Training for a triathlon can be a fun and challenging activity for women of all ages and backgrounds. Triathlon can help you lose weight, have more energy for your family, and boost your self esteem. As more females enter the sport, there are more products and races designed just for women. Exploring these options can make your triathlon training more productive and more fun.
History
Triathlon is a relatively new sport, and has traditionally been male-dominated. However, that is changing. According to USA Triathlon, women now make up 37 percent of all triathletes, up 10 percent in the past nine years.
Women compete in all levels of triathlon, but some women prefer women-only races because they find them more beginner-friendly, less intimidating, and sometimes less focused on competition and more on participation. The first female-only triathlon took place over 20 years ago, but they have recently seen a surge in popularity as more women enter the sport. There are now 92 women-only triathlons occurring throughout the country.
Considerations
Just like in the work world, women must manage their training time around their other commitments. It can be hard to find time to get your training hours in, which can limit the race distances in which some women choose to participate.
One option is to get your workouts finished before the rest of their family wakes up in the morning. If you have young children, utilize day care at you gym for workouts, especially swim training.
It's important that you have a talk with all the members of your immediate family prior to deciding to train for a race. You will need support from your family as you make time to train, and they will need to understand that you take this seriously and that it is a priority to you.
Benefits
Triathlon training for women can have a host of benefits. Physically, many women find triathlon to be great for losing weight. A sensible training program can facilitate weight loss while gradually building up your training volume, so you can avoid injury. Triathlon training can also give you more energy and enthusiasm for the other tasks you have to complete every day.
Mentally and emotionally, many women find that triathlon greatly improves their sense of worth and self esteem. As caretakers, women often forget to take care of themselves. Triathlon training can be a healthy way to do something for yourself that nourishes your sense of pride in your own accomplishments.
Triathlon training can be a great way to make friends and new connections. Finding a triathlon club to exercise and race with can make you feel more motivated and make your workouts more enjoyable.
Products
The availability of triathlon gear and races for women increases every year. The most important gear purchase to consider is your bicycle. Many manufacturers make bicycles with female-specific proportions in mind, but these are mostly road bikes. Road bikes are fine for triathlons, but if you want a triathlon bike, your options will be fewer. Most women can find a regular triathlon bike that will meet their needs, but women who are very short or have a shorter torso than average may benefit from a women-specific triathlon bike.
Wetsuits are also sized differently for women, just as clothing is. There is a wide variety of fun triathlon clothing for women available
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Women-only races can be a fun way to participate in the sport if you find the competitive side of triathlon to be intimidating. You can find these races throughout the country, and they are mostly shorter distances and very beginner friendly.
Warnings
Women need to be especially careful to avoid disordered eating and the female athlete triad, which is defined by the Female Athlete Triad Coalition as "a syndrome of three interrelated conditions that exist on a continuum of severity, including energy deficit or disordered eating, menstrual disturbances or amenorrhea and bone loss or osteoporosis."
Under-eating while training heavily leads to these serious health issues. If you are training for a triathlon, you need to eat enough to fuel your serious athletic endeavors, or you may be damaging your health instead of doing something healthy for yourself.
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