FitSugar

Sprint Tri Training Schedule

FitSugar — Sun, 22 May 2011 03:05:17 PDT

Being a goal-oriented gal, I have learned I work out much more consistently when training for a race, be it a 5K or a triathlon. If cross training is your thing, why not try a triathlon? Mixing up the endurance sports of running, biking, and swimming helps to keep overuse injuries and boredom at bay.

The easiest triathlon to tackle is the sprint distance: 750 meter (0.5 mile) or 500 meter (0.25 mile) swim, 20K (12.4 mile) bike, and a 5K (3.1 mile) run. The distances may vary a bit from course to course depending on the body of water for the swim and the terrain for biking. Caution: a sprint tri is the gateway race to longer and longer distances.

Here is the training schedule, created by the YMCA Tri Club, that I used a couple of years ago when training for my first tri. It is a great training program that slowly builds so it is great for beginners but has easy recovery weeks every three weeks or so. Even if you are not planning on participating in a triathlon, this training schedule might just be the thing you need to get ready for the beach.

To see the schedule, just

Lessons Learned: A Half Ironman Athlete Dishes the Dirt

Michele Bell — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 03:47:58 PST

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?

The Healthy Meatball Shares Her Race Day Fun

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 03:47:29 PDT

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.

Teri Hatcher and Julie Bowen Tri For a Good Cause

FitSugar — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 22:00:00 PDT

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.

Summer Training Tips From Ironman Tyler Stewart

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:47:07 PDT

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.

Try This Gear For Your Tri Training

FitSugar — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:00:11 PDT

Spanning three different endurance sports, the triathlon is a gear-heavy race. Moving from the water onto a bike, then propelling yourself on two legs after all that takes not only serious effort, but planning as well. Here are five pieces of tried and true gear that have made my triathlon training more enjoyable.
Source: Getty

Races For Women: Triathlon Series

FitSugar — Mon, 24 May 2010 10:00:24 PDT

Nothing makes my inner cougar happier than passing younger men while competing in triathlons (yes, they write your age on your calf for the whole world to see), but I like racing with just the ladies, too. The all-women races I've been in had a calm, somewhat sisterly vibe to them - and better cut t-shirts, too. If you're looking to try a tri, and want to stick with your own, here are three national triathlon series for women only that just might be your scene.

Danskin Triathlon: This is the "largest and longest running women's-only triathlon series" in the US. The sprint tris are held all over the country from Texas to Washington, from Wisconsin to Massachusetts. All races are approximately a half-mile swim, 12-mile bike, and 3.1-mile run. The next race in this series will be held in Austin, TX, on June 6. Entrance fees for these races are around $100.
Iron Girl: This is a women-only national series comprised of 12 events. Race distances vary according to local geography and many races end with a much-deserved breakfast. The next race in this is outside of Atlanta, GA, on June 27. The entrance fee for this race series is $95.
TrekWomen Triathlon Series: Known for the women-specific designed bikes, Trek has created an eight race tri series for you to test your skills. All courses are around half-mile swim, 12-mile bike, and three-mile run. The first race in the series is held just outside San Francisco on June 27. The entrance fee for all but one race in this series is $85.

Have you signed up for a race yet?

The Stars Work It Out For a Good Cause

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:00:51 PST

While most of Hollywood was swept up in Oscar fever, a few stars traded in their tuxes and gowns for Nike gear and competed in the Roselyn Sanchez Triathlon For Life instead. Kellan Lutz and AnnaLynne McCord were just two of the stars who ran, bike, and swam their way to charity in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Actress Roselyn Sanchez organized the triathlon to raise funds for two Puerto Rican children's groups: San Jorge Children's Foundation and La Casa Cuna de San Juan.

Other celebs that joined the fun include Eric Winter, Nick Lachey, and Vanessa Minnillo. The triathlon consisted of two courses: the Sprint (swim 750 meters, bike 12.4 miles, run 3.1 miles) and the Olympic (swim 1500 meters, bike 24.9 miles, run 6.2 miles).

To see more pics of the triathlon and the afterparty, read more.

View 13 Photos ›

Teri Hatcher to Try a Tri

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:30:03 PDT

Along with learning to play guitar and ballroom dance, Teri Hatcher explained that running in a triathlon was on her "bucket list." I am not sure how the guitar or the dancing are coming along, but her "bucket list" will soon be one item shorter, because Teri was tapped by Disney, parent company for her show Desperate Housewives, to lead a team at the upcoming Nautica Malibu Triathlon. The race is scheduled for September 13, and Terri has upped her regular training. She recently told People, the running is her least favorite segment of the race. About the four mile run that completes the race Hatcher said, "It's the least fun for me. By that point, I'm really tired, so the whole time I'm thinking, 'I'm not going to make it.'" Her participation in the triathlon will be doing more than whipping her into even better shape, Hatcher will be raising money for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. What about you? Is participating in a triathlon on your "bucket list"?

Parents Are Training Kids as Young as Three For Triathlons

LilSugar — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:00:00 PDT

On your mark, get set, go! Much has been said about the importance of getting lil ones out of the house and outside to combat obesity, but are tots as young as three ready to take on a triathlon?

As the popularity of triathlons – which usually include a mix of running, biking and swimming – grows among adults, it is gaining even more interest with the younger set. Events designed especially for kids, such as the Silicon Valley Kids Triathlon allows up to 1,000 kiddos between three and 15 to participate in their event. For the small frys – children six and under – the race course includes a 25-yard swim, a one-mile bike ride and a quarter mile run. Other events, such as IronKids, based on the IronMan series of races, have the youngsters swim 50 meters, bike two miles and run 500 yards. Doctors warn that kids need to train for these races in order to avoid injuries and dehydration.

Though many of the events are untimed in an effort to reduce the competitive nature of the races, and all participants receive medals and recognition at the finish line, are such events a healthy way to get kids active?

Week	Run	Bike	Swim	Total workout time	Extras
Week 1	30, 20, 20	45, 30	30, 20	3 1/4 hours
Week 2	30, 20, 20	45, 30	30, 20	3 1/4
Week 3	30, 30	45	30	2 1/4
Week 4	30, 45	60, 45	30, 30	4 hours
Week 5	30, 45	60, 45	30, 30	4 hours	Open water swim practice
Week 6	30, 20, 20	45, 45	30, 20	3 1/2 hours
Week 7	30, 45, 30	60, 60	30, 45	5 hours
Week 8	30, 45, 30	60, 60	30, 45	5 hours	Open water swim practice
Week 9	30, 45, 30	60, 60	30, 45	5 hours
Week 10	30, 45	60, 45	30, 30	4 hours
Week 11	30, 45, 30	45, 60	30, 45	4 3/4 hours	Work swim-to-bike transition
Week 12	30, 45, 30	45, 60	30, 45, 30	5 1/4 hours	Practice triathlon
Week 13	30	45, 45	30	3 hours	Open water swim practice
Week 14	30	45	30	1 1/4 hours	RACE