riding the shopping bike with the buckled wheels. How good could you be, you wonder, if you carried on training. Good enough to represent your country? If you're going to tri, you may as well try hard.One of the (many) great things about triathlon is its
. Compare some of the times at the Corus Disabled Triathlon Championships for 2008 and 2009, held over the usual sprint distance of 750m swim, 20K bike and 5K run: Tom Perkins (Tri 5 - see overleaf for the full British Triathlon classification system
and bike to run. We asked some of triathlon's leading elites, coaches and mentors for their tips to ensure speedy transitions.1. Get in the habitStart learning how to save precious seconds in the weeks and months leading up to your race. By setting aside
, with some lazy boating included, rather than one of the toughest middle-distance triathlons in the country.The 1.9K swim in the beautiful but bitterly cold Ullswater Lake was shortened owing to strong winds, bringing swimmers into the safety of a sheltered
Photo by: Bakke-Svensson/Ironman An Ironman triathlon is an emotional experience. The physical and mental challenge presented by the event (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run) slowly removes the layers
bike sessions will help you become used to the numb-legs sensation and running even for 5 or 10 minutes off the bike will help improve your overall run speed.Ralph Hydes Ralph Hydes is a running, duathlon and triathlon coach. He has helped many athletes
I can't quite believe I'm writing this but there's only one day to go until our sprint relay challenge, the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series London.We have printed off the event details, my outfit is planned and I have persuaded
Riding all day nearly always exposes your weakest link, which for most riders is the core. "The core area - your abs, lower back, obliques, hips and glutes - helps transfer power to the pedals, as well as stabilise the rider on the bike," says US
for wondering if they'd turned up at the same venue; in 2010 the rain came down in torrents, but this year's event was blessed with sunshine.The perfect conditions made for a trouble-free swim in the lake. The 43K undulating bike leg didn't present too many
-hour bike ride after work may seem daunting. However, an interval session of less than an hour can provide the same physiological benefit and can even be more fun to perform.Quality, not quantityWe know from sports science that it is possible to trade