GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — You've heard the saying, "It's as easy as riding a bike," but the Grand Rapids Triathlon on June 9 will be anything but easy.
Are you training for a triathlon? For tips in the pool, check out the previous topic: Training for a Triathlon: Let's go for a swim
Twelve miles on a bike will come immediately after the swim, but the 5k run comes right after the bike race. This leg is all about saving some strength and preparing for the run.
Laura Hartman and Shanna Grove continue their training with coach Kari Stuart. She shared some tips to thrive during the middle discipline of a triathlon.
The most important pieces of advice are:
1. Have the appropriate gear! A helmet is a must on race day and you'll want a road kit in the event of a flat tire. Biking is the time to catch up on hydration and nutrition, so a water bottle is key too.
2. Practice shifting and cadence. Shifting on your bike is important to learn and will keep your speed during elevation changes without killing your legs. Cadence is the speed of your peddling legs - 90 revolutions per minutes (rpm) is a comfortable speed to aim for.
3. Learn the rules of the road. You'll have to follow all these rules on race day, so familiarize yourself now.
Kari has included the rules of the road, plus even more information to help you while training, on her blog.
Laura and Shanna have officially started training! This week they blog about juggling the training schedule and what progress they've made.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.