It’s been almost three years since the holding of the Bayawan Tawo-Tawo Triathlon, and two and a half years since the Dumaguete Triathlon here.
Has it really been that long since there was an actual triathlon race in Negros Oriental?
I’m not even counting the dozens of virtual races being organized since the pandemic began in the year 2020.
Guess what? Triathlons are coming back very soon. The Bayawan Tawo-Tawo Triathlon is scheduled for Feb. 27; while the Dumaguete Triathlon will be held in April 10.
Of course, everyone in the triathlon community are excited that these races are finally going to happen again, finger’s crossed.
We can only hope these triathlons don’t get cancelled with the recent surge in CoViD cases.
The Tawo-Tawo Triathlon will have two distances to be contested: sprint and standard categories.
The Sprint distance is composed of an 800-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride, and a 5-kilometer run.
The Standard distance is composed of a 1,500-meter swim, a 40K bike, and a 10K run.
The Dumaguete Triathlon in April will only have the standard distance.
The dates of these races sandwich a major triathlon event, the Ironman Philippines Subic on March 6. There will be two race distances: a full Ironman distance of 3.8K ocean swim, 180K hilly bike ride, and a full marathon or a 42K run; and the 70.3 distance which is a 1.9K ocean swim, a 90K hilly bike, and a 21K run or a half marathon.
Other races to consider this year are the 5150 Triathlon Bohol on July 10, Ironman Philippines 70.3 Cebu on Aug. 7, the 5150 Triathlon Davao on Sept. 4, and the 5150 Triathlon Subic on Oct. 23. All of these regular races were cancelled at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.
This news gets the experienced triathletes excited after a couple of years without an actual race. They could finally toe in line literally, and race against each other.
It is then time to get back on training blocks, and prepare physically and mentally for these races. Not just the elite and age-groupers, but we are expecting a large group of novices who want to try triathlon for the first time.
One cannot just join a triathlon race in an instant. Triathlons take planning and commitment. To prepare for a triathlon involves a specific training regimen depending on the distance of an event.
A simple fitness self test is advisable to have some knowledge of what it takes to engage in a triathlon. One should be able to swim 1.5 kilometers without stopping — about the distance of the Dumaguete boulevard upto the Looc area; transition to bike for at least 40 kilometers — or the distance from Dumaguete to Amlan and back; and then still be able to run five kilometers — or the distance around the Dumaguete poblacion.
These three individual sports requirements come down to a one-day event.
It would take at least 12 weeks to train for a single event. Start conservative, just to get the feeling of doing three different sports in a single week.
Keep a low mileage in the first couple of weeks, and gradually increase the total mileage in swimming, cycling, and running.
Divide your time in training for swimming, biking, and running, as there are three sports that must be mastered for the event. Here is a typical training week for beginners: schedule a swim on Monday and Wednesday, bike on Thursday and Saturday, and run on Tuesday and Friday; Sunday is a rest day.
There would be times during the training regimen that you would need to combine two sports in one workout to simulate part of the race.
The most common practice is a combination of cycling immediately followed by a run, because those are the last two sports in that order, and one must know how it actually feels to run right after cycling — using different muscle groups.
For some, swimming is the most daunting, even while our hometown is surrounded by water.
Swimming in a measured pool like the Lorenzo Teves Aqua Center — which is an Olympic size 50-meter length — one gets an idea how far you can swim in one go.
It would also be good to include an open water swim practice for up to 1.6 kilometers at least once a week. Locals normally go to Bacong or Dauin for the ocean swim training sessions.
Bicycling is a common sight everywhere you go around here in the Province. In fact, the number of bike riders here has doubled in the last three years. Many have the appropriate experience for those cycling muscles, but I suggest including one long distance ride for up to 50 kilometers once a week to build endurance. That would be like riding from Dumaguete to hilly Siaton.
I also advice running two to three times a week to fit in between the swim and bike days. Run at a comfortable pace that you could hold non-stop for an hour. Running longer than 10 kilometers once a week will actually improve endurance dramatically.
It takes a deep commitment to train for a triathlon. It involves serious training week after week for the next three months, until it grows in you.
One must be committed to set aside some extra time to train — from an hour to five hours — on top of one’s regular/normal daily life.
Hire a coach to get proper guidance, and be able to train safely. Or join a group of experienced triathletes who are willing to alalay you every step of the way. Besides, it is always more fun to train with a group.
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Author’s email: Ironmandario@gmail.com
