Pilates For Triathlon

A triathlon is a sport activity that requires a high level of energy and enthusiasm on the part of the sportsperson. This sport consists of three stages in which the participants have to compete in swimming, which is followed by cycle racing and ultimately normal running over a certain distance. This is a difficult sports activity that requires a lot of endurance power from the participants. Proficiency in all the three sports activity is a must for determining success in this game. The greatest requirement for the sportsperson participating in this competition is to preserve their energy so that they can complete their course properly and in the most efficient manner. A strategic approach and a high-level of energy is a must for this sport and a proper triathlon coaching session can ensure that all these aspects are dealt with properly.
A good coaching for triathlon racing is a must as that is the only thing which will determine your performance in the sports activity. If you are a beginner in this field there are few steps that will ensure good performance from you and also its significant progress through a specific time period.
• The beginners should target short distance races so that their energy survives through out the race. Normally, sprint triathlon over short distances is advised by most of the triathlon coaching centers. With time, the racing distances are slowly increased so that the beginners can cope with it easily.
• Having a planned approach for training is a must as it is the only thing that ensures progress in this sports activity. Good coaching centers ensure that the improvement in your performances comes subtly with time and you become a perfect triathlon racer.
• Swimming is one of the most difficult parts of this game and demands a lot of attention. Without proper swimming skills and adequate practice you cannot succeed in this race. The best way to ensure proper swimming skills is to go for professional coaching from expert. Poor techniques can not only hamper your race but also pose difficulty when you intend to improve upon those techniques.
• The biggest problem with most of the sports activities is that people tend to over train themselves in the initial stages of couching. This should be avoided. In case of triathlon the sportspersons should train themselves to complete the whole race first and then try improving their speed in the race. Focusing on the parts in which you are week would help you in improving your game in a significant manner.
• Once you are in your transitory stage do practice it properly; however, in such circumstances also you should prevent your self from going overboard.
• Listening to instructions and professional guidance and implementing them in your game plan should always be done properly. This will guarantee your leap towards success in triathlon racing.
These steps along with proper coaching guidance will ensure you victory and progress in this sports activity. However, choosing proper coaching also is a must and you can only ensure this after a careful analysis of the various coaching services that are present in the market. Always keep one thing in mind, that a good triathlon coaching expert would provide not only good training but also motivate you in the best possible way. Through proper planning and use of a good calendar, your coach should determine a flexible couching regimen for you so that you slowly move towards your goal of becoming a splendid triathlon sportsperson.

Triathlon swimming is referred as one of the most demanding sports, but once you attain proficiency in this sport, automatically you get the sense of pride and achievement. Triathlon swimming not only demands your time but also effort and energy. So, once you have made up your mind to train yourself in this area of interest, then the first and foremost step you have to execute is buying the required equipments and accessories including swim cap, goggles, a swim suit and a nose clip. These accessories will help you largely in the swimming exercise and get you sooner to your goal of getting trained in triathlon swimming.
While buying these accessories, take a note of the point that the accessories are bright in color. The logic behind this revolves round the safety reasons. Triathlon swimsuits are customized suits that have more pliable rubber all around the area of shoulder and neck or are generally sleeveless. The swimmer selects them according to their choice and size. Many of them have long zippers that facilitate quick and easy removal during the time of transition.
Once you are ready with the equipments, now start with the training session. The foremost step to be followed is selecting the kind of triathlon as there are varieties available like Olympic, ironman and sprint triathlon. If you are novice and want to start up with an easy one, then go for sprint. But if you love to face hard challenges, then ironman mode is the best suited for you. The most appropriate way is to do sprint a little bit and then switch over to the next one.
Now begin practicing for longer hours if you are willing to learn it quickly. Longer hours of practice will help you in build up stamina and will promote efficiency. But never forget to add stretching as well as weight sessions in the training as it will give flexibility to the body using which you can easily excel in this sport.
Always remember the fact that following a training regime slowly and steadily can bring more fruitful results as you give appropriate time to the body to adapt to the new situation of doing triathlon swimming. Triathlon swimming will also bring many changes into your body like reduction in weight and will have more enduring body. Focus on eating right and nutritious food that provides optimum energy as per the body requirements.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the triathlon swimming training is the pacing speed. You must inculcate the habit of pacing properly using proportional speed according to the the stamina of the body. Then gradually increase it to the standard level so that you become a good triathlon swimmer.
Once this is achieved, then begin participating in the small scale competitions so that you can match the levels of other swimmers. Gain expertise in this sport of challenges by training attentively and getting minimal injuries so that you enjoy it in a better way.

