Cycling for success

For many taking on their first triathlon, the cycle leg is the least daunting. The swim is challenging and the run is hard work; but the cycle leg has the potential to be pleasant and help you to pick up your pace or take a breather. Cycling is also a very social part of triathlon training because you can train in groups and enjoy the company of others as you train.

But cycling’s benefits go way beyond what you might imagine.

Drop a size

Ask anyone who’s completed a triathlon and they’ll tell you how they lost weight and trimmed centimetres almost without even noticing. Cycling is probably one of the most important reasons for this often-dramatic weight loss. It torches calories because you’re always working. It’s a gentle burn (depending on the incline) for a prolonged period of time across the largest muscle groups; which makes it ideal for burning loads of calories really quickly.

Shape your muscles

And not just your leg muscles either. Cycling’s varying intensities across the duration of a ride mean that you’re pushing your heart rate up and then letting it down slowly; giving your heart as good a workout as you’re giving your legs. Your legs will also benefit though. The continuous effort that it takes to move your bike strengthens and builds your leg muscles without putting the strain on your bones and joints that running does. You’d even be forgiven for thinking that cycling has some upper-body benefit; manipulating the handlebars, particularly when mountain biking, can tone your upper body too.

It supports your other sports

The leg strength you gain from cycling not only helps to power your runs and swims, but the significant gains in fitness help move your endurance threshold as well. Cycling training sessions can be tailored to be as tough as you need them to be so that they can work to help you actively recover from a hard run, or help you build up your endurance and strength after a slow swim. It has little or no impact on your joints so if you need a rest from running, cycling can fill that gap and still provide a good all-over workout.

According to Ceejae Miller, Biokineticist and triathlete, joining a club and getting expert advice should be the first step towards your triathlon. Whether you’re a veteran cyclist or an absolute beginner, a cycle club can give you that practical advice as well as the constant support you need to get your training done.

Test your swimming, cycling, and running prowess in the second Discovery World Triathlon Cape Town. Enter here: http://capetown.triathlon.org/enter.

To find out more about Discovery, click here.