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What's
Olympian up to now?
Olympian Triathlon Club is one of the oldest clubs
and has been running since 1984. It is based in Olympia Leisure Centre
where we have the swimming sessions. Running and cycling sessions are
organised at suitable times by the members. more news
Tribute to Tom Donnelly
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Triathlon
FAQ
Q. What is a Triathlon?
A Triathlon is a competitive event involving the three disciplines
of swimming, bicycling, and running. The format for triathlon is usually swim
first followed by the bike, and then finishes with the run. A triathlon,
however, can be in any order.
Q. What are the distances for Triathlons?
Triathlons typically come in 4 different formats, Sprint, Olympic,
Half-Ironman, and Ironman distances. A sprint distance involves anywhere from
400-825 yards of swimming, 10-12 miles of cycling, and 3 miles of running. The
Olympic distance format is twice that of the sprint, and is also known as the
international distance. It involves 1.5 Kilometers (.9 miles) of swimming, 40k
(24.9 miles) of cycling, and 10k (6.2 miles) of running. This is the official
distance for Triathlon in the Olympics, hence the name Olympic distance. The
Half-Ironman distance is a little more than twice that of the Olympic distance,
except for the swim portion. It involves 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of
cycling, and 13.1 miles of running. The next distance of racing is the Ironman
distance, and it is twice the distance of the Half-Ironman. It consists of 2.4
miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling, and 26.2 miles of running. Ouch!
Q. What type of equipment will I need to begin
training to participate in triathlons?
Here is an equipment list of the average triathlete:
Swim Training Equipment:
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Swim suits (for training and racing)
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Goggles (training and racing or for different lighting conditions)
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Swim fins
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Swim strength/stroke development paddles
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Towel
Bike Equipment:
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Bike
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Helmet
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Bike shorts - Has special padding for comfort on hard saddles and
long rides.
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Bike Jersey - Made with advanced fabrics to wick moisture away from
your body, and has special pockets to store food and other handy items while
riding. Sunrise Cyclery offers a variety of cycling clothing by DeSoto Sport,
Trico Sport and Louis Garneau.
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Gloves - Padded to add comfort to your hands and to protect in case
of an accident.
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Bike shoes - Shoes meant to be worn with clipless pedals, they are
built to withstand the rigors of cycling and have a special platform that is
super stiff in order to transfer your power into the pedals better. Sunrise
Cyclery sells bike shoes specifically designed for cycling in Triathlons built
by Sidi.
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Clipless pedals- Pedals that are designed to lock your shoe into the
pedal platform. This allows you to transfer your power into the pedal stroke
more efficiently. Sunrise Cyclery offers a wide variety of pedal systems.
Run Equipment:
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Running shoes - Designed specifically for running.
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Run clothing - Made of advanced materials to wick moisture away from
the body, keeping it dryer and cooler in warm conditions and warmer in cold
conditions. Sunrise Cyclery offers clothing by DeSoto Sport and Louis Garneau
specifically made for triathlon training and competition.
Nutrition:
Training for triathlon and racing in triathlons involves expending a
lot of energy. Triathletes have to be able to fuel their bodies for optimal
performance and to help maintain their health. Sunrise Cyclery offers many
books to get a better understanding about nutrition, and training for
triathlons. Sunrise Cyclery also has a wide variety of nutritional products
from the industry's best companies to suit all your training and racing
nutritional needs.
Q. I just started swimming, and I notice that
other swimmers wear speedos. What's the difference between wearing regular swim
trunks and a speedo?
You can always tell someone who's new to swimming by the way
they move from the locker room to the pool; they're the ones getting in the
pool as fast as they can so that no one sees them. People who are new to
swimming often find swimming in a speedo intimidating, unless of course you're
from Europe or you're a tri-geek, then walking around in a speedo is included
in your daily activities. The benefits of wearing a speedo are that you'll have
less drag created from your suit when swimming, which translates into more
speed with less effort during your swim training. Also, if you train in trunks,
you are unable to get the full benefit of your stroke. They hinder your stroke
efficiency, and then if you try to race in a speedo, your stroke will be all
out of whack. Not only that but a speedo is a symbol that says you're serious
about training for swimming, or why else would you go to the pool 7/8's naked?
Sunrise Cyclery offers the coolest swim gear around from DeSoto Sport, Trico
Sports and Louis Garneau.
Q. I keep hearing about the importance of
technique when swimming. What can I do to improve my technique?
