Triathlon

Your road bike could be all you need for your first triathlon, without a shopping list longer than your training plan. It’s the bike you already know how to handle, and with the right fit changes it can carry you through the bike leg with enough left for the run. Here’s where I’d spend the money, how far you can adapt your road frame and when a dedicated tri bike starts making sense.

A triathlon is an endurance race combining three sports: swimming, cycling and running, completed in that order as one continuous event. Participants move between disciplines through two transitions, with the clock running from the start of the swim to the finish of the run.

Every year a wave of ROUVY employees disappears off to IRONMAN events around the world, and roughly half the team has finished a full distance or a 70.3. So we asked the person with the most finish lines behind him for everything he knows.

Training for an IRONMAN means preparing your body to swim 3.8 km, cycle 180 km and run a full 42.2 km marathon in the same day. For a first-time athlete, that usually requires several months of structured training across all three disciplines, with recovery, strength work and nutrition practice fitted around everyday life. Knowing how long to allow and where to place the biggest sessions makes that commitment far easier to manage.

Looking for the best women’s triathlon swimsuit? Discover how to choose triathlon swimwear that fits well, lasts longer in chlorine and performs in open water.

Challenge Roth sits high up on the list of races long-distance triathletes talk about for years before they finally stand on the start line. The roads are lined six and seven deep in places, the Solarer Berg climb turns into a tunnel of noise and the finish stadium in Roth stays full long after dark. Even riders who have raced Kona, Nice or Hamburg still talk about Roth in a different tone.

Strength training for triathletes is functional resistance training that improves force production, posture, joint stability and fatigue resistance across the swim, bike and run without aiming to add unnecessary muscle mass. The goal isn’t to get bigger. It’s to become stronger, more durable and more efficient across all three disciplines.

If you're doing your first triathlon or trying to shave minutes off your next IRONMAN, your wetsuit choice can make a big difference in your swim. With so many options available - each claiming to be fast, warm, flexible, and buoyant - choosing the right one is no easy task.

Thinking about your first triathlon? Learn what to expect, how to train and how to choose the right race with simple, practical advice to help you get started with confidence.