Getting Started (Page 4)

Welcome to BT! I will start the thread for you, but you might want to spend time in the other 20 week Oly thread, too, since it will almost certainly be more active than the swim-focused plan.
Best of luck on your Oly journey!

Hi, my name is Vicky and I just signed up for my first triathlon (a sprint tri in August).  I have been a runner for years and do quite well in my age group in local races.  Growing up I used to "live" in my parents' pool and on my bike, but haven't been really active in those two disciplines in many years.  I will turn 49 in less than a month and figured if I want to do a tri, I better get going and just do it.  Now that I've signed up I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed though.  I'm stressing about what type of bike to buy...using clipless pedals...trying to swim more than 100 meters without feeling like my lungs will burst, etc.  What have I gotten myself into?!

 I'm looking forward to gaining knowledge from this site and learning from your expertise.  Thank you for this wealth of information.  Hopefully once I've calmed down a bit (since signing up for this race) I will be able to focus and do what I need to do to succeed this summer.

Welcome to BT! We are happy you have decided to join us. I would suggest you look into the Learn to Swim plan and the Couch to 5K plan, both of which have a thread here in this forum.  You can keep your spinning classes if you like, as long as you are certain that those spinning classes are more important to you than focusing on the things that you aren't as good at. Most people come into triathlon strong in one sport and weaker in the others. It's SO tempting to continue to focus on what you are good at already, but it's sometimes necessary to back off your stronger sport (which for you might mean only 2 spinning classes a week) in order to work more on your weaker sports.
Since you have until August, I would recommend working on your swim or run now by using one of the plans I suggested while spinning also. While using the Learn to Swim plan, for example, you can still spin 3x a week and also get in 2-3 run/walks until your swim improves. Then you can take the swim down to 2x a week and focus on the run. Once you get 16 to 20 weeks away from your first triathlon, you can switch to a sprint training plan like this one.
Hope that helps a bit.

Hi Vicky, and thank you for joining us! It's totally normal to be scared and overwhelmed. BT has SOOOOO much information that it takes a bit to get your bearings and get a handle on things. Just keep reading and get in the pool this winter!

Jessica,
Thank you so much for the information.  I will start the swimming program this week!  I have heard great things about the Couch to 5K program, and I'm glad it has your endorsement.  The only reason I am inflexible about giving up my spin classes is because I am the instructor of those classes, so they have to stay, but my other training will get worked into the week.  I'm so glad to have this forum to refer to.  Thanks again!
Amanda

HI..I am just starting and am not sure where to begin. there are so many training programs out there. I am doing a Sprint Triathlon in September. I have just lost quite a bit of weight. I have been doing alot of walking/jogging (slow) on the treadmill the past month or so and can do about 3.2 miles in 63 minutes..so I know i have a long way to go.. Can you suggest where i should begin for a formal training program. Thanks..I am not sure how you respond to me..but my email is [email protected]             thanks again! cindy

LOL, Amanda! I can see why you don't want to give up your spin classes!!

Welcome to BT, Cindy! Congrats on your weight loss and for taking on your first triathlon. Since your race is so far away, you have plenty of time to just enjoy being physically fit and working on your endurance without strictly following a training plan until you are closer to your race.
Perhaps you would like to consider running a 5K? If that is the case, you can begin using the Couch to 5K plan to work on improving your running speed and then complete a 5K race in the next few months.
If you are new to cycling, you can also try the Beginner Cycling Program. We also have a Learn to Swim plan or a Beginner Exerciser Plan. I know that is a lot of options, but it's ok to do more than one or just one at a time since you have a lot of time to train, which is a good thing!

I am 52 and doing my first sprint tri.  I am in somewhat condition since I swam the chesapeak bay last may and still swim 800 to 1,000 meters each week.  I bike 17 miles on Sundays but running 3 miles on the treadmill three times period. So today I swam 800 meters, biked for 20 minutes and ran for 30 minutes.  I am neither sore nor tired.  I have never pushed myself...I just add extra meters, extra bike miles and extra running when I get bored but that is not a real plan.  So my tri in March 28.  I am wondering if I am supposed to be busting a gut on training.  Ijust go about training calmly and steadily.