So you think you can become one of the 1/1000th of 1% of the world who can say they have gone and completed an Ironman Triathlon? It’s quite an accomplishment to either swim 2.2 miles, or bike 112, or run a 26.2mile marathon – but to do them all consecutively in one day?! Some would argue this is borderline psychotic Suffice to say, I am one of those psychotic people and to perhaps give YOU some inspiration that this “crazy” triathlon accomplishment can be a legitimate goal in your own lifetime, I couldn’t swim 10meters let alone 2.2miles when I signed up for my first Ironman.

With the right mindset and dedication, it IS in fact possible to squeeze in your training, your work, your social life, your laundry, your naptime, etc etc etc – but it all boils down to how badly you want it. The sport of triathlon is growing at an alarming rate, so it would seem that a LOT of people are looking for a new challenge beyond doing a 5km or 10km or marathon. I was in the same boat, having done a few marathons, I figured what other test of endurance could I subject myself to and doing an Ironman seemed about right… haha, I don’t exactly recommend doing Ironman as your first triathlon, nor do I recommend trying to do an iron distance triathlon without knowing how to swim – but if you want incentive to learn and a greater incentive to push yourself to the limits of physical endurance – by all means

Of course, most people start by doing a sprint distance triathlon or even an Olympic distance as they are not quite as intimidating. Some are even held indoors and you have the luxury of swimming in a semi-heated pool as opposed to a freezing cold lake (at least where I’m from). You won’t need to get yourself a top of the line time-trial bike and I’ve seen people do triathlon races with mountain bikes, and even a unicycle! Now THAT’s crazy.

In any case, the point is, the sport of triathlon is not as “elite” as many people make it out to be. It’s meant to be fun, it’s meant to be a challenge, and there really is no better feeling than crossing that finish line for your first multisports race whether it’s a short sprint, or your first Ironman. Regardless of distance you choose – Go For it!

A triathlon swim is among one of the really popular sports today. Although it requires immense patience, time, energy, dedication and determination to prepare for it, but once it has been experienced and accomplished, you realize that sweating out for it really is worth it.
Once you are firm upon the decision that you want to pursue this great sport, the very first thing that you need is the triathlon gear. This is the very first and the most important step that you need to take before making a plunge head on. So, here is a quick list for the equipment that you will need for an effective triathlon swim.
Typical equipment that you will need for the swim are swimming goggles, nose clip, cap and a wetsuit or swim suit. Usually, the participants are expected to wear swimming caps that are provided by organizers of the events. For safety purposes, these caps are generally of very bright colors and may be of various colors for signifying different categories.
The ordinary wetsuits that are designed for the purposes of snorkeling or other sports are not apt for a triathlon swim as they do not provide optimum benefits. The sleeves are restrictive of free arm movements that prevent you from making comfortable swim strokes. The swimsuits for a triathlon are customized as per your very own individual needs. They include of a more pliable and softer rubber around your shoulder area. They may be even sleeveless to provide you with utmost comfort. These swimsuits also feature longer zippers along with occasional ankle and wrist zippers for facilitating quick removal during transition. They have smooth delicate surfaces for reducing the friction caused by water and allow a great speed through water.
Once you have availed the entire triathlon gear, you need to proceed further and take another major step that is to learn the skills. To excel in the sport, you have to learn the proper methods and techniques of breathing, body alignment, arm position and the kicks. It will take some tie to master these skills and so you need a lot of patience. It is only through being adept at the basic skills that you can win applauds in the sport.
In order to become an expert, you can get enrolled in some lesson classes so that your skills are honed and you become an expert. The trainers will guide you towards the right methodology to attain your triathlon swim goals. Most of the trainers will tell you not to log laps at slow paces as it develops in to a poor habit. So, you must always avoid slow stuff.
Even if you are a fitness freak, you must remember that you have to take ample care of your body and muscles in order to keep them in good working condition. You may work towards improving your fitness but without any injury risks. You must realize that your overall body strength is very important in a triathlon swim and thus needs to be maintained properly.

Plan remains to be a plan not until some action pushes it to realize its potentials. All of us are capable of making a good start and see our start to its end with each plan that we do. However, our greatest fear is not that we cannot make them. It is the fear that we know our capacities yet we never maximize them nor use parts of them.
In a game of endurance, we have to understand that we should optimize our full strengths and work on our failures as we flex our physical and mental muscles to work. Proper training may help you gather majority of their benefits yet there are always some things that you inertly have which largely contribute to your mastery of the sports.
It all starts with a plan, a goal that is workable. Achievable goals are more likely to lead you to success than those placed beyond your reach. Triathlon training will not only accustom your physical body to the risk of joining the game, it will also recreate your willingness to continue despite the fatigue and the ever-present negative voice that tells you “you wont make it, quit it now or race in vain”.
Triathlon trainings vary in length. A few months may move you through a short sprint triathlon but stuffs like Iron Man Triathlon competitions must be taken seriously as to take a minimum of 1 year training period. Considering that the event covers three endurance sports, it is no wonder why even professionals takes years before they can actually master the techniques to win the title.
Anyone has his or her weak sport. And as a rule in triathlon training, one must focus more on the weak sport and save the latter training on your forte. Someone said if you train on a slow mode, you’ll get a slow result. If you however modify your training towards the fast mode then the result will also be fast. There must be some truths on this. The sad part though is that we normally can’t train consistently.
Your training must not only include routines that will facilitate improvements on the sports involved. You must also get enough practice on adapting yourself on the transition stages. Beginning to train for a triathlon can be as hard as it sounds. Well, it means changing your usual everyday routine and adding some time on the track, on your bike, at the gym, and in the water. But those are not the only things you must consider. You should also think of the possible risks that might happen before during and after your training.
You must remember this: injuries do exist but can be prevented. And the most common are caused by over-training, wrong set of gears, and improper practices. Here are 5 ways to prevent injuries from taking away your triathlon dream:
Stretching – Before you begin your training, you must do some stretching. This would release the tension of your tightened tendon and muscles. There are some studies conducted that people who do not stretch before and after stretching are more prone to injuries. Some also argue about the necessity of stretching but taking outmost precaution would certainly lead you from disregarding this argument.
Training duration – You simply cannot go from 0 to 5k in an instant. You must take it gradually. Over-training often causes injuries. Make sure you take one step at a take and not take on giant leap towards your goal. Keep your training plan realistic. In this way, give your body the time to adapt to the training.
Rest – After training for several hours on one day, your body needs to rest. Again, a good rest would give your body the time to adapt to the training. This would prevent from over stressing your muscles and tendons that can result to injuries.
Footwear – There is a particular shoe for running and cycling. And this should be taken seriously. The most punished part of your body during training and the actual triathlon itself are your feet so make sure that you have the proper footwear for your run and for your bike. Also remember that friction blister is common to those who wear old shoes, shoes with inadequate soles, and improper shoe fitting.
Gears – If you have the history of ankle injury, keeping your ankle protected with braces would be a good idea. Tendonitis, a common effect of over training could be avoided if you wear proper ankle braces. A nice swimwear would give you better movement on water. And since you also have your swimwear on during the entire race, a good and well-fitted one is a must have.
Having the edge on any of the sport would never be enough if all the distance you gathered are bargained with tripping on your swim-run transition. Switching from one momentum to another is not inertly equipped within our system. We must teach our bodies to adjust.

A triathlon is one of the most demanding sports there is but the sense of accomplishment and achievement experienced once you’ve completed one, far outweighs the time, effort energy and dedication required for it’s preparation – not to mention the long term bragging rights!

Once you’ve decided to compete in your first triathlon, you will need to put your money where your mouth is and commit by purchasing the gear required. Once all the equipment has been bought, there is no going back, well there is but the guilt associated with all that equipment rotting away in your garage staring you in the face every time you go to mow the lawn could be overwhelming!

So, you’ve committed. What do you need. Well, here is a general rundown on the equipment required.

The Swim

Typical requirements for the swim are a cap, swimming goggles, a nose clip and a swim suit or wetsuit. Generally, participants are required to wear a swimming cap provided by the event organisers, they are usually bright in colour for safety reasons and can be different colours to signify different categories.

