Beginner Triathlon Training Programs & Resources

So, where do you start to begin training for your first triathlon?

Fortunately, you can find some great online triathlon training, as well as triathlon coaching online. There are also a number of triathlon training guides in the form of triathlon training books, DVDs, and lecture series.

Here are some beginner triathlon training programs to consider when you are establishing your triathlon training plan…

Online Triathlon Training

For starters, there are several online triathlon training resources you can utilize to help you prepare for your first triathlon.

The Beginner Triathlete website, for example, has a lot of useful resources such as articles, videos, online training logs, fand coaching.

Many of the resources there are free, but there is a cost to upgrade your membership for more. I suggest you join the site to receive their newsletter, and utilize all the free stuff available. Then you can be a better judge for possibly paying to upgrade your membership. On the site there are many triathlon training plans for beginners.

 

Triathlon Training Books

There are 3 books I found to be very helpful for establishing a triathlon training plan:

Swim, Bike, Run by Glenn Town and Too Kearney

The Triathlete’s Training Bible by Joe Friel

If you woke up yesterday on the couch with Cheetos crumbs all over you, and out of nowhere decided you wanted to do a triathlon, you might consider reading this book:

Your First Triathlon by Joe Friel

 

Consider Finding A Triathlon Coach

If you choose the option of having a triathlon coach, here are some places to find one:

Team in Training – they help you prepare for your first triathlon

USA Triathlon website – find a certified triathlon coach

Triathlon camps – another way to benefit from triathlon coaches. (Here’s an example of a triathlon camp for beginners.)

Periodization Training  Schedules For Beginners
In a nutshell, most triathlon training plans are based on the philosophy of periodization. To be honest, when I first read about periodization, it seemed way too complicated, and I was too impatient to truly study and understand it. I was like, "Whatever! I’m just going to swim, bike, and run till I drop. Who needs all that VO2max and Lactate Threshold mumbo jumbo?!"

But over time, I began noticing interesting things about seasoned triathletes. For example, they were highly intelligent people. Experienced triathletes have an impressive mastery of physiology, biomechanics, diet and nutrition, first-aid and injury treatment, cycling technical knowledge, and the list goes on. I’m not saying you need a Ph.D. in Triathlonology to get into the sport but I learned that the most successful triathletes took the time to learn the science side.

Something else I discovered threw up the red flag on my approach to training. Whereas my perspective was swim, bike, and run as long and as hard as I can, the mindset of the more experienced triathletes was to do as little as possible in order to achieve their objective. It was all about working smarter, which included disciplined rest, recovery, and varying levels of training intensity.

Following a periodization training plan assures that you will be doing the right things at the right time in order to succeed in doing triathlons.

The world is filled with triathlon enthusiasts who never reached their goal because they figured they could ignore proven training principles and do their own thing because they were on the track team in high school. Many of these people overtrain and injure themselves, and give up.  

As you begin triathlon training, you’ve got to remember that increasing your knowledge is going to be a key contributing factor to your success as a triathlete. A good investment along these lines would be the Science of Triathlon lecture series, which you can buy used on Amazon.

Here’s more about the triathlon lecture series.