triathlon

You don't have to be a triathlete to appreciate the grueling effort and stamina it takes to complete an Olympic triathlon. This three-sport competition requires competitors to be well-rounded athletes in swimming, cycling, and running since overall time is considered, not the time for individual sections of the race. Before catching the first competition this weekend, you'll want to brush up on these Olympic triathlon facts.

1. Only 110 athletes will compete — 55 men and 55 women — and each country can have up to six athletes race — three men and three women.
2. Five athletes will be representing the US in the triathlon: Laura Bennett (37), Sarah Groff (30), Gwen Jorgensen (26), Manuel Huerta (28), and Hunter Kemper (36).
3. There are no heats, only one race, and the first one to cross the finish line is the winner. Six medals will be awarded; three each for the men and women.
4. The course is a 1,500 m swim, a 43 km bike ride (seven laps of a 6.137 km course), and a 10 km run (four laps of a 2.5 km course), in that order.
5. The swim will take place in open water in the Serpentine, the cycle portion in Central London, and the athletes will finish by running in Hyde Park.
6. Competitors can be penalized for things such as blocking another athlete, not completing the transition between portions of the race (keeping their goggles on while running), or cycling in the transition zone. These penalties must be served either in the transition area or in a penalty box during the run.
7. The first Olympic triathlon was in Sydney in 2000, won by Canada and Switzerland. New Zealand and Austria triumphed in 2004, and Germany and Australia were the winners in 2008. Let's hope the US can bring home gold in 2012.
8. So far the record time for men made in 2000 by Canadian Simon Whitfield is 1:48:24.02. Australian Emma Snowsill holds the record for the women with her time of 1:58:27.66, made in 2008.
9. Susan Rene Bartholomew-Williams is the first and only US triathlete to bring home an Olympic medal (bronze) in this event. In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, she had a time of 2:05:08.92.
10. The women's triathlon begins at 9 a.m. (local time) on Saturday, Aug. 4, and you can catch the men's triathlon on Tuesday, Aug. 7, at 11:30 a.m. There won't be a live broadcast, but there will be live coverage available on Twitter through @triathlonlive and ITUonline.

Feeling inspired? Here's a mini triathlon workout you can do inside your gym.

The triathlon made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Summer Games, but people have been competing in this challenging multisport event since the 1920s. The Olympic event includes a 1.5 km (0.93 mile) swim, 40 km (25 mile) cycle, and 10 km (6.2 mile) run. Since you may not have time to squeeze an Olympic tri into your schedule, here's a mini triathlon workout you can complete at the gym in about an hour. Not only will this get you psyched to check out the female athletes competing on Aug. 4 for the gold, but mixing up your cardio workouts is also a great way to prevent injury and beat boredom.

Begin with a five-minute warmup to get your blood flowing and to loosen up your muscles. Here are some ideas for exercises that will get you ready for your tri. Once the workout is complete, don't forget the five-minute cooldown.

Ready to give this tri a try? Keep reading for this mini triathlon indoor workout.

You've spent months training for your big race, and the moment to step on the starting line is finally here. What should you do on your big day to make it a success? I asked professional triathlete Jenny Fletcher, who knows a thing or two about race jitters, to share her favorite race-day tips. The model and Oakley Perform Beautifully ambassador competes in at least 10 triathlons a year, ranging from Olympic to grueling half-Iron Man lengths. Read on for her tips on what you should do when it's finally time to race.

Eat right: The best pre-race meal for one person may be the worst for someone else, so the day of the race isn't the time to introduce unfamiliar foods to your body. "When you're training, you have to experiment with what your body can take," Jenny recommends. Make sure you stick to what works once it's time to race. What you eat the day before the race is important as well. Make sure you drink a lot of water and eat an adequate amount of calories the day before your race.

Warm up and stay warmed up: The starting line scene can involve a lot of waiting for everyone to assemble. But if you've warmed up awhile ago and the gun still hasn't gone off, then make sure you keep your heart rate up with simple moves like jumping up and down or jogging in place. This helps you avoid what Jenny calls the dreaded "red zone." In it, "you start out too hard, you're breathing too hard, you get all that lactic acid buildup, and you can feel your body fighting. That's not supposed to happen at the beginning of a race," she says.

Keep reading for more race-day tips from Jenny!

For many, open-water swimming isn't even in the picture, but for those of you braving a lake or ocean, have no fear! If you want to take the plunge in your first open-water swim or you're a triathlete looking to improve the swimming portion of your race, keep these tips and tricks in mind the next time you hear the gun go off.

• Dress for warmth: Chances are the water is not going to be as warm as the typical swimming pool — in fact, it will probably be a lot colder. Keep warm before the race by doing some light jogging and arm swings to warm up your joints, and make sure your towel and sweats are waiting for you at the finish line once you leave the water. During the race, wear two swim caps instead of one to keep the heat from escaping. It will make a big difference.
• Practice sighting and balance: In the open water, there are no distinct lane lines for reference, making it necessary to "sight" a point on land to help maintain your direction. Learning to breathe on both sides, for balance, with your head slightly forward will allow you to grasp where you are in the race and where your competitors are in comparison. Just make sure you aren't lifting your head too high and favoring one side — this can slow you down and become exhausting!

Keep reading for more open-water swimming tips.

Brad Pitt "married" into kids. Kate Middleton is about to marry into royalty. Me? I married into athleticism. My in-laws treat their vacation like a weight-loss camp. They don't need to lose weight, and they don't impose their lifestyle on anyone else, but you can't help but catch the fitness fever in their presence. My brother-in-law Jim, age 32, is no exception to the rule. A jock his whole life, it was no surprise to us when he decided to tackle a half ironman race with little training behind him. He finished the triathlon, but it wasn't without its challenges . . . and big ones at that. As a novice, he learned a few tough lessons that made his journey an uphill battle. After completing his first race, he took his lessons learned and used them just a month later as he conquered his second half ironman in a much smarter and quicker fashion.

The lessons learned:

• Read the rules. Skimming doesn't count. He wore his iPod Shuffle and was later told it was a rule that he couldn't wear ear buds during the race. He ended up tossing it to the side of the road never to be seen again.
• Early bird gets the worm! Even though you may think you are prepared the night before, it's a good thing to wake up earlier than necessary. It will give you time to deal with potential disasters and if nothing else, relax!
• Map it out. Know where to be and when to be there the night before. When the race kicks off before the break of dawn, it's good to know what goes where before the adrenaline kicks in. The biggest concern you should have in the morning is getting to the starting line as even that can be a challenge sometimes.
• Practice your transitions. As organized as he might have been, Jim accidentally left his biking shoes in his running bag. His plan was to put the bike shoes into the bike bag when he got to the race. Instead, he left them in the original bag and had to bike the entire 66 miles barefoot! Do a dry run of the transitions so you won't be surprised when it's go time.
• Do your homework. Attend the pre-race briefing so you know all the facts before starting the race. Small nuances or rule changes may be announced, and you may even learn a few pointers to help you tighten up your finish time.
• Eat up. One of the things Jim did right was to eat well before the race. It is important to test yourself with different foods prior to the competition so you know what to feed your body during the actual event.

Do you have any lessons you can add to the list?

OnSugar blog The Healthy Meatball shares her excitement on competing in her first triathlon.

Hightstown Triathlon 9/26/10

I am proud to announce that I am officially a TRIATHLETE! After two months of hardcore training for my first tri, I completed my first sprint distance in Hightstown, NJ. For those unfamiliar with the multi-sport, here is the breakdown: 425 meter swim, 20K bike, 5K run. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the swim portion of the race best; perhaps it's because I recently learned how to swim (correctly) or perhaps it's because I trained my butt off for that leg of the race. Regardless, throughout the race I was expecting to be hurting and well, questioning why the hell I put myself through these things, but not at all! In fact, I think most triathletes will agree that you're on such a "high" while competing that you hardly think of the pain. The best part of the whole day was having mine and Adam's family cheering us on. At one point, my older brother even ran alongside me . . . in jeans . . . holding a cowbell. Now that's support. Here are some pics from the event.

6am getting marked up

For more images from her race day, keep reading.

This weekend the stars came out in full force to take place in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. The popular race is a favorite among celebs because of its close proximity to Hollywood, but more important, they participate to raise money for a good cause: the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and its Pediatric Cancer Research Program. This year, TV host Nancy O'Dell emceed and former America Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell lent her chops to sing the national anthem.

Actress Teri Hatcher competed in the tri for the second year in a row joined by fellow stars Rachel Griffiths, Josh Hopkins, Julie Bowen, and Mark Feuerstein. Gilles Marini, Trevor Donovan, and James Marsden also ran, bike, and swam in the 24th annual event. The triathlon consists of a half-mile swim, an 18-mile bike ride, and a four-mile run — yowza! It looks like Hollywood is brimming with the fit and fabulous!

For shots of all these competitors, keep on reading.

Training in the Summer seems like it should be easy. The season is synonymous with free time, and with longer days, fitting in a workout shouldn't be so hard. Yet I find it more difficult than during other seasons, and luckily Ironman Tyler Stewart understands my woes.

In a web event sponsored by Lunabar, Tyler summed up my problems: "Summer is a hard time to train. We all vacation a lot during Summer. It's hard to keep up with a routine when traveling. And when the weather is so nice you'd rather grab a beer with friends than train." Amen, sister! But as a professional triathlete, she's figured out some ways to take the pressure off and get motivated during summertime. Here are a few tips from Tyler:

• Keep it short: Tyler recommends keeping your workouts short so you don't overwhelm yourself. As an Ironman triathlete, her long workouts are upwards of four hours — definitely a level above most of us — but short and sweet will get the work done.
• Have a focus: Sign up for a Fall event to keep you motivated. Tyler is competing in the Hawaii Ironman this October, and having that race on her calendar helps keep her eyes on the prize.

There are three more great tips, so keep on reading.