Understanding the Basics of Triathlon

A triathlon is a sport endurance event wherein participants, called triathletes, compete for the shortest completion time in the overall race. A triathlon, as the name suggests, involves three components and these are swimming, cycling, and running. The transitions in between activities are also timed and are part of the triathletes' overall course completion time.

Transition areas, generally located in between the swimming and biking stages and in between biking and running stages, serve as checkpoints for the race as well as storage areas for bicycles, sports apparel and other accessories needed to prepare and venture into the next segment of the race. Since the transition time is part of the overall race completion time, being able to change apparels and gears is also necessary for a triathlete. These activities include removing the swimming apparel and putting on bicycle helmet or running shoes.

Prior to the race, participants have to undergo rigorous training for0 each of the three events. Triathletes generally go through "sports periodisation," which refers to the systematic approach of s preparation comprising progressive cycles of training within a specific period of time. Moreover, the athlete will also have to undergo general strength conditioning and combination workouts to ensure optimal performance during the event.

The triathlon races vary in the distances that the athletes have to endure. Triathlon made its first appearance on the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, with standard distances (also referred as international distances or Olympic distances) of 0.93 miles for swimming, 24.9 miles for biking, and 6.2 miles for the running event.