Ordinary wetsuits designed for snorkelling etc will not provide optimum benefits in a triathlon because the sleeves restrict the arm movements to prevent a comfortable stroke during the swim. Triathlon wetsuits are customized to the needs of a triathlete and include softer, more pliable rubber around the shoulder area, or are sleeveless. they also have longer zippers and can have wrist and ankle zippers to facilitate faster removal during the transition. Triathlon wetsuit also have a smooth delicate surface to reduce water friction and allow a faster speed through the water.

The Cycle

The obvious main component for the cycle is the bike. The triathlon bike is a variant of the road bike and the most significant difference is the addition of tri-bars or aero-bars. Because triathletes cannot draft as can be done in cycling events, aerodynamics plays a large part in the cycling leg of the triathlon. Frame tubes are oval rather than round and the wheels may have fewer spokes or even be carbon fibre tri spokes or discs. Tri bikes are very similar to time trial bikes.

Tri-bars or aero-bars are handlebars designed to reduce the wind drag on a cyclist. They are attached to the handlebars and have rests for the riders forearms while the hands are stretched forward to hold the centre bars. This keeps the elbows closer to the body and lowers the torso to allow for better aerodynamics.

Triathletes tend to become obsessed with aerodynamics in their quest to improve speed and performance with the result that manufacturers are concentrating more and more on improving triathlon bikes for the disconcerting triathlete.

Of course , other equipment required include the cycle helmet, the cycling clothing and triathlon shoes. Triathlon shoes are similar to cycling shoes in that they have automatic binding cleats that allow them to clip into the pedals. Tri shoes are optimized for this approach in that they may be padded to allow the athlete more comfort while not wearing socks after the swim, they may have holes in them to allow the water from the swim to drain easily, and may have only one or two velcro straps instead of three to allow for ease of fastening while cycling.

This is just a general view of the more obvious equipment required to compete in a triathlon. Of course, to begin, you don’t need the most expensive bike with the carbon fibre frame or to have your brake and chain cables running inside the tubing, these modifications are for a later date when you too have become obsessed with shaving seconds of PBs. For now, decide you are going to compete in one, target a specific triathlon as your first, and arrange a training schedule to suit. It is a good idea to join a club as training with others will allow you to learn and get you out on those days that you would prefer to sit in front of the telly than go on a 40k cycle. Above all, have fun. Good luck and ENJOY!

“Whoever finishes first will be called the Iron Man”, is the tag line that has revolved around the competition that produced the survivors of the game for the fittest.
Iron Man Triathlon is simply a game for the bold. It takes tons of courage, will power and endurance to start the race and make it to the finish line. In fact, the very first Iron Man triathlon competition held in 1978 was completed within 13 minutes before the day’s half ends.
Over the years, Iron Man triathlon has become a pool of multisport events that cover sports like running, cycling, swimming and sometimes, skiing. These have varying distances of multiple combinations of course sequences. However, the original event is still embodied in the Kona events that actually call the winners as Iron Men.
The Hawaii still holds the World Championship for Iron man Triathlon though the governing body hosts other competitions around the world that also provide the title of Iron Man for the winners. Nevertheless, the title is owned by the World Triathlon Corporation. Other multi-sports competitions unofficially call the events as Iron Man triathlon, only hidden under the terms such as Half-Iron man, or Iron Distance.
The Iron Man Triathlon held annually in the Kona Bay is an annual amount that is hailed to be the most popular of all triathlons. Following the standard of the triathlon, this event starts with swimmers crossing the bay of the Big Island which takes 2.4 miles of swimming, afterwhich the 112 mile biking and another 26.2 miles of coast marathon.
While the competition is held in Hawaii, qualifying events are held in various countries such as Canada, Australia, Canary Island, Japan, USA, Europe and South Africa. While many people might be mistaken with calling all similar competitions as Iron Man Triathlon, it is still good to note that this practice is technically incorrect. Iron Man races are supposed to be not used as a generic term for a number of multisport events.
This competition had its debut during the awarding ceremony for the Oahu Perimeter Relay, which then was a running competition that included teams, composed of 5 members. Incidentally, the competitors in the said event were runners and swimmers who for sometime, had been debating on who stand as fittest. In the said ceremony also, Commander John Collins noted that a Belgian cyclist holds the title for the highest oxygen uptake which eventually lead to the conclusion that cyclists probably are the fittest.
Sprint triathlon, like those of Iron Man or half-Iron competitions are composed of three disciplined events namely, swimming, biking and running. Sprint, being a smaller scale as compared with other variations may not require you the same endurance other types have but still it requires some great will power. In usual cases, sprint triathlon takes off half the original distance Olympic standards have.
Sprint triathlon only takes 750 meters of swim (considerably short for a triathlon race), a biking distance of 20 km and a run of 5 km. Not much of a suffering right? But it is for the beginners. Olympic distance, on the other hand, has standard of 1.5 km of swimming, 40 km of biking and 10 km run for the last leg.
Iron Man Triathlon, which seem to have the primary aim of testing the limits of the physical body and the mental endurance of a racer requires one to finish 3.8 km of swim, 180 km for the bike lap and a run to hell of 42 km. Once you embark on a sprint triathlon competition, the first thing you need to do is to condition your body for the grand day ahead. This can only be acquired through proper training, which normally lasts for not less than 13 weeks.
Set an achievable goal first. That would be better since you can work on it. Set your hopes high but do not go beyond plans that you believe would not work. Now that you have a specific point to get to, schedule your training program and start working on it. Assure to it that your plan will always be in accordance with the specific events that you are about to join. Do not just swim meters by meters. Or ride the bike for as long as you want. Or run miles on end. See to it that in each session, there is a specific aim that you are working with, say endurance or speed.

