyou do four days of running in a row when you had only been used to doingtwo?)
After recovering, you are ready to start the whole cycle over again,beginning with creating a new plan for the next season.
"If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything morestupid, triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise." P.Z. Pearce, M.D.
Just remember, triathlons are only as hard as you make them. When manypeople think of triathlons, they think of the Hawaii Ironman, but mosttriathlons are much shorter and can be completed by almost anyone withthe proper training. Finishing can be a reward in itself. Just tri it,but be wary of Dr. Pearce's warning more is not always better. If you trainproperly, you'll stay healthy, be competitive, and probably end up findingtraining is just as fun as racing. Good luck!
[1] Rob Sleamaker, SERIOUS Training for Serious Athletes.
[2] Triathlete Magazine, June 1991
(Updated 08/07/95)
The basic issue with wetsuits is that in addition to making open waterswims safer by providing the wearer with added warmth and flotation theyalso provide a speed advantage. The speed advantage comes from the addedflotation that puts a swimmer's body in a higher and more "correct"position. This is the position that a good swimmer swims with anyway byusing proper technique.
Therefore, wetsuits speed-up a poor swimmer with poor body positionmuch more than they speed-up a swimmer that already uses good body position.
As the sport evolved the largest emerging series used these distances.The origin is not exactly clear but a 1500m swim is the standard "long"swim race, the 40k timetrial is a cycling standard, and 10k is the mostpopular road racing venue. The international triathlon governing bodiesneeded a distance to promote for the Olympics and picked the "mostpopular" format.
This question has been debated endlessly over the years. Triathletesthat excel in swimming want a longer swim and triathletes that are poorerswimmers tend to be happy with the status quo. The basic reason for shortswim legs is that swimming, especially in open water, is the biggest limiterto people participating in triathlon. Also, in many parts of the world,trying to map out a long swim course is very difficult (think about a 4+kilometer swim in your average lake).
A "brick" workout, in the triathlon community, is a bike ridefollowed immediately by a run. It seems nobody really remembers how itgot its name but a couple guesses are:
OFFICIAL POLICY FOR COMMERCIAL POSTS ON REC.SPORT.TRIATHLON (R.S.T)
This posting is addressed to all commercial entities and individualswho wish to post the sale of items on the rec.sport.triathlon newsgroup.Its purpose is to specify the policy for such posts to this newsgroup.The content of this posting has been endorsed by readers of this newsgroupand, as such, represents our respect for this newsgroup and our desireto maintain its integrity. While there are currently no enforced rulesgoverning the use of the Internet for commercial purposes, just rememberthat any company or individual who abuses their priviledges can expectto receive much abuse in return.
1. Policy for Commerical Entities
It is undeniable that equipment plays a significant role in triathlons.Most readers are interested in hearing about new products and their availability.However, the consensus of this group is that we much prefer the "softsell" approach to the "everything must go!" approach. Withthat in mind here are guidelines for posting:
2. Policy for Individuals
It is recognized that individuals often have used equipment for whichthey are trying to find a good home. Such postings are permitted on rec.sport.triathlon.
The ITU, or International Triathlon Union, is the International Federationfor the Sport of Triathlon and Duathlon. An International Federation (or"IF") is a "World governing body" for a particularsport in the Olympics and similar international competitions (Pan Am Games,Commonwealth Games, Goodwill Games, and University Games). The ITU doesnot govern other, more "local", parts of the sport. That is leftto the National Federations (of which USA Triathlon is one). The over-archingOlympic Organization for all sports is the International Olympic Committee(IOC).
ITU operates under a Constitution which was first written by the foundingNational Federations (NFs) in Avignon, France in 1989. ITU consists ofthe Congress, the Executive Board, the Council and the Committees. Importantissues such as Constitutional changes, basic triathlon policy, technicalrules and the election of officers are decided at the annual meeting ofCongress, which is usually held during the week preceding the TriathlonWorld Championships. ITU Congress is conducted under Robert's Rules ofOrder, with the President serving as Chairman.
The ITU is able to perform its Constitutional mandate of "promotingthe sport of triathlon worldwide" by marketing its properties, specifically,the ITU World Triathlon and Duathlon Championships and Triathlon WorldCup Series.
World Wide Web Pages
http://iac.net/~miller/triathlon-home.html
http://multisport.com/mol
http://www.emporiumone.com/Triathlete
http://members.aol.com/dscottinc/dsi_home.htm
http://www.triathletemag.com/ironman/index.html
http://www.webcom.com/~sp/brug/rst.html
http://www.triathletemag.com/tri/
http://www.webcom.com/~tri-itu/
http://www.TRInfo.com/TriFed/
http://w3.one.net/~triweb/triweb.html
http://www.oztri.com.au
http://www.ozmail.com.au/~trib
http://www.tri-Training.com.au
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~trivic
http://www.ozmail.com.au/~nrm/tnsw.html
Snail Mail
Special thanks to Larry Chapman, who maintained this faq for the lastseveral years.