5 Tips for a Beginner Triathlete

Perhaps you just want to get into shape and you have not exercised in years or you are a seasoned athlete, who wants to embrace a new challenge. Whatever one's motivation is to sign up for a triathlon, it is no surprise that the number of triathletes is growing every year. According to USA Triathlon organization, there was a record high of annual and one-day members in 2013, with a 5.5% increase of all triathlete competitors from 2012. The largest increase was among youth competitors at a 12.1% increase. The interest has grown so much in the United Kingdom, that there have been triathlon holiday's established and marketed to those who would rather spend a vacation biking, swimming and running with former Olympic athletes than a sedentary lounge at the beach or lake.

Coming into the triathlon "world," a newbie might be concerned about the time invested in her new sport, as well as money for the equipment and all of those gadgets that you see triathletes using. If you are looking to make a plunge into becoming a triathlete, here are a few tips for a beginner triathlete can keep in mind as you train and prepare for your first race.

1. Stick to a training schedule. If you sign up for a triathlon, whether it is a sprint (most popular race) to an Ironman, you have to set your schedule to what discipline can be done on each day. Some days you will have to pair up a swim with a bike ride, or you will have to practice your "bricks" which is running after a bike ride.

There are many generic beginner triathlon training schedules online ranging from 6 weeks to 20 weeks, depending on distance of the event. Stick with one that fits your needs, and make the commitment to train. Lack of training can create problems like injuries, fatigue, and disappointingly kicked out of a race because you are not performing up to the time limit set by the race organizers.

Minimize slacking in your schedule by training with a group or a workout buddy. Include some strength training to help build muscle strength and endurance so you can better manage each of the disciplines on race day.

2. See what gear you can buy, rent or do without - A newbie maybe overwhelmed with the amount of gear a triathlete has and the amount of money that can be spent. Bikes, helmets, wetsuits, goggles, running shoes, fuel belts. The list goes on and on. There are items that you will have to have in order to compete such as a bike and a helmet, but there are other things you can take a pass on as well.

A good road or mountain bike will probably be the largest of all investments if you do decide to buy, but bikes can be rented from a bike shop, or you can borrow one from friend if they are about your same size and have taken care of it. Biking shoes are optional, and unless you want to equip your bike with clipless petals to accommodate biking shoes, running shoes work fine. Gear for the bike itself, such as spare tire, inflates kits and canisters are optional, but it is highly recommended you have it handy in case you have a flat tire. Helmets are a must, in fact, USA Triathlon rules stipulate that you have to have a helmet on when handling the bike at all times or you will be disqualified.

Despite what you may think, goggles are optional, and so are swim caps during training, but it depends on what your swimming conditions are. Swim caps are typically given in your registration packet, so you will be receiving one by the end of the experience. Wetsuits are used more in open water swims where the water temperature is below 72 degrees Fahrenheit. They can be expensive, and unless you plan on doing multiple open water swim events in the future, you can always rent one suited for your race conditions.

Running shoes are optional, but having a good pair would not hurt. Some athletes opt for barefoot or "paleo" model shoes which are okay as long you are aware of the elements on your run. Water bottles are optional, but are highly recommended. USA Triathlon rules require that water bottles are not made of glass, so plastic, camelback, or any other water carrying container is permitted.

When it comes to nutrition, and its additive costs, it is best not to skimp on this. There are power bars, gels and gummies you can try in your training to see what adds energy to your regimen. Something as simple as a peanut butter and banana sandwich might be enough to get you going, but consider other nutrition when you are biking or transitioning to your run since your energy will be depleted.

3. Focus on the disciple that is your weakest when training - Perhaps you are coming into training already strong in a discipline like swimming, but running is not your thing. Or you are a runner, and find out that biking was harder than you anticipated. In your training you may find that you are good at one discipline and poor at another, which is okay. When you are accommodating your training schedule, make extra time for your weakest disciple by eliminate the training on your strong discipline one day and replacing it with your weakest, so you can get extra training time in.

4. Practice your transitions - The time from swim to bike and bike to run is clocked and added to your final finish time. Thinking about how your transition station will be set up, and practicing your gear grabs in transition 1 (T1) and transition 2 (T2) will help reduce stress and time. You will be tired and frazzled by the time you arrive at your station on race day, so thinking about and gathering all of your equipment ready the night before will helpful (socks in shoes, sunglasses in bike helmet, running bib and nutrition ready for retrieval). Having your bike, helmet, shoe and socks set up just so and knowing you have everything will ease your transition from one discipline to the next.

5. Enjoy the race - With this being your first triathlon, just enjoy the experience. Your only goal at this point is just to finish, so trying to speed through the bike ride or swim will only stress you more. See the sights around you. Hear the crowds cheering for you. Don't worry about what the other triathletes are doing, and concentrate on you. This is your time, and your time to shine!

Amy Breeman-Rhodes is owner and consultant with BreemanRhodes Consulting LLC, offering Administrative International Trade Support. Professionally, she is a US Licensed Customs Broker and Export Compliance Professional (ECoP) with over 18 years working in the import/export industry. Visit her website at http://www.breemanrhodesconsultingllc.com and her professional blog at http://breemanrhodes.wordpress.com Amy, in her free time, is an avid runner, running races from 5k to marathons and writes articles on running tips and plans. She just finished her first triathlon in spring of 2014 and plans to do more.

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Stretching Exercises: Simple Self-Maintenance

I am interested in knowing if you have ever considered how different you would feel by incorporating a few morning stretching exercises. Many animals seem to naturally stretch and frequently unwind without hesitation. I'm not saying that we behave like cats or go through daily routines similar to that of a lion, but I want you to consider the fact that you just might be neglecting a small yet vital piece. Practicing a few stretching exercises daily will lower stress, reduce pain, and help maintain overall flexibility.

I have worked with clients of different ages, sports backgrounds, and ones with various health problems. From my personal experience, many people dive into stretching exercises when they are in severe pain, the aging process kicks in, or there is a big sporting event right around the corner. Is that a type of motivation that you can relate to? A different type of inspiration comes from the desire to feel healthy, limber, and resilient as the days go on. Let's refer to this inspiration as simple self-maintenance. You might relate better to one motivational factor versus the other, but start taking action with your own simple self-maintenance and begin to reap the instant benefits of stretching exercises.

I know what it feels like to provide myself with various simple self-maintenance methods. Over the years I have developed the art of self-care. (sometimes a bit too much) I love feeling the strength and vitality that comes from it, and have connected to the experience of knowing what I will feel like if I choose that direction. My energy stays up and my internal engine stays revved due to the regular sleep I get, the exercise I practice, the food I eat, and the stretching exercises I do daily. Yes, there are different simple self-maintenance practices that will help you feel better, look great, and live longer. Using a few simple daily stretching exercises is a top choice when it comes to your physical recovery, pain management, and relaxation.

Start easy. Choose days and pick small chunks of times that you know will work with your schedule. Start with five minutes and work your way up to twenty over a month's time. Select three stretches for starters and add two every week. Soon enough you will have your own personal arsenal of stretching exercises. Keep it simple and make it doable! I feel that stretching is highly underestimated. If you are ready to start feeling more limber and supple within your body, begin to take action with your wellbeing by adding stretching exercises to your self-maintenance routine.

Damian Motlo

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Pure Power - Laying Down The Law

It is a law of nature that energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but can be converted from one form to another. Keeping this in mind, and knowing that the things we eat and drink are used to build our bodies, the high prices of organic products in the supermarket may be justified. After all, who would not be willing to pay a bit more to ensure that what we put into our bodies is as pure as possible, with the least amount of genetic modifications or added artificial preservatives? Likewise, a glass of tap water from your kitchen sink is likely to taste a bit different from the ice cold water you gather in your hands fresh from a mountain spring, untouched by human hands or mechanized processes.

Pure and Simple
Not all of us have access to markets which sell products that are whole, pure and healthy. In fact, a majority of people in the world, when they do have access to enough food, are faced with a choice between affordability and quality; you cannot always have both. Inexpensive food like what is available at fast food restaurants is terribly unhealthy in most cases, while the purest and freshest ingredients are off limits to anyone without a healthy disposable income. It is not an ideal situation, but with a bit of creativity you can alter your eating habits to ensure the highest quality energy is entering your body.

Along with purity comes simplicity, by virtue of pure products being free of a lot of chemical additives and processing. When you learn to live with a limited list of items that provide the necessary nutrients for good health, you are free to experiment with novel ways to add flavor and texture. Most of the recipes that come from peasant societies are based on high nutritional value for a low cost, and modern women would do well to modify such dishes to suit their tastes. For example, there is no need to pay money for canned soup containing dozens of additives and preservatives, not to mention sky high quantities of salt, when you can make a delicious soup from a handful of lentils and a couple of carrots. When you add a few spices to the mix and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, you will be amazed at how enjoyable it can be to eat well.

Addition By Subtraction
If you wonder how you can incorporate strategies like this into your life to feel the power of pure energy, you might take a look at success stories of people who have made the change.