Proper swim technique will allow you to swim faster while
expending less energy. By being more efficient you can save more energy for the
later portions of a triathlon. Swim technique is a learned skill that you have
to practice throughout your swim training. Sunrise Cyclery offers a variety of
books to help you improve your swim technique and triathlon training, from some
of the leading experts in swimming and triathlon training. There are also many
training tools available to help develop a proper and efficient stroke, such as
StretchCordz.
Q. There are a lot of goggles out there on the
market. What should I look for in a swim goggle?
To find the goggles that suit your needs the best, it is important
to know in what conditions you will be swimming. These are the questions that
might help find the goggles appropriate for you. Do you swim in the mornings,
afternoons or evenings? Some goggles are clear or offer different shading to
improve your sight in low light conditions, while others are tinted dark or
mirrored to protect your eyes from the bright sun. Do you swim in a pool or in
open water? All goggles will work in a pool but in open water swimming, like in
many triathlons, it's important to have goggles that won't come off your face
when a big wave hits you, or won't dig into your face if you happen to have a
flailing arm hit you in the swim. Of course, it's important to find a pair that
fits you, so look for goggles with adjustable nosepieces and head straps.
Q. What's the difference between the wheels on
which I train, and special aerodynamic racing wheels?
Race wheels are designed with aerodynamics in mind. A pair of
aero wheels will allow you to cut through the air more efficiently, and allow
you to reach higher speeds through better aerodynamics. A pair of race wheels
can help you save precious time in timed events. Sunrise Cyclery offers a wide
selection of aerodynamic race wheels from HED, Zipp, Reynolds, and
Velocity.
Q. What's the difference between Triathlon bikes
and regular road bikes?
Triathlon bikes are designed with a different geometry than
road bikes. Triathlon bikes are more forward in their seat tubes (between 75-78
degrees) and are set up lower in the front end to provide a time trial
position. A steeper seat tube angle emphasizes the quads more to save the use
of your run muscles so that you have more get up and go when you start the run
portion of a triathlon. Triathlon bikes come in 650c or 700c wheel sizes. 650c
wheels accelerate better and are lighter, having less surface area exposed to
the wind than 700c wheels. They are more proportional to riders under 5'10''.
700c wheels have long been the standard in the bike industry. Although slightly
larger, 700c wheels offer more comfort and less rolling resistance than 650c
wheels and are more proportional to riders over 5'10''. Regular road bikes have
a more slack seat tube angle, from 72-74 degrees, and are set up for
all-purpose riding. They are designed to corner, climb, and sprint well. The
road bike position is more upright and less aerodynamic than a time trial
position. A road bike position uses all of the leg muscles to provide as much
power to the bike as possible. A road bike can be converted to a triathlon bike
with the addition of a forward seat post and aero bars. Sunrise Cyclery can
help you convert your road bike to a time trial machine or set you up with a
state-of-the-art triathlon bike by Kestrel.
Q. How do I find the right position for me on my
bike?
The right position can be found by knowing your bike fit
measurements. To be fitted for a bike, it's best to go to a bike shop near you
that specializes in fitting. Let them know what type of events you'll be
competing in and they will be able to give you your measurements for a proper
fit. It's important to know what size bike is ideal for you and to get to know
bike lingo so that when you are measured, you can look up the specs of bikes
and know what everything means. Each bike we offer has its specs and geometries
listed for your information.
Q. I get a side stitch sometimes when I run. How
do I prevent them and how do I get rid of them?
Many athletes have been plagued by the infamous side stitch
in racing and in training, from the most seasoned pros down to amateurs. The
best thing to do to prevent a side stitch is to make sure that you are properly
hydrated before you start your run, and to stay hydrated while you're running.
Make sure that you are drinking water or a sports drink with about a 7%
carbohydrate solution. Another way side stitches can occur is if you ate too
close to the beginning of your run and your body is trying to work on digesting
your food. If you get a side stitch be sure to stretch it out by putting your
hands over your head and expanding your diaphragm (practice deep breathing as
well to stretch your diaphragm). It is important to know what works for you
when starting your run and know what you can handle nutritionally before and
during your runs. The best way to learn is through experimenting in training.
Q. When should I replace my running shoes?
Some experts say to replace your running shoes about every 500 miles
or every 3-4 months. Another way to know is when you start to get little aches
after your normal run that weren't there the week before.
