If you’ve ever witnessed the finish line at a triathlon —especially a long distance triathlon race right before the seventeen hour cutoff  — you were probably exposed to a wide range of raw human emotions.

Once past the finish line, some athletes are in a state of euphoric jubilation, and others are crumbled in intense agony from putting their body through something that it was not necessarily meant to do. The long distance format of an Ironman consists of a 2.4- mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run. This event is not for the faint of heart. (Don’t worry: there are many races below these epic numbers for the beginner triathlete!).

Spectating a race could cause you to catch the triathlon bug, envying the experiences of the athletes as you witness them finish the race in a heap of emotion. If you are moved to compete, jump in with two feet and start your journey! To help you on your path, we asked Meredith Kessler, eight-time Ironman champion who will be competing in her 55th full Ironman race at the Kona World Championships in October (and hoping to be the first American-born female athlete to win the title since 1985!​), to recommend five things first timers should know about doing triathlons. Continue reading “5 Things You Should Know Before Your First Triathlon (From Pro Athlete Meredith Kessler)” →