Becoming a Competitive Triathlon Cyclist

Cycling is a good deal more important to triathletes than other events, since it can be the most time consuming portion of the sport. The best cyclists, for this reason, can gain an unbeatable lead over other athletes in the same age-group. Even the very best runners must be very capable cyclists in order to effectively place in a triathlon. Furthermore, the endurance and strength gained by cycling training will bolster the strength of any other endurance athletes.

Functioning as a competitive triathlon cyclist certainly requires both mental and physical stamina. It requires a great deal more than just the right bike, high performance cycling equipment, and a mild interest in becoming a competitive cyclist. This type of strength normally developed with training and after the athlete has had some good racing experience out of the way. However, more pertinently, as physical strength runs out, the only remaining energy store lies in the mental determination to push harder. In the mean time, the body must be developed with a whole host of other skills.

Where to Focus
For the beginner cyclist, building endurance by increasing the distance of workouts and developing some semblance of proper technique must come well before any attempt to build speed and muscular strength. A few months are usually required for this to work.
The initial endurance stage requires a serious amount of cycling which perpetuations the misleading but popular idea that athletes should focus on volume of endurance instead of performance when it comes to racing events. Because of this, many athletes waste far too much time attempting to schedule their life around finishing extremely long distance training sessions. However, early sunsets, restrictions in lifestyle, and traffic can all contribute to the reduction of the amount of time that can be spent on the road. The true focus of any professional or competitive cyclist should be intensity and performance.
The intensity of a cycling session is usually the most important factor when determining the difference between merely finishing and being competitive. Physical strength and concentration come into play as the final tools required to make an excellent placing. Including efficient pedalling, a good aerodynamic position, and a passable technique, will leave the athlete with everything he needs for the fastest bike splits.

Cycling with a Running Background
For those prospective two-wheel masters who have a background in running, cycling requires different pressure points, completely different muscle groups, and different heart rates than running. Having no familiarity with any sort of endurance sport or training will make it very difficult to cope with a sport that lasts an hour or more. Long distance cycling , however, is a lot less stressful on the human body than a similar time period spent running.

Final words
The very best part about cycling, along with any competitive endurance sport, is the mental acuity, discipline, and committal prowess gained when practicing such a demanding activity. Implementing these ideas into daily life can allow anyone to simply enjoy the ride.

Help others find this article at:

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Google Technorati

Filed under Triathlon Cycling |