Editorial tries: preparing for the first triathlon startup

Who will benefit from triathlon: those who want to improve the quality of their body, lose weight, become stronger, more enduring, prepare for competitions.

What the training is aimed at: today we perform a kind of test to understand the capabilities of the body. In general, triathlon training is a complex of physical activities, including: swimming, cycling, running, functional and strength training, stretching.

Difficulty level: we rated our class today an 8 out of 10.

14:01. We start our workout right away in the pool. Victoria suggests that I swim to one side in any style I feel comfortable with. This is to get a feel for how long it will take and at what pace I’m comfortable swimming.

What is triathlon as we will be doing it today?
Victoria Shubina, Head of Triathlon at World Class: It is one of the variants of the training format in a fitness club. Indoortriathlon is an opportunity to perform a sequence of classic competitive elements (swimming, cycling, running) in standard conditions. It’s safe, and it doesn’t require complicated expensive equipment: bike, wetsuit.

14:10. It turns out that in order to swim faster, you need to breathe like professional swimmers (!). That is, inhale air when raising your head and exhale air when lowering your head into the water. This advice from my coach in the beginning helps me to significantly increase my speed and make the process easier.

What goals do people who start triathlon set for themselves?
A variety of them. From trying something new, to getting fit… to wanting to make it to the Ironman World Championships in Kona!

Today we are doing a triathlon test. What does it usually involve?
You and I will complete a variation of the Indoortriathlon event, which includes 10 minutes of swimming + 30 minutes of biking + 20 minutes of running. The distances covered in that time are totaled, and the person who covered the greater distance wins the event. We use coefficients in our version: we multiply swimming by 10 and running by 4, in order for swimming and running to have more weight in the competition.

14:20. My goal today: swim for 10 minutes. It should be divided into three stages: swim the first five minutes at my own pace, then speed up a bit and, if I have strength left, do the final push in the last five minutes. The hardest thing for me at the moment is to get used to the water. Training in the gym and intensive training in the pool are fundamentally different. Especially if usually in the water you are used to relaxing and “soaking” after group fitness.

What conclusions can be drawn after the test workout?
It will show the current capabilities of your body. This is neither bad nor good, it is a fact from which further planning of the training process, and growth of your functional capabilities begins. 10 points to you for getting up and showing up…this step is probably the hardest for many. That’s why I’m proud of you!

What is the least energy consuming style of swimming in the pool?
Crawl is considered to be the fastest and also the most economical style. That’s why the vast majority of triathletes learn and improve this style of swimming. Today we have seen different variations of breaststroke (head above water, head down and backstroke). When we start the training process, we will slowly master the crawl. The main recommendations that I voiced today: do not start quickly.

In normal life, we may not notice how a whole hour flies by, but in triathlon we live every second!

14:35. I have only five minutes to change clothes, which, like a real lady, gradually turns into 15. I leave the locker room and I think I’ll put it down to inexperience in the article.

How long does it ideally take to go from the pool to the gym?
The transition from one sport to another is called the transit zone. At a competition, you would only have five minutes. If you were delayed, your competitors would leave earlier. So to avoid giving them an extra head start, it’s best to hurry up.

What’s unique about the exercise bike I train on? And why do even professional triathletes prefer it?
It’s a Wattbike trainer – the only one that can teach you how to pedal properly. It also displays power and cadence. All these data help to significantly increase the efficiency of training. It’s the perfect trainer for the winter season when you can’t train in combat conditions (outdoors).

14:50. The hardest part of the bike workout for me was realizing that there was a long 30 minutes ahead. Turns out you can choose different pictures on the trainer itself. I chose: and now I’m watching the intensity with which my right and left feet are pushing the pedals. Victoria says that with professional triathletes this picture is stable and actually static.

What should you pay attention to when completing a distance on a bike?
On the distribution of forces over the distance, as well as the speed. In amateurs, it is slightly lower than in professionals – about 80-90 revolutions/min. Athletic testing is done in training for running, swimming and cycling. This data is used to determine progress and is used for distance planning.

What drinking regimen should be followed during training? Does the drinking regimen depend on the goal one has set for oneself?
The longer the distance, the more important it is that the body has enough food and water. Also the amount of water depends on the temperature (hot/cold). I recommend drinking small amounts and more often. Do not wait until you feel extremely thirsty – these are the first signs of dehydration, and dehydration reduces speed and increases the recovery period.

15:00. What to hide, as a goal in my questionnaire I indicated – to improve the quality of the body, but, like any girl, would not mind to lose weight. That’s why I drink a lot during the workout, or rather, I drink often and a little.

What to do if at the end of the run there is no strength left at all? How to correctly calculate your strength on the track?
This means that the forces on the swimming and cycling stages were incorrectly calculated. But I repeat that it is a very difficult task to do it correctly without having such experience before. In such a case, you need to reduce the intensity, perhaps even to a step. Give your body a chance to recover a bit and then slowly get back to your pace.

15:20. And this is where I realized that the real challenge was still ahead of me. That feeling when you can barely stand up after a bike ride, and not only can you go home, but you have another 20 (!) minutes on the track. The trainer sets a standard speed for beginners – 9.4 km/h. For my first workout it was a bit too much for me, so I was allowed to reduce the speed.

How many training sessions per week is optimal when preparing for a triathlon start?
It all depends on the goal. The bigger the goal, the longer distance you are preparing for, the more time you need for training. But in general, I very rarely schedule more than five training days. Because I believe that recovery is an equally important element of the training process. For example, for the kind of start you and I tried today, three training days a week is enough.

15:35. An important part of triathlon is to keep your performance on an upward trajectory. So I’ve been gradually increasing my speed for the last five minutes. It’s not easy, but every second you get more and more excited about what you’re doing. And your body somehow agrees with you, pulling up the strength that is running out.

When can you see the first result?
So, the result of my first training day: swimming – 300m/3000m (including coefficient), cycling – 13 550m, running – 2320m/9280m (including coefficient). Total: 25,830 meters. We’ll do it again in a couple months and see!

16:00. I realize, albeit with difficulty, what distance I have covered today. The coach advises to eat carbohydrates to restore the balance in the body. There will be two pieces of news at the end of the story. The first good news: I advise you to try triathlon in the gym to everyone who is tired of standard fitness, who is looking for an opportunity to become more enduring and stronger, to learn about the limitless possibilities of your body. And also to those who are tired of feeling sorry for themselves and are ready to make a powerful leap under the careful guidance of a trainer.

The second good news: with the easy hand of our amazing coach, I decided to set a goal for myself – to try to prepare for the first triathlon start in my life. You can absolutely read what will come out of it in our #editorial_tries section. Be inspired by our experiments and take the challenge! And I’m off to recuperate before my next training session.