April 14, 2020 – We hear a lot these days about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses. Among these businesses are the ones near and dear to our hearts who put on multisport events.
While the triathlon season has not started for most of the northern hemisphere, there is an air of uncertainty. Some races have been canceled for this year. Other early season races have been postponed when it is possible for the organizers to reschedule them.
Having participated in triathlons across the country, I am on the mailing list for many multisport businesses. I thought you might be interested to see how one race organizer is dealing with this uncertainty while working to keep their business afloat during this crisis.
Georgia Multisports Productions
Race Director and Senior Triathlete Jim Rainey sent information about the Georgia Multisports Productions (GMP) 8-week challenge.
Jim wrote in his email:
“We have recently created a Georgia Multisports Strava page to try and help us stay together and motivated so when the pandemic is over, and our lives are back to normal we are ready for what comes next.”
The event began April 1st and will continue through May 30th so you still have time to participate. Running and cycling miles will be tracked through a FREE account for the George Multisports Club on Strava. After joining the running and cycling events, register on runsignup. With the registration, you to receive awards, a t-shirt and discount for a future race.
How Is Your Favorite Race Business Handling the Crisis?
Let us know in the Comments section below what your favorite race company is doing about their early-season races, whether triathlon, 5k, or other.
The internet abounds with information about training, preparing, and planning for a triathlon, and most of us these days have great internet from somewhere like spectrum internet in order to access this information with ease. Through my years taking part in the sport, I have come across many websites, among the best websites for triathletes, especially those age 50 and over.
As its title implies, this post includes information about the websites I have found to be the ‘go-to’ sites for my triathlon journey.
RunningintheUSA.com is my first choice when searching for triathlons across the USA.
Running in the USA Multisport Events menu
Why I Started Using It
As soon as Joy and I decided to do triathlons in each of the states of the USA, I started searching the internet for websites that listed various races. I found several sites, some with a regional focus. Over time, I found that I relied more and more on Running in the USA.
Who is Behind the Website?
RunningintheUSA.com is the product of hard work and commitment of the husband and wife team of Bill and Mary Flaws of Waukesha, Wisconsin. According to the website:
“Mary is an avid runner, and Bill is sane. Mary does the website programming. Bill takes the pictures that are featured on the home page. We work many many many many hours scouring the internet, maintaining the information in the directories. This is our full-time life work. We don’t have other jobs. We barely do much else besides maintain this website. It is our life, and we love it.”
Video Demo of RunningintheUSA.com
Key Features
The site can currently be used to search a database of over 41,000 running races such as 5k, 10k, half marathon, and so on and over 2,700 multisport events like triathlons.
Search for triathlons by
Region
State
Type of multisport event (e.g. Triathlon, Duathlon, Aquathon)
Search for races in adjacent states on consecutive dates
Apparently, there is an important population of those who share an interest in completing races in multiple states. For this group, the site developers included a feature under the Multisport Events tab called ‘Double Stater’.
The “Double Stater” menu is used to search for triathlons held on consecutive days in adjacent states.
Best Website about Sleep and Your Athletic Performance
Whether you are stepping up to the plate at a softball game or waiting for the starting gun at your next triathlon, the quality of the sleep you have had will affect your performance.
Best Website for Swim and Other Triathlon Training Gear
Triathlon is sometimes referred to as a rich man’s sport. This comes in part from the expense of registration fees, even though there are race organizations who are offering reduced fees. But that’s a story for another time.
Another reason that triathlons can be an expensive sport is because of the amount of clothing and equipment one needs purchase for training and racing in three quite different sports. Of course, much of it is unnecessary. As long as people have basic training wear, they should be fine to train and compete in triathlons. People can get some athletic clothing from websites like Imprint, they offer custom t shirts that are ideal for sports. Runners can get their clothing customized with their name or the marathon name, for example. That’s a great way of letting people know that you’re running the marathon. Perhaps seniors should just look for basic training wear, they don’t need to splash out lots of money on unnecessary clothing.
Meet SwimOutlet.com
SwimOutlet.com is the first place I go when looking for a new or replacement item for triathlon training or racing. This is also where my wife, kids, and grandkids go for their swim clothing and equipment. This comes from several years of shopping many sites and ending up purchasing items from the Swim Outlet site.
SwimOutlet is a USA Triathlon certified multisport retailer.
While you should shop around, I have consistently found Swim Outlet to offer a full range of products in a range of quality and price points. And, prices are competitive and, many times, the lowest. Plus, they offer a price match.
Following is a quick tour of the SwimOutlet website.
Here we are at SwimOutlet.com website. To help you get started on your journey here, I want to highlight a few areas in which triathletes may be most interested.
First of all, at the ‘Gear’ then ‘Swim Gear’ tab, you can find everything imaginable for swimming no matter if you are a beginner or professional triathlete. With so many products to choose from, Swim Outlet helps shoppers zero-in on the right ones using product-specific filters such a size, brand, color, material, and price.
