Completing your first triathlon is an experience you'll always remember, especially if you have the patience and willpower to dedicate to your preparation. It will take several months of hard work, persistence and commitment to feel your best on race day. Preparing yourself both mentally and physically will take a lot of time and energy. If you have (and act upon) a training plan of action, you will have a positive first experience.
Mental Preparation
Mental toughness is an absolute must, and it is the first step as you prepare for the work and commitment that comes with training for a triathlon. With three sports to train for--swimming, biking and running--it's easy to let the mere volume and breadth of training psyche you out, even if you're tough and resilient. To prepare yourself for both your training sessions and race days, use mental visualization to see yourself successful at the task at hand. For beginning athletes, this visualization is often aided by watching videos of professionals to see how they tackle challenges. Mental preparation will also serve you well when physical fatigue and mental setbacks interfere with your progress. Visualize successfully accomplishing your next training hurdle and focus on that goal.
Training Program
It is a lot of work to train for one sport--let alone three--and additional general conditioning is required. Set realistic training goals. Plan out your training four months in advance and be sure to incorporate your training into your current personal and work schedule. Consider how much time per week you have to train. Determine your base athletic ability before creating your season triathlon plan. Consider the length of triathlon you would like to race. Map out the races in your area that fit your profile. Select your race in a distance that feels comfortable (and that is realistic for you to train for) based on your current athletic ability and the amount of training time you have until race day. If you live with a significant other or have a family, training for a triathlon can be very taxing on your free time. Your training will also encourage you to get to bed early before early-morning training sessions or races. Be sure to discuss this with your family and get them on your support team.
Phasing and Rest
Training should be divided into separate phases--base, build, peak and taper. It will take your body time to adapt as you build up your fitness level. In the base phase, the focus is on building up endurance and cardiovascular strength. This entails longer-duration workouts that are of moderate intensity. Once you begin to feel like you have a sound base of fitness, the build phase is a time when you can work on challenging yourself further with both intensity and distance. It is common to focus on increased intensity in this phase, and for longer endurance events, a balance is found between intensity and increasing the training distance for each of the three sports.
Once you reach your peak, you are in prime race shape and ready to perform at your highest level. Work on maintaining your peak for a period of time so that you feel comfortable in this place in both intensity and duration. When race day begins to near, allow for a two- to three-week taper period so that your body can rest and recover for a top race-day performance.
Training Equipment
Investing in the proper equipment will improve your performance and help you avoid injury. The equipment you opt to purchase may be directly related to how competitive you intend to be in your first race. For the swim, the most important element is a good pair of goggles. Only a bathing suit is required for the swim, but a wetsuit is ideal (although not required) for colder water temperatures and overall swimming safety.
For bicycling, you'll need a road or triathlon bike. If you are wearing a wet suit, it's ideal to wear tri-shorts under the wetsuit during the swim. For your bike, stock it with two water bottle cages and bottles, a bike pack with spare tires and wrenches, a bike pump (attached to the frame or single-use air release tubes) and a cadence meter (this is optional). The run is the most difficult leg of the race, but all you need is a pair of running sneakers that comfortably fit your feet. Optional gear could include dry-fit or wick socks and zip-tie laces.
Nutrition
Eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet is essential to maintain your stamina and strength. Replacing minerals lost from excessive sweating can be replaced by mineral-rich sea salt and/or potassium-rich bananas. If you find yourself parched consistently, coconut water is great for quenching thirst naturally. If you have decided to embark on a triathlon for weight loss, it's important not to skimp on calories during your training. For a weight-loss training program, try the Livestrong.com food-tracking tool or see a nutritionist to build a custom program. As every body is different, so are your nutritional needs.
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