SportsGeezer

The Triathlete's Trilemma: Which Sport to Invest In

Let's say, for the sake of the argument presented in this piece in the Times by Gina Kolata, that it really is not possible to excel in running, swimming and biking, the three legs of most triathlons. Let's say that most amateur athletes have to pick one sport to rock in, one to perform well in, and one to get by in. What would you do? Kolata gives us the wisdom of  Joe Friel, a coach and author of  10 books, including “The Triathlete’s Training Bible” (VeloPress, 2004), who warns that if you want to run faster you have to give up swimming and cycling. And then there's Gary S. Krahenbuhl, an exercise physiologist and emeritus professor at Arizona State, who tells Kolata that the physical and biochemical changes in muscle cells and in nerve-firing patterns required for improvement are very sport-specific. Kolata reminds us that there are benefits to doing more than one sport, and she quotes physiologists who advocate cross training for all recreational athletes, and especially middle-age athletes who are more easily injured and slower to recover than younger people. Know anyone like that?
Read more about the triathlete's trilemma from Gina Kolata.

Shark: The Other Kind of Attack that Can Kill a Triathlete

David Martin, a 66-year-old retired veterinarian, was swimming with a nine amateur athletes from the San Diego Triathlon Club when his body suddenly lurched up, out of the water, then went under. Others in the group, which was 150 yards from the beach, knew immediately that Martin had been hit by a shark. When Martin surfaced again, they grabbed his flailing body and pulled him to shore, where he was later pronounced dead. One fellow triathlete said that if Martin hadn't been wearing a wet suit, his legs would have been ripped off by what is believed to be a great white shark. The beach has been closed.
Read more from ABC News.

Some Works, Some Doesn't: Speedy New Gear for Triathletes

Running shoes that do not need socks; "Performance-enhancing" shorts designed for both running and biking; A waterproof clock that counts laps and lap times; and a long-sleeve wetsuit equipped with special (and possibly illegal-in some races) water-grabbing panels. Which of these wondrous advances in race technology do you need least? Roy M. Wallack, writing in the Los Angeles Times, puts the clock, which he declares nearly impossible to use properly by swimmers who do kick turns, at the top of the least wanted list. Wallack seems most impressed by the high velocity swimsuit. His advice: "Buy one before its banned."

20 Reasons to Do a Triathlon, from Men's Health

An inquisitive editor asks: "At what point does the number-in-headline thing turn from asset to liability?" Geezer politely suggests that the turning point usually reveals itself when one or more of the enumerated points closely resembles a point that has already been enumerated. N.B. the recent Men's Health headline "20 Reasons to Do a Triathlon."
You will lose weight.
You will look and feel years younger.
You will have more energy.
You will get more out of your workouts.
You will injury-proof your body.
You will improve your health.
You will live longer.
You will be more productive.
You will learn to handle stress more effectively.
You will build rock--solid self confidence.
Your mood will improve.
Your motivation to exercise will soar.
You will learn to strengthen your weaknesses.
You get to rub shoulders with the best athletes in the world.
You will join the fitness elite.
You will have an increased sense of purpose in your life.
You will become the best that you can be.
You will be a hero to your kids.
You will motivate and inspire those around you.
You will set other positive things in motion--things you never imagined.
Read more in Men's Health.

Everything You Need to Know About Training for Your First Triathlon

How to train, what to eat, whether to hire a trainer, what to wear, and even how to find the right starter- triathlon are mysteries that come nicely unraveled in this very useful six-part series in the L.A Times. Geezer likes the advice, in the How to Survive section, from Mickie Shapiro, a 71-year-old triathlete who has competed in 19 Ironman races. "Enjoy the ride," says Shapiro. "Don't keep an eye on your watch. Don't even time yourself."
Read more in the L.A. Times.

How to Run 197 Miles Without Stopping: and Why

For Geezer, one of the more interesting elements in this New York Times piece about the 197-mile Nike Hood to Coast Relay is that out of six runners interviewed, one is 43, one is 55, and one is 65 years old. Because it's a relay, of course, none of them will fun more than a few miles at a time, but all of them run will run around the clock, and when they are not running, they will be riding vans to the next leg of the race. Why do they do it? A sense of community, the live music at the end of the race, and free beer are three reasons offered by runners interviewed by the Times.

The Beginners' Guide to Beginning Triathlons

It's still true that triathlons are not for everyone, but according to this piece in the Boston Globe, the mini-versions at least, are attracting more amateur athletes each year.  In fact, one marathon trainer tells the Globe that the sheer number of contestants can be the one of the most intimidating aspects of the race, particularly the swimming leg of the competition. Read this short piece, with a few tips on mini-triathlon training, in the Boston Globe.
For more advice--actually, a lot more advice, check out Triathanewbie.com.

How a 45-year-old Triathlete Stays in Shape

At the age of 45, Karen Smyers still kicks butt in the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, a race that consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. Wanna know how? Read this interview with Smyers in U.S. News & World Report.
In the mean time, here's a look at her daily regimen:
Monday: About an hour of swimming in the morning, then an "easy" bike ride of between 45 minutes and 2 hours (she may skip it if she feels tired or time-pressed).
Tuesday: A one and a half to two hour bike ride that includes either hill repeats (riding the same hill over and over) or intervals (shorter bursts of speed followed by a recovery period) to add intensity. Later in the day, a running workout on the track, which builds over time from two and a half to four miles of intervals.
Wednesday: About an hour of swimming in the morning (which Smyers might skip if she's going to swim on Thursday and Friday), then an easy bike ride.
Thursday: Long "brick" day with intense back-to-back workouts: first a 3-hour bike ride, followed immediately by a 60-to-90-minute run. And maybe a 2-mile-plus open-water swim at Walden Pond.
Friday: As much as 90 minutes of swimming in the morning, then an easy bike ride if she has time.
Saturday: A long bike ride of up to 130 miles followed immediately by a 3-mile "transition" run to reacquaint her legs with running.
Sunday: A long run of 15 to 20 miles.

The Toughest Race in the World

With this amazing piece, which includes a not-so-easy -to-watch slide show of the insane 100-mile Barkley Marathon in the mountains of Tennessee, the Washington Post kicks off a promising series called Why We Compete. Watching the pictures and contemplating the damage done to the runners' bodies, why they compete remains somewhat mysterious. Read more about the series.

Mini Triathlons Have Major Appeal

Frankly, the most useful element of this post may be this link to Active.com, a website that lists upcoming competitions for amateur athletes in several sports. Active.com's vice president and co-founder Mike Reilly is quoted in an L.A. Times piece on the increasing popularity of multi-sport events. These competitions, the Times reports, can take the form of mini-triathlons (cycling, swimming and running), duathlons (cycling and running) or aquathlons (swimming and running). The distances are but a fraction of their more consuming cousins. For example, the Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike ride, followed by a marathon. The distances for a mini-tri or sprint-tri (with some variation) can be a 12.4-mile bike ride, a 3.1-mile run and a swim that ranges from a third of a mile to just more than half a mile. Some events are even done as relays. Read more about going the shorter distance in the L.A. Times.