To continue from yesterday’s post about MultiSport Training, I would like to spend a some time talking about equipment. Triathlons and Duathlons are what I would call time trial efforts amongst lots of other people. Particularly important will be your skills on a bike and your ability to stay in an aerodynamic position for as long as possible.

HELMETS:

Giro Women’s Helmet: $40 from REI.COM.

Helmets look much more stylish when they are properly fitted on your head. The front should sit right on your forehead. The straps by your ears can be loosened or tightened for a better fit. I like to wear a Bondiband underneath my helmet to keep the hair and sweat away from my eyes. Also, check your helmet for cracks. If it is at all compromised and you crash, you could be subjecting yourself to a brain injury. And if your helmet has been crashed, most of the big companies such as Bell or Giro will replace it at little or no cost to you. The life of a helmet is fairly short- for some only one year (depending on how much you wear it) or up to three or five years if you are a casual bike rider. Helmets are as personal as running shoes and my preference is Giro at this point in my life.

Road Bikes for Performance:

For Triathlons or Duathlons, you could do it on any bike you have! However, as my friend Bobbi would tell you, the FAST guys pass you when your ride an inferior bike. She rode a fairly lightweight mountain bike in her last tri but lost all kinds of time and places on the eleven mile bike course. My recommendation would be to invest in a decent road bike. Please refer here to an older post about purchasing a road bike. Bottom line: it needs to fit you!

Time Trial Bars:

If you have a road bike, you can plan on increasing your speed by 30 seconds to a minute per mile if you are able to use Time Trial Bars. The more AERO your position, the faster you will go. Aero means that your back is flat, your arms are tucked in and at a ninety degree angle and your butt is firmly in the saddle. Time trial bars can also help you be more efficient with a highly efficient pedal stroke. By that I mean, that you can keep a fairly high cadence, while seated in your TT bars.

RACE DAY NUTRITION

I prefer Hammer Nutrition for all my endurance needs.

Why all athletes should use a gel during training

Finished with your workout? NOT!

Fueling your workout for performance

The more I write, the more I realize, I have more to say!! Do you have any questions? What is your pre-race protocol? What nutrition or hydration products do you prefer?

(Not a paid endorsement of any product)