Fit for the Volkstriathlon 2023: This is how you become a triathlete

Fascination triathlon

Swimming, cycling and running are among the most commonly practiced individual sports in Germany. So why not try a triathlon? The so-called "people's triathlon" is perfect for getting started : 500 to 750 meters swimming, 20 kilometers cycling, 5 kilometers running . As an individual performance, these distances are not a big problem for most recreational athletes, since much longer distances are often covered in training.
The challenge in triathlon, however, lies in the complex load structure of these three individual disciplines and the additional "fourth discipline": the change, i.e. the transition between swimming and cycling or between cycling and running. A lot of time can be gained but also lost here. To avoid problems, the change should consist of automated and fast processes that have to be planned and trained in advance.

In our "Fit for the People's Triathlon" series, we show you what is important when preparing for the first triathlon, how the training for the individual disciplines can be designed and what is important when preparing for a competition.

choice of competition

For starters, it's good to look around for events in the area. On the websites of the events you can usually find all information about the competition, route descriptions, procedure and schedule. Maybe you even know the sections because they are part of your training routes anyway - an advantage for the race classification.

Competing with the pros

Although the national distance is the shortest of all competition lengths, there are often professionals and ambitious amateurs at the starting line. This not only increases your own motivation, but also the general mood, as the experienced triathletes often bring experienced fans with them. There is also the opportunity to learn tricks when competing with the professionals.

Become a triathlete

In all three disciplines (especially swimming, but also running) an individual and economical technique is important. Depending on your original discipline, you should work specifically on your weaknesses in the other two, but also further develop your strengths. The diverse physical demands require general strength and athletic abilities in order to be able to optimally implement and use technology and endurance. In addition, general athleticism also helps you to avoid injuries and symptoms of overuse.

The most important requirement - health

Both competition and training place a great deal of strain on the body. In order to be able to rule out risks when starting or resuming training, recreational athletes over the age of 35 are recommended to have a health check by a sports doctor. Sport makes you generally healthier, but the extreme stress can lead to malfunctions, for example in the heart, which can have serious consequences.

In the next few articles you will find out how you can successfully start preparing for your competition and make your training as effective as possible.