David Pleše on his bike.
© Dan Vojtech/Red Bull Content Pool
Triathlon

7 things you didn’t know about triathlons

Everyone knows that triathlons are all about swimming, riding and running, but now it’s time to get up to speed with some of the race’s top athletes and finer details.
By Tarquin Cooper
3 min readUpdated on

Summary

  1. 1
    There’s a fourth discipline
  2. 2
    Triathletes go through a lot of razors
  3. 3
    A triathlon bike is surprisingly hard to ride
  4. 4
    Triathletes love electricity
  5. 5
    Being a good pool swimmer won’t help
  6. 6
    You might need a dictionary
  7. 7
    Doing a triathlon can be expensive
01

There’s a fourth discipline

A competitor transitions during a triathlon.

Now if only I could get this wetsuit off

© Marc Müller/Red Bull Content Pool

Did you think triathlons involved just three disciplines? Wrong. There’s a fourth challenge that’s just as important as the others and it’s called transition. A quick and seamless transition can make all the difference to a good performance. The top athletes can expect to transition in a matter of seconds and have it down to a fine art.
At the other end of the spectrum? We love the story of the guy who did a sub-one-hour swim at a triathlon only to then spend 17 minutes in transition because he needed the bathroom.

Hear from the world's best triathletes

UNCUT: Full-length interview with Daniela Ryf

“It’s important to always be open for plan C,D,E,F – nothing ever goes according to plan, you need to stay flexible and adjust to the moment.” Ahead of Season 2 returning later in 2023, we’re releasing a series of full-length athlete interviews, completely uninterrupted. This extended episode is with Swiss Ironman legend Daniela Ryf. Earlier in Series 1, Episode 16, Daniela shares how being able to mentally refocus and rest during a race gives her the best chance of being successful. She also gives the inside story on the infamous jellyfish sting that almost derailed her race at the 2018 World Championships! In this extended version, Daniela provides further insight on what has made her one of the most dominant athletes of her era.

Mind Set Win

Triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt on flexibility

“In a world championship everyone is in their best shape, but they’re also trying to maximise your weaknesses.” In June 2022 Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt crushed a full iron-distance triathlon in under seven hours. No one on the planet has ever completed the gruelling swim, bike and run event quicker. During his appearance on Mind Set Win we uncover how developing and maintaining an open mindset has helped the former Ironman world champion dominate his sport. In the episode hosted by Kate Courtney it’s also revealed what we can all learn from Kristian’s mental flexibility and how he’s able to respond and adjust in the face of both success and failure. Kate offers an exercise based around setting flexible goals which allow for more than one outcome, and explains how it’s a tool that can be applicable in all areas of our lives.

Mind Set Win S1 E17

Ironman athlete Lucy Charles-Barclay on motivation

“Having got injured at the beginning of the year, everyone said 'she's never gonna come back as good as she was...' and, actually, all of that external noise... It just motivated me.” For Lucy Charles-Barclay, finding motivation has been crucial to her switching lanes from professional swimmer to the world-champion Ironman triathlete she is today. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Lucy impresses host Cédric Dumont with her approach to maintaining motivation levels before Cédric shares some practical tips everybody can utilise in their daily lives.

Mind Set Win S1 E1
02

Triathletes go through a lot of razors

David Pleše poses for a Polaroid portrait by Dan Vojtech.

Smooth

© Dan Vojtech/Red Bull Content Pool

Triathletes shave their legs – and a lot of other places. While it’s tempting to believe this is to make them faster, the more humble truth is that it makes those frequent deep-tissue massages a lot less painful. But that doesn’t explain why some triathletes shave their chests and under their arms. We’re waiting for an answer to that one.
03

A triathlon bike is surprisingly hard to ride

A motion shot of Natascha Badmann cycling along a road with blurry trees in the background at the ironman in St Poelten, Austria on May 20, 2012

Natascha Badmann, triathlon legend

© mirjageh.com/Red Bull Content Pool

A tri bike is a totally different beast to a regular road bike and would be banned in regular road races. It’s more aerodynamic with riders’ body weight further forward than conventional two-wheelers, while tri bars allow riders to crouch in a tuck to reduce wind resistance. They’re also a lot more rigid to ride, so can take some getting used to.
04

Triathletes love electricity

Recovery is key to training. “I have tools to help with a faster recovery time, including a muscle stimulator that activates the muscles to move out the lactic acid.”

Braden Currie on the couch in recovery mode

© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool

A popular recovery method for triathletes involves wiring themselves up to an electrical muscle stimulation machine. The therapy is now widely practiced as a means to recover more quickly, prepare muscles and help prevent injury. It involves placing electrodes in key areas on the body and turning on a low electrical pulse. It causes a vibration which can feel a bit strange, apparently.
05

Being a good pool swimmer won’t help

Igor Amorelli swims at Balneario Camboriu, Santa Catarina.

A good stroke is everything

© Fabio Piva/Red Bull Content Pool

It’s one thing being able to swim multiple lengths in a pool, but swimming out in the open – alongside hundreds of others – requires a whole different skill-set. The first is an ability to withstand the ‘washing machine’ at the start as triathletes jostle for position. (It’s not uncommon to take an accidental kick to the head, for example). Swimmers also need to be able lift their head up and above the water between strokes to look out for buoys and markers.
06

You might need a dictionary

Gwen Jorgensen (left) discusses training with coaches Dean Golich and Tim Johnson during a Red Bull High Performance Project at the Rockstore on Mulholland Drive in Malibu, California.

Talking triathlon

© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool

Every sport has its own language and code words, so you better swat up on your triathlon terms if you want to join this gang. From 'tempo runs' and 'zone 2 training' to 'power watts' and 'pyramids', if you like to geek out on your training, welcome to Heaven.
07

Doing a triathlon can be expensive

David Pleše trains on his bike along the Slovenian coast near Koper.

Not your average bike

© Tarquin Cooper

This sport is a high-maintenance mistress. She’ll demand not only your attention and many days and hours of relentless training. But she also loves you to show your affection with your wallet. While anyone can do a triathlon on a regular budget, prepare to drop some dough if you’re serious about finishing among the top athletes. A top-of-the-range carbon fibre set of wheels will set you back a pretty penny.
Triathlon
Athletics