Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend By Ester Marsh

for the Salisbury Post

Q: I have heard you talking about a triathlon held at the Y in 2010. I am very interested in doing a triathlon in 2010 can you tell me more about it?

A: Yes. I am so excited! The Triathlon is called the Buck Hurley Tri Challenge (in memory of Buck Hurley) and all the proceeds will go to our Invest In Youth campaign.

This will be the first time a triathlon will be held right here on site at the JF Hurley Family YMCA.

Our goal is to have this become an annual event for many years to come. Put Sunday, April 18 on your calendar. If you want to participate, you do need a bike. You can do a triathlon on any type of bike, it does not need to be expensive, but it should be road worthy and reliable. The owner at Windsong bicycle shop could answer any question you may have.

Let's go over what triathlons are:

Triathlons are three disciplined events, combining swimming, cycling and running over three main distances.

- Sprint — Swim 750 meters, bike 20 km and run 5 km. This distance is suitable for beginners wishing to experience their first triathlon.

- Olympic — Swim 1,500 m , bike 40 km and run 10 km. The next stage up, the more common race distance certainly among elite athletes.

- Ironman — Swim 3,800 m, bike 180 km and run 42 km. This is for those that like to push their bodies and minds to the limit. (Brain optional!)

At the Buck Hurley Tri-Challenge, there will be three unofficial non-sanctioned distances:

- The Buck Hurley Sprint Triathlon — 300-yard swim, 10-mile bike and a 5K run.

- The Buck Hurley Super Sprint; 200-yard swim, 5K bike and a 2-mile run.

- And the Buck Hurley Fun Triathlon for the very young (4-8) This event will include a 25-yard swim, bike distance and approximately 400-meter run.

By training and/or participating in a multi-sport event (swimming, cycling, running), you will develop both all-around muscle toning and high levels of cardio-vascular capabilities.

You can achieve this by breaking down training sessions to enable you to have a great workout without the chance of overtraining, possible injury and poor performance.

The following are basic tips to take into consideration when planning your training sessions:

- Specificity: Be sure that all your training is specific to the event you are training for. Don't run mile after mile if you are getting ready for a sprint triathlon.

- Progression: Your body will progress when you begin this new workout. However, if you maintain the same training level, your body will maintain the same level of improvement. Avoid allowing your body to become "used" to its workouts.

- Overload: Be careful to avoid stress on any of your body systems. Listen to your body. If it feels tired, let it rest. Remember, when you are resting, your body is recuperating.

- Reversibility: Keep your training regular. If you stop two weeks, a lot of your previous work will be lost. Make time for training, but avoid letting it take over your life.

- Tedium: Many good triathletes come from different sporting backgrounds. Keep your training interesting and varied to keep motivation high. Train with new partners, do different runs and try spin classes — anything to keep your spirit, mind and body working. In the middle of January 2010, we are starting a Triathlon Club at our YMCA, which will get anyone ready for the race on April 18, 2010. For those who know what their weakest discipline is, you want to spend more time on that discipline. That way you will create greater confidence and perform better.

Usually, most beginner triathletes' weakest discipline is swimming. A solid beginner triathlon swim workout can be (ideally, twice a week):

- Warm-up 150 m — easy swim to get used to the water.

- Leg kick 4x25 m — Use a float in front, front crawl leg kick.

- Distance 2 x 200 m — Aim for a steady pace and work on your breathing.

- Drills 6 x 25 m — Concentrate on hand entry and leg kick.

- Sprint 4 x 25 m — Work to increase your speed front crawl only.

- Cool down 100 m — Easy swim, focus on your breathing.

Don't freak. You can work up to this swim program.

As you become fitter and more comfortable, try to reduce rest periods between swims and increase swimming speed.

If you are a weak cyclist, concentrate your training efforts on improving both speed and endurance. This would be the same for running.

Make sure you have an approved bicycle helmet when riding your bike. No helmet — no race.

I recommend swimming in a competition swimsuit. When you get out of the water pull bicycle shorts over your suit, dry your feet, put socks and shoes on. This way you don't have to change again.

If you need to purchase them anyway and you are going to do more triathlons, you might want to look into getting a triathlon suit. They come in one- and two-piece suits and they have a built-in bicycle pad. (Your butt will thank you.)

On race day, go to the race briefing, a must for novice/beginner triathletes. This way you will know all the rules.

Most people should be able to perform their first race after 6 to 12 weeks of training.

I believe the bike to run transition to be the most challenging one. So what I did is after each bike practice, whether it was cycling class or an actual road practice, was to always go for a run after the bike, even if it was just for a block. You will get used to the change. ( It feels like you "gallop" the first block).

I wish you all the luck and all the inspiration for your upcoming practices.

If you would like to subscribe to the Salisbury Post, click here.