Hi Trigirls!
We received a question on our website recently asking if it was possible to train for triathlon at the gym. I’m pretty sure that with our hectic lifestyles and ‘temperamental’ weather, a lot of people training for triathlon in the UK have wondered about training indoors. Sometimes it’s just easier to train at the gym. So is it an option?
Yes, you can do quite a bit of triathlon training in the gym, but you must train outside as well.
Concerned that following a vegetarian or vegan diet will prevent you from performing at your best in triathlon?
It can be difficult to eat a balanced diet in general, let alone as a triathlete. Throw female vegetarian triathlete into the mix and you’re facing very different nutritional necessities than say… a guy who doesn’t spend his time endurance training!
You may find that everyone is suddenly asking, ‘How do you get enough protein?’ or perhaps your energy levels have dipped because you’re not consuming enough calories to keep up with your heightened energy expenditure.
All of these concerns and more are covered in the latest Trigirl article by nutritional therapist, Jo Scott-Dalgleish, where she shares tips on what you need specifically as a female vegetarian triathlete.
Follow her advice and you can perform at your best, without having to compromise on your dietary choices!
After months of swimming indoors in an overheated, chlorinated, lucky-if-it’s even-25-metres pool, it is with great joy that we announce that it is officially open water swim season here in London!
There may be those die-hard open water swimmers amongst you asking, ‘Isn’t it always open water swimming season?!’, but here at Trigirl we are not ashamed to admit that we prefer our swimming water at least 10 degrees before we take the plunge. And local lakes are opening up now that their magic 12-degree barrier has at last been reached, so we’re not alone in our preference!
We were so excited at Trigirl when we heard that Triathlon Pink was coming to the UK, offering five more options this year for women’s triathlon racing in a variety of locations. We are even more excited to offer one free race entry!
Triathlon Pink is a women’s triathlon series originally from Australia, which has raised over AUD$1million for breast cancer research. The goal of Triathlon Pink is to encourage women of all fitness abilities and backgrounds to participate in a swim, bike and run event, while providing the opportunity to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.
As a triathlon coach working with Trigirl, I’m often asked, do you prefer a one-piece or a two-piece trisuit? I diplomatically answer something along the lines of, ‘There are advantages to both.’ Which is absolutely true. But if you want to know what I personally prefer, the answer is hands-down: a two-piece. Here are the top five reasons why:
1. Two-piece trisuits are great for both training and racing
Not that you can’t train in a one-piece trisuit, but I like that, while my two-piece is still very streamlined, I can stop for a coffee in my two-piece without looking like I got lost during a race. Or that during a brick training session at the gym, my two-piece is the perfect solution. I just feel comfortable in it.
An added bonus is that all of the training in my trisuit guarantees that I know exactly how it will perform on race day.
2. The wee issue of… weeing
Race day equates to nerves for pretty much anyone. And that often means going to the toilet… a lot.
A two-piece trisuit (i.e., tri shorts) are simply easier to get off and on than a one-piece. And not that I recommend it, but if you do get caught in a bathroom emergency while training without a loo nearby, it’s nice not to have to pull down the whole suit.
3. Perfect sizing for an ‘imperfect’ body
Before everyone gets angry that I’m judging my body too harshly, I’m not putting myself down. Its just that I am a bit curvier on the bottom than on the top, meaning I can’t always order the same size for both and get the perfect fit. I like that with a two-piece, I can order my tri-top in one size and my shorts in another and know that I won’t be compromising on fit.
4. I like the look of a two-piece trisuit
Perhaps a slightly shallow reason, but I figure if I’m going to wear tight-fitting lycra, I should probably like the way it looks, right? For me, I really like the proportions of a two-piece. I will admit, though, in the past, I hated how tri tops would ride up, exposing tummy that I don’t necessarily want showing! Fortunately, Trigirl tops are cut a bit longer and actually stay in place- a feature that I love!
5. Flexibility of use
Similarly to my first reason, I love the flexibility that a two-piece offers. I almost always wear my tri shorts when I cycle (I personally find a tri cycling pad more comfortable), which means I wear them to spin class and even on longer outdoor rides. Having the two-piece means that I can do that without also having to wear a tri top… convenient when I need the extra pockets of a cycling jersey (or the extra ventilation of a crop top in a super-hot spin class!)
Having tried Trigirl one-piece and two-piece trisuits, I can attest that you’ll be happy whatever your choice. But for a great-looking, all-purpose option, I choose a two-piece every time.
Happy Training!
Katie J Synge is Trigirl’s Elite Ambassador for the 2014 season. She trains full-time with the High Performance Squad at Loughborough. This squad is coached by Gavin Smith and is a small group of dedicated athletes committed to success in triathlon. Loughborough is also British Triathlon’s National Performance Centre. Katie has had a great start to her season with a big running win at Grizedale in the Lake District. We caught up with her as she prepares for the National Duathlon Championships on 30th March. She also recently received the exciting news that she has been selected to compete in a European Triathlon Cup race in Portugal competing alongside GBR triathletes Vanessa Raw and Katie Hewison:
Many congratulations on your Grizedale win and on selection for the European Cup in Portugal. I imagine this season couldn’t have got off to a better start?
As a certified Spinning instructor, I obviously think an indoor cycling workout is a good way to stay fit (and despite often being really tough, they’re fun!) But as a triathlete, how should you approach an indoor cycling class? Is Spinning (or other indoor cycling class, such as RPM) good for your training? If you haven’t been before, what should you expect from an indoor cycling class?
