The Womens Triathlon
Triathlons can seem a bit intimidating. Look at those pictures! Tone and experienced athletes jostling in the water. Tons of gear. But as a women, if you are interested in trying a triathlon, don’t let uncertainty stop you! You can do a triathlon! In fact, you can make your experience a more welcome one if you compete in a womens triathlon.
First understand, women’s triathlon events are not easier than any other! It is competitive in that you still have to swim, bike and run the given distances. The difference is how you are competing. Newcomers to triathlon are extremely welcome, especially because more women find the sport daunting. You’ll find support getting through the ins-and-outs of the triathlon and usually won’t feel much pressure of competition. For those who have raced before, womens triathlons still provide a competitive platform for those who want a challenge and the camaraderie of women (and sponsors) who face the same issues you face in this sport.
A womens triathlon is all about being strong and athletic, as a woman. I love the logo that the Iron Girl event uses–Grace, the grace that makes women heroic, charming and limitless.
We even train a little differently. Womens triathlon training is typical training, but we have special issues to manage. With gear, we need to go through the effort finding a properly sized bike and quality sports bras. With health, women contend with issues like training through periods, lower iron, and pregnancy. And socially, women more often have to find time to train while holding down many activities in addition to the job such ascaring for kids or parents and a household.
Triathlons are an exciting journey. For your first triathlon, it’s all about “can I do this?” and getting ready to finish your first race. Once you have your first race under your belt, you’re on a quest to get better–improve your time here, improve your technique there, you know you can do the next one a little faster. Wherever you are in your tri experience, a womens triathlon is a great place to find your grace.
Whether getting ready for your first triathlon or your tenth,
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Hello,
I found your post and wanted to let you know about an upcoming all women’s triathlon, raising money and awareness for ovarian cancer research. The women’s triathlon is a four part series, where women from all over the nation come to race in four different states. Let me know if you’d like more information about the series (www.uswts.com) which is a great beginners race, for a great cause!
Best,
Caitlin