Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You’re Not to Read 3
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book Is Organized 3
Part I: Starting Your Triathlon Training 3
Part II: Taking It One Sport at a Time: Swim, Bike, Run 4
Part III: Training for Your Triathlon 4
Part IV: Planning for Race Day 4
Part V: The Part of Tens 5
Icons Used in This Book 5
Where to Go from Here 6
Part I: Starting Your Triathlon Training 7
Chapter 1: Training for a Multi-Sport Event 9
Defining Your Triathlon 9
Choosing a distance and event 10
Setting your triathlon goal 10
Evaluating Your Equipment Needs 11
Taking to Your Sport 12
Finding your form 12
Making time for transitions 13
Training on a Schedule 13
Fueling your body and mind 14
Strengthening and stretching your limits 14
Looking Forward to This Race, and the Next One, and the Next One 15
Knowing what to expect during your first race 15
Thinking about what you’ll do next 16
Chapter 2: Choosing Your Event 17
Going the Distance: Knowing Your Race Options 17
Super Sprint 18
Olympic 19
Half-Iron 20
Ironman 21
Checking Your Calendar 21
Considering the Course 22
Going with the flow in a lake, ocean, or river 23
Striving for peak performance 23
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Traveling to Your Event 24
Getting yourself there 24
Getting your gear there 25
Eating and sleeping away from home 26
Weathering the heat or cold 27
Registering for Your Event 27
Chapter 3: Gearing Up with the Right Equipment 29
Selecting Comfort First 30
Suiting Up: Knowing What Equipment You Need for Swimming 31
Selecting a suit 32
The eyes have it: Finding the best goggles 39
A no-hair day: Selecting a swim cap 43
Ride On: Choosing a Bike and Bike Gear 45
Looking at your bike options 46
Getting fit first: Why the proper bike fi t is important 52
Picking pedals and shoes 54
What to wear: Clothing and accessories 54
Pounding the Pavement: Getting What You Need for the Run 57
Choosing a good running shoe 57
Dressing for the occasion: Clothing and accessories 58
Chapter 4: Getting Ready: Body and Mind 61
Let’s Get Physical: Checking In with Your Doctor before You Begin 61
Knowing whether you need a physical 62
Knowing what to expect if you get a physical 63
Evaluating Your Fitness 63
Cardiovascular 64
Body composition 65
Muscular strength and endurance 67
Flexibility 68
Building Your Support Network 70
Developing your own cheering section 70
Part II: Taking It One Sport at a Time: Swim, Bike, Run 73
Chapter 5: Swim: Taking the Plunge 75
Looking At the Benefits of Swim Training 75
Mastering the Strokes 76
First things first: Relaxing in the water 77
Chalking it up to chin position 78
Stroke… stroke… stroke: Getting down the fundamentals 78
Kicking it up a notch: The flutter kick 82
(Not) waiting to exhale: Breathing 82
I spy: Sighting your way in the water 83
Finding Water to Train In 83
Training for the Swim 85
Drill 1: Front float 87
Drill 2: Streamlined front glide 87
Drill 3: Streamlined front glide and kick 87
Drill 4: Body position 88
Drill 5: Body balance 88
Drill 6: Statue of Liberty 89
Drill 7: Ten snap ten 89
Drill 8: Ten-three-ten 90
Drill 9: Front kicking with a board on an interval 90
Drill 10: Proper push-off 91
Drill 11: Fingertip drag 91
Chapter 6: Bike: Cycling Strong 93
Identifying the Benefits of Cycling 93
Mastering the Spin 94
Finding your cadence 95
Circling the issues 96
Technique and form 98
Hills 103
Performing Basic Repairs and Maintenance 105
Checking your bike before you ride 107
Fixing flats on the fly 108
Handling repairs on the road 112
Staying Safe 113
Training for the Bike 117
Spinning inside 117
Chapter 7: Run: Finding Your Stride 121
Catching Up with the Benefi ts of Running 121
Mastering the Mechanics 123
Foot strike 124
Stride 124
Posture 125
Breathing and pacing 125
Where to Run 126
Roads 127
Trails 127
Beaches 127
Track 127
Treadmill 128
Staying Safe 128
Training for the Run 129
Starting with a run/walk 130
Going on short runs 134
Going the distance: Long runs 135
Biking then running: Bricks 135
Drills to try when you’re not running 136
Chapter 8: Putting It All Together 137
Knowing Where to Focus Your Training 138
Adding Dual Workouts: Why You Need to Combine Two Sports in Training 138
Becoming a Quick-Change Artist: Planning Your Transitions 140
Transition 1: Swim to bike 141
Transition 2: Bike to run 143
Saving Time: Making Your Transitions Smoother 143
Part III: Training for Your Triathlon 145
Chapter 9: Living like an Athlete 147
Eating for Energy Every Day 148
Carbohydrates 148
Fat 149
Protein 150
Water 151
Vitamins 151
Minerals 151
Sussing Out Supplements 152