The site also includes several guides such as the one for sun protection shown here. You can find the link to this and other pages in the SeniorTriathletes.com post about my favorite triathlon websites (this post for those watching the video on SeniorTriathletes.com).
The ‘Triathlon’ link beneath the ‘Gear by Sport’ area under the ‘Gear’ tab, takes you to pages where you can find triathlon, biking, and running specific items. By the way, Swim Outlet is a USA Triathlon certified multisport retailer.
And if you are a Value shopper looking for the best deals, click on the SALE tab from the Home page. Here you will find good quality at the most competitive prices. For example, if you are looking for low cost jammers for your swim training, check out their grab bags by typing ‘grab’ in the search bar.
Take a stroll through the SwimOutlet site. I think you will enjoy it and be amazed at the wide range of products and their good prices.
Thank you for watching.
END OF VIDEO SCRIPT
Featured SwimOutlet Pages
Pages of the SwimOutlet website highlighted in the video review are:
Disclosure: Please note that SeniorTriathletes.com is a participant in the SwimOutlet.com affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to SwimOutlet.com. As an affiliate, I will receive a small commission for any purchases made at SwimOutlet.com when you use the link in this post.
SwimOutlet.com offers quality products at competitive prices.
Please check out SwimOutlet.com and share your comments below.
If you have done a triathlon, there is a good chance you are already familiar with Hammer Nutrition since they sponsor many triathlons and endurance sporting events. In fact, you likely received in your swag-bag a sample of a Hammer Nutrition product – a Hammer Gel, Endurolytes Fizz, or one of their Energy bars.
Hammer Nutrition home page
I was introduced to more of the Hammer Nutrition products and how to use them by Senior Triathlete James Chapman at the Rocky Gap Triathlon in Maryland.
Then, when
training for my first half marathon, I exchanged emails with Steve Born. Steve laid out a fueling plan for both my
training and the race itself. Without
the right fuel, an otherwise enjoyable challenge can become a disaster. I don’t go out on a long bike ride without a
few Hammers gels – just in case.
Since I sweat a lot during exercising of every kind, Hammer Endurolytes capsules are also great for maintaining electrolyte levels.
You can take a quick tour of the Hammer Nutrition website by clicking on the frame below.
I am on the Hammer Nutrition website. You can see its contents by hovering over the four top-level headings – Top Sellers, Fuels & Supplements, And More, and Education.
Hovering
over ‘Fuels & Supplements’ shows you the range of products for training and
racing and for daily consumption. You
can explore these further by clicking on one of the red sub-heads.
The ‘And More’ shows you ‘Gear’, including Clearance items and Electro Stimulation products which I have used and really enjoy. It also includes ‘Clothing’, ‘Coffee’ and ‘Body Care’ products with which I have less experience.
The fourth heading is ‘Education’ which contains a whole host of articles and quick-read advice pieces to help you learn about and fine-tune your fueling and hydration approaches for both training and racing.
As you
can see, the site is easy to navigate. I
recommend taking at least a few minutes to take a look around it. I am confident you will come away with some
new and useful information.
Thank you for watching.
END
Featured Hammer Nutrition Pages
Pages of
the Hammer Nutrition website highlighted in the video are:
If you
want to receive a 15% discount on your first order with Hammer Nutrition, enter
Customer Number 203519 when prompted.
To be transparent, that Customer Number is assigned to me. I will also receive a credit on my next order under the Hammer Nutrition Referral Program. If you like, you can also participate in this program once you have become a customer.
Please check out Hammer Nutrition and share your comments below.
Looking to complete your first triathlon? Want to inspire and motivate your children, grandchildren, parents, friends, or co-workers?
If so, Train To Tri: Your First Triathlon by Linda Cleveland and Kris Swarthout is for you. This 246-page guide provides the essential information needed to prepare for your first triathlon.
Authors: Linda Cleveland and Kris Swarthout, both USA Triathlon Level 2 coaches with lots of experience competing in triathlon and coaching triathletes.
Publisher: Human Kinetics
Who is this book for?
Train To Tri is written primarily for those considering or already committed to completing their first sprint or standard (formerly called Olympic) distance triathlon.
Even though it is aimed at first-timers, it is not just for those doing their first triathlon. While I have completed over 40 sprint triathlons, I found several useful training tips. I have already put some of them to use.
What does the book cover?
The book opens with a 24-question Triathlon Readiness Assessment. Results of the self-assessment help the future triathlete identify with one of three categories – bronze, silver, or gold – and select the training plan included later in the book. This initial section also provides guidelines for choosing the specific race for your first triathlon.
I like the basic strategy of the first triathlon training plan laid out by the authors – to focus most of the training effort on your weakest leg.
You should focus the most time and effort on [your third strongest sport] to develop strength and endurance as well as improve technique. (page 9)
Gear
Once you decide to do a triathlon, you will quickly learn about the incredible amount of clothing and equipment (called ‘gear’ in the triathlon world) surrounding the sport. Since not all the gear is necessary for your first triathlon, the authors distinguish between the ‘necessary’ and the ‘nice to have’ or ‘you can wait and decide after your first race’ gear.
