TRIATHALON TRAINING

December 15, 2005 -- I have always enjoyed the holiday season: great food, catching up with family members and enjoying a good laugh with close friends. Another great thing about this time of year is the New Year and all that it symbolizes: new beginnings, life-enhancing goals. And now is a great time to get a move on: assess your situation and get your mind prepared and body in gear for the months to come. This year you will finally complete that long-time New Year’s resolution of getting in shape and completing your first triathlon -- and there is no better time to get started than right now. Over the next 16 weeks on triathletemag.com, I will be outlining on a training progression for the beginner triathlete who wishes to complete a sprint-distance race in 2006. This time of year is ideal for evaluating your current capabilities (your comforts and limits), your cardio foundation and your training equipment. By reviewing all of these aspects, you can then follow my upcoming plan by personalizing it to your own needs. This will also enable you to set a reasonable goal for yourself, be it a desired time or simply getting across the finish line.

Keep in mind that the longest and one of the more important training phases of the year is the general aerobic base phase, as it helps build your fitness foundation for the year. This 16-week progression will lay a solid base for those of you who are newbies to the sport. I will be going through each different discipline on a weekly basis and giving you workout ideas to suit your needs. The focus will be on developing some bike strength in your legs to support your run and on being able to get through the swim with a level of proficiency.

To get started and ready for the weeks ahead, pack your suitcase for the journey by including some of these basic necessities: a good pair of running shoes, a bike (road or mountain) and access to a pool. Other good investments are running shorts, cycling shorts, a pair of goggles and a swim cap. I have found that many beginners enjoy training on a treadmill and stationary cycle at their local gym during the winter months, and I’d encourage you to consider this option, particularly if the weather or traffic conditions are not favorable for training. But when you’re ready, take all of your knowledge onto the roads, trails, track and open water -- because that is where the beauty of the sport truly lies.

One last bit of advice is to find a training partner and declare to each other your upcoming goals. Even if you and a well-suited training partner can only meet up on a few occasions per week, a training partner makes an exceptional difference in getting you motivated. Also, training with friends is one of the best parts about being in the sport.

So start on your homework: assess your current state of fitness, check your equipment for items you might need to add and grab a reliable friend who would like to join you on this new and exciting journey

Beginner’s luck part 2
Lance Watson’s 16-week training plan to your first triathlon
By Lance Watson
www.lifesport.ca

December 23, 2005 -- You are back and gearing up for my upcoming 16-week plan that officially begins in January. As mentioned in the previous article, I will be focusing on a training progression for the beginner triathlete who is wishing to complete a sprint-distance race. Again, this time of year is ideal to evaluate your current capabilities (your comforts and limits), your cardio foundation and your training equipment. By reviewing all of these aspects you can then follow my upcoming plan by personalizing it to your own needs.

I will help you see that training for a triathlon is not as hard as it is often made out to be, and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. For those of you who want do more, I will help you to realize you don’t need to pile on the miles to achieve your goals; you will simply need to pay attention to the details of a structured training plan. Remember to not just go through the motions . . . do things well, think about why you are doing them, and stick to this plan.

Swim
If swimming is your most challenging event, attend a swim workshop to learn the basics of the sport. However, I am assuming that most readers will be able to swim at least one length of the pool, so we will take it from there. We will begin with drills in order to start developing your endurance in the water. At first, we will not be concerned with speed: the key will be to work on good technique and relaxation. Therefore, the most important thing to work on in the next few weeks will be on getting comfortable and efficient in the water.

In getting ready for the weeks ahead, I suggest that you try to jump into the water at least twice this week. See how many laps you can swim comfortably without stopping. Don’t reach over 1500 meters, but try to swim at least 500 meters total. Break it up however you please.

Bike
I presume that everyone knows how to ride a bike. This is probably the easiest of the three disciplines for beginners. The hard part might be how comfortable you are riding on the streets in traffic. For the first few weeks, we will focus on indoor training using a wind trainer or spin bikes. This will help to build up your strength and confidence before taking it to the outdoors, where are many more factors to take into consideration.

Go to the gym and find a stationary bike, or if your are completely at ease and the weather permits, take your road or mountain bike out for a spin. Pedal away for 20 to 25 minutes twice this week.

Run
Although the run may be a struggle for many people, but it is in fact the easiest sport to get out and do. All you need is a bit of spare time, perhaps even a lunch break, and a pair of reliable running shoes. We will start off with some walk-running and move up to a 40-minute consistent run near the end of the 16-week progression. Again, make sure you start with a dependable pair of running shoes . . . too often people will acquire foot, leg and back injuries that stem from a poor pair of shoes.

Start off your running this week by going out two to three times for 20 minutes each time. You will walk the first five minutes, then alternate between a one minute jogging and two minutes walking five times through.

Slowly begin your training progression by assessing your current fitness this week. If things seem like they might not ever be relaxed for you, remember that there is nowhere to go from here but up, and that’s what will make this sport so rewarding.