Ways to help you live a better life.: TRIATHLONS TIPS

FIRST GO READ SWIMMING TIPS, then come back here!

Swimming, the changes you would do from the Swimming Tips page too doing a triathlon would be.

SWIMMING:

If swimming in an ocean, make sure your hands go 'up and around'. This gets you over waves.
Lift your head for a sighting. Lift, look, turn to the side breath, drop chin.
Take lessons, form is fundamental.
Kick less save your legs, unless you practiced a lot and have strong legs. Then kick away and go faster. FYI I will be kicking I will be doing Insanity and P90X before Lavaman.
Practice swimming in a large group. PILE UP!! Swim on top of each other....get the feel of someone swimming over you.
Video tape your swim, see what you need to change and change it!!
Watch some YOU TUBE videos and compare your strokes to theirs.

BIKING:

Buy a bike that FITS!! I can't stress this enough, get FITTED!!
Life weights, do squats, step-ups, leg presses
Ride shorter distances, fast
Ride in the hardest gear, go fast and hard.
Improve shifting gears.....go through your gears. KNOW THEM
Purchase fast equipment, if you can. disc wheels, aero bars, easy to drink from water bottle....

RUN:

Run with a group if you can.
Run shorter run, often
Refine running technique
Build your legs!!
Buy shoes that FIT!!!
Purchase running shoe for the run you are doing. Sprint shoes are diff from distance shoes.

PLAN out how you are going to train.

FIND THE TIME!! that is the biggest for all of us. The way I found the extra time for my Beachbody business was making a log of what I did for that day. I did this for two weeks. I found that I spent 1.5 hours on Facebook.......OH FB the time eater!!! I did NOT give up FB. I set a timer!! I was on for 1/2 that gave me an extra hour for me. If you don't know where you want to go, by the end of the season you will have gone no where!!

The week before, ride the bike route, pay attention to the hills and think of what gear will be needed. pay attention to corners, road surface, mile markers, turning points.

Train with weights, cardio, active rest the week of the race. What does that mean, active rest. You make workout, don't do weights, do things like stretching, yoga, EASY swim, or bike ride, NO hills.
The day before your race, do a 30 min bike ride and a 15 min run. NO more. Take care of all the things you need to do TODAY, don't wait for race day to do them. Put race numbers on your bike, helmet, bib number on your shirt, or race belt. Lay our your clothes. Take your mind off the race!! Stay off your legs and out of the sun!! Go to a movie, rent a movie, read a book, in the shade. Eat NORMAL, no weird stuff, keep alcohol, caffeine, and roughage low to none. Extra salt on your food. Salt everything. IF you are in a race and get a cramp, LICK YOUR ARM. I know gross......but you sweat salt, your body NEEDS salt. Trust me, lick your arm a time or two. :D
Try this one at home, when you get a leg cramp, eat some salt, just a dime size will do., wash it down w/some water. BOOM cramp will be GONE!! YEP, that quick and easy. I have salt on my bed stand.

RACE DAY:

Take some toilet paper with you to the start line. Most places will be out of toilet paper.
Leave early for the race, there will be traffic and you will want to relax.
Rack your bike, lay out your items. Make sure you stay in your limits. People have been known to toss stuff, if it's in their space.
Visit the toilet.
BREATH
Stretch and warm up
Trust your training
Shake out your arms and legs
Forget about outcomes
You are doing this for you.
Write some funny jokes on your arms, read it and laugh....relax
If swimming is not your thing...remember to stay along the edge or back. This way you are not run/swam over.
Before you start, have your bike in the lower gear. Lower than you would normally ride in. This will help you get a better start.
When you are at the end of the bike ride, right before the line, spin out, this will help your legs transition.
At the start of the run, think about your breathing....not your legs. This will help slow your legs down until they are ready to have weight on them.
After you are done......walk around.......cool down, drink water, eat THE COOKIE. :D Eat a few bananas, and a few oranges. Drink a recovery drink. EAT/DRINK sugar with in 30 minutes.
Make your partner take you out for a steak!! with a BIG desert!! You did AWESOME, unless of course you died, then....well you did better than awesome. You found your limit. :/ haha

WAY TO HELP YOU RECOVER:

Hot shower or bath. I like a both, fill the tub with hot water and soak.
Pedal, swim or walk...yep go back at it. Notice it don't say run, it says walk. Even the bike should be easy, swim slow and steady.
Relax and Stretch ..... do an active recovery workout. All stretching. Nothing hard, or fast.
Go get a massage.

FOOD:
Eat two hours before a race. NO you don't need to load up on carbs, but do eat carbs, protein, and healthy fats. 1000 calories would be great. Can't eat that much, drink up butter cup. Add those calories to your shake. Remember it need not be all carbs. Drink water or a sports drink. No food two hours before you start. Water only. Stick to foods your belly knows. DON'T try something new. Use new things during training. I drink a Shakeology before a race, loading it with extra protein, carbs and fats.
This feeds my body what it needs! Instead of sports drinks I drink Beachbody's Results and Recovery drink. Again giving my body what it needs.
Before a race, during breakfast, I will drink Hydrate, another Beachbody Product. Hydrate, does just that, keeps me hydrated longer.

A little list of items to take with you.

SWIM: