three times the pain

All over the world competitors are dusting off their running shoes, giving their road bikes an MOT and trying on their wet suits to ensure they are all ready and raring to go to take part in the years triathlon events.

Whether you are a professional competitor or simply a keen sports person looking for new challenges the fitness and training regime is the key to success. Regardless of fitness level, anyone taking part in triathlon events needs to ensure that their preparation for the competition is well planned and started early enough in the year to give them a fighting chance.

Unlike other sporting events that concentrate solely on one skill, triathlon events call upon three disciplines, with your overall ranking being dependent on your performance within each. Thus meaning that each area needs to be concentrated on to ensure that the disciplines where the competitor is weaker in get full attention to ensure they do not bring down the overall performance times and final position.

There are three main areas to concentrate on when beginning your training regime for triathlon events - fitness, nutrition and mental strength. Fitness is key with it being extremely important to get the training underway as soon as the weather allows. Weekly runs, bike rides and sessions in the pool combined with weight training in the gym is a great combination to ensure you are firing on all cylinders by the time the event comes around. For those starting their training regime in the spring, most open water lakes will not be accessible until early May when the weather is warming and the temperature of the lake water is at an acceptable level. Therefore, distance training in the pool is a must to build up times and distances pre open water lake training.

To ensure that all the fitness training is fuelled appropriately a well thought out nutrition plan is key to ensuring competitors are not hindered by a lack of calories or nutrients. All competitors regardless of their sporting level are advised to consult a nutritionist before they start their training. You should design a plan that will support your level of fitness and training, so your body is receiving enough fuel to perform at its best level.

One of the key elements is mental strength as without this the training and nutrition plan will be useless. It is so important to be in the right state of mind when training for triathlon events and when competing, as without this strength of mind the other training can fall to the way side. A good healthy attitude to the training regime and the competition itself is key, with it being extremely important to be well focused and determined without letting the event become all consuming.

There are a number of triathlon events that take place throughout the year and invite competitors of all levels to compete and challenge themselves mentally and physically. It is a great way to compete and have fun with other like minded sports people whilst also challenging yourself to achieve your personal goals.