How to prepare for your first triathlon
Created | Updated Jul 30, 2009
How to prepare for the first triathlon
Triathlon is a sport that encompasses three disciplines: swimming, cycling and running. It is a fascinating sport, which requires hard and time consuming training, a lot of self-discipline as well as mental and physical endurance. Furthermore, the endurance required for each race depends on the different race distance. The most popular race distances are the sprint distance, the Olympic distance and the Ironman. The sprint distance (750 m/0.47 miles swim, 20 km/12.4 miles bicycle, 5 km/3.1 miles run) is the fastest growing triathlon race distance in the United States and is advisable for beginners, whereas the Olympic distance (swim 1.5 km/0.93 miles, 40 km/24.8 miles bike and 10 km/6.2 miles run) or the Ironman distance (3.8 km/2.4 miles swim, 180 km/112 miles bicycle and 42.2 km/26.2 miles run.), is usually for professional or experienced athletes.
Triathlon and fitness
Before starting with the first training session, beginners should undergo a medical examination in a sports medicine department, which one can find in a hospital. The most essential part of this medical examination is the ECG test, which analyzes the rest and exercise values. The test results provide information about the athlete’s current state of performance. Consequently, one can determine the individual amount of training.
Setting realistic targets
After athletes have identified their individual state of fitness, they are able to set realistic targets. Hence, the aim of all beginners should be finishing the competition and not the winning of the race. Furthermore, beginners have to decide on the right race distance, which is normally the sprint distance. Before starting with the first triathlon, it is essential to think of the indispensable equipment.
Necessary equipment
The most important part of the equipment is a bicycle, which is necessary to train and to finish a triathlon. Finishing a triathlon with a racing bike instead of a mountain bike would be easier, due to the fact that it is lighter and enables faster cycling. Additionally, in each race a helmet is obligatory and protects athletes from serious head injuries. For the swimming a swimsuit or swimming trunks, a cap as well as swimming googles are needed. Furthermore, a neoprene suit helps to improve an individual’s buoyancy; consequently, swimmers expend less energy to avoid sinking. The basic equipment for the final discipline is a running short, a top and a pair of comfortable running shoes. Finished with the checking of the equipment one can start with a correct, detailed and well planned training session.
Structure of correct training
Triathlon belongs to endurance sports; hence the main focus of the whole training lays on endurance training. Endurance training implies training with an easy or medium heart rate, which means a pulse rate between 120 – 140 beats per minute. This is the point at which an “aerobic”, metabolism predominates. Consequently, your muscles are provided with enough oxygen and hardly any lactic acid is produced, which leads to a better recovery. In order to control the pulse, one has to look at a watch, slide the forefinger into the groove on the neck in order to feel the pulse and count the beats for 15 seconds. Afterwards the pulse beat has to be multiplied by four; the result informs the athlete of his/her heart rate in beats per minute. The endurance training should be performed in the athlete’s best discipline. For instance, former runners train between 20-60 minutes regularly, swimmers between 20-50 minutes and cyclists for an hour, at least three times a week. Nevertheless, a recovery during the training periods is crucial, because an overtraining may cause injuries, such as knee problems.
After the sportsperson has enhanced the general endurance, he/she has to decide on a concrete competition date the athlete intends to participate. Afterwards a training schedule may be created. Concerning individual, different physical working capacity, it is impossible to use the same training schedule for all athletes. The schedule has to be adequate to the athlete’s age, abilities, and fitness and needs to focus on all three disciplines: the swimming, cycling and running training. In addition, it is crucial to include a changeover-training. To ensure an improvement in the athlete’s performance the training must be carried out regularly, exactly and over a long period of time.
Swimming training
Mainly for beginners the swimming training is rather hard, especially the change from breaststroke to a crawl, which is the fastest swimming stroke. The best way to learn the correct technique is to attend a swimming course or to engage a private swim instructor, to have the swimming training permanently controlled and corrected. As a basis for all swimming training sessions one can divide the whole training into four parts. The first part includes several stretching exercises, followed by a warm-up program, with a moderate intensity. Depending on the focus of the training schedule the third or main part of each training section may be either endurance training or interval training. Possible interval training suggestions for beginners may be 8x 200yds very quick/ calm alternately, 30-45 seconds break each time or a pyramid swimming, which encompasses different distances with 30 second breaks each time (50/100/150/200/250/200/150/100/50yds). The last part consists of a cool-down program. Moreover, it is crucial that all triathletes vary the training, for instance: four or five phase breathing, including technique training with pullbuoys, boards or paddles.
