Indoor triathlons are great opportunities for both the beginner and elite to race in a controlled environment. Indoor triathlons are also a great option for those in cold weather areas! Each indoor triathlon may be a little different but on average they include 10 minutes in the pool, 30 minutes on the stationary bike, and 20 minutes on the treadmill. In this environment, the athlete controls how fast and how many miles they go.
Indoor triathlon race results are based on a point scale with the person earning the highest points being in the number 1 spot. Points are awarded on how much an athlete completes. For example, if there are 70 athletes, the person who swims the most laps will earn 70 points for the swim score.
During the swim, I’ve seen people walk, breaststroke, backstroke, and freestyle so there is no ‘only one way’ to complete the 10 minute swim, just touch the wall and keep going. Volunteers are on hand for safety and for counting laps so the athlete can just swim without worrying about how many laps they did.
During the bike portion, there are volunteers on hand to help set up the bike and will give a quick overview of how the gears can be used. Some locations will have a bike for a volunteer to hop on, some will have fans, and others will have fast-paced music pumping the entire time. On the treadmill for the run portion, athletes can walk, run, or do a mixture. Again, the speed and distance is completely up to the athlete.
In January, with approval from physical therapist, I tried a tri to see how my body would react to three sports in one day. Completing the indoor triathlon gave me knowledge that if my hip was hurting, I could dial it back. My goal was to just finish and it became a great learning experience for both myself and the physical therapist. We altered therapy based on how I felt during and after the tri and just this month, I returned to complete a second indoor tri. Again my goal was to finish, but with less pain and maybe to improve a little from January. I was able to meet all my goals:
| When | Swim | Bike | Run |
| Jan ’19 | 18 laps | 7.6 miles | 1.55 miles |
| April ’19 | 20 laps | 8.9 miles | 1.58 miles |
Any type of progress is great and completing these two indoor triathlons shows me that I am making progress. Both the sports medicine doctor and physical therapist were happy about my participation and progress. I look forward to seeing what the outdoor triathlons will be like this year.