Triathlon Tips
The sport of triathlon simply keeps growing, with more and more triathletes keen to start either their first sprint distance race, or progress to the Olympic distance course
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Specificity: Ensure that all your training is specific to the event you are training for, don't run mile after mile for a sprint triathlon, ensure that each session has an aim, i.e. endurance run / speed track session.
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Progression: The body is a marvelous piece of engineering design, as you train it, it becomes stronger. However if you maintain the same training level, your body will maintain the same level of improvement. In simple terms, avoid allowing your body to become used to its workouts.
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Overload: This must be done carefully, to avoid causing stress on any of your body systems. Listen to your body, if it feels tired let it rest, remember fit bodies are not built in the gym, they are built whilst resting. (This is my excuse for sleeping every afternoon, and I'm sticking to it).
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Reversibility: Keep your training regular, if you stop for two weeks, then a lot of the previous work will be lost, make time for training, but avoid letting it take over your life, triathletes have a high divorce level.
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Tedium: One of the reasons a lot of good triathletes come from a different sporting background. Keep your training interesting and varied to keep motivation high. Train with new partners, do different runs i.e. track sessions, hill sprints, fartlek, off road, sand dunes, treadmill - try spin classes anything that will keep your mind and body working.
The next page will give you some advice for the first part of the triathalon - the swim.
