First of all, let me start by saying that there is so much information out there, good and bad, for beginner triathletes and those who are training or desire to train for their first triathlon. Be sure to do your homework, and know your sources, before you decide what information is good for you. Especially online training programs, be aware that a lot of the online training programs that tell you they can train you for a triathlon in 6 weeks are cookie-cutter programs often written by computers – not real people. So stay aware and don’t believe everything you hear or read.
That being said, so you want to train for your first triathlon. You will definitely want to start out with some equipment. Again, there is a lot of information out there and a ton of gadgets – most of which you will not need to complete your first or subsequent triathlon. I am from the mindset that less is more. You don’t need to spend a lot of money nor do you need to have a bunch of useless gadgets to think about on race day.
My plan in writing this article is to keep things pretty simple. I sometimes have a tendency to give too much information, so I will stick to basics. If you want to learn more, the Internet is a wealth of information. So are triathlon club forums, so use them.
Your basic equipment should be a swimsuit (goggles and swim cap optional), a bike, a helmet and running shoes. All else should be considered optional. You could literally go crazy buying all kinds of things, but you probably don’t need most of them. The bike is probably the toughest piece of equipment to get since there are so many options and alternatives.
In my opinion, you shouldn’t run out and buy a bike right away. Purchasing a bike should really be done after you have had some training and maybe even after you complete your first triathlon and decide you want to continue. Alternatives to buying a bike include borrowing one, renting one, and buying a used one. The most important thing to keep in mind when doing any of the above is to get a bike that fits you. Have someone from a local bike shop measure you to determine whether a bike frame fits or not.
At first, the type of bike (mountain, road or triathlon) really doesn’t make a difference. Go with what’s comfortable and please don’t use an unfamiliar bike on race day. Make sure you have trained with it prior to race day.
I don’t want this article to be about equipment, so I will leave you with a few tips. When purchasing goggles, consider smoked or UV protectant ones in case you are swimming into the sun (extremely common in the Pacific Northwest). Always keep your bike tires inflated to maximum pressure to avoid unnecessary flats and for ease of riding. Make sure your running shoes are in fact running shoes and that they are not too worn as this could easily cause injury. Always always always wear a helmet, set a good example.
Ok, on to the training part. Now that you have your basic equipment, you’re ready to train. Oh wait, you need to find a pool. A few suggestions are local public pools with lap sessions, local YMCAs, local health clubs and local high schools and colleges.
If you have a pool with a masters club and you can afford it, what a great way to learn to swim for a triathlon. If you don’t yet know how to swim, take a few lessons and get the basics down first. Remember, you don’t have to know how to swim well to do a triathlon. Many people have done their first one doing the doggie paddle!
So how much should you train and how often? Well, it all depends upon which race you choose for your first one. Most of you will choose a shorter race, while a few might choose an Ironman distance. For purposes of this article, we will be discussing a shorter distance but for those who do choose an Ironman, please make sure you do your research and train properly, an Ironman is no joke.
Triathlons come in all different lengths, but the standard ones are a sprint triathlon (750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run), Intermediate (1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run), Long Course (or Half IM distance) – (1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, 13.1mi run) and finally Ultra Distance (or Ironman distance) – (2.4mi swim, 112mi bike and 26.2mi run). There are also two youth distances for ages 7-14.
How much and how often you train really has to do with the time you have available and your current fitness level. Let’s say that you are a female, age 35 and you work full time. You are married but have no kids. You are healthy and fairly active. My ideal scenario for someone like this would be twice a week in each sport, with one full day off. Can you do a triathlon with less than that, of course, but I would say a minimum (and this is strictly my opinion) of 4 days a week training will get you through your first race.
So let’s keep with the above scenario. Our female will train 6 days a week with 2 days in each sport. She may also try to throw in some weight training over the winter months of light weight and high reps to give herself added endurance. Your scenario may be different in that maybe you don’t work full time and have time to swim 3x per week instead of two. Regardless of the situation, you should always have one 24-hour period off per week. This may be a day off, or a 24-hour period such as swim training on a Sunday morning and then not training again until Monday evening. Rest is very important and should be taken as seriously as training itself.
