I’ve been urged to run when walking many times from triathlons to Parkrun. I call it walk shaming – and I really don’t like it.
It’s 2022 for goodness sake. We want to encourage people to get active any way they can.
Cholmondeley Castle triathlon was another event deferred from 2020.
I’d entered it in late 2019 as an Olympic distance triathlon that was a bit more challenging than the ones I’d done previously. At the time I was sure I’d be super fit and motivated by the time the race came around!
One year later than planned I arrived at the start line. Not quite as super fit as I’d hoped…….
Cut-off times are not just for ironman and long distance triathlon. Those of us at the back of the pack need to know how much time we have for any race.
As someone who happily plods round their triathlons, I hesitate to call my competitions “races”. Let’s face it, the only person I’m racing is myself (and possibly the handful of others vying for last place).
So I prefer to call them “events”. And I love them. For me, events are my reward for putting in all that training. The atmosphere, excitement and the buzz. I’d happily do one every weekend if only the body and budget would allow.
Let’s face it – I’m a very unlikely triathlete.
I’ve always loved sport – as a spectator.
As a child, attempts at taking part usually ended in misery. At my school we played hockey and netball – both particularly unpleasant when you’re short, slow and with poor hand eye coordination (at least netball was mainly inside). My years as a horse riding teenager ended when I was splatted against a tree, forcing me to realise that actually, I didn’t like horses.
I dabbled in other sports over the years. I was always willing to try things in the hope that I might find something I could manage reasonably competently.
But as I got older I became more and more inactive.
I could talk all about muscle adaptation and repair, glycogen stores and so on but basically whatever level of athlete you are, if you don’t have enough rest you’ll end up tired, injured and burned out.
And apart from the physical benefits, try to fit in 7 days training around a normal lifestyle and you’re likely to end up frazzled and stressed.
Membership of Tail End Triers gives you access to our exclusive Fitness and Training program. Here’s a bit more about the program, what’s in it and how it works.
Many of us get the odd aches and pains when training, especially at peak training load. But arthritis can mean they occur far more often, or continuously. But does it mean the end of training?
Not unless you have been told to stop by a doctor that understands sport as well as arthritis. There are things you can do to help your training.
In the lead up to my first triathlon I had lots of concerns. Can I swim 400m in open water without drowning? What do I eat for breakfast? Will my dodgy hip get through the 5k run (or rather walk, in my case).
But the one thing that worried me most was the all important question – What am I going to wear!
Anyone who trains for triathlon needs to be eating properly. In this guest article, triathlon and nutrition coach Celia Boothman looks at why so many of us are not getting the nutrition we need and what to do about it..
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