Joe Friel - Your First Triathlon, 2nd Ed.: Race-Ready in 5 Hours a Week

Copyright 2012 by Joe Friel

All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by VeloPress, a division of Competitor Group, Inc.

3002 Sterling Circle, Suite 100

Boulder, Colorado 80301-2338 USA

(303) 440-0601 Fax (303) 444-6788 E-mail

Distributed in the United States and Canada by Ingram Publisher Services

The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

Friel, Joe.

Your first triathlon / Joe Friel.2nd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-934030-86-8 (pbk.); ISBN 978-1-937716-13-4 (e-book)

I. Title.

GV1060.73.F75 2012

796.4257dc23

2012005121

For information on purchasing VeloPress books, please call (800) 811-4210 ext. 2138 or visit www.velopress.com.

Cover design by Erin Johnson
Interior design and composition by Anita Koury
Cover and interior illustrations by Charlie Layton, except for tire illustrations in by Todd Telander

Bike photographs courtesy of Specialized, Cannondale, Trek, and Pivot Cycles.

Text set in Whitman 11/16.

v.3.0

To Sunshinemy granddaughter, Keara Friel,
who is training for her first triathlon

CONTENTS

I want to thank the thousands of triathletes I have coached, consulted with, spoken to, and answered questions for over the past 31 years. They have provided the passion of triathlon. I also want to thank the many coaches with whom I have worked closely from the time, more than 20 years ago, when I found out about the other triathlon coach in the United States, to now, when there are thousands. They have provided the understanding of training for triathlon.

I especially want to thank Bob Hinkel, whom I met at LaCamas Swim and Sport in Camas, Washington, when I did a talk there for the members. For years Bob enlisted, encouraged, and assisted a group of budding triathletes preparing for their first races at various distances. The idea for this book came to me over dinner with Bob in February 2005.

Welcome to the sport of triathlon!

Youre about to embark on an exciting adventure that will improve your fitness, boost your health, and raise your self-esteem. Most of all, it will make your life richer and more enjoyable. While triathlon is fun, it is also challenging. In fact, it may well be the challenge that attracted you. Most new triathletes tell me that they came to the sport simply to see if they could do itto challenge themselves. Once they tried it, they were hooked.

Im sure that mastering three endurance sports and doing them all back-to-back, nonstop, seems like a rather daunting task. It should, but Im sure you can do it. Ive helped many people become triathletes over the past 25 years. With your motivation and my guidance, Im certain you will do just fine. I have no doubt that, armed with the answers to basic questions and a dedication to training, you will successfully finish your first triathlon in a few weeks. That is the single purpose of this bookfor you to cross the finish line with a smile on your face and become a triathlete.

Your First Triathlon provides the answers to many common triathlon questions:

How do I need to train?

What should I eat?

Do I need a new bike?

Which race should I enter?

Should I buy special triathlon clothing?

What happens at a triathlon?

Of course, there are hundreds of other questions you will have before your first race. Due to its inherent nature, blending three sports into one, triathlon is a complex undertaking. Most of your questions will be answered in the following pages, but there could be some left unresolved after youve read this book. Another resource you can use is my blog (joefrielsblog.com). Use the search function to look for key words in your question. If that doesnt help, feel free to send me an email (address listed on the blog page). One of my coaches will get back to you with an answer. Believe me, if you have a question, someone else has had that same question before, and I can help you with it.

Your First Triathlon gently guides you through the adventure of preparing for a sprint- or an Olympic-distance triathlon. In the first four chapters the basics of getting your lifestyle organized around triathlon training are discussed. This includes such topics as understanding the basics of the sport, setting goals, controlling body weight, eating for triathlon, and receiving outside support.

so you can begin training right away. Then go back and read the supporting chapters.

gets you ready to go to your first triathlon feeling confident. Here youll discover what to plan on for race day and before, how to dress, what exactly you need to bring with you, how to set up your transition area, and what to expect when swimming, biking, running, and finishing the race.

.

All this information may seem a bit overwhelming. Thats understandable; the sport of triathlon can be quite intimidating at first. But learning in small doses what to expect and what it takes to get there will make this challenge less daunting and more fun. And fun is what its all about. Lets get started!

YOUR NEW
CHALLENGE

W hy do you want to do a triathlon? Maybe its because youve heard that exercise is good for you and that people who exercise regularly have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases, that they live longer and have a better quality of life. Or maybe its because exercise has been shown to reduce stress, promote clear thinking and creativity, and build confidence.

Although these are all good reasons to take up triathlon, Ill bet you are thinking of doing a triathlon for far more pragmatic reasons. Chances are your friend registered for a race and has talked you into doing it also. Or it could be that triathlon is the new challenge that youve been looking for, a sport that will test your limits. Theres no doubt that it will. Losing weight, looking better, and eating without guilt could be the things that are motivating you. Then again, maybe you just want to have fun. Triathlon can help you accomplish all this and more.

Regardless of your reason, you certainly want your first triathlon to go well, so you bought this book to find tips on how to prepare. You did the right thing. Ive been coaching triathletes since the early days of the sport, and Ive prepared many novices for their first races. Im sure I can help you, too. This book is filled with advice that will guide you through the planning and training and ultimately across the finish line.

Lets start with the best advice I have to offer you: You should have only one goal for your first triathlonto finish the race with a smile on your face. It doesnt matter what your time is or how you place in your age group or even if you are one of the last finishers. Just finish the race. Nothing else matters, other than the smile, of course. Ive been saying this to new triathletes for more than 30 years. Those who follow my advice have a lot of fun and a long triathlon career. Those who disregard it often dont finish their first triathlon, find themselves depressed afterward, and dont stay in the sport for very long. My purpose in this book is to help you accomplish this one simple goal. I will be coaching you, and Im certain that, if you follow my advice, you will be successful.