► FIVE STEPS TO SUCCESS
TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST TRIATHLON’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK. JUST BE CONSISTENT, CUT DRAG AND MAXIMISE YOUR COMMUTE…
Yesteryear, triathlon attracted the most extreme of endurance athletes – women and men who’d think nothing of training for upwards of 25hrs per week while ticking off a full-time job. They still exist, of course, and regularly tame extreme tris like the Norseman. Chapeau to them all but, in 2021, triathlon’s more accessible than ever. Hence, our couch to supersprint training plan. To complement the plan, here are five key ways to make your debut multisport journey an enjoyable, successful one…
THERE IS MORE THAN TRI
The majority of triathletes can’t and, quite rightly, won’t spend their every free spare moment training. It’s the fast-track to singledom. For your first race, the ideal is to train around 5hrs per week. This could break down as five sessions with two focused on the longest discipline (bike), two on your weakest and one on your strongest.
MAXIMISE THE COMMUTE
Sidestepping the Covid pandemic, the past decade had seen a significant rise in the amount of people cycling to work. According to Transport for London, for instance, in the year 2000 the morning peak saw motorists entering central London outnumber cyclists by 11 to 1. By 2014 that ratio had shrunk to 1.7 to 1. In 2018, for the first time on record, the average daily kilometres cycled in London exceeded four million. That’s great news for health and the environment. It’s also the perfect platform to boost your triathlon training time. If your bike commute’s five miles, for example, you can always add an extra mile or two each way to maximise the training effect. Or you could run in and catch the bus home. Or, when fitness improves, run in and run home, making the first effort more intense and the second a recovery run.
FREE SPEED
You, the triathlete, makes up over 80% of the frontal area on the bike. The faster
“Beginners are advised to start with an affordable and aerodynamic set of clip-ons”
you ride, the greater the air resistance, reaching a figure up to 90% of total drag. By reducing the width and height of the object – you – scything through the air, you’ll save time for free. In other words, you can race faster for no extra effort. The ultimate aerodynamic effect comes from a triathlon bike. However, beginners are advised to start with something more affordable and accessible – namely a pair of clip-on aerobars. They clamp onto your existing handlebars, ensuring not only a lower profile, but also a narrower one thanks to bringing your hands and shoulders in.
You can also save time on the run leg with similarly slipstreaming advice. When it comes to clothing, avoid flapping as this simply adds drag. And pin your race number flush or use NoPinz to save further seconds.
CHLORINE OVER NEOPRENE?
Unless your background’s swimming, there’s a strong case that your first triathlon should be pool-based. Swimming in a pool will mean you not only follow the black line, but also avoid the melee of a mass start. A multitude of new skills will make your multisport debut a draining – albeit memorable – occasion, so save the extra challenge of open-water swimming for race two when you’re more experienced. It also means you can focus on training in the pool. If, however, you do sign up to an openwater triathlon, ideally train in the openwater once a week before your race.
CORE BENEFITS
Swimming, cycling and running is all about propelling yourself forward as sustainably fast as possible. To achieve this lofty aim requires keeping a nice taut core for your limbs to work around. Simple bodyweight strength and conditioning work can be ticked off from home and will boost performance and reduce injury. Even squeezing in a couple 15min efforts each week will pay off.