If you are a beginner to the sport, sprint triathlons are the ticket. Don't be fooled by the name -- sprint triathlons are distance races, and even if you are a top-level athlete, you won't be sprinting during these events. However, the distances are only about half as long as the distances for a standard triathlon, so sprint triathlons are a good place to start. Many quasi-triathlons offer even shorter courses than sprint triathlons. Although many sprint triathlons take on the spirit of fun runs, with little pressure to compete against the serious athletes in the race, you should consult with your doctor to ensure you are sufficiently fit to participate before attempting a sprint triathlon.
Distances
A typical sprint triathlon consists of a 1/2 mile swim, 13 mile bike ride and 3.2 mile run. While this might not seem like a sprint, it's a walk in the park compared to an Ironman triathlon, consisting of a 2-1/2 mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run.
Initial Conditioning
If you are a beginner, a sufficient foundation of fitness is necessary in order to begin training for a sprint triathlon. According to Beginning Triathlete.com, you should be able to swim for 20 minutes without stopping, bike for 30 minutes and run for 20 minutes -- on separate days, not on the same day -- before you are even ready to train for a sprint triathlon. Twice a week workouts should enable you to slowly increase your times until you are able to reach these goals.
Training Programs
You can find a comprehensive, day-by-day, 13-week training program for a sprint triathlon at Beginning Triathlete.com. Just as with the initial conditioning program, you will gradually increase the amount of time you can swim, bike and run in order to be ready enter a sprint triathlon. For example, you will start out by swimming without a break for 15 minutes and work your way up to 35 minutes. You will start out biking for 30 minutes and work your way up to a 60-minute ride. And you will begin with a 20-minute run and work up to 45-minute effort. On most days, you will just do one of the three activities. On Mondays, your workout will encompass two of the three events.
Calendar
At Tri.Find.com, you can find listings for triathlons and quasi-triathlons in every state. If you want to find a sprint or quasi-triathlon in California, for example, you have an assortment from which to choose. In June 2011, you can compete in the Splash and Dash in Cupertino by swimming 1,500 m and running 3.1 miles. San Diego offers a sprint triathlon with a 300 m swim, 8.4 mile bike ride and a 3.1 mile run. Redondo Beach has a mini-sprint with a 1/4 mile swim, 3 mile bike ride and 1 mile run.
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