Newbie training advice

Ocelot

Hello all,

I have decided to enter an Olympic distance triathlon this year and am looking for advice as to training plans. I am kind of unfit (although I have been pretty fit in my past so know I CAN do it) and a little overweight after the Christmas indulgences...

I suppose my issue is how to begin - I've looked at the training schedules on this site and to be honest, they scare the hell out of me. Does anyone know of any schedules that break you in easily so I don't cause myself some kind of injury in the first week? Many thanks.

rush1884

Hi Ocelot,

Welcome and dont worry I think anyone who wants to get into triathlon is a bit overawed at first, and there is a lot to learn to be honest. The major things over your first season is simply learn things that let you complete a race not necessarily set the world on fire. These key things you need to learn is what equipment you need, how to structure a program relative to your goals & weaknesses, and simply what it is like to race.

Experience is the key to this therefore simply just getting out training and racing is where you will learn the most, however you will learn a lot from going on forums like this and reading as much as you can.

For me Joe Friel's - Triathletes Bible is an absolute must for any newcomer, this will teach you more about training program design than most people in the world could. My advice would be to avoid the programs outlined by others in magazines as you can get yourself injured trying to follow them as they do not suit your needs. The best way is to learn about what makes a good program and then fit it to your needs.

If you had the money a coach is a good investment (cost around £60/month) and they will consider your personal situation and goals. However this depends on the investment you want to make and I would certainly advise anyone during their first season of tri to learn as much themselves as possible, it will stand you in good stead during your Olympic.