What to Expect
If you have never been to an indoor cycling class, don’t be intimidated. Classes can be really tough, but when it comes down to it, you are in control of your workout. Arrive to the class early and let your instructor know that you’re new (and be sure to share any injuries).
Do you know what your body needs in terms of fluid and electrolytes? Have you wondered how many water bottles you need for a long ride? When to drink sports drink versus water?
When it comes to training and racing, everyone is different, which makes it difficult to answer hydration questions with a one size fits all response.
In her latest Trigirl-exclusive article, nutritional therapist Jo Scott-Dalgleish helps to explain how to find the hydration plan that is right for you, why hydration is extremely important, and why – especially as women – too much water can be as harmful as too little.
To read Jo’s advice, click here.
It’s like Christmas here at the Trigirl offices – we’re opening boxes and finding amazing things inside… our lovely new Trigirl collection!
We weren’t sure how to top the last couple of seasons, but we’ve done it! This season is perhaps our best collection yet, with our first delivery available to order now!
The new season features all of the fabulous details that you’d expect from Trigirl, including our high-performance fabrics, functional details, and flattering women’s specific fits, in all new (and we have to say… amazing!) styles and fun and fabulous colours.
We have also added a new and improved triathlon pad in all of our trisuits and shorts for the most comfortable ride possible, no matter how long you’re in the saddle.
And don’t worry, the fun’s not over… stayed tuned for our second 2014 collection delivery, coming in late April!
To check out the new styles and place your order, click here.
Trigirl is excited to announce that we have chosen the winners in our latest Trigirl giveaway!
We asked you: Why would you like to race in a women’s-only event?Would you like to see more women’s triathlons in the UK? Overwhelmingly, the response was that a women’s race is so much more supportive and fun and that YES!, you would love more women’s races.
While it was difficult to choose from all of the amazing responses, we are happy to announce that Marion Moore and Rainy Marsh are the winners of a FREE entry to the Venus Women’s Only triathlon in July.
Evans Cycles is running their third series of free women’s only evenings, offering a chance to gather with other female cyclists and hear from women coaches and mechanics about training and bike maintenance.
Hosted in Evans stores throughout the country, not only do the talks offer advice to novices and existing cyclists, there will also be store discounts (even on bikes!), food and drinks, and goody bags for the first 50 women at each event.
Evans is committed to helping support and encourage the growing field of women interested in cycling, which, of course, we think is amazing! Past sessions have gotten rave reviews from participants and they continue to grow year after year. To sign up for an event near you (the next is London Mortimer Street on 7th April), click here. Space is limited, so don’t wait!
Trigirl is excited to announce that we are officially on Meetup! Our women’s triathlon group will meet once a month to chat about all things triathlon and organise run, cycle, and swim practice sessions. The group is open to all levels of triathlete, from complete beginner to more experienced racers.
Our first Meetup will focus on goal setting for the race season. We will be setting SMART goals while getting to know each other over coffee and cake. The meetup will be hosted by Patrizia, the founder of Trigirl! Patrizia has been participating in triathlon for 9 years and is excited to meet female triathletes in the community and help them prepare for the triathlon season.
We would love it if you joined our women’s triathlon group on meetup! To join the group click here: Trigirl Meetup Group. Right now we are only hosting Meetups for our London Trigirls, but may expand if some of our Trigirls from around the UK would like to host a group!
We can’t wait to meet all of you!
We have a new YouTube video and we couldn’t wait to share it!
For our latest, Coach Kristin discusses how to read the exclusive Trigirl 12-week training plan, as well as tips on how to read any triathlon training plan. If you are finding that one of the most daunting things about training for triathlon is deciphering the training plan, then this is the video for you!
For further training advice, including how to find the training plan that’s right for you, a downloadable training log, and information about our fabulous women’s-only training days, visit our Triathlon Training page here!
To get your own copy of our training plan, see our Special Offer page.
We are excited to announce a new series of articles, written exclusively for Trigirl, by nutritional therapist, Jo Scott-Dalgleish.
Jo, who is also a triathlete, will help to cut through all of the palaver that’s out there about diet and nutrition and give us the facts about what we need to eat for health, energy and endurance.
Look for articles about specialised nutrition for female triathletes, hydration for everyday and race day, vegetarian nutrition and gluten- and dairy-free tips, all tailored specifically for the fabulous female triathlete.
More about Jo:
Jo Scott-Dalgleish BSC (Hons) mBANT CNHC is a nutritional therapist who specialises in working with triathletes, runners and cyclists to optimise both their performance and their health through the creation of individual nutritional plans. She is a full member of the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) and registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). Please see Jo’s website www.endurancesportsnutritionist.co.uk for details of consultation options. She sees clients in Chiswick, West London.
Sport is such a massive part of my life, it has been for as long as I can remember. I wasn’t a budding academic at school – I tried, but it certainly didn’t come naturally.
I was lucky enough to have some amazing opportunities to try different sports – which quickly became an outlet from academia and the love for it started early.
When I was 7 my family moved to the countryside, which is where the journey began. I began riding aged 7, and when I was 13 found my love for running. This led me to Pony Club tetrathlon (swim, run, shoot and ride), and once I finished GCSE’s I decided to go to Hartpury College, where I had an offer to train with the Modern Pentathlon Academy (so I added in the fencing!) alongside studying for a sports BTEC.