Triathlon Coaching Advice

Here's my thought: For your first triathlon, you can go with a coach,but it isn't really a priority. Instead, invest in a few books and take advantage of one of the free plans that are available on BT or other sites. Save your coaching $ for later down the road if you need one then. The first time out is about the experience and enjoying yourself!

Agreed.

Right now just immerse yourself in the sport. Read books, train with groups of you can. If anything join a local club and progress from there.

I think at this point a good choice would be to invest in some books (and/or the training programs on BT) and also see if you can find a local club. When I first started tri I found the latter to be really useful in terms of having some people to do some sessions with, getting a better idea what tri training and racing was like, and learning some technical stuff like transitions, open-water swim skills, etc. While I didn't receive one-on-one coaching, the club coaches and more experienced athletes were happy to advise on things like race nutrition, pacing, and setting up my bike. It was especially useful for me, as I have few chances to interact or train with other triathletes when I'm living in Vietnam (about 10 months a year).

Unless you're planning to do something truly crazy during your first year in tri (like a full or half Ironman, in which case, if you insisted on making that a goal, I WOULD suggest you seek the advice of a skilled coach!), it's probably better to save coaching for if/when you've decided to stick with the sport, know what distance you'd like to focus on, and have a clearer idea of your strengths, weaknesses, and goals. I've been working with a coach for about the past four months, but it's taken me almost five years to get to the point where I felt like I knew what I wanted help with and was ready to take that step.

The exception to this would be if you are a very weak swimmer. If that's the case, then I'd advise you to find a SWIMMING instructor or program (rather than a tri coach) who can work in person with you on developing sound technique. It never fails to astound me how many triathletes seriously underestimate the swim. A few days ago, I was talking with the lifeguard at our school pool, who told me that a local "triathlete" had contacted him for help with the swim--the guy had signed up for Vietnam 70.3 (half-ironman). When the guard asked him to swim for a few minutes so he could take a look at his technique, the guy made it barely 25m across the pool. Basically, he did not know how to breathe without stopping to tread water; nor could he do breaststroke, which at least might get him through the race without drowning. The race is in seven weeks, and that area is known for erratic conditions--could be anything from placid to heavy surf. Sheer stupidity.

Try and find a local club if you can. You will meet lots of people who will be willing to help, and there will be some structured training sessions put on by them I would hope. It may feel a little daunting, but remember everyone started once.