Cycling training
For the cycling training permanent endurance training, at a low intensity with 60-75 % of each athlete maximum pulse, is necessary. As a beginner the interval training, consisting of varying intensities and distances, should be practiced only once a week, after a warm up of about 15-20 minutes. A suggestion for interval training may be 4 x 3 minutes brisk to very fast cycle and easy pedalling for twice the time or 6 x5 minutes brisk cycle and again easy pedalling for twice the time. Also interval training should be performed regularly, for instance for a period of four weeks, then each athlete has to stop for two weeks and afterwards begins with the normal four weeks interval training.
Running training and changeover training
The running training consists of a general stabilisation and stretching program, followed by a warm up-program (about 10 minutes), endurance training and ends with a cool-down program.
In the whole training schedule, changeover training is essential, especially the change from cycling to running, which seems to be for many athletes the most difficult change. Therefore, each athlete should train the changeover once a week. This training consists of a fast trip on the bike (12 miles), immediately followed by a calm run (5 miles).
If a sportsperson is aiming to participate in a triathlon, a good endurance as well as a strong will to increase to sporting prowess, is fundamental. Furthermore, before each athlete starts with the training it is essential to decide when he/she wants to take part in a triathlon and to acquire all necessary equipment. Additionally, a health check is important to create a correct and suitable training schedule. On the one hand the training is rather time consuming and hard, but on the other hand it gives each athlete a great, cheerful feeling, especially when he/she recognizes his/her increased individual fitness and is able to finish her/his first triathlon.
Sources:
Ash & Warren. Lifelong Success Triathlon. (2003). Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Verlag.
Frey & Huddle. Starting out Triathlon. (2003). Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Verlag.
Triathlon is a sport that encompasses three disciplines: swimming, cycling and running. It is a fascinating sport, which requires hard and time consuming training, a lot of self-discipline as well as mental and physical endurance. Furthermore, the endurance required for each race depends on the different race distance. The most popular race distances are the sprint distance, the Olympic distance and the Ironman. The sprint distance (750 m/0.47 miles swim, 20 km/12.4 miles bicycle, 5 km/3.1 miles run) is the fastest growing triathlon race distance in the United States and is advisable for beginners, whereas the Olympic distance (swim 1.5 km/0.93 miles, 40 km/24.8 miles bike and 10 km/6.2 miles run) or the Ironman distance (3.8 km/2.4 miles swim, 180 km/112 miles bicycle and 42.2 km/26.2 miles run.), is usually for professional or experienced athletes.
Triathlon and fitness
Before starting with the first training session, beginners should undergo a medical examination in a sports medicine department, which one can find in a hospital. The most essential part of this medical examination is the ECG test, which analyzes the rest and exercise values. The test results provide information about the athlete’s current state of performance. Consequently, one can determine the individual amount of training.
Setting realistic targets
After athletes have identified their individual state of fitness, they are able to set realistic targets. Hence, the aim of all beginners should be finishing the competition and not the winning of the race. Furthermore, beginners have to decide on the right race distance, which is normally the sprint distance. Before starting with the first triathlon, it is essential to think of the indispensable equipment.
Necessary equipment
The most important part of the equipment is a bicycle, which is necessary to train and to finish a triathlon. Finishing a triathlon with a racing bike instead of a mountain bike would be easier, due to the fact that it is lighter and enables faster cycling. Additionally, in each race a helmet is obligatory and protects athletes from serious head injuries. For the swimming a swimsuit or swimming trunks, a cap as well as swimming googles are needed. Furthermore, a neoprene suit helps to improve an individual’s buoyancy; consequently, swimmers expend less energy to avoid sinking. The basic equipment for the final discipline is a running short, a top and a pair of comfortable running shoes. Finished with the checking of the equipment one can start with a correct, detailed and well planned training session.
