GETTING STARTED IN TRIATHLON
In this section…a simple outline of getting started in Triathlon, starting with planning your season and detailing some the sessions. There is additional information about swim, bike and run on the other pages of the website
SET GOALS
First identify your goals, what do you want to do and when. Example Jersey Tri (1.5k swim, 42k bike, 10k run) in Sept or Austrian Ironman in August (3.8k swim, 180k bike, 42k run ).
MAKE PLANS
This then sets the agenda and the training (short fast or long steady). No point in being great in January if your race is in August. You need to phase your training to peak at the right time.
Phase 1 – long steady endurance and technique work (get the technique right before you get into bad habits). This might be a 4, 8 or 12 week phase depending on when the race is and how the emphasis is short fast or long steady.
Phase 2 – strength and power work (being stronger helps with hills, speed and toughness) This might be a 4, 8 or 12 week phase depending on how tough (hilly?) the course is or how fast you need to go.
Phase 3 – race preparation phase. This might be a 4, or 8. This is where you reduce the volume of training and increase the intensity. Instead of long steady things get shorter and faster, tuning you up for race performance
Phase 4 – Race phase – this may be a 2 week window of when you are at your best and ready to perform. After this you’ll need a recovery phase (which is essential) and then re-start at Phase 1, 2 or 3 depending on when your next race is.
BALANCE THE TRAINING
Look at your performance and work on your weakest part. If you are a non-swimmer going faster on the bike is not going to help. You would be better to make improvements in the swim!! So think “..where am I going to make the biggest gains…”. Will it be a better swim, a faster bike, a better run or better practice at transition and moving between the phases. Maybe it is just mental toughness. Think about both the physical effort and also the technique and attitude that will help you be better, faster, stronger at each discipline.
PLAN YOUR WEEK
Some train everyday, some train 3 times a week, some need rest-days others have easy days. Get the balance right for you. My plan used to be in 4 week blocks as follows.
Week 1 – 8 hours (easy recovery)
Week 2 – 12 hours (fast, whilst I’m still fresh)
Week 3 – 14 hours (strong and tough it out a bit)
Week 4 – 16 hours (practice long endurance)
THE SESSIONS
Balance your sessions. There is no point in trying to do a speed-work session when you are tired. So if you’ve just done a hard, hard bike, maybe the run should be slow as steady. If you’ve done a tough series of hills, maybe your swim session should be easy technique. Get the balance right and allow time for both stretching and recovery.
Swim Sessions.
I used to do 3 – 4 sessions per week of 2000 to 3000 meters
See swim section of this website
Bike Sessions.
I used to do 3 – 4 spinning (fast) sessions and 2 -3 long 40 to 60 mile endurance rides
I also used to commute everywhere!
See bike section of this website
Run Sessions
I used to do some fast/short sessions, some hilly and some long steady. Total mileage was in the range 25 to 60 miles in a week, depending on what else was going done.
See run section of this website
Gym
Get strong – it helps!
Remember to stretch
