PURE PERFORMANCE | TRY-A-TRIATHLON
B EG INNERS:
G E T R E A DY F O R YO U R F I R S T R A C E
BY BRENDAN AND CHELSE A DOWNEY
P H O TO G R A P H Y B Y L E A N N E H A N D R E C K
T
he thought of getting ready for a
short triathlon can be a daunting
prospect for the average person
with little to no knowledge of the
sport. Brendon Downey, Race Director of
Gatorade Queensland Triathlon Series and
Ramsay Health Care Triathlon Pink, explains
some of the key points to ensure that
individuals can get ready to do their first
triathlon.
Triathlon. It conjures up images of
extremely fit, lean individuals battling the
sun and the elements in the all-day
‘ gruel-athlon’ of the Hawaii Ironman. No
wonder many people secretly wish that
they could do one but are too afraid to give
it a go. Here are some tips to help you get
started:
Swim
For a lot of people the swim is often the
area that creates the most fear of triathlons.
The first refreshing surprise is that the
distance is not always as long as one might
think! The ‘Enticer’ swim at the Gatorade
Qld Tri Series varies between 200m and
300m. For ladies interested in a tri, you’ ll be
pleased to know that the swim at the
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Triathlon Pink events are actually in a pool
(many breathe a sigh of relief after hearing
that) and we even allow pool noodles to be
used if the participant chooses.
However, any swimming can be very off
putting to non-swimmers. If you haven’ t
swum for a few years/decades start slowly.
Some swimming pools are quite shallow,
allowing you to stand up at any time,
something that will take a lot of the fear out
of swimming. Start with short pieces of say
10-15m. If it has been quite a while or you
really don’ t know how to swim, call your
local swimming centre who will put you in
touch with an adult swim instructor - they
will usually be able to get you swimming in
only a couple of weeks.