This is a NEW area of my website. What kinds of questions do you have about triathlon, competition, rules, travel, or how to balance life and sport? Submit questions at the bottom of this page and I will answer them and post them here!
What is the difference between triathlon and duathlon?
A triathlon consists of three sports and two transitions. Traditionally, the order is SWIM, transition, BIKE, transition, RUN. Many triathletes consider the transitions to be "the fourth discipline" because there is so much to do in so little time, and your overall finish time includes transition time.
Duathlon consists of three athletic segments and two transitions. Traditionally, the order is RUN, transition, BIKE, transition, RUN. Duathlon falls under the umbrella of USA Triathlon and you will often see duathlon events at the beginning and end of the triathlon season. Duathlon is also for people who fear the swim or don't consider themselves to be strong swimmers. It's a fun way to switch things up from time to time.
What is the difference between an Ironman triathlon and an ultra distance triathlon?
The name "Ironman" is a brand trademark. Just like Bandaid, Duct Tape, and Scotch Tape. An Ironman is a triathlon with a total distance of 140.6 miles. To break it down more, the swim is 2.4 miles, the bike is 112 miles, and the run is 26.2 miles. If the company Ironman is not running the show, it is simply called an ultra-distance triathlon. The distance is the same, no matter which you signed up for. But technically speaking, if you cross the finish line at an Ironman event, you are an Ironman athlete. If you cross the finish line anywhere else, you are an Ultra-distance Triathlete! However, your fellow triathletes will still consider you an Ironman (or at least they should!)
The cost of a branded event is much more expensive than a non-branded event. Often, the prize money is greater, the swag is better, and the event is run by super experienced people. That is NOT to say that non-branded events are not run well. (Just make sure it is a USAT sanctioned event and you should be good!) I volunteered at an event that was an ultra-distance triathlon and it looked to be run pretty well to me. Oh, and as a side note, you can only get the Ironman M-dot tattoo if you did a branded event. There is a lot of argument back and forth on who can and can't get the tattoo. Two years ago I chose to compete in a branded event so I could get the M-dot tattoo. My event was only a half Ironman, so to be fair, I only filled in the tattoo half way so that I could use it as motivation to do a full one day in order to fill it in the rest of the way. I didn't want to fill it in all the way and have people only think I completed a full. I wanted to EARN that right, which I did on October 1st, 2016 at Ironman Maryland.
The cost of a branded event is much more expensive than a non-branded event. Often, the prize money is greater, the swag is better, and the event is run by super experienced people. That is NOT to say that non-branded events are not run well. (Just make sure it is a USAT sanctioned event and you should be good!) I volunteered at an event that was an ultra-distance triathlon and it looked to be run pretty well to me. Oh, and as a side note, you can only get the Ironman M-dot tattoo if you did a branded event. There is a lot of argument back and forth on who can and can't get the tattoo. Two years ago I chose to compete in a branded event so I could get the M-dot tattoo. My event was only a half Ironman, so to be fair, I only filled in the tattoo half way so that I could use it as motivation to do a full one day in order to fill it in the rest of the way. I didn't want to fill it in all the way and have people only think I completed a full. I wanted to EARN that right, which I did on October 1st, 2016 at Ironman Maryland.
Are you allowed to run with music?
Athletes are NOT allowed to run or bike with music, per USAT rules. The thought behind this is that athletes are not aware of their surroundings when they have music in their ears. They cannot hear directions from officials and volunteers. Besides, don't you want to hear the crowd cheering for you?? Music is a powerful tool in training, and it's nice to get some new stuff to keep you going, but be careful not to rely on it too much. Many times we run to music and get so into it that our mind starts to wander. In a race, all you will feel is every footstep and every breath of air. Get used to going without music a couple times a week. You just might notice something new! When I do run with music, I get all my music from mp3 downloads from Amazon. Check out what they have in the link below!
