Triathlon Time
TRIATHLON- my first time, need Advice!?
OK.. i'm 26y F, decided to do a triathlon! I am pretty fit, although i do not work out on a daily basis, and i rarely play sports. I have begun to train, but i am quickly losing motivation. How likely is it for me to be able to do this triathlon by Feb 2009. Currently i can only run a mile in 10 min at best! I DONT want to win the race, just finish! =)
What are some tips on how i should work out? What training? How often? Is it okay if i am not totally 100% athletic? I have never competed in anything like this before!!
I really want to do this, but i am afraid of looking like an idiot in last place. lol...
Thanks! =)
Don't worry about looking like an idiot. Just being in the race and giving it a try is good enough! Even if you don't finish you are in elite company. It is more than 99% of the population has done! Do your best and be proud of your efforts!
Hopefully you will enter a short distance sprint triathlon, about 1/4 mi swim, 10-20 mi bike, 2-3 mi run. There are many ways to work out and prepare. I would suggest alternating the three events, one a day, twice a week. For example, Monday-swim, Tuesday-bike, Wednesday-run, Thursday-swim, Friday-bike, Saturday-run, Sunday-off. But be ready to make adjustments if you don't feel results, or if you get bored. Everybody is different. Only you know what is right for you!
Start off the swimming with a few 50-yard laps at low speed, say 1-2 minutes per 50 yards. Take 1-2 minutes between laps. After a few days you should be able to do 100-yard laps keeping the same pace. You should try to build your basic endurance, rhythm, and technique. Eventually you should be able to do an entire 1/4-mile (440 yards) in about 10 minutes or less. If you really want to work at it, try doing 1/2-mile in 20 minutes or so.
Start off running at a comfortable pace. I think you should try to build basic endurance by slowly increasing your distance, and concentrate on speed later. A 10-minute pace should be comfortable and you should be able to build to 3 miles fairly quickly.
I don't know what kind of bike you have, but whatever you have should be good enough as long as it is safe. You don't need a fancy bike to compete. Be sure to get a good helmet. And you should get a bike computer. These can be found at any bike store, and I think even Walmart or Target have them. Just get a basic model that costs $25 or so. You need to keep track of your distance, and it helps if you can keep track of your speed and cadence (pedal revolutions per minute). You should ride on flat ground and select a gear where you can comfortably spin at 80 rpm or so. For beginners this should translate to about 12 mph. For starters do this for about 15 minutes, concentrate on holding the speed and cadence as steady as possible. Again you want to build basic endurance, rhythm, and technique. You should be able to gradually increase your distance and speed, and eventually you should be able to cover about 15 miles in one hour. If you run into headwinds or uphill grades, be ready to shift into an easier gear. Or if you are feeling lean and mean, stay in gear, grit your teeth, and gut it out. It builds character!
Once you get to the point where you can do all your events separately for twice the distance you plan to compete, try to string the three events together. But be careful, because biking after a swim is very hard, then running after that is even harder. Cut your distances the first few times you string them together, then build up from there. Hopefully by race day you can do twice the distance in all three events when you string them together. This will give you extra confidence for race day.
For nutrition, there are many ways to go. There are successful low carb triathletes and vegetarian triathletes. But I think most triathletes use a low-fat high-carb approach. The Mediterranean, Okinawan, or USDA food pyramid are examples of this approach. Make sure you get enough calories for energy. You should emphasize whole grains, potatoes, pasta, rice, corn, fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes, and nuts. Limit meat to 4 oz per day of chicken breast or fish. Use olive oil or canola oil. Go easy on dairy products. Eliminate fast food, junk food (chips, snacks, ice cream), and processed food (frozen dinners) as much as possible. But don't forget to reward yourself to your favorite sinful food once or twice a month. For me these rewards help maintain motivation.
Below is a link to a great website on athletic nutrition.
Relax and have fun at the race. Talk to the other competitors to get training ideas. Enjoy the satisfaction of doing something few other people have the guts to even try. Good training and good luck!
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