Latrobe Valley Triathlon Club

Introduction to Triathlon

Published on Sunday, 19 June 2011 10:13

CONGRATULATIONS! You have just taken your first step to becoming a Triathlete.

So you want to do a triathlon but don’t know where to start? Well, LVTC is here to help.

The Latrobe Valley Triathlon Club is a friendly local club that prides itself on being a welcoming family orientated club. Our aim is to get more people enjoying the sport of triathlon. We have members you compete for the fun of it through to experienced Ironman veterans. Whether you are psyching yourself up for your first team triathlon or tapering for your tenth Ironman, our strong club culture ensures that when you join, you’ll meet other triathletes who share your interests.

The best part about triathlon is that you do not need lots of expensive equipment to get started all you need are some goggles, a roadworthy bike and some runners!

SWIMMING:

To start off in triathlon all you will need is something to swim in that you will be comfortable to ride and run in as well and a pair of goggles. You must wear something over your torso once you finish swimming. You may choose to wear a wetsuit to assist you in the water but isn’t necessary to have one if you are starting out. They can be quite expensive so make sure you enjoy triathlons before spending lots of money on equipment.

CYCLING:

Once again you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a flash bike to start out in triathlon. As long as it is a roadworthy bicycle and helmet, it can be a Mountain Bike, Hybrid or Racer. So even if you don’t own a bike, you can borrow one off a friend and ride that, it’s all about getting out there and having a go!

RUNNING:

You’ve made it to the run! The only thing you need for this is a good fitting pair of runners, As long as they fit well and are comfortable you will be able to run all the way to the finish line of your first triathlon!

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?

All races will have a start time, which is when the racing actually starts, NOT when you should arrive. They will usually have information stating:

REGISTRATION: This is when you actually go and register yourself as an entrant in the race. Larger events will have online entries followed by a registration period either the day before or on the day before the race; this is just to finalize who is actually entered.

TRANSITION OPEN: This is the time before the race when you put your bike on the rack and set out your race gear. The transition area is where you go after the swim to start riding your bike and then where you put your bike whilst you are running. This area is closed off while the race is on and usually doesn’t reopen until everyone has finished the race.

RACE BRIEFING: This is held just before the race and this is when the race officials will tell you any important information regarding the course or any specific rules that are in place. If you are unsure, ask someone near you and they might be able to help if you missed something. Most people are pretty friendly.

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