So you signed up and paid for your first triathlon, you’ve marked your calendar as D Day, you’ve bragged to your friends about your new endeavor and you may have even bought a book about triathlon. Now, you have to train for the crazy event. What you are about to read is a general guideline on what it’s going to take to finish your first race both safely and effectively. We could end the article now by saying that all you need is to complete the distance in training a few times but that wouldn’t be much fun. We’re going to stick with the rule of three’s. You have to complete three sports in the race so in your training, aim to complete three sports, three times per week. Triathlon can be very simple or very complicated. At the end of the day it’s only a swim, a bike and a run!

You probably haven’t swum more than a lap in the pool since that time in summer camp when your friends suckered you into racing in the swim meet with the rival camp. In your first tri you’re probably going to have to swim a quarter or half a mile. This can be a little intimidating and rightfully so. Not only do you have to swim it, but also it’s in the ocean with seaweed, fish and the occasional boatload of contraband. Swimming is all technique oriented and should be approached by the first timer as aggressively as possible. Get a good swimming book, video or coach to show you some drills. The drills will help you improve your stroke and help you not waste energy in the first part of the race. Some simple things to remember are: look straight down and not ahead, breathe every stroke, push your chest into the water 1-2 inches to aid with your buoyancy, be comfortable breathing to both sides, pretend your reaching over a barrel when you stroke and finally, relax. The swim start of a race can be fast and furious so take your time and if you get pushed or shoved just stay relaxed and don’t retaliate. One of my favorite tips is to put your goggles on and then your swim cap over it, this will keep your goggles from getting knocked off! The best way to train for the swim portion is to do a minimum of two pool swims per week. Start your pool swims out by doing sets (4 x 50, 5 x 50 and so on) of 50-100 yards and building until you can do 600-800 yards non-stop. You should also be able to complete one ocean swim every week from 10:00 to 20:00 in length.

In your training you will want to practice your swim/bike transition. You can also visualize it in your head after you try it a few times (you should do this for the whole race the night before). If you keep it simple then you’ll be more apt to be successful. Visualize the following paragraph in your head:

Now you see the finish line of the swim and you’re happier then a kid in a candy store. In the last twenty yards you’re going to kick a little extra to get some more blood to your legs. You swim as long as you can until you can grab some land and pull yourself up. Run; don’t walk to your bike in the transition area (T1). Transition time is pain free time gained. That means you can gain time without having to endure any more pain. T1 is very simple; wipe your feet off on a towel and not in a bucket. You want to dry them, not wet them.

Put on your sneakers or bike shoes on, helmet goes on and gets snapped shut and you’re off. Now it’s all easy going while you pedal your way through a 10-13 mile bike, right?

The best part of triathlons is that you can do it on any bike. You really can! The bike can be a $25.00 clunker from a garage sale or a $4000.00 steed from Italy! During your training it’s good idea to make sure that your bike is in good condition by taking it to your local shop and getting a tune up. Riding three times per week would be ideal to get comfortable on your bike. Make two of your rides 10-15 miles in length with an overall perceived effort of 6-7 on a 10 scale (10 being the hardest). Make your last ride 20-30 miles in length and use it as a combo to a short 5-15 minute run right after to get your body and mind used to making that transition. This whole workout should also be a 6-7 on a 10 scale. Helmets are mandatory to race in and should also be worn for all training sessions. Clip-less pedals will help you put power into your pedaling and will be overall faster. Also on race day you don’t have to put on a specific cycling jersey, as most tri heads prefer to wear their bathing suits throughout the whole race. This of course is if the weather is warm like in Florida in the summer.

The bike to run transition should be easy and smooth. You should have done it more than a few times in your training. The run portion makes or breaks the athlete. Running is the most taxing of the three sports and should be trained three to four times per week. One to two times per week should be dedicated to slow aerobic training and the other one to two sessions can be used to do repeats on the track or interval run training. Perhaps you pick it up for 3-4 minutes and recover between intervals for 2:00, you can do this 6-8 times for a great workout. To complete a sprint tri effectively you don’t need to run longer than 45:00 in any training session. Make sure that you warm up and cool down properly in every session. Always make sure that you have a good pair or running specific shoes for the race. Typically running shoes can only take a maximum of 500-600 miles so make sure that you have a comfortable pair that are right for you type of foot.

There are a few special needs that you will want to consider in your training and racing. Here they are:

• Stay hydrated, drink so your urine is clear in color
• Nutrition is highly individual but shoot to consume 1-4 grams of carbohydrate rich foods per kilogram of bodyweight 2-4 hours before a race
• Always keep a bottle of water or sports drink on your bike
• Stay away from extra fat the day before and morning of a race
• Never pass up an aid station at a race, never
• Always keep extra goggles and shoe laces with you at the race
• Consume 200-300 carbo calories right after a hard training session or race
• Use a body lubricant like Body Glide under the arms and in the groin area so you don’t chafe
• Start strong and finish fast
• Always stay positive and relaxed, pick a mantra and repeat it to yourself over and over again, For example: I’m strong and prepared
• Thank all the race volunteers.

Stretching should not be overlooked. You’ll want to stretch after every training session and race. Hold all your stretches for 20-30 seconds until you feel pressure but you’re not in pain. Stretching is the most overlooked of all the special considerations in the sport and can be the MOST beneficial!

Remember, you’re out there to push yourself, test yourself and have a good time. Triathlons can be addictive so be careful or you’ll find yourself signing up for your next one while you’re still in your Speedo and running shoes.