Written by Sharon Foster, Multiple Ironman finisher, Boston Qualifier
Tuesday Tip – Want to give it a tri?
Let’s talk triathlon and why it may also help you to become a better runner.
Why tri? First, it’s fun but second, even if you don’t want to raise its great cross-training.
There are 4 main distances in triathlon, think of it as the 5K, 10K, HM and Marathon with swimming and biking thrown in the mix.
· Sprint (1/4 –1/2 mile swim, 10-15 bike, and 5K run)
· Olympic Distance (so named as this will be the d70.3istance raced in Paris (1500m swim, 40k bike, 10K run)
· Half Iron/70.3 (1.2m swim, 56 bike, 13.1 run)
· Full Iron/140.6 (2.4m swim, 112 bike, 26.2 run)
Now you might ask, how can this make me a better runner?
· Swimming and biking are both lower impact forms of exercise that allow you to build endurance without all the pounding on your body of running.
· Swimming and biking use your muscles differently than putting different stresses on your muscles, using them differently and making you stronger, it can also help prevent injury.
· And did I mention it’s just a lot of fun.
I have been competing in triathlon for 15 years now and have done all distances including 4 full distance Ironman’s, as well as 15 marathons (starting at 46), in my own experience using the cross-training of triathlon as helped me to get stronger, faster and stay injury free (which allows consistency.
So, what do you say – want to give it a tri?
Note: I am not a coach and don’t play one on TV, but always happy to chat about running and tri and share what I have learned.
