Training for your first triathlon can be an intimidating prospect. Triathlons encompass three very different sports, and the chances are that you're unfamiliar with at least one of them, if not two or all three. While finding time to train adequately for all three sports can be a challenge, with a little discipline and a good workout schedule, racers can find the time to give the swim, the bike and the run portions the attention they need.
Schedule
One of the keys to successful triathlon training is to become adept at each discipline. The simplest way to incorporate all three sports is to devote two workouts each to the swim, the bike and the run per week, with a day of rest and recovery included.
Swim Training
In swim training, it's important to focus on technique first, learning how to glide through the water by maintaining as efficient a stroke as possible. Start out swimming 20 to 30 minutes at a time, slowly building up your endurance until you can comfortably cover the distance that you'll swim in the race.
Cycling Training
If you're not familiar with road biking, take some time to get comfortable on your bike as well as riding on a road with shorter rides of around 30 minutes for your first few sessions. Once you gain confidence on your bike, slowly build up your endurance with longer rides and work on speed with sprint and hill training.
Run Training
Since the run portion of the race comes after the first two events, expect to be fatigued by the time you start your run. Start out with half-hour runs, walking when necessary, and keep track of your distance. Add three to five minutes per workout until you can comfortably cover the distance of your race, then add a few more miles.
Open Water Swimming
Since the swim portion of most triathlons occurs in an open body of water, make sure you do at least one open water swim before the race. An open water swim will allow you to adjust to waves and teach you how to orient yourself.
Brick Workouts
Most triathletes simulate race conditions by applying brick workouts, in which they stack two or three workouts on top of each other. One of the most important examples of this is the bike-run brick, in which a racer does a run immediately after a bike workout to teach the legs to adjust to running after a bike ride.
References
- "Triathlete Magazine's Complete Triathlon Book"; Matt Fitzgerald; 2003
- "Training Plans for Multisport Athletes"; Gale Bernhardt; 2007
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