For people seeking fun and challenging activities to try, few things offer the trills and triumphs that come with endurance sports. Colorado’s climate, altitude, and terrain make for ideal endurance sports conditions during any time of the year. Whether you’re looking for long-distance running or cycling, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, triathlons, or more, Colorado is the place to be.
Starting any kind of new sport can be overwhelming, but novices of endurance sports can feel particularly intimidated. The training can be quite intense, requiring lots of time and commitment to truly get going. We’ve created a helpful guide to get you up and running.
Tips for Endurance Sports in Colorado
Find out What Sport Is Right for You
Firstly, you need to figure out what type of endurance sport you want to do. There are several factors that can help you determine what sport is the best fit. Your health, the time you can commit, and equipment cost should be in front of mind before you begin. Be sure to check with your personal physician before starting any type of exercise or training program.
Get Geared Up
As mentioned above, equipment cost should be a determining factor in what endurance sport you choose. Even if you’re simply running, you’ll want serviceable/reliable equipment, like comfortable training shoes and clothing. This REI guide can help you find shoes that right for you.
Start by Taking It Slow
There is a steep learning curve to endurance sports. Ultramarathons, cross-country skiing, and triathlons are huge athletic endeavors. Success in these sports does not and will not come overnight. Understanding and knowing your own personal limits is key, but more important is patience. Start slow and work your way up to the more intense training.
Build Your Endurance
No matter what endurance sport you take up, all require training to build, strengthen, and maintain greater cardiovascular endurance. Your endurance is a measurement of your ability to sustain an exercise or activity over an extended period of time—initial training should be built around that philosophy. Incremental increases to your distances, at a reasonable pace, is a hallmark of all endurance sports training. There are fitness tracking apps that make this process easier.
Find a Club
Despite the lack of team centric elements to most endurance sports, you don’t have to do them alone. Throughout Colorado there are countless running, cycling, and other training clubs with people of all skill levels. Do a little research and find an endurance training club/group near you. Online databases for certain sports are available for Colorado clubs:
- TriFind.com – Triathlon
- Running In the USA: Walking, Race Walking, Trail Running, Road Running
- HeartCycle: Bicycling
- Colorado Cross Country Ski Association: Skiing, Snowshoeing, Fat Tire Biking
Insure Your Equipment With Farm Bureau Insurance
The accouterments of adult endurance sports can add up, and you may end up with equipment that costs the same or even more as the car you haul it in. Many of your expensive purchases, including triathlon bikes, mountain bikes, racing boats, and training equipment, can be insured by adding them as a Scheduled Personal Property item on your Farm Bureau Insurance® homeowners policy. You’ll protect these items against loss and theft while you’re at home and while you’re away from the home, training and competing. To learn more about our high-quality insurance, contact a local agent near you.