Beginner Triathlete Training Blog

I basically want to get started into biking and don’t really want to spend a lot of money since it’s my first time really buying a good bike. Is there any where I should go?

i would definitely go for a local store that way you can actually see the types of bikes and overall get a better fit. if your serious about triathlon and done a few i would get a tri/ time-trial bike made for speed over short distances, but if your a beginner or newbie to triathlon i would stick to a traditional road bike because its easier to ride.

http://www.beginnerstriathlontrainingsecrets.com/free_guide
A beginner triathlete’s guide for what equipment you need for a triathlon. This can really help any triathlete who is doing beginners triathlon training. Go to
http://www.beginnerstriathlontrainingsecrets.com/free_guide for your FREE beginners triathlon guide. Its the ultimate triathlon guide. For other great information you can also go to http://www.beginnerstriathlontrainingsecrets.com Its truely worth your time, because i can guarantee it will help you a lot

Here’s the article for you so you can read while you watch

A Beginner Triathlete and Beginners Triathlon Training Guide: What Equipment Do You Need For Triathlon

When you are new to Triathlon there can be a lot of different people giving you a lot of different opinions about what gear/equipment you need to get. From my experience, some of these opinions can be a little deceiving. Sometimes the suggestions you hear from others are not necessary for you to get started. I am here to tell you exactly what you must have.

A Roadworthy Bike. Make sure your bike is up to the national standards. Remember that those safety standards are there for a reason…to save your life or prevent injury. I have seen many injuries that could have been prevented if they had have had their bike well maintained etc. On that note, if you are intending to buy a second hand bike (which is not a bad idea if you’re just starting out) make sure it is well maintained. It is a good idea to see the bike in person, but if you are buying it over the internet this can be a little bit difficult, so make sure you at least email the owner, speak with them and get an understanding of what condition the bike is in.

I also advise not to go out there and get the best and most expensive bike although it may be tempting. Unless you do a lot of riding you will not know the difference between the different bikes (i.e. the gearing, different frames etc) Just from personal experience, I used my mum’s 20 + year old road bike. I can tell you now it was very heavy (like 12+kg, I’m not sure if I’m exaggerating a little or not, but it was extremely heavy). Anyway my point is, is that I was winning races on this old bike so over people with the latest and greatest, don’t be worried about what you start riding on…just get started! By the way, it’s the best feeling to win this way.

You will need a Helmet. Make sure that the helmet also meets the national standards. This is the only thing between you and the road. The last thing you want to worry about is whether or not you helmet will brace a fall, so take the time to get this checked out.

Comfy Bathers. Although it is not necessary to get a wetsuit, it can help. Not only will it keep you more buoyant, but this will give you confidence if you are not a strong swimmer. However, do not go out and buy the latest and greatest wetsuit. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, you will not know the difference or be able to feel the difference between the wetsuits. Secondly, it is better to do your research before lashing out and buying one…they’re quite expensive. Having said this, it is not essential to get a wetsuit. It is really personal preference.

Goggles: These you will need. If you are having trouble because they are fogging up, rub some saliva on the inside of the lens and this should do the trick.

A Swimming Cap. Although you will get one when you enter the race it is good to have another one. The main reason for this is that, if you put a cap on, then goggles and then your racing cap, it will prevent your goggles from coming off.

Comfortable Running Shoes: Make sure that you have the correct size and that you have worn them many times before. If not, you can end up with blisters which are not very nice at all. I will cover how to avoid blisters in another article. Also, make sure they have support for your feet. The last thing you want is to have runners that will cause injury. Some people might suggest getting “racing shoes”. The same principle applies to runners as it does with bikes…just use your regular runners. Then when you become more serious, it will be a natural progression to get racing shoes. You do not want to have so many new things to race with when it is your first time, or even if you are new to Triathlon and are a beginner.

So go out there, get off your duff and get active.

Duration : 0:4:6

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I need a few good workouts to help me with my triathlon training. I feel confident in the bike and run, but my swim is still iffy.
Any specific workouts would be great
Thanks!