Welcome to BT. You are on the right track. You should NOT be busting a gut with your triathlon training when you are new to the sport. You should be building your volume slowly and at an easy, aerobic pace just like you are.
The best thing you can do is to pick a training plan to follow leading up to your first race. Doing all three sports in one day is not necessary, so you may find that at the beginning you are doing less exercise than you are now! You will, however, be consistent and progress safely. Here is an example of a plan that might work for you. There is a thread here in this forum for people using that plan, so if you had any questions we could answer them there.

Dumb question, do you have to be a member of USAT to enter an event?  I am planning on doint my first sprint tri in Gatlinburg on 4/2 but have not registered yet.  I am also interested in doing a sprint tri in Cincy in July, but I am unsure about the USAT thing.  Can you just register, pay the entry fee and show up, or do you need to buy a one day license or annual membership?

You do need to buy either a yearly membership or a one day membership. Some races will have you pay that fee when you register. Others may have you pay it the morning of the race. It's very common for people to just get a one day membership and the people working the race will know exactly how to handle it. Go ahead and sign up online. If you aren't asked about your USAT membership when you register, they will take care of it on race day so you might want to make sure to have some cash on you when you go to the race.

Welcome to BT! Yes, may people do their first triathlon on a hybrid bike or mountain bike but mostly that is because they already own that kind of bike and aren't ready to buy a road or triathlon bike yet. If you are buying a bike for your first triathlon, I would recommend you buy a road bike rather than a hybrid. If you decide you like triathlons, you will end up buying a road bike or a tri bike soon anyway, as a hybrid will be slower than a road bike.
Try looking on Craigslist or visiting a Performance Bike shop if you have one close to you. They sell very inexpensive road bikes. If you don't have an active Craigslist near you, you can try a nearby city or Ebay.

Hi, i would like a little advice on scheduling. I plan to do a 5K in June, and i want to start the couch2-5k aggressive program soon.   I work full time, and the only time that works for me to fit in excercise is my lunch hour.  I currently do yoga on Monday, and pilates on friday.  I am OK with skipping the pilates occasionaly, but i would prefer not to skip my yoga, is it OK to do the training tue-friday every day, I won't have access to a treadmill on the weekends, and i am not a winter person so i can't run outside until spring. 

Welcome to BT! Yes, it is ok to adjust the schedule that way. Training programs are frequently adjusted to fit the athlete's life better. I encourage you to adjust it in any way that makes it easier to fit into YOUR life so that you can do the training as consistently as possible.
Best of luck! Let us know how it is going.

Hi Jessica,

I signed up for my first triathlon (Olympic distance) for the end of August- I am currently using the free training program that this website offers (3 days of swimming, running and biking). I swam competitively for 12 years through my senior year of high school, swam for exercise through April of my freshman year of college, and then have spent the past three years just using gym machines like an elliptical to keep in shape. I decided that I really miss competing and I thought that a triathlon would be a great way to challenge myself to get back into that peak physical condition. I want to actually RACE the triathlon and get a good time, not just finish the race.

So I have a few questions about training-
1. What typed of running workouts should I do? Is it simply just non-stop running for the distances listed on the workout routine? Or should I incorporate some sprinting or sets of distances with time intervals? What is the distance I should be running by the time the marathon comes around?

2. For the swimming, what is the typical workout that people do to train? I swam for the first time yesterday in over 6 months and did 2500 yds pretty easily (doing various sets, not nonstop). But swimming in open water is so different than a pool, much less a 25 yd pool instead of a 50 M pool- what is the typical distance and workout people are swimming each week by the end of their training? Is it also important to wear a wetsuit while you're training if you will be wearing one during the race?

3. Biking- since it's snowy out right now and will be until April, I am using the stationary bikes at the gym instead of riding outside. Is there any particular workout that people usually do at the gym for training?

