Sprint Triathlon Training

amgreenwell

I am beginning a 6 week training session today for a Sprint Triathlon in August (exactly 6 weeks away). I will be using my gym's pool to train and the occassional lake swim when I can. I will be using the spin bike for my first week, at least, of training as I don't have a road bike yet. I will also use treadmill and outdoor running for training. Mostly outdoor as I know the 2 mile segment we will run on the day of the event and it is close to my gym and work.
I have swim suit (for training), cap, goggles, good running shoes, etc...but no tri-gear yet. I know i'll be needing a tri-suit (or seperates) and a quick-drying tri sports bra. As this six weeks goes on I expect to learn quite a bit about myself and the training required.

Please share any tips, hints or suggestions as this is my first sprint triathlon and I am a SUPER newbie!!
btw the distances are: swim .25mile, bike 8.2 miles, run 2miles

amgreenwell

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jchite84

Welcome to the sport! It's a lot of fun. As far as gear goes, can't say too much about female gear, but you can get a cheap pair of tri shorts from Saucony, as far as the top...you are on your own.

Bike: get a bike sooner rather than later and train on it, get comfortable with it, as you will spend a majority of your time on it. For your first race, ride what you've got. I've seen people ride mountain bikes and beach cruisers. I ride an early 80's steel frame racing bike.

Training: get in one or two brick workouts prior to the race. Go the distance you will need to go race day (farther if you feel up to it, but don't hurt yourself). Brick, in case you don't know, is Bike, Run, ICK. Your legs feel like sandbags when you get off of a bike and try to run, you need to get used to the feeling. Get in some open water swims, especially if your race is open water. The cooler water, waves, wind, etc are a much different task to deal with. Run outdoors as much as possible. You use different muscles than on a treadmill, and it is important to replicate the race conditions.

Day of Race: Pace yourself. Don't kill yourself on the swim, save a little energy for the last 1/2 mile of the run. Hydrate the day before and morning of. Have a ton of fun.

Other: If you haven't already, sign up for a BeginnerTriathlete account. My username is jchite84, if you want to find me. No matter how you finish (I am not a good triathlete, hahah) you will feel like a beast when you are done, and rightly so, it is a great accomplishment. Check out the USAT for commonly violated rules (mostly drafting, and helmet on before you get on your bike), and some of the etiquette (announce when you pass, keeping your stuff neat in the transition area, etc). Don't worry too much about transition times for your first race, but you might want to practice to make sure you have everything ready and set in place where you want it.

annasensei

Congrats on taking that first step! I was super into triathlons about 4 years ago. I did 3 sprints and 1 Olympic distance. Once you've completed one, it becomes a bit addictive, so beware! ^_^

Sounds like you're on the right track when it comes to training. What really helped me as well was sprinkling in a bit of weight training amongst all the cardio. Especially with your legs. Weighted squats and lunges really build up the muscle and can help with endurance. Kettlebell swings are also awesome.

I don't know about NEEDING a trisuit. I just simply wore a speedo racing swim suit and threw on bike shorts and a shirt with a built in bra to help with support. The trisuits always looked awesome, but spending $200 on a good one (and you need a good one) just seemed a bit steep to me.

I agree with jchite84 about the bike. Get the one that you're going to use for the tri as soon as you can. You want to feel as comfortable as possible the day of the race, and feeling insecure on your bike would cause undue stress. I also agree about practicing going from bike to run or from swim to bike. I don't know if there's one thing that will 100% prepare you for that kind of fatigue, but you can at least get an idea for what it feels like.

That's all I kind think of off the top of my head. Feel free to add me if you have any additional questions. ^_^ Good luck!

mlanders22

Following because my first one is also in August

amgreenwell

Thanks everyone! I'm so excited!!
Each week I have a combo of swim, bike run in the training schdule (one after the other).