Congratulations!
So you've decided you want to do Triathlons. Seriously - congratulations you're about to enter a world of keeping fit and having a lot of fun at the same time.
So welcome to my blog - I'm David Chandler and I'll offer some tips and advice on how to get into this great sport without spending a fortune.
People get into Triathlon for lots of reasons but one of the best reasons I think anyone can get into into it is because you get the chance to get fit doing three very different activities but with an end in mind. That is to either complete your first triathlon at that distance or to beat your previous time! Also a good thing to note about 2 of the 3 activities is that they are low impact so they good for your bones and joints and unlikely to cause you an injury - well unless you fall of your bike that is !!
So over the next few months I'll publish some articles on how to get started. What you need, what you don't need and how to progress.
A bit about me - I've been into Triathlon for a couple of years now and mainly do it to keep fit and to meet new people.
So what do you need to get started?
1 - Start with an aim in mind. Now this aim will depend on how fit you are but if I'd recommend aiming to simply complete a sprint triathlon. This will typically be 400 meters in a pool - 16 lengths, followed by 20 km on a bike, followed by 5 km of running.
2 - Swimming - get swimming again. Get yourself to your local pool and aim to go at least once a week, preferably twice. Go when its quiet or when the lanes are on. Ask the staff - they'll tell you when its quiet. You're aiming to do 16 lengths non stop. Ideally you want to do this front crawl but don't worry too much - feel free to do any stroke you like - the aim is simply to do 16 non stop in say 10 to 15 minutes. When you go to your first ever triathlon you will see people doing all sorts of stokes I promise you. I started not being able to do more than one length of front crawl at a time and built up from there. Aim to spend at least 20 mins in the pool (including rests) doing any stroke you like but do try and build up your front crawl stamina for now.
3 - Biking - get a bike. Now generally for now any bike will do and - just get out and ride it. Don't go out yet and buy one. Beg or borrow one if you can for now. Try and keep off roads. Aim for cycle tracks or causeways. Get a helmet and aim to ride non stop for a hour. Feel free to build up to this. For now only ride during the day and stick close to home. More tips on this one later.
4 - Running - Now this is where you need to be careful to avoid injury. 50% of runners at any one time are injured and unable to train so.... get a decent pair of trainers. Say about £60-£80 ($100-£130) should do it. Go to a proper running shop, try a few pairs on and talk to the assistant. While you are there pick up some wicking socks - so you don't get blisters - these only cost about £5 and one pair will do you for now - 2 is preferable. If you are between sizes get the bigger ones as they are bound to skrink over time. Next you want to cover up your legs in lycra if its chilly to any real extent. Muscles don't like the cold. Get some lycra shorts / pants in different lengths for different days. The colder it is the longer you wear. If in doubt wear longer ones. Last of all get a visible top - yep one of the bright yellow ones. I have one that is mesh and goes over what ever I'm wearing. It cost £5. In the dark I also carry a flashing led light. £3.
Now to avoid injury I suggest you take the running easy and build up slowly over time. Do some stretches before and after every run. Walk before and after your run. Say for 5 minutes. This will help you warm up and down to avoid injury. Now the most important tip. If you get a twinge or don't feel right ... STOP.... Call it a day and walk back home. Try again tomorrow. This will help you avoid most injuries. Please trust me on this one. Most of you will ignore that last tip and will run on depute that twinge in the knee or wherever. Tomorrow you will be hurting and thinking - if only I stopped. But you know what - we've all been there and generally we all learn the hard way on that one !!!
So there above is a quick guide to get you started. Over the next few posts I'll go over the following:
Swimming Tips
Cycling Tips
Running Tips
Budget Kit
Triathlon clothing on a budget
Your first triathlon - what to expect
Triathlon Clubs
If you found this useful please do let me know below, or any comment / questions again please do comment.
Cheers
David
