Training Tips For A Triathlon

Triathlons---a grueling test of athletic ability, endurance and courage---require someone to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. A triathlon demands discipline and desire, to be sure, but above all comes training, a carefully plotted regimen that must be taken seriously from the start, if not sooner.

Step 1

Consider your qualifications. If you are going to train for a triathlon, you should have previously run or biked in a race of that distance. Once you have proved yourself as a runner or cyclist, you have at least the minimum credentials to undertake this maximum test of your athletic ability.

Step 2

Train with a plan. Give yourself 20 weeks to prepare for your triathlon. Plan to train every day, though you may have to miss a day every so often due to family or work obligations. Most triathletes find it better to do something in each discipline every day rather than concentrate on one of them at a time.

Step 3

Devote eight to 12 hours a week to training for the first four weeks. You should run 45 percent of the time, bike 35 percent and swim 20. If one area needs extra work, devote more time to it over these four weeks.

Step 4

In the second four week-segment, train a minimum of 12 to16 hours each week, swimming at least a mile, biking at least 20 miles and running at least five every day. You should also be concentrating on your diet as you prepare for the big day. Diets high in protein and low in fat are preferred. Try to eat more chicken and fish and less red meat and have three to five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

Step 5

Go hard in your training in weeks 9 through 18. In this period you will learn whether you can compete in the triathlon or will enter the contest just to say you did it. Push yourself hard on the seventh day of weeks 10, 12 and 14 by running the equivalent of at least half the triathlon. On the seventh day of week 17, cover about 75 percent of the triathlon. Do this as you would the race, pushing yourself hard in the last half-mile of the swim, final five miles of the bike ride and last two miles of the run. You will need to ease the training pace in the final two weeks, preserving your energy for the race.

Tips and Warnings

Stay hydrated throughout the training. Water and noncarbonated sports drinks work best for the athlete pushing herself in a triathlon.
Since a triathlon severely tests the competitor's body, a doctor's examination is a good precaution for athletes of any age before accepting this strenuous challenge.