Shaping up for a triathlon is serious business. Triathlon Training For Dummies is packed with insider tips and proven methods for training for a triathlon and pumping yourself into the best possible shape by race day. It helps you find the motivation you need to stick to your program, eat better to maximize your energy, and prevent injures both before and during the race.

This authoritative guide helps you evaluate your cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility, and to set manageable realistic training goals. You’ll learn how to establish a workout schedule, choose a target finish time get the right, affordable equipment you’ll need for each leg of the race, and maximize your fitness and form for swimming, biking, and running. You’ll also get plenty of help in putting it all together as you focus your training, add dual workouts, become a quick-change artist, and save time during transitions. Discover how to:

• Choose an event to train for based on your fitness level
• Get into your best possible shape
• Select the right equipment and sportswear
• