Triathlon in the offseason: What are the plans?

"Sad times" have come for triathletes of Kazakhstan. November, December, January and February – what shall an athlete used to constant activity do. There is no doubt that if you have money and time, you may zip down to some place like the Apennines or the Balkans and continue to train there. But what if you don't have money/time for that? 

That's exactly the reason why such a type of triathlon as Indoor Triathlon was invented. Swimming stage here takes place in a pool, cycling stage is organised using a bicycle simulator and for the running stage there us a treadmill. 

In the southern capital of Kazakhstan indoor triathlon competitions are held by the NGO "Almaty Triathlon Federation" with the support of the Kazakhstan Triathlon Federation. These are the full-scale competitions included in the schedule of Republican events with professional refereeing, awards, certificates, etc. 

From the history of Indoor Triathlon

The first competition in "triathlon under the roof" began in the 1980s in Europe as exhibition perfomances of professional top athletes. Usually a velodrome was used for this purpose, where a temporary swimming pool was built in the center, and cycling and running stages were held in a circle. These competitions were also qualifying and were not available to amateurs.

In 1990, in Canada, students from several universities (University of Western Ontario, MacMaster University, Queens University, Trent University) adopted the idea of indoor triathlon and began to hold competitions for amateurs. That's when many people in the world realized that this format of competitions is very good: it is low-cost, not complicated, safe, it is a “soft way” for newcomers to get acquainted with the triathlon. Later, the Indoor Triathlon Federation - OITA (Ontario InterUniversity Triathlon Association) even appeared in the USA and Canada. 

Today there are lots of competitions in triathlon held indoors globally. And if one can count the number of traditional Outdoor Triathlon competitions, on the contrary it is very difficult to determine the approximate number of indoor competitions. Indeed, there are hundreds of thousands of sports clubs all over Europe, Asia and the Americas that can hold high-level Indoor Triathlon competitions. By the way, this is another evidence of the extraordinary popularity of triathlon on the planet. 

What makes Indoor Triathlon attractive? 

First of all, as we have said, this is a great opportunity for a beginner to join this wonderful sport. 

The swimming stage takes place in the pool. This is a great advantage for those who have not yet acquired the skills of orienteering in open water and are afraid of swimming in water. In addition, swimming in the pool is an opportunity to stop at any difficult moment, holding the dividing path with your hand, take a breath and then continue the swim.

There is no need for a beginner to purchase a bike, as the cycling stage in Indoor Triathlon takes place on a stationary bike or bicycle simulator. Next to the newcomer there is always a “personal” referee, who, among other things, can give the necessary advice. 

The running stage in the Indoor Triathlon is always “flat”, without steep climbs and abrupt descents, it is intuitive and does not require attention to orientation.

And the last one. Indoor Triathlon is exactly the place where a novice athlete encounters professionals to enter the endless world of triathlon with them. 

Why do professional athletes need Indoor Triathlon? 

Did you know that the famous Canadian triathlete Lionel Sanders (2nd place at the Ironman Kona-2017 World Cup) trains in winter using a cycle bike and a treadmill in his own garage?

In general, for experienced triathletes, competitions in the Indoor format are always interesting as a rehearsal. One can trace, for example, the effectiveness of a new methodology, technique, system of general physical fitness. At the Indoor Triathlon competitions, both the coach and the athlete themselves can understand how well the skill that they worked on has developed. For the coach, such competitions are especially important: Here the coach determines the athlete’s level of preparedness at the moment and, based on the results, will begin to draw up an individual training program.

Where will the Indoor Triathlon be held in Almaty

The Almaty Triathlon Federation Indoor Triathlon competitions are scheduled for November 30 - December 1, 2019 at the World Class Almaty fitness club. On November 30 professionals will try each other's strength and on December 1 amateurs will join the battle. The date of the competition was not chosen by chance. Given that most of Kazakhstan’s triathletes are preparing for the competitive season, which will begin in March 2020, the beginning of December can be considered the starting point for testing the level of training in all disciplines. 

Well, of course, during the competition it is always possible and even necessary to communicate with other athletes who have arrived from regions of the country and abroad, discuss new equipment, training methods and share plans for the upcoming triathlon season.

You can familiarize yourself with the regulations of the competition and registration rules at the following link: https://almatytriathlon.org/happening/otkryityij-chempionat-almatyi-po-triatlonu-v-zakryityix-pomeshheniyax