Skills for Triathlon

There are countless blogs and articles online about training for and competing in triathlons.  They will usually focus on how to properly train your body to be ready to handle the race and how to eat a balanced diet leading up to a race.  This is just going to be a pictorial on some of the skills that triathletes eventually need to develop.

Riding one-handed.

This is a skill that is very important to be able to wave to friends and cameras.



Riding one-handed is also very important for the next skill.

Eating.

Riding one-handed is very helpful in order to be able to eat while on the bike. This is especially important for athletes in an Ironman race that will sometimes spend 6-8 hours on the bike while riding the 112 miles that is the bike portion of these endurance races.



Storage.

Packing enough for a long bike ride is always a challenge. You need to have spare tubes and a way to pump them up if you get a flat tire. You will also want some food (fig newtons and gel packs were my choice) and maybe some other things like a rain jacket if there is a chance of rain (not usually a problem for IMAZ) or pain medicine if you are injury-prone. Bike jerseys usually have a couple pockets on the back. These are handy, but it can be a bit tricky to get things out while riding. Some racers get creating when finding places and ways to store things for the ride.



Rules

If you watch (or race) triathlons long enough, you will find out that there are rules and that when you break the rules, you have to make a stop in the Penalty Box. It seemed like things were pretty quiet this year here in Arizona, at least for this penalty box as the tent workers spent a considerable amount of time just standing around watching the race.



So what other skills are needed for triathlons?  After IMAZ last year, I posted another skill that triathletes develop on my triathlon blog.  What else am I missing?  Use the comments here or shoot me an email and I'll make another edition of this skills blog.

Feel free to stop by my sports photography site and see some of my other sports pictures.

Ironman Arizona

Last year in April, I finished my first (and so far only) Ironman race.  I enjoyed the race more than most people can imagine.  Some people that can imagine were out in Tempe this weekend and I was out for a while with my camera to capture some of the excitement.

There seemed to be no end to the smiles.




Even the professional athletes that are racing for money seem to be having fun. Or maybe this one was simply "hamming it up" for the camera.


Some people are more intense than others.


Many spectators wear special shirts to cheer on their friends.  They range from shirts that look professionally done to hand-made shirts that show their creative side like Team Speedy Pants.



Anyway, I had fun out there and I sure missed being in the middle of the action but was happy to be there cheering on the racers. A huge CONGRATULATIONS to all my friends that are now IRONMAN!

Ohhh What a Feeling!

I have been having fun taking pictures of triathletes. It is fun to see the variety of expressions on different people's faces. Some intense, some relaxed and having fun. Still others celebrating as they cross the finish line.

Sharing the joy with family and friends is often a part of the finish line celebration. These heartwarming moments make shooting the finish line pictures very rewarding.


Every once in a while, one of the pictures just jumps off the screen. These are one in a million shots that make photography so much fun. I think this is my favorite triathlon picture since I started shooting triathlons.


What about you? What is your favorite sports picture?