Just as I did last
year, I’m offering the following advice to anyone who has made a New Year’s
Resolution to become a triathlete and do their first race. With a name like
First Timer Triathlete, I do tend to attract beginners just by a Google search.
In fact, I’m proud to say that a recent search of “First Timer Triathlete Blog”
brought my humble site up as #10 and on the first page. Woot!
Let me begin by saying welcome. Unfortunately, not everyone
who is already a triathlete will say the same, but most folks are friendly and
see the growth of our sport as a positive thing. If you stay with it, you are
entering a world that will change your life for the better. In a year or less,
you’ll be asking yourself why you didn’t take this step sooner. With that said,
here’s this year’s top 10:
#10 Don’t believe the
angry hype. Any large group has its share of jerks, douche bags, a-holes
and otherwise unpleasant people. That’s more of a statement about human nature
than anyone sport. You’re likely to stumble across this idiot
as well. Read that, but use it for entertainment purposes. I personally think
he wrote it just to get a rise out of people. You’ll also hear about how
cyclists hate triathletes and vice versa. It’s mostly just hype from people who
want to stir up trouble.
#9 Take your swim
prep seriously. Even if you come from a pool-swimming background, this one
cannot be stressed enough. Regrettably, a very small minority of people drown
each year in their swim event. Sometimes this is due to an undiscovered cardiac
condition, but often, it’s because the athlete was not prepared to swim in a
crowd of dozens of other flapping and kicking competitors. Add to that a
general weakness in the discipline and the results can be tragic. When I spoke
to the owner of the coaching service I use earlier this year, he told me folks
were signing up for Ironman Boulder next year and the coming to him and telling
him they could not swim very well. During the colder months, get to the pool
often (preferably twice a week) and take advantage of some great online
resources. I especially like http://swimsmooth.com/.
You can learn a lot about good swimming form from them.
#8 Do your part to be
a considerate and conscientious athlete. It does not take very many
self-absorbed people to start ruining the experience for everyone else. This is
true of the self important jerk who thinks the whole world needs to move aside
because he is the fourth fastest in his age group as well as the clueless
newbie who has not taken the time to learn the do’s and don’ts. For example,
when you set up your transition area, take the minimum amount of space
possible. When stopping to get water or nutrition from an aid station, move out
of the way as quickly as possible. Unless you are doing a flying mount (i.e.:
you are in motion) don’t set stop and mount your bike directly in front of
someone else attempting to do the same. Listen to and follow the directions of
the race director. If they tell you your wave is wearing the lime green swim
caps they gave you, wear it!
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| Don't have a transition area like this |
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| Do have a transition area like this |
#7 When it comes to
racing, sometimes less is more. I share this one due to my personal
experience of registering for too many races last year. Much as I love the
atmosphere around a race, I started dreading it when I had a race coming up.
Pick a few you really want to do and build your season around them.
#6 Educate yourself. If
you’re just starting out, you probably have a ton of questions. I know I did.
There are a lot of great resources out there. Off the top of my head I can
recommend these websites:
Of course, a web search will also yield some good results.
The point is; you should learn as much about the sport as
possible before you ever do your first race.
#5 Steel yourself
against the temptation to quit. Most of this is quite fun when you start
out. If you are coming from a single-sport background, there is something
energizing about getting to mix it up during the week. However, eventually,
that day will roll around when you don’t want to do a work-out. That then turns
into two days and then three and soon this is just another broken New Year’s
Resolution. Better to think about how you’re going to stay motivated now. It
could be that something as simple as getting to record the completed workout in
your log. It could be more involved such as going out to dinner at your
favorite restaurant after completing a single week of training. Whatever the
trigger, make sure you have your motivators in place for those times when you
just want to stay inside and do nothing.
#4 Believe in
yourself. This is similar to #5. There are, unfortunately, a lot of
self-appointed experts who will be anxious to tell you why you cannot or should
not pursue your goal of becoming a triathlete. You’ll mess up your
knees/ankles/hips/feet. You could drown in the swim. You’ll get hit on your
bike. You’ll have a heart attack. The best thing I can tell you is consider the
source. If advice about the condition of your body is coming from your physician, you had probably better
heed it. But, more likely, it’s coming from someone who once read an article
and decided they now know more than you about physical exercise. Most people
offering this advice are trying to avoid being left behind by healthier, more
highly motivated people. Consider why they are trying to talk you out it.
#3 Train, train
train, and then train some more. If you stick with your training plan (the
sites above can help you find a free one) and been true to what you know you
need to do to be ready, race day will be an enjoyable experience. It’s
ultimately about how you feel on the race course and at the finish line. It’s not about how you look or what other
people think of you. Training is the work, racing and succeeding are the
rewards.
#2 Listen to your
body. While it’s important to stay motivated and get your workouts
complete, even when you don’t want to, it’s foolish to try and train through
injury and illness. If something hurts, rest it and treat it. If you’re sick,
take a break until you are better. In most of the colder climates, triathlon
racing season is only four or five months long. But triathlon training season
is virtually all year. It won’t destroy your season to take time to get better.
Rest is also a key component of injury prevention.
Make sure you’re plan has days off and recovery weeks.
#1 Have fun! This
is the same top item as last year. If you’re not having fun doing this, you’re
doing something wrong. Triathlon can quickly move from being a hobby to being a
lifestyle…and that’s a good thing!
Thanks for reading!
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