Q. I have heard the term "bonking" or "bonk" used
when people are talking about triathlon or in the some of the disciplines of
triathlon. What is "bonking"?
"Bonking" or "Bonk" is the term used to describe the feeling
of running out of energy. It's the point where your body has depleted its
glycogen reserves and it feels like you absolutely have no energy or fuel in
your body at all. Most triathletes have great "bonk" stories.just ask them. The
best way to not bonk while you are training or racing is to eat often. Your
body has about an hours worth of glycogen stored, its important to not deplete
all of this reserve while training or racing cause once its gone, it will take
a long time to restore your depleted tank. The best way to get in calories
while training and racing is by drinking a sports drink or using energy gels or
both. Sunrise Cyclery has a wide variety of nutritional products.
Q. How often should I be eating and drinking while
training?
Drinking
An avg. person goes uses about 1.5 gallons or more a day just in
normal bodily functions and respiration. Add exercise to this and your water
usage and water loss goes up. It is recommended that during exercising you
should be drinking around 4oz of water every 15 mins. A good rule of thumb that
triathletes and other athletes use is to drink about one water bottle per hour
of exercise and even more while racing. Hydration is not something you do just
when you're thirsty. When your thirst mechanism kicks in its already too late,
your body is dehydrated. Good hydration is something that needs to be practiced
all day long, even when you are not thirsty. Hydrating for workouts and races
doesn't begin moments before your endeavor, but should begin days before. If
you are working out multiple times a day everyday, being hydrated needs to be a
way of life. Being dehydrated causes your blood to thicken and makes your heart
have to work harder to pump blood through your body; this will result in a
higher heart rate and decreased exercise performance. Dehydration also causes
muscle cramping, which can severely limit your athletic performance.
Eating
During training and racing your body can be burning anywhere from
600-800 calories or more an hour. It is very important that while training and
racing you fuel your body. Since your body only has about an hours worth of
glycogen stored its very important to replace the fuel that is burning. The
fastest way to do that is by getting the calories needed into the body with
easily digestible sport drinks, gels, and bars. The body can absorb anywhere
from 300-400 calories an hour or more depending on an individuals metabolism.
Having a well balanced diet is a key to fueling the body properly as well as
eating and drinking while performing exercise. Never go into a workout on an
empty stomach.you're just asking to "bonk".
Q. I've heard that the body can only store about 1
hours worth of glycogen, how is it that I can continue to exercise for more
than an hour and not feel depleted.
Depending on the amount of exertion one puts out while
training and racing will depend on the fuel that is being burned by the body.
If you were to eat or drink nothing and went as hard as you can for an hour,
the fuel that the body would be burning would be glycogen, and this type of
exertion would deplete those reserves. However, if you went at a moderate or
comfortable pace for an hour and didn't eat or drink anything, the body would
be using stored fat and glycogen as fuel, and you could go for more than hour
and still have plenty of stored fat as fuel and glycogen in the reserves.
Eating and drinking while exercising will add even more fuel to your body and
keep you from dipping too far into the glycogen reserves. Professional athletes
train their bodies to burn stored fat as a primary fuel instead of just
glycogen. They do this by monitoring their heart rates through a heart rate
monitor, and training in different heart rate zones to teach their bodies how
to burn different ratios of fat/glycogen while training. By doing this daily
they get to know exactly how their bodies react in different conditions and at
different intensities and they learn how much fuel they need for their optimum
performance. Sunrise Cyclery offers heart rate monitors from Polar.
Q. I have heard of and seen pros using salt
tablets and taping them to their bike.what are salt tablets for?
When money and pride are on the line for the top pros you can
be sure that all big dogs will be going at it and giving it everything they
have. Pros use salt tablets to keep their performance levels high in long hot
races. While training and racing in hot conditions your body sweats profusely
and loses a lot of sodium. Salt tablets help replace this sodium and help aid
in the absorption of water. Too low of sodium in the body is called
Hyponatremia. Symptoms of Hyponatremia include: muscle cramps, nausea,
headaches, vomiting, disorientation and slurred speech. Ironman athletes are
very susceptible to developing Hyponatremia in training and racing. Some people
combat the sodium loss by taking in additional sodium while training and
racing. In one study after an Ironman, a large number of finishers were found
to be hyponatremic. Some athletes swear by their salt tablets in helping them
combat dehydration, and Hyponatremia. Sunrise Cyclery offers sodium supplements
by Succeed, Thermolyte, and Hammer Nutitrition.

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