Online Training Resources: Beginner Triathlete

There are some good triathlon resources online which hopefully I will get the chance to navigate through over the next few weeks. The place I started was BeginnerTriathlete.com, where if you can prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed by the massive amount of info on each page, actually has some good resources.

Membership to the site is free. Bonus! What you find on the site is a lot of solid articles, training and racing logs, gear reviews, member forums, and my favorite Map Your Route. I am not use to tracking my workouts or writing anything down. Maybe its a little laziness, also I haven't been that serious, and also haven't liked the expectation that I have to do a certain work out even if I don't feel like it. That may change.

Above: Log information for all three sports.Above: Track your weekly totals for each sport!

However, Map Your Route is fun. After a run or ride (or swim too), you can use this Google tool to draw in your route. Not only will it give your actual distance it will also give elevation. Your routes are saved and when you choose that route, that information is transferred to your log. So far its been fun because apparently I have been going longer distances than I thought and its fun to draw on a map, of course.

Above: Map Your Route sweetness.

Two sites that Dan also informed me of (which I become acquainted with shortly) is Map My Ride and Map My Run. While I know there are some spiffy watches and other GPS devices (Polar RCX5 or Garmin Forerunner 305) that will do this for you, I am not hardcore enough yet to own them, nor will I any time soon (did I mention I am trying to get into triathlons on the cheap!) Oh, and of course, my watch died this week, so I can't even properly tell how long I have been going. Dang.

No Excuse Anymore: response

I am so excited that you are officially signed up for your first race. Before you get started there is one rule you must know:

Rule 1: Know going into the race that this will now be your passion and will probably make a lot of decisions for you going forward. Where does my extra cash go; triathletes are known for being tech junkies. Races will now decide where you vacation; I am heading to Des Moines over Labor Day Weekend. You will now get up more before dawn than you have in the past ten years combined. A major food source will now include gu's and gels and you will spend a lot of time in spandex, HA.

No Excuse Anymore

Not owning a bike was my solid excuse for never signing up for a triathlon before. Considering the bike's fairly substantial role in a triathlon (ha), I figured I was probably not going to be signing up for a race any time soon. Last week this all changed when a friend proudly proclaimed she had an extra! (Friends rule, don't they?)

So excuse eliminated, I am now registered for my first triathlon. 24 days to prep!
Lake Meridian Triathlon (Sprint: ½ mS, 15.8mB, 3.1mR)

What do I do now? This is where having a mentor, someone who has experience racing in a triathlon comes in handy. While we will not be discussing a couch-to-tri program, there are still so many questions that need answering! Daaaaan!

HITS Triathlon Series / Rev3Tri.com

Beginner Friendly series launching in December with the HITS Triathlon Series. Growing Family friendly series (great spectator races with plenty to stay busy) with incredible Pro fields at Revolution 3..
HITS Triathlon Series
I just saw this series launched and look forward to seeing its reviews and competing in 2012. No matter what triathlon level you are currently at or aspire to be (Iron distance, half Iron, Olympic, Sprint) this series has a distance for you. If you are a family of triathletes or trying to get friends involved in the sport you love here is a chance to compete together during the same weekend. There are 12 events slated for next year including the national championships and one event in December of this year in Palm Springs, CA. This series is unique because long distance triathlons are usually not coupled with shorter distance triathlons and I have never seen an OPEN division where athletes can compete for FREE in triathlon (100m swim, 3 mile bike, 1 mile run. Athletes who never thought they could compete in a triathlon can introduce themselves to this unique sport in a friendly, non-intimidating way.

Revolution3 Triathlon
Rev3 produces the highest level events in a family friendly environment and at certain venues has an Olympic distance race in conjunction with their half and full distance triathlons. These events not only draw many of the top professional triathletes from around the world but also produce an environment that is entertaining for spectators. 17 hours for a race can be a long time for spectators and these events ensure that while you are there to cheer your athlete that there are options for you as well. Look for this series to continue to grow in the next few years.

First Race, Last Place: Dan's First Triathlon

In the Spring of 2008, a friend and I were discussing sports and ways to stay competitive at an age where team sports have passed us by. We came upon the topic of triathlon and its degree of difficulty. Neither of us had ever competed in a triathlon and at the time I actually tried to avoid running long distances, I had never swam laps or for distance and I didn’t own a bike. Knowing my competitive nature he dared me to compete and finish a triathlon. We looked up a race and saw from the day we spoke there was 10 days until an Olympic distance triathlon (swim .9 mile, bike 24.7 miles and run 6.2 miles). He said he had a friend that owned a bike (little did I know it was touring bike and way too small for me, but I didn’t know any better). I signed up, telling him, “How hard can this be?” I swam twice before the race, rode the bike one time and ran three times.

