In this article we will answer several questions: triathlon - what is it, is it a sports discipline, what is the peculiarity of this ambiguous direction and how to prepare yourself for a marathon? After all, the triathlon is a relatively young sports direction, which has not yet become widely known.
It includes three main summer sports: swimming competition, cycling and classic running. Moreover, it turns out that there are many varieties of this discipline.
Scheme
Typically, summer sports start at the end of spring, and the triathlon competitions themselves begin with crawl-style swims. But before starting water procedures, athletes first perform a mass start and, after a short run, jump from pontoons to the pool. By the way, the water in it should be at least 25 ° C. And if there is no possibility to warm it up, then an additional sports equipment is used - a wetsuit for a triathlon.
The standard scheme provides for a swim along a certain route with the placement of special signaling buoys. If the distance was reduced arbitrarily, then the judges are entitled to accrue penalty points in the form of extra seconds, which upon completion will be deducted from the total time.
Bike ride
After water discipline, a bicycle race follows, for which participants prepare in a specially designated place called the reserve zone. It should be said that along the route of the race there are numerous food points where you can eat and quench your thirst. But at the same time, any help for professional athletes at these points is unacceptable and punishable by penalty points.
If the judges designated the cycle distance as short, the participants use a classic triathlon bike. And for non-standard races (such as Ironman), their racing types are considered acceptable, in which case the start will already be separate. Such rides are considered long.
According to the legal regulations of the International Sports Federation, a triathlon bike can be equipped with short steering beds, but within the brake levers.
During the Olympic races at this stage group leadership is permissible, while in Ironman it is forbidden - riders must move separately from each other, which greatly increases the efforts of athletes. But this applies only to a single discipline, and the Olympic direction is an ordinary triathlon. What are the standards and types of triathlon, we will consider later.
Run
The last stage of the race is running on a hard road surface. Now the athletes are faced with a simple, but at the same time difficult task - to maintain their positions, which they achieved in the previous two stages.
The punishment in this area is the warning or stopping of the athlete, and in rare cases, disqualification (if obvious help or other scam is found). It should be said that in a discipline such as Ironman, the requirements are much stricter than those presented by a regular triathlon (what Ironman is, we will consider below).
They stop, as a rule, no more than 30 seconds, and the main and often encountered violation at this stage is a deliberate interference with a running athlete.
Types of Disciplines
Today, the described area is quite popular, and, unlike other sports, there are different types of competitions. Therefore, it is impossible not to clarify, speaking about the triathlon, what is tristar, supersprint and its other varieties:
- Tristar. In this form, all distances at each stage are considered to be short, that is, a 100 m swim, a 10 km bike race and 1 km free run.
- Super Sprint. Also applies to short distances, but with a slightly increased distance: swim - 400 m, race - 10 km, and run - 2.5 kilometers.
- Ironman Translated from English, the word means "iron man", and the standards in this form are relevant: a swim of 1.5 km, a bike race of 40 km and a race of 42 km.
- Ultratriathlon. The distances here can be safely called marathon. Kilometer at each stage increases several times and is carried out more than one day, according to standard rules.
Equipment
For an athlete to successfully complete all stages of the triathlon, he needs special equipment, which is designed to greatly facilitate the passage of the entire route. Triathlon and its varieties are summer sports, but this does not mean at all that one can approach the choice of sports equipment with carelessness. Any detail here is extremely important, and high-quality equipment will significantly increase the chances of winning.
So, at the swimming stage, you need a comfortable wetsuit for the triathlon. By the way, there are few varieties of them, and the main criterion for selection is the distance of the stage and the temperature of the water. At a distance of less than 1,500 meters, for example, the use of sports swimming trunks is allowed, which is much more rational, due to the small distance and weight of the hydraulic equipment. And for marathon distances or in cases where the water temperature is below 25 degrees, the use of swimming trunks is unacceptable. Only wetsuits that protect athletes from hypothermia are allowed.
It is worth noting separately that the thickness of this kind of sports equipment should not exceed 5 mm: this is quite enough to carry out all the necessary temperature-regulating functions.
Equipment for cycling
Triathlon competitions at this stage are not much different from the classic cycling, therefore, the equipment here is appropriate.
So, to complete the distance you must have:
- Streamlined helmet. In addition to protective characteristics, it provides proper aerodynamics, which is especially important on steep descents.
- Glasses. In addition to the blinding sun, glasses protect your face from insects, dust and dirt.
- Footwear. Here the main calculation for the composition of the cyclist and reliable grip with the pedals. The best option for this stage is contact pedals, which attract the pedal after the foot, greatly facilitating the passage of the entire distance.
- Costume. Like a helmet, a suit helps to overcome aerodynamic drag. In addition, high-quality fabric prevents skin friction on the saddle. Yes, and weather conditions, good material must cope, providing the rider with maximum comfort.
Running gear
The critical factor at this stage was and remains shoes. It is selected specifically for the current coverage and the individual characteristics of the runner. The best option for this stage is sneakers.
High-quality shoes are selected - strictly in size and preferably from a reputable brand such as Adidas or Asiks. Saving on sneakers is more expensive, especially since the ultratriathlon and Ironman will not forgive you for this.
Summarizing
The only way to increase your stamina and reduce the painful effects of each stage is to exercise. Moreover, this moment concerns literally all summer sports. The main stage that ends the triathlon competition is running, so the main emphasis should be placed on it. Cycling, like swimming, develops a whole bunch of muscles that is affected during running, which means that long and high-quality workouts on running segments will significantly help you in the remaining stages.
Once you have achieved success on a treadmill, you can add variety to the route by alternating between jogging and cycling. Moreover, the more often running and bicycle alternate, the easier it will be for an athlete to overcome the entire distance as a whole. Well, it's over, it will be useful to spend some time in the pool.