DEBUT TRI CHOICES
Q I’m 39 with a naturally stocky build and am looking to start racing this year. With all the races distances and different courses on offer, how do I know which is right for me? JACK DOYLE, EMAIL
ENDURANCE BASE JOE BEER is a multiple winner of 220’ s Coach of the Year award
A Firstly, starting racing at 39 is not uncommon or too late, but be sure you have enough of a fitness base to be able to cope with whatever distances you try.
There’s no replacement for time spent training at easy to moderate pace, plus learning the fun tricks of the art of triathlon racing by racing first and foremost for fun.
Don’t obsess about speed work straight away but instead get an endurance base from which you can learn the full craft of racing. Three seasons down the road you can then start to get specific with ways to go faster, but for now just training and racing consistently will build your triathlon body.
As a larger athlete my other concern is that the stresses through your body, especially with run training and racing, could cause fast-onset, debilitating wear and tear, so be very sure to train on softer surfaces and perhaps include races that have more off-road trail runs. Too much tarmac and pavement running is to be avoided.
With those two caveats in place, my main point here should be crystal clear: racing is with your heart, not a heart monitor. Though I may be known for geeky tech I started and continue to race to find my limits, not just to fill the cloud up with biometric data such as power, cadence, heart rate, etc. Race to learn about yourself and see where it takes you.
Go out and try plenty of races. Be aware that you can’t specialise until you try a variety of distances, weather conditions and terrain. From pool-based to sea swims, short to middle-distance and Ironman racing, there are tonnes of options – so don’t limit yourself so early on.
I truly believe triathlon is a tool to find out more about yourself, meet great people and offset the ravages of many ills of the 21st Century. You’re at the start of a great journey, so buckle up as it’s going to be a lot of multisport fun and games.
PICKING A RACE ALICE HECTOR CTOR is a long-distancece pro and ultramarathon runner
A At Ironman race briefings there are always a small selection of hands that rise when the organiser asks who’s doing their first-ever triathlon. So clearly a large portion of triathlon is simply mind over matter.
If you get a seed in your head that just won’t budge, I’d advise you to go for it. I often get fleeting ideas for new goals that disappear once common sense kicks in. But, occasionally, one sticks, and then I know I have to follow it through.
So once you’ve found your triathlon goal – and one that gets you really fired up – take your time, ensure it’s what you really want, and if you want to go long or super tough, then there’s certainly no need to start at the bottom rung of the ladder.
A word of caution, though: do some preparatory training. If your goal is to get round something monstrous, you don’t need to commit your entire life to the cause, but make sure you’re properly conditioned so you don’t risk putting yourself through a horrible experience.
To put things in perspective, I did one four-hour run as training before winning a 100-mile ultramarathon, which meant running for 20 hours. There were plenty of 2-3hr runs, too, but I left an awful lot for the actual race day.
I believe that as long as you have an ability to maintain energy supplies with regular feeding and go in healthy and strong (that’s both in mind and body), you’ll do it.
Just be prepared to take the necessary recovery afterwards – the less you’re used to something, the more you will ache afterwards!
If your goal is to be competitive, then that usually takes more time and preparation. There is a difference between competing and completing, but both racing strategies are admirable, so set your multisport goals wisely (and maybe a little wildly), and you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve in triathlon.
Racing is with your heart, not a heart rate monitor. Race to learn about yourself and see where it takes you