Hi, It is quite difficult not knowing how much you swim. You should concentrate on developing good technique before you worry about distance or time. To do this you should set assign some time each time you swim to complete some technique drills. A good tool for this is a ‘pullbuoy’ which will allow you to relax on the surface – issolate your legs and concentrate on your arms. Focus on slowing down your arm rotation and getting a full stroke from front to back. Keep the kicking simple, straight legs and steady. The main point of the kick is to keep your legs near the surface not for propultion. Example drills…

2 x 25m Single arm swim. non-swim hand out front on a kick board. Slow complete action on the swimming arm.

2 x 50m catch up. non-swim hand out front. Wait for swimming hand to touch extended hand befor eswitching over.

2 x 25m zip ups. Push swim hand all the way through to your thigh under water and then keep with elbow high and hand on surface of water and next to your body as it goes back to the front hand.

4 x 25m stroke counting – Try to swim each length with less than 20 strokes counting both arms. Stroke and glyde. You aim should be to get down to 17 strokes.

Once you are comfortable with some relaxed swimming add in some repeats to build endurance. For example 6 x 20 in 35 seconds or 6 x 50m in 70 seconds including your rest time. The first three should not be too difficult but the last three you may struggle to have any rest time.

Good luck.

My first triathlon is a sprint in just under 2 weeks and I’ve been training pretty hard for it. I just added some new aerobars to my bike (older Cannondale) and probably going to get some new pedals and shoes soon. I’m also signing up soon to run my first marathon in November. I have big aspirations for my future and am really excited to get into the triathlon scene. Before this I was a recreational runner (about 20-30 miles per week) and I swam competitively in high school with some recreational cycling here and there. Are there any veterans out there who can give me some advice on training, equipment, mental preparation, what to expect out of the bigger races (Ironman and 70.3), transition tips, injury prevention, and so on?

First of all welcome to the sport.
Second, you are asking questions that are pretty big and there are many books and many good websites where you can find all that information.
It sounds like you have a good background in swimming, biking and running that will be enough for the sprint you are doing. And looks like you know how to train at least for the sprint or even olympic distance tri and there are many training plans on line.
For example right now i’m following this plan: http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/ironman-workouts/
This site has a good forum and great people if you want to ask questions. And search the forum for the answers.

Good luck
Konstantin
http://www.TriBug.com

Learn about the ITCA Triathlon Coach Certification Program.

INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!

TriathlonCoachCertification.com

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A short trailer for the DVD produced by The Crowood Press entitled ‘Triathlon: Techniques In Action’.
This is available for purchase at www.crowood.com for £19.99

Duration : 0:1:1

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http://www.rockstartriathlete.com more Sprint trithlon adivice from coach Kerry at the rock star triathlete academy

1. Don’t Taper Too Long. Tapering for 2-3 weeks is a “trickle-down”
technique from Ironman triathletes that unfortunately will leave a sprint
triathlete unfit and stale for their relatively shorter competition. Five to
seven days will adequately prepare most athletes for a sprint triathlon, and
seven to ten days are all that is necessary for an athlete who is performing
rigorous sprint triathlon training.

2. Don’t Lift Weights On Race Week. At many gyms, you’ll see triathletes
rushing to the weights on race week to get that last little bit of strength
training into their sprint triathlon training preparation. Unfortunately, it
can take up to seven days for your body to fully recover from the muscle
tearing and damage that occurs while resistance training. In the last week
prior to your sprint triathlon, stay out of the weight room and skip your
plyometric exercises. Instead, focus on a few quality swim, bike and run
sessions at race pace intensity.

3. Do Sugar Rinses. Although your body has more than enough carbohydrate
storage to last the entire length of a sprint distance triathlon, that
doesn’t mean that you should completely avoid any sugar during the race.
Research studies have shown cyclists to be significantly faster and have a
higher tolerance to the pain of exercise when they simply tasted sugar by
doing a quick mouth rinse with a carbohydrate-based sport drink solution.
During the last few weeks of your sprint triathlon training, try swirling
and spitting a sweet solution. You’ll find that it gives you just a little
extra energy, even if you don’t actually take a drink.