Triathlon is one of the best things that has happened to bicycling. Many people who were runners and swimmers, or just people wanting to challenge themselves in a race against the clock, have taken up the Swim, Bike, Run phenomenon. I think it is super as it brings a different type of person into cycling. There is much to learn, however, and I have always been adding to my “triathlon bank” of information.

When cyclists dabble in triathlons, they are already good cyclists and running is relatively easy to learn. I remember when I was a full-time Category 2 bike racer in Dallas, I found a “Thursday Night Group” of runners at White Rock Lake in Dallas who seemed to be having a great time running and then going to a place afterwards to drink beer and eat. I did some 10K runs and found it easy enough to get to a 6:15 pace, but as luck would have it, I turned my ankle badly and my running career was over. It also hurt my cycling and I remembered this when I started seeing people try triathlons back in the 80′s.

I see many people who are triathletes and a trend has developed, at least to my perspective. I sense that triathletes will spend inordinate amounts of time in the pool learning to perfect a swim stroke. They do intervals, speed work, and emulate the fast swimmers who can win a competitive swim meet. Additionally, they run with the fast runners. I hear of all sorts of organized run workouts; hill intervals, fartlek, speed work, track workouts, you name it. Here is the rub: I also hear so many of these people “just getting on their tri bike and riding.” This does not compute to me!

In many past articles I have elaborated how much one needs to learn to ride a bicycle properly. I think that this fear of the unknown combined with bad anecdotal urban myths (“I don’t draft on a group ride because I can’t draft in a triathlon,” etc.) causes triathletes to suffer on the bike and subsequently the run. With this in mind, there are two things I ask triathletes to think about as they work on their bike leg; Fitting and Training.

Since I talk about fitting a lot, we can get this one out of the way. I believe the best and most aerodynamic position on a triathlon bike is one that is efficient enough to generate loads of power, balanced enough to avoid muscle imbalances that can cause premature fatigue and comfortable enough (read high enough!) to allow you to stay in the aerobars the entire event. I cannot stress this last part. If the bike is set up so that you have to sit up and rest during the triathlon then you are going to pay a huge time penalty. My fitting process deals with this and I can answer direct questions from you regarding this part of the program.

The main topic of this article is “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Translated into triathlon bikespeak, this means that if you swim with the fast swimmers and run with the fast runners, you need to learn to ride with the fast bike riders. I know this is so easy to say and so hard to do, and that is why I am mentioning it. More people lose time on the bike than anything, followed closely by losing time on the run because the bike leg was a disaster. The runner-centric thought process also contributes here, stating that if the bike leg is too taxing, the run is blown, so take it easy on the bike leg.

My thought is, the people finishing at the front of their age groups or overall are not taking it easy on the bike. They train like bike racers on the bike, just like they do swimming and running. Here is how you can do it:

1) Ride a road bike in group rides. Tri bikes are inherently designed to ride in a timed race, not in packs. You need the speed work and intensity of road group rides, particularly with people who are better than you. Get a good road bike and learn the tricks of the road racers. This finesse and expertise will transfer back to the triathlon. It’s not easy to learn to ride with bike racers but it is well worth it.