Caffeine 152
Creatine 152
Fueling Your Workouts and Your Race 153
Eating with training in mind 153
Hydrating for peak performance 154
Planning your race day meals 155
Maintaining Your Energy 155
Staying hydrated: Energy drinks and water 156
Snacking on the go: Bars, gels, and natural foods 157
Recovering Quickly 159
Chapter 10: Training Schedules: From Super Sprint to Ironman 161
Finding the Time to Train 161
Training for Your Event 163
Training for a Sprint or Super Sprint in 12 weeks 165
Training for an Olympic in 20 weeks 170
Training for a Half-Iron in 24 weeks 177
Training for an Ironman in 30 weeks 186
Chapter 11: Strength Training and Stretching 197
Adding Weights to Your Workout 197
Identifying the benefits of strength training 198
Fitting in your workouts with weights 199
Learning the ropes 199
Keeping it in balance 200
Choosing the right equipment 201
Strength training 101: Exercises to try 203
Stretching Your Limits 216
Recognizing the benefits of stretching 217
Stretching 101: Stretches to try 217
Chapter 12: Coping with Injuries 231
Preventing Pain and Injury 231
Preventing injuries 232
Identifying the signs of overtraining 233
Preventing overtraining 234
Treating Common Swim Injuries 235
Swimmer’s ear 235
Swimmer’s shoulder 236
Avoiding Common Cycling Injuries 236
Knee pain 236
Neck and shoulder pain 237
Numbness 238
Saddle sores 238
Running Injury Free 239
Iliotibial band syndrome 239
Pulled hamstring 240
Shin splints 240
Achilles tendonitis 241
Plantar fasciitis 241
Training in Extreme Heat or Cold 241
Heading into the heat 241
Catching some cold 243
Knowing when to go back inside 244
Part IV: Planning for Race Day 245
Chapter 13: Counting Down to Race Day 247
Tapering Your Training: Slowing Down as Your Event Approaches 248
Maintaining your nutrition 250
Getting into Your Head: Staying Positive and Focused 250
Overcoming common fears 251
Practicing pumping yourself up 253
Packing for Race Day 254
Checking your gear for wear 254
Knowing what to pack 255
One Sheep, Two Sheep: Logging Enough Shut-Eye 257
Chapter 14: Race Day: Ready, Set, Go! 259
Picking Up Your Packet 259
What’s in your race packet and why you need it 260
Steps to a stress-free packet pickup 261
Arriving on Race Day 263
Preparing for Your Start Time 264
Having your bike checked and approved 264
Staging your transition stall 264
Stretching and focusing 270
Getting ready to start 271
Taking You through the Tri 273
At the start 273
At the first transition 273
On the bike 274
At the second transition 274
On the run 274
Minding Your Manners: Race Etiquette 275
Chapter 15: After You Finish Your Triathlon 277
Crossing the Finish Line 278
Making the Most of the First Hour after Your Finish 280
Hydrate and eat 280
Stretch 281
Collect your gear 281
Evaluating Your Performance 283
Planning for Your Next Event 284
What to consider before you register again 284
Overcoming burnout 285
Adjusting your diet 285
Finding other ways to stay involved 286
Part V: The Part of Tens 287
Chapter 16: Ten Reasons You Should Do a Triathlon 289
Bragging Rights: Having the Chance to Be a Finisher 289
Moving Out of Your Comfort Zone 290
Finding Focus and Relieving Stress 291
Improving Your Health and Well-Being while Having Fun 291
Achieving Total-Body Fitness 292
Reducing Exercise Burnout 293
Reducing Risk of Injuries by Cross-Training 293
Enjoying the Camaraderie of the Triathlon Club 294
Motivating and Inspiring Others 295
Changing Your View of Yourself and the World 295
Chapter 17: Ten Triathlon Myths Debunked 297
Triathlons Only Take Place in Hawaii 297
Triathlons Take All Day to Complete 297
Triathlons Are for Elite Athletes Only 298
All Triathletes Look Fit and Thin 298
Triathletes Spend All Their Free Time Training 299
I’ll Panic in the Water 299
Triathletes Have to Swim Long Distances without Stopping 300
I Don’t Need to Practice Transitions 300
Triathletes Need Expensive Bikes 301
I’ll Be the Oldest, the Slowest, or the Last to Finish 301
Chapter 18: Ten (Or So) Items to Bring on Race Day 303
Your Cheering Section 303
A Race Belt 304
A Tub and Towel for Transitions 304
A Way to Identify Your Bike in the Crowd 305
A Road ID Bracelet 306
A Waterproof Sport Wristwatch 306
Sun Stuff: Sunscreen, Sunglasses, and a Hat 307
Body Glide 307
Your Favorite Fuel 308
Lucky Charms 308
Chapter 19: Ten (Or So) Resources for Finding Triathlons 311
The American Triathlon Calendar 311
USA Triathlon Calendar 312
TRImapper.com 312
Inside Triathlon 312
Triathlete 313
Race360 313
Active com 313
Team In Training 313
GetSetUSA 314
Slowtwitch 314
Women-Only Events 314
Regional Events 315
Index 317