One helpful resource, for example, is the Tiara Transformation System. Easily accessible to anyone with a computer, the guide is full of helpful advice for harnessing the power pure energy to transform mind and body alike. It is not the only tool out there, but it is one of the better investments in a pure new you.

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Belly Fat Diets for Weight Loss

When you're looking to lose weight focusing too much on the stomach area is a mistake as it can be very difficult to lose belly fat simply through exercise. You have to learn a combination of diet and exercise in order to be able to properly you choose fat from your stomach area. You'll find that combining the right diet in addition to exercise is the best way to be able to get rid of the unwanted pounds that you have around your stomach.
Going on a diet to get rid of belly fat does not mean that you need to get rid of all of your favorite foods. And it is not all about eating fruits and vegetables as you can still eat all of the foods that you enjoy. What you want to do is start eating a sensible diet of a basic small meals a day that way you're keeping your metabolism going. You do not want to overly involved in anything that is high in sugar or fats and if possible you want to reduce the amount of carbohydrates that you're consuming.
Another excellent idea when you want to create a diet that is gonna help you lose belly fat is to replace a lot of the fatty foods that you eat with fruits and vegetables. While you do not have to give up every one of your favorite foods by replacing some of the foods that you eat with fruits and vegetables you will be able to start losing fat in your stomach area. There are a great many ways to prepare fruits and vegetables so you should definitely find some way to prepare them that you enjoy.
You'll also want to look for foods that help to burn fat. For example spicy foods are often able to increase your metabolism so if you can increase the amount of spice in your diet deal may often find that your metabolism will increase thus your weight loss in your belly area will increase.
As you can while burning belly fat can be difficult it is not impossible to do. You want to make sure that you creates a diet of good foods and a good exercise regimen and you'll go far in getting rid of the unwanted pounds that you have in not only your stomach area but the rest of your body as well.

Check out this blog for more information on Home Workout Routines

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Top Five Iron Rich Green Smoothie Ingredients

Iron is a mineral that must form an integral part of your diet. It is responsible for producing hemoglobin in your body, which is the main energy giver. If you eat an iron deficient diet on a regular basis, your hemoglobin levels will go down causing you to be anemic. Some symptoms of iron deficiency or anemia are often recurrent headaches, leg ache, chest pain or even dizziness of shortness of breath. If you have been experiencing one or more of these symptoms much too often, it's highly likely that you suffer from iron deficiency in your system.
In order to make up for the iron deficiency you must consume a diet that is rich in iron. Some of the things you can include in your diet are red meat, yolks of eggs, mollusks, dried fruits, beans of various kinds of dark and leafy greens. But you would probably argue saying that you do not have all that time to take care of your diet and you need quick fix solutions. Well, then you are in luck for we are here to tell you some wonderful ingredients that can jack up the iron content in your smoothies to a considerable extant. Here are some great ingredients you can use to make lovely green smoothies while ensuring that the iron content in you drink is adequate.
Parsley
There is no substitute for parsley when you are looking at increasing the iron content in your smoothies. Each cup of parsley contains nearly 4 mgs of iron. Not only does parsley give you a good dose of iron in your smoothies it also lends a wonderful fresh taste to your smoothies. When mixed with mangoes or citrus fruits, you will have a lip smacking smoothie ready in a matter of minutes.
Dandelion Greens
These come a close second to parsley. Two cups of these greens contain about 3.4 mgs of iron. The only thing that you should bear in mind about dandelion greens is that they have a bitter sort of taste, so be sure to blend them in with some fruits that are sweet to taste.
Spinach
Most people have the impression that spinach is the green that has the maximum amount of iron content in it. But this is in fact a myth. But it would not to be wrong to say that spinach does have a considerable amount of iron, though not as much as parsley. Spinach can still be a great addition to a green smoothie because of its smooth understated flavor.
Kale
Kale is a great choice as an ingredient for green smoothies. Kale is a vegetable that is not just rich in iron but in calcium too. Mixing kale with other citrus fruits gives you a mouthwatering smoothie recipe.
Raw Cacao
Chocolate and weight loss do not go hand in hand and yet this is one instance when a cacao bean can actually be good for you! You will find different brands of such beans in the market and you can be rest assured that they too are damn good when it comes to providing nutrition from iron.
You can use these iron rich ingredients in different permutation combination to make some excellent smoothie recipes. Thus you will discover for yourself that green smoothies are not just healthy but tasty too.

Make these strawberry smoothies today for the whole family. Smoothies are pack full of nutrients and vitamins when made correctly. To learn more about making healthy smoothies visit me on my website.

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