If you only do one of the sports in a triathlonswimming, cycling, or runningyoure safe for now.
I did a triathlon a few years ago.
It went well enough that I felt great about myselftriumphant, even.
But crossing the finish line, I feltso donewith triathlons.
That made it, I suppose, the exact right amount of triathlon for me.
So what do you do when you get that whisper in your brain?
Start by looking up just how much work a triathlon is.
And if youre a runner, you think of 5Ks as easybecause youre good(ish) at them.
The sequence is (almost?)
always swim, then bike, then run.
If you poop out while youre swimming, you could drown.
While biking, you could crash.
While running, youd just fall on the concrete.Im not saying this will happen.
Its just a helpful mnemonic.
The clock does not stop during transitions, so youll need to practice doing this quickly.
After the second leg, you park your bike and head off for the run.
(Mine was.)
The transitions might not be timed.
The bike or the run might turn out to be on muddy trails instead of nice smooth roads.
Yours might be an indoor triathlon that uses treadmills and exercise bikes.
Bottom line: do your homework.
But on the flip side, beware of takingtoomuch advice from fellow triathletes.
A lot of them are shitty swimmers, for example.
Cycling: Get familiar with your bike and how to use it.
This is part cardio, and part mental training.
Dont Skimp on Training
The most grueling part of a triathlon is the training.
(This is true for any long race, to be honest.)
But now you have to doall of those.
In the same week.
The good news is you’re free to cut down the schedule for each a bit.
But youdoneed to do all three.
A little more training in the pool would have really helped.
That said, nothing beats finishing a run and then jumping into a cool lake or pool.
So, consider that too.
(You cant really wear a race bib while youre swimming, after all.)
Most triathlon courses cant accomodate everybody at once, so youll have an assigned time for your wave.
Youre usually allowed to wear a wetsuit to keep warm in that cold lake.
Definitely browse every triathlete forum you’re free to find, because theyre full of weird little tips.
(Tape a snack to the handlebars!
Dust your running shoes with baby powder!)
