Enjoy this excerpt from “Tri the Journey”
Chapter 3: Sharpen Your Skills
If this is your first time combining all three (sports), don’t let thoughts such as, “I’ve never done it,” or “I don’t know how” stop you. We all start from our own place and build our base, whether we’re couch potatoes, marathoners, or nationally ranked swimmers. No matter what your fears and hurdles, you too can become a triathlete and conquer your weaknesses.
Most of us ran as children, whether we played tag or ran bases. We rode bikes around the block and splashed in the pool. At some point in our lives many of us had fun with all three of the triathlon sports.
Who ever thought about form? But form is exactly what you need to focus on when training for a triathlon. Correct technique will make you more efficient and save energy.
Consider how you stack up with the three sports. Have you always been a good runner and enjoyed it? Did you participate on a swim team and love to practice your strokes? Or were you the one who always wanted to ride bikes instead of walking? Triathlon training is a perfect opportunity to examine your abilities and where you may need to learn more about technique.
Before we consider the details of training, you need to recognize the importance of regularly training in your weak sport. You may be tempted to avoid swimming because it’s tiring and your stroke is inefficient. Perhaps you’d like to skip cycling because you’re skittish riding your bike on the road.
Get it into your head that you’ll need to train at least four days a week: two of those days in your weakest sport and one day a week in each of your stronger sports. If you can work out five days a week, you should devote two days to your two weakest sports and one toward your strong sport. If you’re a go-getter, you may decide to do the six-day workout, which is two days a week per sport.
The schedule is up to you. Listen to your body. Mix things up. You may find the energy for six workouts during one week, yet the next week you can barely manage the minimum of four. Don’t sweat it. But remember you must take at least one rest day per week (we don’t have to convince you, right?). And again, don’t even think about skipping where you’re weakest.