Structure of correct training
Triathlon belongs to endurance sports; hence the main focus of the whole training lays on endurance training. Endurance training implies training with an easy or medium heart rate, which means a pulse rate between 120 – 140 beats per minute. This is the point at which an “aerobic”, metabolism predominates. Consequently, your muscles are provided with enough oxygen and hardly any lactic acid is produced, which leads to a better recovery. In order to control the pulse, one has to look at a watch, slide the forefinger into the groove on the neck in order to feel the pulse and count the beats for 15 seconds. Afterwards the pulse beat has to be multiplied by four; the result informs the athlete of his/her heart rate in beats per minute. The endurance training should be performed in the athlete’s best discipline. For instance, former runners train between 20-60 minutes regularly, swimmers between 20-50 minutes and cyclists for an hour, at least three times a week. Nevertheless, a recovery during the training periods is crucial, because an overtraining may cause injuries, such as knee problems.
After the sportsperson has enhanced the general endurance, he/she has to decide on a concrete competition date the athlete intends to participate. Afterwards a training schedule may be created. Concerning individual, different physical working capacity, it is impossible to use the same training schedule for all athletes. The schedule has to be adequate to the athlete’s age, abilities, and fitness and needs to focus on all three disciplines: the swimming, cycling and running training. In addition, it is crucial to include a changeover-training. To ensure an improvement in the athlete’s performance the training must be carried out regularly, exactly and over a long period of time.
Swimming training
Mainly for beginners the swimming training is rather hard, especially the change from breaststroke to a crawl, which is the fastest swimming stroke. The best way to learn the correct technique is to attend a swimming course or to engage a private swim instructor, to have the swimming training permanently controlled and corrected. As a basis for all swimming training sessions one can divide the whole training into four parts. The first part includes several stretching exercises, followed by a warm-up program, with a moderate intensity. Depending on the focus of the training schedule the third or main part of each training section may be either endurance training or interval training. Possible interval training suggestions for beginners may be 8x 200yds very quick/ calm alternately, 30-45 seconds break each time or a pyramid swimming, which encompasses different distances with 30 second breaks each time (50/100/150/200/250/200/150/100/50yds). The last part consists of a cool-down program. Moreover, it is crucial that all triathletes vary the training, for instance: four or five phase breathing, including technique training with pullbuoys, boards or paddles.
Cycling training
For the cycling training permanent endurance training, at a low intensity with 60-75 % of each athlete maximum pulse, is necessary. As a beginner the interval training, consisting of varying intensities and distances, should be practiced only once a week, after a warm up of about 15-20 minutes. A suggestion for interval training may be 4 x 3 minutes brisk to very fast cycle and easy pedalling for twice the time or 6 x5 minutes brisk cycle and again easy pedalling for twice the time. Also interval training should be performed regularly, for instance for a period of four weeks, then each athlete has to stop for two weeks and afterwards begins with the normal four weeks interval training.
Running training and changeover training
The running training consists of a general stabilisation and stretching program, followed by a warm up-program (about 10 minutes), endurance training and ends with a cool-down program.
In the whole training schedule, changeover training is essential, especially the change from cycling to running, which seems to be for many athletes the most difficult change. Therefore, each athlete should train the changeover once a week. This training consists of a fast trip on the bike (12 miles), immediately followed by a calm run (5 miles).
If a sportsperson is aiming to participate in a triathlon, a good endurance as well as a strong will to increase to sporting prowess, is fundamental. Furthermore, before each athlete starts with the training it is essential to decide when he/she wants to take part in a triathlon and to acquire all necessary equipment. Additionally, a health check is important to create a correct and suitable training schedule. On the one hand the training is rather time consuming and hard, but on the other hand it gives each athlete a great, cheerful feeling, especially when he/she recognizes his/her increased individual fitness and is able to finish her/his first triathlon.
Sources:
Ash & Warren. Lifelong Success Triathlon. (2003). Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Verlag.
Frey & Huddle. Starting out Triathlon. (2003). Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Verlag.
