Ever wanted to get started with “multi-sport” but didn’t know where to begin? The sport of triathlon may seem daunting for someone trying it for the first time.
By ROMMEL FARO
Ang Kalatas
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I started the sport about four years ago. I couldn’t swim 25 meters, and was a poor runner. But persistence, hard work and a positive mindset allowed me to progress through the years.
Success in this sport, like any other activity in life, is achieved by working slowly towards the ultimate goal. What I mean is to start with smaller goals, those ones that are very achievable in your current situation or condition, but will stretch you, as it is a goal.
If initially you want to lose weight by 5kg, then so be it. Place a time frame on it, plan, and then execute your plan.
Ultimately, by working on the smaller goals you become better mentally and physically, and you can then progress to the next goal. Your ultimate goal can be as lofty as you want it to be.
So how do you race triathlons?
Those who get into the sport can start with the “Enticer” distance and build from there. Triathlon Australia’s prescribed distances table can be seen in the Ang Kalatas digital edition of July 2015. See ‘FilOz Triathlon Club launched’.
Some people don’t even get to do the Iron or even Half Iron distances; they’re just happy enough doing their preferred distance as time is usually the main factor in determining how much you can put into training.
One thing good about triathlons is that people any age, shape or size can do it. You race against yourself, not against the training buddy standing next to you or someone whom you made friends with after helping you fix your wetsuit at the start of the swim.
Triathlon is a very friendly sport; it’s very welcoming to everyone wanting to achieve something seemingly impossible.
Sometimes, simply finishing is all that matters; crossing that line gives you satisfaction and makes all the hard work and sacrifice put on training worthwhile. The feeling is indescribable.
My first Ironman distance race was in Melbourne recently. After over 14 hours of racing, I crossed the line and completed the goals that I had set for myself.
It took me almost four years to achieve that but all the preparation was worth it.
Endless questions presented themselves like how do I train, how long I should I swim, bike, or run; can I do all three sports or can I just do one or two, and so on.
Fear of the unknown is usually what stops us from achieving what we are really capable of, but being with like-minded individuals can definitely answer all these burning questions as well as provide you with all the support you need.
More importantly, they inspire you to achieve personal goals you never dreamt of achieving.
And the good thing is that you don’t need to work on all three sports if you don’t want to. Some people happily work on one or two sports where they think they can really excel, and then move on doing the the sport later, finding themselves training on all three sports in just a short span of time.
Where do you find these sport-loving, fun-loving people training and racing in triathlons? Luckily, there’s a club in Western Sydney called FilOz Triathlon Club.
The club was born out of the love of the sport by a small group of Filipino-Australians meeting up about two years ago after doing a race in Wollongong. It now has a membership of more than 80 – and counting.
Members have raced in all distances, from Novice distances all the way to Ironman.
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PICTURES courtesy of Ang Kalatas
