Your First Triathlon - Joe Friel

Congrats on your decision to tri! First Tri is a great book and very helpful for newcomers.

Training Bible is way too much for a newbie. If you get hooked on tris and really want to get into them, then pick it up.

Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals by Jonas and Aronson is great. So is Sally Edwards's Triathlons for Women (if you're not one, don't let that faze you. It's a super good intro book, but specific enough to be very helpful).

I started with Friel's Triathlete's Training Bible and found it quite easy to digest and helpful as a springboard to develop my training.  I haven't read the others mentioned.  I also read Bernhardt's Training Plans for Multisport Athletes.  This one was less useful and wouldn't recommend.

Recently, I've found Daniel's Running Formula and Advanced Marathoning good reads for the serious runner; which I aspire to be.  

For reference, I got the Training Bible in 2006 when I started my journey - see below...

• '06 sprint, marathon
• '07 two olympics, HIM, three half-marathons, marathon
• '08 two olympics, HIM, half-marathon, 5k, two 10k's, marathon
• '09 HIM, half-marathon, marathon (run-focus to qualify for Boston)

I think that all triathletes would do well to have read The Triathlete's Training Bible at some point, although I admit it’s probably better if you have some level of knowledge and experience on which to build upon.  I did read it in my 2nd year of Tri’s and I know I benefited from it.  Friel does a good job explaining the principles behind training and not just listing training programs.  I would recommend Breakthrough Triathlon Training By Brad Kearns for the new triathlete.

Here’s a list of the triathlon and swim or run specific books off of my book shelf.  I enjoyed all of these books and especially like the bolded ones:

Triathlon

• The Triathlete's Training Bible By Joe Friel
• Breakthrough Triathlon Training By Brad Kearns
• Going Long: Training for Ironman-Distance Triathlons By Joe Friel , Gordon Byrn

Running

• Daniels' Running Formula By Jack Daniels
• Runner's World Run Less, Run Faster: Become a Faster, Stronger Runner with the Revolutionary FIRST Training Program By Bill Pierce, Scott Murr, Ray Moss
• Brain Training For Runners: A Revolutionary New Training System to Improve Endurance, Speed, Health, and Results By Matt Fitzgerald
• The Triathlete's Guide to Run Training By Ken Mierke

Swimming

• Triathlon Swimming Made Easy: The Total Immersion Way for Anyone to Master Open-Water Swimming By Terry Laughlin

I haven't read the Friel book but I hear its good. I personall think the triathlete's training bible is a little much if you're not even sure you want to race.

A book I can recommend is Triathlon 101 by Scott Molina. Its a little older, but very common sense and geared toward the total newbie.

I have read both and would recommend both.  Friel's has a little more "bite" to it though.  As for the plans in either book though, i recommend the plans here on BT.  Easy to follow, already in calendar form and the support here on the boards is amazing.