Although the thought of it may be terrifying a triathlon needn’t be quite so tough! Your first triathlon needn’t be such an arduous feat.

Following the beginners training plan will give you the confidence and the endurance to help you through the event.

The triathlon consists of a swim, bike and run. Three disciplines to test every ounce of endurance and mental toughness. A triathlon is not that hard to prepare for. A “Fun” or “Sprint” distance triathlon is popular as a first initiation into triathlon.

Here is how to train for your first triathlon

The Swim

Often considered to be the most daunting of the three disciplines.
Any stroke will do but front crawl is the most efficient and often the fastest. It is not recommended that you use back stroke as you are likely to be hauled out of the water as lying on your back with your arm in the air is a sign that you want help.

Your training sessions should try to make the distance that you are going to compete. For a sprint distance this can be between 400m and 750m. Don’t worry if you can’t complete the distance just yet. Make a note of how far you can swim and the time that it takes you. The next time that you swim aim to swim a little further and longer. By doing this regularly you will soon find that your swimming improves. The secret to swimming is to relax and not to rush your stroke. Try to go slower and perfect your technique rather than trying to be as fast as you can as this often leads to bad habits. It will help you as you emerge from the water also. If you are too exhausted after the swim you will not perform well on the bike or the run.
Most open water Triathlons in Great Britain require a wetsuit to be worn. This may feel strange but it can help your swim. Wetsuits help buoyancy and can aid your confidence. It is recommended that you try the wetsuit before the day of the event as they can feel tight and restrict your breathing. Swimming should be done as often as possible in your weekly training schedule.

These 3 swim sessions should help with your swimming:

If you are not very confident in the water keep the distances you swim short.

The Bike Section.

This is the longest discipline of the three and many fun Triathletes often neglect to give adequate attention to it. The most important feature of the bike leg is the bike itself. Make sure that the bike has had a recent service and is in good working order. Something simple like the gears working can make a huge difference to your enjoyment and speed.
Make sure you look at the tyres and test to see if they are rock hard. The higher the pressure in your tyres the more likely you are to avoid punctures and the faster you will go due to less rolling resistance.
Make sure that the brakes work well.
You must wear a helmet during the bike section of a triathlon so make sure that you helmet is comfortable and tight fitting.
It is not essential to have proper cycle shoes with special pedals although this will help your speed immensely. However, if you are not used to them they can seem tricky at first. My advice is that you get toe cages for your pedals and cycle in trainers. This way you will be able to get your feet in and out easily and have the ability to go harder up any hills.

The bike is all about how much mileage you do. Spinning classes are great for building up your strength and stamina. Otherwise just spending time on your bike will help you get fitter. I recommend that you either cycle to work once to twice per week if possible or go for two to three rides per week of up to one hour. If you enjoy cycling and want to do more then make sure that you allow an easy day or day off between cycles. Cycling shorts are a worthwhile investment.

If you are feeling more confident on a bike you could try an interval session during one of your rides. Find a stretch that is 1 minute long and sprint at the end of the minute allow 2 minutes easy spinning before repeating a further 5 times. Allow 10 minutes more cycling and repeat the set again.

The Run Section

This is traditionally the easiest discipline of the three but after a swim and a bike the run becomes a little trickier. Your legs feel numb and don’t seem to respond to what you are telling them to do. It is important that you get the strength in for the run during your training. Long steady runs at a pace that you can talk in full conversation are actually very good for developing leg strength. If the furthest you have run is up the stairs or to the bus then build your running mileage up gradually. Start with walking for one minute and jogging for one minute. Every week try to increase the time that you do for this session.
If you are more confident about your running ability then run continuous for 30 – 45 minutes. You could also try intervals. Jog for one minute and run hard for one minute and repeat until you have completed 30 minutes.

Hill training. Although hills may seem like hard work they make your running far more efficient and add strength to your legs. Find a short hill about 20 – 40 seconds and run up it as hard as you can. Have a breather at the top and jog down. Repeat 4 – 10 times.

You should also try to practice running after you have been cycling or combining cycles with runs. This will help get you used to running after the bike leg and will provide you with a great workout. One of my favourite sessions is run for 10 minutes and cycle for 20 minutes X 3. This will give you 1 ½ hours of exercise. You could of course make this much less. i.e. run for 5 minutes, cycle for 10 X 4. The key is that you change from bike to run as quickly as you can. Make sure that you allow two days recovery before running or cycling again after the combined bike and run sessions.

A typical week

Try the following combinations to get the most out of your training.

If you would like to do try two sessions per day try this routine.

Generally speaking you should aim to follow either routine using the sessions described above. The week before the day of your race start to taper the sessions down. Reduce every session that you do 1/3 of that suggested and try to speed the tempo up. If you feel tired it is important to take the day off.

For more accurate individual training plans, nutrition advice and for further improvement for future triathlons please contact:

Ralph Hydes Coaching Services for costs of personal training on 07970719715

Ralph.hydes@blueyonder.co.uk