Each one of us experienced triathletes, has our own “first” triathlon story. They usually include harrowing, exciting and nerve wracking details, but more often than not they end in success and a life long passion for the sport.  Many stories involve jumping into the event with no training and virtually crawling to the finish line. Here is a practical guide to lead you through the maze of training information. It will prepare you to cross the finish line of your first triathlon with a big smile on your face and a victory wave.

• Prepare your equipment.

• Set a goal.

• Design a training plan

• Keep track of your progress with a journal.

Equipment needed There are some equipment basics you will need for triathlon training and racing. For swim training you need only water! Goggles, a suit and swim cap are nice additions. If your goal race is in cold water you should consider wearing a wetsuit for open water swims and on race day. Any type of bike is allowed in a triathlon, but it must be in good working order. Take your bike to a bike shop and have it overhauled. Race rules, and common sense demands you must have a cycling helmet. Make sure it has a safety certification sticker in it from CPSC, and it has a snug fit.  The staff at a bike shop can help you with any helmet questions. Running shoes designed specifically for running are a necessity. A specialty running store is the best place to find these. The store staff there will help you find a good fit for your foot and running style. 

Set a goal Choose a goal event. Find out the distance of the event and the date it is held on.  For your virgin triathlon you are best to choose a sprint distance race. This involves a 500 meter swim, a 15 mile bike and a 5K run. Do not set a finish time goal for your first event. Just completing the distance is a great goal to have. Our sample plan has a goal of completing a sprint distance triathlon in 9 weeks.

Designing the plan Start by counting the number of weeks you have until your race.  Draw a grid with one column for each day of the week and one row for each week you have. Now you have a box for every day between now and the race day. In the “race day” box write down the distances you will swim, bike and run. Assign every third week as a rest week. The last week of your plan (race week) should be a rest week. Choose a day during the week that you would like off from training and blank out that column. Mark which days you would like to swim, bike and run. In the rest weeks reduce the number of training sessions and the time of each session.  This is to allow your body to recover from the hard training you have done in the two prior weeks. Spread each workout evenly throughout the week so you do not do the same sport three days in a row.  For example, swim on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Run on Monday, Thursday and Saturday and bike on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Now you can proceed to filling in every box with the workouts you need to do to reach race day in prime fitness.  Everybody will need a different plan depending upon where they are starting out, and what their life schedule allows.  A beginner plan will have two different types of workouts for each sport. These are endurance workouts and skills workouts. The endurance workouts progressively and slowly get longer throughout the plan and train you to complete the race distance. The endurance workouts will be the longest ones you do and are generally planned at the weekends when you have more time. The skills workouts are designed to make you better and more efficient at the sport. Training skill and technique is very important for each sport. 

Training journal Once you begin following the plan keep track of your progress in a training journal. Each day before you get out of bed in the morning take your resting heart rate. Make a note of it in your journal. Also note how you feel, if you are sore anywhere and how you slept the night before. Describe your workout and add the relevant details such as how long it took, how far you went and how you felt. The real beauty of a training journal is being able to look back at it later and see what worked for you and what did not.

Enjoy every minute of your first event.  You only get this chance once, make the most of it.  The only drawback to preparing well for your first event is perhaps you will not have a harrowing story to tell after!

Got any first timer questions? Ask them here on the discussion forum.