Getfit Triathlon Group
26.10.08The word is out and it looks like we have a dedicated, determined group of Getfit clients and trainers that are setting their sights on the Echternach Triathlon 2009.
Looking at their weakest event, swimming, they got themselves to the Bonnevoie pool bright and early (see Training Early blog) to start their training.
Realizing they could not swim the breaststroke for 1.5k in the race, they needed help!
Help was found as they committed to my Front Crawl Training Session, 2x a week. We focus on a variety of drills for balance, buoyancy, rotation, and breathing.
The first day a lot of water was drunk by those never learning to breathe to the side, exhaling (blowing bubbles) while their face is in the water and inhaling as the face turns to the side partially out of water.
What’s amazing is the difference in just 3 training sessions…the water of the pool is stabilizing! Seriously, improvements in breathing have been made…next we continue with body position. Good body positioning is key to good swimming!
If you are interested in doing a triathlon or joining us at the pool for learning the front crawl, send an email to carrie@getfit.lu
Coming up soon look for Getfit’s Triathlon Training Clinic offering how to prepare for a triathlon, guiding you through the basics of each individual sport and show you how to put them all together.
Carrie Heinrich
Getfit personal trainer
Competitive Triathlete 1986-2002
#1 ranked Female Triathlete Hawaii 1989-1991
You’ve got your goal to complete a triathlon? You’ve looked at what is your strongest and weakest of the 3 triathlon events. Now it’s time to start putting together your training.
When you start planning your triathlon training plan, you want to make the most out of your strengths and reduce your weaknesses, both physically and mentally. Reaching for small goals help you achieve this.
It’s essential to start with your weakest event. Swimming? Get yourself to a pool at least 3-4x a week. The more you are in the water the better. Take a Front Crawl Swim Clinic working on technique. Biking? Get a bike, get fitted properly and find a group to start riding with. Check with your local bike stores. Running? Again, make this 3-4x a week commitment. Put the most time into your weakest event until it catches up to your strong ones.
Lastly, the 4th event of the triathlon is transitions. This is the period going from one event (swimming) to the next event (biking) and to the final event (running). Your body needs to know what it is like quickly switching from one sport to the another using different muscles and more importantly, the same muscles already fatigued.
Ok, so it looks like some of you have set your goal to do a triathlon. Great job, that’s the first step. But how do you reach it? Training, right? But “how much training” is usually the first question.
To help determine your training program, you need to think of 2 things. What the distance of your goal (race) is and how you want to accomplish your goal (race). Is your goal to just finish the triathlon? Be an age group winner? Finish in the top 10 of your gender? Or be in the top 3? Once you answer those questions, it helps you to define your training program.
When I decided to do my first triathlon, waaaaaaay back in 1987, I was a beginner swimmer, experienced cyclist and competitive runner. I set my goal to just finish. It was a sprint distance, 500 meter pool swim, 20k bike, and 5k run. I reached my goal and finished, even with dropping my water bottle on the bike (having no water in 30c heat for the entire ride), and dropping my chain on the course! Because my goal was to finish a Sprint distance triathlon, that helped determined my training program.
Next, think about what your strongest and weakest event is in the 3 triathlon disciplines…that will lead you to your individual training, but that’s for next time!