Thank you so much for your help! Sorry for the long message!
-Liz
 

Hi Liz! Welcome to BT and triathon training! Let's see if I can help with your questions. First, I want to be sure of which plan you are following. Are you using an Olympic plan right now? Do you plan on doing the whole plan and then repeating it until you get to the race date?
Each plan offered here on BT provides all the workouts necessary to complete the distance you are training for. If you start the 16 week Olympic plan starting 16 weeks before your race and do most of the workouts, you will have run, biked, and swam long enough to complete the distance unless you are very, very slow (and I mean slow, not just a beginner).
I suspect that your particular plan is a time-based plan, so you go by time instead of distance. This works for beginners better than a distance-based plan because it keeps you from doing too much training and getting injured. If you are a true beginner you may not get up to race distance in your training, but just about everyone does get up to race distance and above (for the shorter races) during the training. If you are doing the 16 Week 3x Balanced plan found here, then you will most likely train over the distance. The faster you are, the more you will train over the distance.

Most of the workouts on this plan should be done as base training at an easy pace as you build endurance. If you want to incorporate speed work in any discipline, you can do that on the shorter of the weekly workouts.

Swimming: as your race approaches, try to find a triathlon training group that does open water swims in your area. It is very important to get in some OWS practice before the race, and this is also a time for you to get used to swimming in a wetsuit. The more you can practice in open water before the race, the better.

Cycling: can you go to spin classes? That can help break up the monotony of just easy spinning on a stationary bike.
The paid membership here on BT gives you access to more training plans that include specific workouts. You may want to consider that in the future. Otherwise, for first-time triathletes it's mostly about just building volume. Getting in the time at an easy to moderate pace will do a lot for your fitness!
Let me know what else I can help you with.

Hi Jessica,
My name is Jeff. I just signed up for my first sprint tri. It is in mid july. For the past two weeks I have been running about 2 miles 4 times a week and swimming about 1/4 mile 2 times a week. I will start my 20 week sprint-2x balanced program on monday. I do not have any kind of athletic background. I am 33 years old, 6'4" and 220 lbs.. I usually get motivated once a year to lose some lbs. so I would run a few times a week for about 3 months. Now my motivation is the sprint tri.

My first question is if I follow this plan and do minutes only, while I am training should I be trying to meet or exceed the distances required for the sprint?

My second question is should I try to do the entire distance of the race at least one time during the later stages of my training, just to know if I can do all three back to back to back?

Thank You,
Jeff

Thank you so much! That information is very helpful and gives me a good starting point- I appreciate it!

Hi Jeff. welcome to BT and to triathlon training. Most athletes, even beginners, will meet the race distance in all three sports by following a time-based plan. Even if you don't hit the exact distance, you should be within about 10%, which is perfectly reasonable for a sprint.
The plan does not require you to do all three back-to-back but you can if you want. It all depends on what feels right to YOU. I can tell you that when I did my first triathlon, it was a mini-sprint and I did all the distances together before the race because it helped me calm down and believe I could do it. If you are confident and want to wait until race day to put it all together, that is totally fine.
Best of luck to you! Make sure to keep us updated on how the training is going.

Jessica thank you so much! I will definitely keep you updated on the training.

I am off to swim.

Thanks again,
Jeff

Hi Jessica, can you add the Olympic 2x balanced 20 week? I am so confused and I would like to discuss with others. It appears that I am supposed to be using this training plan as a "minutes-only" plan with HR in Zone 1 - 2. However, it looks like meters are also given on the plan? I just want to make sure I am following this correctly. I am on week 2 (did the CNN 6-pack week 1) and want to switch to this plan. However, I want to be sure I understand it and am doing it properly. Can you please elaborate on the minutes/meters/miles issue? Also, would like to reach out to others also following this plan. Thanks so much!!

O.K. I am going to start with my first tri training. I am looking to do a  tri in September.
I am still deciding which distance to do, I want to challenge myself as I have a lot of time to train. I think I can do a sprint distance with no problem. Last weekend I did 18 mile bike ride and did the 6 mile run. I think I can do a half iron, I can do the bike and I already run half marathons. The only part that scares me to death is the swimming portion. I know how to swim but I just don't know where to start.

Would it be smart for me to try to challenge myself in my first try? For example, doing the half iron instead of the Olympic distance?

Could you advice me in a plan that can pick up in beginning swimming but with already experience in biking and running. Or should I just start from scratch in any training plan?

Thanks for looking at my comment! :D

ETA: I read the Lean to Swim Month 1. I am wondering what 6 x 25 mean.
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1945

Edited by nightofagypsimoon 2011-02-23 3:51 PM