Tips for beginner triathletes:
Go short before going long. Begin with a shorter
sprint-distance event or an Olympic-distance event.
Stay close to home. For the first race, make it
easy on yourself and select an event close to home. This will reduce race-day
stress and hassle.
Your current bike is fine. Any bike you’re
currently riding will work just fine. It can be a road bike, mountain bike or
hybrid.
Buy a good pair of running shoes. Go to a
specialist running store and let the experts in the store help you select the
right pair of running shoes. They should ask you questions about your feet,
running history and watch your gait while walking and running.
It doesn’t take as much training as you might
think. You can be ready for a sprint-distance race on less than five hours per
week of training. Links to some suitable training plans can be found below.
Plan to rest. Many inexperienced triathletes
fail to include adequate rest in their training programmes.
Practice your transitions. All of the time
between the start of your swim and when you cross the finish line at the end of
the run counts.
Plan to do the first half of the race slower.
Most beginners start too fast. Estimate how much time you think it will take
you to do the entire event. Plan to do the first half of that total time at a
slower pace than you think you’re capable of doing. When you reach the half-way
point, you can pick up the pace and finish strong. This is called a
negative-split effort.