Ironman Research Paper

“Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!” These words exclaimed on the back page of three sheets of paper with a few rules and course description that was given to 15 people who came to take on the very first Ironman challenge in 1978 (Mackinnon). The Ironman began as a way to challenge athletes who had seen success with endurance swimming, running, and biking events. Judy and John Collins came up with the idea to combine the three toughest endurance races into one event (“About”). On February 10, 1978 the first ever Ironman was held in Waikiki beach in Honolulu. Gordon Haller was the first to finish in 11 hours, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds. There were 12 out of 15 people who completed the full ironman …show more content…
In the late 80’s the first wetsuit was developed by Dan Empfield. He wanted to help people swim faster and help with transitions during the Ironman race. Over the years, wetsuits have improved to make people swim even faster than in the 1980’s. For one, wetsuits are now made thicker so they aren’t as easy to tear. They are also easy, to take off to help shave off time in transitions (“Triathlon”). Wetsuits are not only made to reduce drag and make one swim faster, but also to help get it on and off as quickly as possible. The wetsuits have arm and leg cuffs and formulated silicone coating to get the suit off faster. Some wetsuit brands like Zone 3 have downwards zips to make it easier to get the back open. The rubber in today’s wetsuits make people faster and more buoyant. Ironman wetsuits have many panels and neoprene thickness to ensure the maximum flexibility through the shoulders and the buoyancy to elevate the body position in the water and thermal protection (“Triathlon”). A vital aspect to triathlon wetsuit is it’s flexibility. During an Ironman it is important to move through the water as fast as possible. A person doesn’t want to be competing with the resistance, because it takes away energy and affects the technique and efficiency. Today’s suits have been designed to generate a more rhythmic swim stroke to help one go faster and gain more energy when swimming. Studies …show more content…
Due to research and studies, today athletes keep the same outfit on for biking and running. Tri uniforms are made sleek and good for both biking and running. Tri suits are designed to wear during the whole race. They are made to improve hydrodynamics when one is swimming, help reduce drag when biking to increase the aerodynamics, and help prevent chafing when running. The suit is made to dry quickly, help wick sweat, and block the sun. It also helps take time off of one’s transitions to help one go faster and get a better time (Bettlach). People also wear a triathlon suit that is a thinner pad used to wear under one’s wetsuit when swimming and left on during the biking and running