2) You need to ride in a straight line in a triathlon. This is the shortest distance between two points. You learn to ride in a straight line in a peloton as you are close to other riders and the better the group, the closer they can ride together. You eventually learn to relax and ride gracefully and smoothly.

3) Do intervals. Hill intervals, speed intervals, short and long intervals. You already do this on the swim and run, just do the same on the bike.

4) When riding in groups, get used to going fast. Once you are used to 30 miles an hour, holding 25 mph on the tri bike doesn’t seem so bad.

5) Push your limits on hard training days. When you do intervals or go on a hard group ride, exceed your expectations. You may suffer. You may get dropped. This kind of conditioning will make you better. The logic is to train hard enough that two things happen. First, when you recover, you will get stronger. Second, the training is so hard that the race is easier.

6) Get a coach. A good coach will make a huge difference in your progress. You need to be accountable and the coach can help keep you from overtraining. You may need more input than one coach can give. If your coach is weak on swimming, for instance, you may need a separate swim coach to work in tandem with your main coach. It’s ok. Nobody knows everything about everything. I don’t coach running or swimming, but focus strictly on the bike. You need expert help from three disciplines.

At the end of the day, getting your position on the bike better and learning to ride both the road bike and the triathlon bike well is not only important, but a realistic pathway to cut huge chunks of time from your events. Nobody said triathlon was easy, but so many people are finding the rewards that it must be worth it. Stay focused!

A triathlon is an athletic competition including three events i.e. cycling, swimming and running. An athlete has to participate in all the three events and the best performer in all the three events is considered the winner of the triathlon. It is natural for the beginners of the triathlon to have several queries in their mind such as how to succeed in the game?
Here are some important tips which must be followed by the beginners of triathlon:
- The beginner must start by participating in short races first which are termed as sprint triathlon. After getting used to sprint triathlon, one can go for triathlon.
- The beginners must join a triathlon training program and there are several online sources which give exclusive triathlon training to the beginners.
- It is advisable for the beginners to take swimming coaching from an expert and experienced triathlete so as to achieve excellent swimming skills required for triathlon.
- Among the three areas of cycling, swimming and racing, beginners must practice their strong areas first so as to make them stronger and then start working on their weak area so as to achieve required expertise before the D-day of triathlon.
- Beginners should have patience and should not get tense by rigorous training sessions of triathlon training programs.
- The beginners must practice the transitions i.e. end up with one event and conveniently transit to participate in other triathlon event. The beginners should avoid hastening up while transitions and should keep the gears (such as cycling equipments and swim suits) of three events ready before the triathlon starts.
- The beginners must carefully listen to all the pre-race instructions and should not feel embarrassed in asking questions such as commencement area of bike race.
- The beginners should participate in the triathlon with passion as being passionate is the perfect way to achieve confidence while competing. The beginner should keep the performance pressure away and should remember that this is their first race.
Beginners should avoid flaunting off the attitude before their friends and familiars that they can win it as it can increase expectation of the closed ones and defeat in the triathlon can make them disappointed. They instead should start slowly with the training of a triathlon and then gradually built up the speed of training. The beginners must give special attention to doing stretch up exercises as stretch up can increase flexibility of the body which can help in swimming events.
Beginners should stop workout if they feel extensively tired as exercising in such a way can cause internal injury in the body. Beginners should consistently follow the daily workout schedule so as to build up stamina which is the premium requirement for triathlon. Most beginners need to take heart rate training depending on age and the target heart rate required for triathlon. And they need to plan a healthy diet, low in sugar and starch and rich in proteins and carbohydrates so as to increase body energy without increasing extra fat.
For the D-day of triathlon, beginners should also plan race day diet and strategic drinking method. On the D-day of triathlon, beginners also need to use lubricating oil such as baby oil so as to fit quickly in the wet swim suit. In order to get restroom on the bike, the tri-athlete can use bushes or port-a-potties. The beginners in the triathlon must take professional guidance from previous winners of triathlon and should get solutions to questions such as distance of triathlon race, drafting in triathlon and how to drink in a paper cup while racing.