Your Triathlon Support Group
Training with a group can provide the extra motivation needed to push through a training program and reap the rewards of completing your first triathlon. A group can also help you to improve your technique more quickly.
In this chapter, the authors suggest ways to create a support network for your training in swimming, biking, and running that includes various clubs and your family, friends, and co-workers.
You may have various support group options. For example, if you live in a retirement community, such as The Villages, Florida, you have a built-in support group in The Villages Triathlon Club. Members train and race together with encouragement galore.
If you are working in an area without a triathlon training club in the area, you can create your own support group through a local fitness center, community pool, bike shop, and running store. This provides flexibility to follow your specific training plan while enlisting the support of instructors and others with experience from which you can benefit.
Swim
The chapter on swimming covers the basic elements of an efficient stroke with illustrations for a proper freestyle technique. I appreciated the suggestion for traveling and swimming, especially the advice for making use of the typical small hotel pool.
Interestingly, many triathletes find swimming to be their weakest sport. If you are in that group, get comfortable being in the water and with swimming with other people as you will experience on race day. Whether swimming in a pool or in open water, you will inevitably come close to, if not in contact with, other swimmers. Staying calm is the key to finishing the swim.
If the race you choose includes an open water swim, you will want to practice swimming in open water to become familiar with ‘sighting’. For safety reasons, I recommend adding the ISHOF Safe Swimmer (see also below) to your list of gear.
Bike
Most of us know how to ride a bicycle. However, many have never ridden in a large group at speeds associated with a triathlon.
Therefore, the focus of this chapter is safety. According to the authors, safety in biking begins with a review of the various components of the bicycle to make sure that they are each in good working order. They also describe the most important cycling skills and suggestions on how to hone these, both individually and in group rides.
When riding on the road in traffic, you need to follow the rules of the road as if you were driving a car. (page 78)
Run
We all know how to run. Right? Well, not necessarily in a way that is the most efficient or that minimizes the possibility for injuries. About half of this chapter is dedicated to proper cadence (steps per minute) and body form. The rest of the chapter introduces training with a heart rate monitor and training involving the three-run types included in the weekly training plans.
If you take one thing from this chapter, remember to progress slowly (the ‘10% per week’ rule) to minimize the likelihood of injury. Unfortunately, we need to be reminded of this every so often.
Strength and Flexibility
Building strength and increasing flexibility are two keys to increasing your performance in triathlon. For many of us who spend a lot of time sitting during their workday, lack of flexibility can be the major root cause of injury. The authors show that a relatively small amount of time spent in strength training and stretching can lead to better performance and fewer injuries. Plus, these are another way to ‘mix it up’ and keep the training interesting and fresh.
Nutrition and Rest
If we all know how to run, most of us are even better at fueling (aka eating). The challenge is to eat properly. It becomes even more complicated when we are exercising, burning more calories, trying to build muscle, and recovering from the stress of training.
Triathlon training can be a great way to shed pounds and improve your health. Eating the right foods in the right amount and at the right time is the focus of this chapter. The authors are clear: “Although your daily caloric burn will certainly increase based on your training volume, you don’t have a license to hit the buffet for every meal”.
The chapter begins by showing us how to calculate two important numbers related to exercise – resting metabolic rate (RMR) and caloric burn rate. The authors discuss how to eat (or ‘fuel’ as they define it) throughout the day. This includes eating before, during, and after workouts. Sample menus for triathlon training days help to illustrate the principles of proper fueling.
The chapter concludes with a discussion about the importance of rest within a process known as periodization. The authors even provide a simple test to help us determine when our body is telling us to take a day of rest.
If you do not get adequate rest, the muscles will fatigue and eventually fail, resulting in injury. (page 139)
Training plans
It’s now time to put the information from the previous chapters together and begin to train for your first triathlon. Sample 8-week training plans are provided for bronze-, silver-, and gold-level athletes for both sprint and standard distance triathlons. I appreciate that the authors show readers how to tailor the plans to meet their particular strengths and weaknesses and their individual schedules.
Preparing to race
I love this section. Here, the authors take the new triathlete down the ‘home stretch’ to completing their first race.
Filled with practical advice, the authors walk us through the two weeks leading up to the race. With greater detail for race day, you can feel the thrill that begins upon waking and includes crossing the finish line and heading to the refreshment area for a cold drink and banana.
Why get this book?
Train To Tri is pragmatic and focused. It includes essential information for each of the sports of triathlon. The authors season the information with the nuances of practicing them within a triathlon.
You can trust the USAT-certified coaches with this ‘no-nonsense’ guide.
Disclaimer: Please note that SeniorTriathletes.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This is an affiliate advertising program that provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees. They do this by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. As an affiliate, I will receive a small commission for any purchases of this product that you make through Amazon.
This post was originally published on January 21, 2018. It was updated on September 20, 2019.
Finisher medals and age group awards can be one of the treats of completing a triathlon if only to see the creativity of the race organizers. The following pictures show the 5 most unique triathlon medals I have received, in order of race date.
