Triathlon

Ree_Chatelain

Hi.. I recently decided to begin training for a triathlon (in September). I'd love to hear from people that have already done one who could give me some training pointers, tips and advice. Or just share your story with me so I know what to expect.

natskedat

GO FOR IT!!!

You'll never be the same after you cross the finish line. It's an unbelieveable experience. My last one was really tough, but I'm so proud that I didn't quit. I really love the sport, and love the challenge of multi-sport, and can't wait to do my next one!

Have a great time! I trained with a book titled "Triathlon Training in Four Hours A Week" by Eric Harr. I loved it! He's a great writer and if you follow his advice on how to train and what to expect on race day, you'll have a great first experience.

Have fun!

mkcalvert

I have recently decided to do ironman florida in 3 yrs..great website www.beginnertriathlete.com, not advertising for them just saying it may help with your training..

javaruck

Congratulations for making the commitment to do a tri! I’ve done the Nautica Malibu sprint triathlon for the past 4 years and had a blast each time as I am sure you will as well. For what it’s worth, here are a couple of pointers from my perspective.

The swim can really be a challenge if this is not a strength. Open ocean is really tough with waves, currents and navigating through the crowd. Hopefully you will be doing your event where the water temperature is reasonable and free of nasty currents. The past couple of years the Pacific has been really cold (54 degrees during September) with strong rip tides which really saps your energy. If you will be in cold water, invest in a full wet suit and practice until you are comfortable with finishing the distance you will be doing. The swim is usually the shortest event time wise so working on speed for this leg does not give you as much return on your training investment.

The bike leg is my favorite and this is the one leg that gives you the most bang for your training time since it is usually the longest leg. Try to simulate the type of course you will be on so that you include hills as appropriate. Practice “bricks” so that you get used to coming right off the bike and go into the run. This can be a tough transition as your leg muscles won’t be happy with the change but I find that after about a half mile or so the odd feeling passes and the run becomes more comfortable.

Once your into the run, just settle in and enjoy it since you will be on the home stretch.

As a point of comparison, I feel that the sprint triathlons that I have done (1/2 mile open ocean swim, 18 mile bike and a 4 mile run) are no more challenging than a half marathon in terms of overall conditioning. My best times have resulted when my cycling was strongest. The other key to having a decent triathlon is practicing the transitions – you can really lose a lot of time so even if it seems silly, work on it at home so that you are ready on race day.

Beware though – tri’s can be addictive and before you know it, you’ll be wanting to get faster bikes and other toys. I work with a number of folks that have completed Ironman distance events who keep egging me on to move up long distance races. One of these days I might consider an Olympic distance and then possibly a half Ironman but I don’t know about a full Ironman. I have a hard enough time doing marathons without the added aggravation of a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride!

Which event will you be doing? Best of luck to you as you start your training. Trust me, you will have a great time.

Ree_Chatelain

Thank ya'll so much!!

marathonmom72

I also am pondering training for a triathlon. During training, how much time to you spend, each week, on the various sports - swimming, biking, and running? I'm most interested in how to go about preparing for the swim. When you do your bricks, do you ever combine the swim and biking, or is that a non-issue compared to going from the bike to the run? Do you bike in your wet suit, or get out of it before you get on your bike?