I first heard the word “triathlon” from a spin class
instructor during my days at SDSU. It was a fitting, and not surprising, place
to learn about this sport, being that San Diego is the birthplace of modern
triathlon. Back in 1974 some crazy guys decided hold a multisport event at
Fiesta Island, stringing together a race consisting of a run, bike and swim
(yes, in that order). Four years later, 1978, the Hawaii Ironman was born,
taking the shorter Fiest Island race to the next level by combining a 2.4-mile
swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run in the Hawaiian heat and winds.
Since those formative years triathlon has exploded and it’s
gaining popularity as a mainstream sport. According to the most recent stats
offered by USA Triathlon, nearly 2 million people participated in a triathlon
in 2011, an increase of 59 percent of unique participants just since 2008! In
addition to the annual TV coverage of the Ironman World Championships, the
introduction of triathlon into the Olympics in 2000 helped popularize the sport.
Those who get involved say they do so as a personal challenge and to stay in
shape, according to USAT. Seems right to me – that’s why I got involved! My
first triathlon was in Solona Beach in 2007, a sprint distance, and I’ve been
hooked ever since. And I can attest to the large growth the sport has seen just
in recent years alone – it’s mindboggling to go back to the same races every
year and see them sold out and jam-packed.
So what does triathlon consist of nowadays? Well that’s not
a simple answer, and that’s a good thing, as there is something for everyone!
There are on-road and off-road triathlons, and in those two categories there
are four main distances:
Sprint: usually 500m swim, a 9-mile to 15-mile bike, 5k run
Olympic: 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run
Half-Ironman: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run
Ironman: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run
In addition to participation in triathlon, you can now found
a race anywhere in the world at anytime of the year. Not to mention, the goods
and services offered to triathletes is growing as well – from more
triathlon gear than you can imagine to thousands of coaching to online
social media outlets or triathletes, swim-bike-run is making its footprint in
the sports world.
To your success,
Coach Tawnee Prazak