These ten rules of sprint triathlon training, brought to you by the Rock
Star Triathlete Academy, will ensure that the build-up to your race is smart
and highly effective. For more practical and useful tips just like this, go
to http://www.rockstartriathlete.com!

Duration : 0:1:58

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Technorati Tags: sprint, Training, Triathlon

I need a few good workouts to help me with my triathlon training. I feel confident in the bike and run, but my swim is still iffy.
Any specific workouts would be great
Thanks!

Hi, It is quite difficult not knowing how much you swim. You should concentrate on developing good technique before you worry about distance or time. To do this you should set assign some time each time you swim to complete some technique drills. A good tool for this is a ‘pullbuoy’ which will allow you to relax on the surface – issolate your legs and concentrate on your arms. Focus on slowing down your arm rotation and getting a full stroke from front to back. Keep the kicking simple, straight legs and steady. The main point of the kick is to keep your legs near the surface not for propultion. Example drills…

2 x 25m Single arm swim. non-swim hand out front on a kick board. Slow complete action on the swimming arm.

2 x 50m catch up. non-swim hand out front. Wait for swimming hand to touch extended hand befor eswitching over.

2 x 25m zip ups. Push swim hand all the way through to your thigh under water and then keep with elbow high and hand on surface of water and next to your body as it goes back to the front hand.

4 x 25m stroke counting – Try to swim each length with less than 20 strokes counting both arms. Stroke and glyde. You aim should be to get down to 17 strokes.

Once you are comfortable with some relaxed swimming add in some repeats to build endurance. For example 6 x 20 in 35 seconds or 6 x 50m in 70 seconds including your rest time. The first three should not be too difficult but the last three you may struggle to have any rest time.

Good luck.

A short trailer for the DVD produced by The Crowood Press entitled ‘Triathlon: Techniques In Action’.
This is available for purchase at www.crowood.com for £19.99

Duration : 0:1:1

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http://www.rockstartriathlete.com Rock Star Triathlete Academy Coach Kerry Sullivan gives Triathlon training advice on how to avoid the common mistakes that result in plateauing

Common mistakes=
1) Never Throwing Curveballs.

This error is committed by the triathletes who get into a “comfort rut” – simply mindlessly performing the exercises and workouts that allow them to mount a bike, strap on the running shoes, pull on the swimsuit or head to the gym and just cruise with no focus. They never throw a triathlon training curveball at their body, so their body eventually becomes incredibly efficient at these same ol’ workouts. Sure, you should occasionally perform tried and true workouts that allow you to create a benchmark to identify progress in your training, but you don’t want to do those workouts *all the time*. Here’s a simple fix: this week, pick one training session for each skill (swim/bike/run/resistance training) and throw a complete triathlon training curveball at your body by randomly choosing a workout out of a magazine, article, or website. Do it, and see how your body responds. Nine times out of ten, a random workout that keeps your body guessing will make you leaner, stronger and faster.

2. Exercising to Eat

If the goal of your triathlon training is simply to burn calories, so that you can get to your next meal or snack – then boy, are you in trouble! What happens is that this mentality creates a weekly slog of performing workouts that focus not on performance, but rather on “beating up your body”. The result is injury, overtraining, mental fatigue, and boredom, along with a continuous vicious cycle of eating too much, then over-exercising to fix your errors. Try this: eat a healthy diet, stop when you are 80% full, and then completely forget about burning calories during your workout. Instead, focus on a specific performance goal for that triathlon training session, whether it be overspeed, muscular endurance, power, or strength. Your triathlon training will instantly become more meaningful and rewarding.

3. High Carb Diet from the 80’s

Are you still eating bagels with jam for breakfast, shoveling pasta down on a Friday night to get ready for your weekend long triathlon training, or eating big bowls of cereal for breakfast? This type of high carb fueling has been heavily associated with increasing your chronic disease risk factors, causing inflammation, GI distress and poor performance. Good fats and lean proteins will serve you much better. Next time you’re at a coffeeshop, grab a bag of almonds and a cup of green tea, rather than a coffee and biscotti. You’ll feel much better, and your energy and performance levels will soar.

Duration : 0:3:12

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Technorati Tags: Triathlon, triathlon advice, triathlon training