I have to say, this article is difficult for me because no two people are alike and when I coach people, each person that I coach has a different life scenario that affects the training schedule. The bottom line here is that you get out of it what you put into it. If you are consistent in your training, you will reap huge benefits. Not only will your race go well but you will be teaching yourself lifelong fitness habits.
So now that you have a better idea of how many days a week to train, how do you use that time? Well, you need to figure out your own starting point.
Let’s start with swimming. If you have not done any swim training before, I would suggest that you start by swimming in minutes. Once you can swim 20 minutes comfortably, count how many yards you are doing and start there. 25 yards is one length of the pool (from one end of the pool to another). 50 yards is one lap (or two lengths). A sprint triathlon is approximately ½ mile which equates to approximately 800 yards in the pool (or 16 laps). As a beginner, you’ll want to be training between 500 – 1000 yards in the pool at least twice a week. Again, if you can get in with a masters program that has a good coach, you will be set. When you finally get to the point of swimming at least 500 or 600 yards, you can start doing mini workouts that break up the monotony of swimming straight laps. Here is a sample workout for 800 yards, for example. 100 warm up, 100 kick with a kickboard, 8 x 25 yards swim with 5 seconds rest in between, 100 easy, 4 x 50 yards swim with 10 seconds rest in between, 100 cool down.
Ok, on to cycling. First, you will need to figure out how far (or how many minutes) you can cycle comfortably. Let’s say you can do 30 minutes comfortably. This will be your longest bike of the week. Your week would have one short bike and one long bike. The short bike will be short and harder than your long bike. The long bike will be a long slow distance ride that will be easier but longer. The short bike will be between 50 and 70 percent of your long bike. So, if 30 minutes is your long bike, your short bike would be about 15-20 minutes. You can do a hilly workout for example on your shorter days or a technical workout. If you are planning a sprint race, you should plan on having a long bike of at least 13 miles by race day. It is not necessary to get up to the full distance, but it’s also not a bad idea to go over the distance you will do on race day for a sprint.
Last but certainly not least is the run. Again, you will need to figure out how far (or how many minutes) you can run comfortably. Let’s say you can do 3 miles comfortably. This will be your longest run of the week. Your week, just like the bike, will have one short run and one long run. The short run will be short and harder than your long run. The long run will be a long slow distance run that will be easier but longer. The short run will be between 50 and 70 percent of your long run. If 3 miles is your long run, your short run would be about 1.5 to 2 miles. On your shorter days, you can do a fartlek workout (varied speed) or a hill workout or other technical workout. If you are planning a sprint race, you should plan on having a long run of at least 2.5 miles. Again, it is not necessary to get up to the full distance, but it’s not a bad idea to at least have run 3.1 miles once prior to race day.
One last thing that you will want to incorporate into your training about 6 weeks or so prior to your triathlon is something called a brick workout. This is a workout that incorporates cycling and then immediately changing to running. It is not necessary to run more than a mile in a brick workout. The purpose behind the workout is to get your legs used to running after cycling. The best way to incorporate a brick would be to run between ½ mile and 1 mile after your long bike of the week.
There are lots of other factors to training, but at least you are armed with the basics to start out with. Where to go after your basics are taken care of? Learn about using a heart rate monitor and periodization in training. These are advanced training techniques that should be looked into after you get consistent with the above techniques.
Remember your bottom line should be to have fun and get fit for life – not just for one race. Don’t ever take things too seriously, triathlon is much more fun if you let it be fun. I’ve done many races and one of my best races ever was a DNF (did not finish). It’s a long story but it was a great day for me so you just never know where your successes will come from. Triathlon is not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle and a healthy and fun one if you embrace it.
One last piece of advice – I have coached hundreds of beginner triathletes and it never ceases to amaze me that most of them feel like they can’t call themselves a triathlete until they cross the finish line at their first race. This is not true! You have major bragging rights, so use the title often. If you are swimming, biking and running, you are a triathlete. Enjoy and have fun!
Written by Cherilyn Suiter, DC Suiter Coaching, specializing in the beginner triathlete - www.dcsuiter.com
USAT & CAC Certified Triathlon Coach
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