How to Approach Triathlon Training

I promised I'd do a post for a few out there who are looking at doing their first triathlon next year or have just begun to race in the sport.  Well, this one is for you!  I'm going to try and keep this fairly brief, so please understand that these are just general guidelines/ideas.  Every person is different in their abilities, goals, and expectations.  The following is just some quick tips from lessons I've learned over the years...

Tackling a triathlon can be intimidating for some and baffling for others.  The task of balancing 3 sports into 1 and then being able to improve through training is something everyone hopes for, but not everyone gets.  "Newbies" to the sport wonder - What do I spend time on?  How often do I need to train?  Where can I gain the most time - is swimming more important? Biking? Running?  What about those transitions, how do I go from each event?  There are some great books out there that go into greater detail than I will here, but for now lets give this some thought.

The Swim - This is the first stage of a triathlon.  It should go without saying, but the main thing to be concerned with is being able to feel confident in your abilities to cover the distance!  Most sprint tri's have a swim distance of 500-750m.  In your training, don't feel as though you need to be able to do this continually in the pool (although for shorter distances 2km and under, this is a good goal).  It is best to do swim training by intervals.  You are far better to go and do 10x100m with 10-30secs rest in between each, then to go and just swim steady for 1000m.  There is a place for continuous swimming in training, but for the newer athlete (and people doing shorter distances), it is best to keep the sets shorter and do more repeats.  The reason for this is that it is physically better (and more likely) to stay fresh doing shorter sets and therefor you will be able practice good form.  Mentally it is also better - doing 5x100 seems easier than 500m straight. 

From a pro level, the saying goes "you can't win a triathlon in the swim, but you can loose it".  For the newbie or even average age group (AG) athlete the lesson is, train your swim so that you can complete it feeling fresh, but you won't win the race here so don't train your brains out in the pool.  There is more racing to come, and from a balance point the swim is often where you will spend the least time of the 3 disciplines.

The Bike - The 2nd leg of triathlon.  For most sprint triathlons, the distance is 20-30km. You will likely spend more time on the bike in a race, then you will swimming or running (as long as you keep running and don't end up lying down for an hour in a ditch..there's a story about that ;-)

This is often the one part of the sport people hate getting into because of cost.  Bikes are pricey, but deals can be found, especially if you buy used.  You do get what you pay for..but that's another topic - leave a message if you have questions about buying a bike. 

O.k., so get a bike.  Then get an indoor trainer.  You live in Canada, so we have winter, which stinks for riding outside.  An indoor trainer is the only way to keep any sort of bike fitness year round with our weather.  A trainer can be had for $150-400 dollars, and once you have one, you will love the convenience of being able to just throw a pair of shorts and shoes on and ride.

Many people underestimate the value of bike training.  Here is why you must make it a priority:

1. You will likely spend the most time on the bike in the race, it is always the longest distance of the 3 events.

2.  Physically biking is very generous to the body -zero impact and easy on the joints. Once your butt gets used to riding in the saddle (which is mostly about bike fit, and some trial and error with seats), the rest of your body should experience very little pain from biking (other than fatigue and muscle soreness if your riding hard!)

3.  Of the 2 sports, biking is the best option for building your aerobic base.  As mentioned - its easy on the joints.  Most people can't imagine swimming or running for 90-120 minutes, but that is far more achievable on the bike..  Most sprint tri's are going to take people 1-2 hours (depending on distances).  Bike training is the perfect way to prepare your body for exercising that long.

4. The bike sets up the run.  If you are a great runner, but don't spend time on the bike, your running won't be so great.  You may be able to go out and bang off a fast 7.5 km run on fresh legs, but its a different story after riding a bike.

As far as how to train on the bike a general rule to apply is: When going short, go hard (effort) - when going long, go easy (effort).  If bike training is new to you, I would add that early on in your training, you do not need to worry about going hard.  Keep it easy and build so that riding continuous for 45-60' is easily repeatable, then add in some intensity. 

The Run - the home stretch.  In a sprint triathlon this distance can be anywhere from 5 - 7.5km.  It shouldn't be a surprise, but most people find the run the hard part.  Its tough, you've just swam and rode so you will be tired (but not as tired if you trained right!).  My advice for run training is to build up frequency before volume. You will be better served to run 3x20' a week, then 1x45' run.  The biggest mistake most people make in their run training is that they run too hard!  You don't need to run fast to see improvement. In fact you will see more if you keep it at a level where you could hold a conversation without gasping for breath.  Running like this builds your aerobic base and allows your body to become more economical in its movement.  It also prevents injury and keeps you fresher for your other workouts.

Summary - There is WAY more that could be said here.  If you have specific questions, drop me a line I'd love to hear from you.  I didn't talk about transitions - once race season approaches in the spring I'll do a write up about that.  

In the meantime, here's my take on how your training could look over the winter months for the newbie athlete and a brief summary:

1. Get your swim level to a competent level where you are comfortable in the water. 

2. Build your aerobic base/capacity by spending time largely on the bike.

3. Run frequently and keep it easy pace. 

A basic week for a newbie could look like this:

1-2 swims, 3 bikes, 2 runs.  This could build over months to 1-2  swims, 4 bikes, 3-5 runs.  How to do this can be tricky, if or when you get to this point, and are unsure about how to balance the workouts, drop me a line and I'll try and help you out.  

Hopefully this gives you a little better idea as to how you should approach your training.  As always, the overriding key is consistency, so stay with it!   

Happy Training, 

Jon