Is Competitiveness Gone from Kid's Sports?

My son competed in his first Kid’s Triathlon this past weekend. As a parent I wanted this to be a positive experience for him. For my son’s age group, this kids triathlon was a 100yd swim, 1 mile bike, and a half mile run. The older age groups went to a 200 yard swim then to a 300 yard swim. The swim seemed long to me and they allowed the younger kids to use kick boards to help them. All the older kids were expected to swim their distance. As the older kids swam the pool, I noticed a young girl halfway through the swim at the end of a lane crying. My heart went out to her because I’ve been in that situation, wondering if I could finish, willing myself to finish. Some volunteers talked to her as she cried, then let her swim under two ropes to swim one less lap. I lost track of her as my son jumped in the pool.

He finished in 18 minutes and 49 seconds.
“Well, what did you think?”
“It was great. I had fun. The swim was really hard though.”
“Are you glad you did it?”
“Yeah, I feel really good.”

I thought again about that girl. Were the volunteers right to let her swim less than others in her age group? She recorded a shorter swim time but didn’t swim the distance. Will that bother those that swam the entire length of the pool and finished after her?

I know that this is just a kid’s triathlon, a more casual race. Was this the right thing to do?

Fitness Tips - How to survive that open water swim...

Head First – jump in with both feet, the only way you’ll get used to open water is swimming in open water. There’s a big difference when you look down into murkiness for a black line to guide you, it’s not there! Get used to rotten leaves in lakes, ducks and their accompanying “stuff”, something touching you as you swim so there’s no “girl like squeal” your first open water race. You’ll also learn pretty quickly that you have to “sight” swim, bring your head out of the water to sight where you are going, which in the beginning means lots of swallowed water with waves and such, practice, practice, practice.

Head First, not Ego First – make sure your practice swims are supervised. Don’t think, “I can do this” and just jump in a lake alone. Anything can happen, so bring a friend to read a book while you practice, or better yet bring a group of triathletes and practice swimming together. If you can’t do this, find a place with a lifeguard.

Bubbles – if you are swimming with a group, look for the bubbles of the person swimming ahead of you and follow their bubbles to try and swim straight. This does not mean stop checking your position during the swim, it’s just less head lifts to sight your position.

Bilateral breathing – we all have that favorite side we breath from, since pool water may be better on the stomach that ocean or lake water, practice bilateral breathing (breathing from both sides) this will help you with waves, you can switch sides is the water is hitting you on one side of the face rather than drinking a gallon of ocean water.

The best way to get over a fear of open water is to jump in, literally. We can’t guarantee that you’ll be comfortable race day but we can say that you’ll feel a bit more confident with the above practice under your belt.

Change Up Your Exercise Routine!

Just like bad food, your body remembers, putting yourself into the same exercise routine day after day will lead to boredom not only for your mind but for your body! Pretty soon, you’ll notice that problem spots stay as problems spots because you’re not changing it up, or maybe you’ve started noticing some hip, leg, or other problems creeping in from the same exercises over and over again.

Working towards a triathlon is a great way to all over body condition-combining a swimming, biking and running routine will make recovery time easier AND start using different muscles so exercise is accomplishing something! If you’re a runner, add the swimming and biking for better leg and upper body shape! If you’re a biker, let triathlon help strengthen your leg muscles by teaching you how to run correctly! Not everyone likes to swim, but learning how to swim is all over body conditioning! Not to mention the benefit of finally changing it up and adding not only new scenery, a totally new workout and a great way to meet new fitness friends! Starting a new exercise routine in April gets you ready for summer and (ahem!) Summer clothes!

Not sure where to start? Think about Triathlon 101 starting next Monday! This is a great way to get your feet wet (get it?) and learn not only about triathlons but start a new exercise routine. Several participants from last year’s training program have become hooked on this all over cross training, body conditioning training program. One participant who started with the Spring Triathlon (300yard swim, 15 mile bike, 3 mile run) signed up for a Half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 run) this year! You don’t have to go that far but Triathlon 101 program gives you the knowledge of exercises needed to all over condition and train your body for race or for life!

Stop by anytime to talk with the staff or Coach Stacie about the benefits of this program, the only prerequisite is that you can swim a length of the pool and bike 2 miles that’s it! Let Fleet Feet Sports get you into racing shape and add another new set of exercises to your repertoire!

Why Not Give It A TRI?

There are things you can try ……then there are things you can TRI! Been stuck in a fitness rut? Or been on again/off again in consistency with a workout plan? Perhaps it’s time to change things up a little and tri something new? Fleet Feet Sports is offering their Triathlon 101 Beginner Training Program starting April 14th , perfect for nervous beginners and great for newer triathletes that are interested in stepping up their game . Not sure? Here are some answers about the training program:

What if I’m a terrible swimmer? The only prerequisite for this training program is the ability to swim one length of the pool. Your coaches and trainers will take over from there. They will teach you the correct techniques, what to expect in the pool in a triathlon, how to get in and out of the pool in one piece. Just make sure you bring your bathing suit.

What if I’ve already competed in a triathlon? No problems here, Triathlon 101 teaches you the correct techniques to perfect your race day. Learn tips and tricks in the transitions from swim to bike then bike to run, get hands on coaching of your current form and technique and make sure you are at your optimum performance!

What if I’m not a runner? Triathlon 101 teaches you how to run properly and avoid injury and pain, they put the FUN back in the RUN! Some participants learn a run/walk technique that gets them across the finish line smiling!

What if I only have a mountain bike? It doesn’t matter what bike you bring to the race, your coaches will help you get the most out of your bike. Some have come with mountain bikes, some with banana seat bikes, some with beach bikes, haven’t seen any on tricycles yet, but you never know. This clinic is about YOUR first triathlon, bring what you will use and let us help you with the rest!

What if I don’t know any athletes? This is a great way to meet others interested in your sport and learn with them. Make friends at the beginning of the 8 week training session then along with the Fleet Feet coaches and staff cheer each other across the finish line on race day!

Triathlon 101 is a great way to start this year’s triathlon season. If you’ve never competed a triathlon before, use this clinic to learn about one of the fastest growing sports and have FUN along the way! If you want to perfect your race day experiences use this program to learn better techniques and tips and tricks! If you want to have fun and join others while staying healthy then visit our training website at http://www.training.fleetfeetws.com/tri-101 for more information. We’ll help get you ready for 36 North Triathlon on June 20th. Come visit us at the store if you have additional questions- or just need a pep talk!