I got to the race the morning of and noticed all of these people with these beautiful bikes and equipment. I pulled my red cruiser out of the car and walked to transition to rack it. I didn’t understand why people were pumping up their tires, filling up water bottles and riding and running BEFORE the race. It seemed silly to me to waste valuable energy before the race started. I didn’t understand the importance of hydration or fueling during the race or what lactic acid or threshold meant- I found out very quickly.

I walked to the beach for the start of the race and remember thinking, “wow, .9 mile is a far way to swim”. After the National anthem and a few of the first waves going off, it was M30-34. It was a beach start, the horn sounded and we were off. Now, if you have never competed in a triathlon it is hard to describe your first experience – the closest thing to describing it would be “a washing machine effect”. People are swimming over you, kicking you, pulling you and you may get anxiety or hyperventilate if you get caught up in what others are doing and don’t race your own race. I felt good and went out as fast as I could-I assure you that is not what you want unless you are a seasoned triathlete. Halfway through the swim I realized I need to pace myself or I was going to need to rest on one of the lifeguard’s surfboard. I kept going (or thrashing around as I am sure what it looked like) until I reached the final turn and relished the fact that I finally had the ocean current with me. I reached the beach, stood up, and wondered why my legs felt like cement bricks. I decided that I needed to walk to transition, take some water from the aid station and prepare for my bike ride.

I put on my helmet sleeveless shirt and a pair of shorts. I didn’t understand why everyone else was wearing spandex shorts or what I realize now were triathlon shorts. I hopped on the cruiser and away I went, feeling okay. It was a two loop course of 12.35 miles along scenic A1A and the beach. As I was riding what I thought was an okay speed (no idea how fast but probably 13 MPH) I realized everyone was passing me and the worst part was that they weren’t even pedaling, they were coasting by me. I kept thinking to myself how in the world are people passing me without pedaling? I realized now, there is a big difference between a 700 X 23 tire and a 26” inch wheel with tread. As a came to the turn of the halfway point, I remember thinking to myself, “I should just act like this was my second loop and get off this bike”, not wanting to cheat, I made the turn for the second loop with much trepidation. As I was riding for what seemed like eternity, (by myself because it seemed as though everyone had passed me, but I refused to think I was last) I noticed in the distance another rider about a mile ahead of me. I told myself that no matter how bad my legs hurt that I was going to try and catch that person. I pedaled hard, but ultimately could not catch them. I pulled into transition two, got off my bike and almost fell down. I made it to my rack, put the bike on the rack (which I wanted to throw in the ocean) and ran (who am I kidding), walked out to start my “run”. (After the race I was informed, as only close friends would, they were picking up the bike cones behind me)

The course was a two-loop run course, I kept telling myself, only 1.5 miles each way (twice). I had used too much energy on the bike that running was very difficult (this is where I learned about lactic acid). I told myself that I could run, to stop being a wimp, that it was all in my head, to keep me going. I finally resorted to the fact that I needed to walk/run. I started doing a 4/2 minute run/walk, which quickly turned into a 3/2, then 2/2 and finally came to a screeching halt when I was running power line poles along the route. I had passed one person on the run, but on the second loop was passed – one that I couldn’t overcome. I came across the line, my legs immediately seized up since I had not eaten and drank minimally throughout the race (except one cup of water after the swim, one swig of water on the bike and one cup at each 1.5 mile turn on the run). I couldn’t walk, I had to lay on the ground, did that ever feel good. My first race, I finished dead last, but I FINISHED and officially became a “triathlete”.

When I eventually made it back to my car, I said, “I am never doing that again”. That thought resonated with me for about 10 miles in the car until I turned to my wife and said, “I know I can do better next time”. She laughed at me and shook her head. Triathletes are a rare breed, you have to have a little bit of crazy mixed in with mental toughness and desire. So, four triathlon seasons ago that is how I became a triathlete – a route I would not recommend to others, but a sport I would recommend to all. The sport is an addiction, an obsession and a lifestyle. Once you have experienced the camaraderie, commitment and pageantry you will wonder how you lived without the sport and why it took you so long to get involved with it. Enjoy the road ahead, it will be difficult, it will test your toughness, but crossing a finish line and knowing you are now part of an elite community is an experience that will live with you forever.