Overview
The Anthem Triathlon, held once each year in Anthem, Arizona is a sprint-length triathlon race involving swimming, biking and running. Unlike most triathlons, however, the order of events at Anthem is run, bike, then swim. This “backwards” triathlon presents some special challenges, but with proper training and preparation, you can have a safe and fun race.
Run Training
Joe Friel, author of “The Triathlete’s Training Bible,” says that one of the biggest challenges associated with a traditional triathlon is that, tired as you may be following a swim and a bike ride, you’ll have to hop off your bike ready to run. Friel recommends combined workouts, called bricks, during training to help you get used to the feeling of running on tired legs. For Anthem, of course, you’ll do the run before the bike, on fresh legs, but the theory remains the same—bricks help you move smoothly from one sport to the next. A brick for a reverse-order triathlon entails a run followed by a bike ride, and regularly incorporating bricks into your training will prepare you for the constrained motion of cycling after a hard, 5 km (3.1 mile) run.
Bike Training
In the Anthem triathlon, the majority of your race (both by time and distance) will be spent on the bike. The Anthem bike leg is 20 km (12.4 miles), meaning you’ll be spending anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour in the saddle. It’s best to be quite familiar with this amount of time on a bicycle well before race day—longer rides than normal frequently cause saddle numbness and can lead to inefficiency while running. While Anthem isn’t a particularly hilly race, there are some short climbs. To deal with a course like this, author Brad Kearns suggests in his book “Breakthrough Triathlon Training” that you combine longer, steadier rides with short accelerations or hill climbs to accustom your legs to the hard work you’ll expect out of them on race day.
Swim Training
According to Friel, the major goals of triathlon training are, “the capacity to go farther, the ability to go faster, and the capability to go farther and faster without breaking down.” During the Anthem triathlon, the swim will be particularly challenging because it comes at the end of the race, when you’re already tired. Not only will you want to train enough to ensure that you are physically capable of covering the swim distance (400 m for the Anthem race), for a reverse-order triathlon, you’ll need to be able to cover that distance after already having run and biked. Practicing your swimming after a bike or run workout can help you prepare for the Anthem race. Also, swimming with an adult group like United States Masters Swimming will help you learn to swim in an energy-conserving manner.
Transition Training
Where triathletes can really gain (or lose) time, especially in a very short race like Anthem, is during the run-to-bike and the bike-to-swim transitions. The race clock keeps running while you get your bike gear together to head out on your ride, as well as when you return from the ride, ditch your helmet and pull on your swim cap and goggles. Matt Fitzgerald, in “The Complete Triathlon Book,” recommends making transition training part of your pre-race preparation. “To practice transitions,” he says, “set up a makeshift transition spot just as you plan to set it up for the coming race.” He recommends practicing each transition several times so that on race day, you’re smooth and relaxed. Knowing how to move efficiently from one sport to the next will help you maximize your sport-specific training and keep you from forgetting important gear (like your helmet or goggles) when you head out to ride or swim.
Nutrition Training
Even a sprint triathlon like Anthem still takes an athlete anywhere from an hour to three hours or more, depending upon the conditions (like wind or heat) and her fitness level, to finish the race. For this reason, you’ll want a solid nutrition plan to keep you fueled and able to work hard. Fitzgerald recommends practicing your nutrition strategy during your workouts to make sure that you’re eating enough (but not too much), and that your body tolerates the source of calories you’ve selected. For short races like Anthem, many athletes use a sports drink or gel packets; it can be difficult to digest solid food during races.
About this Author
Kirstin Hendrickson is a writer, teacher, coach and athlete. She’s been teaching, coaching, and writing about health, wellness and nutrition for more than 10 years. She has a B.S. in zoology, a B.S. in psychology, an M.S. in chemistry, and a Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry.
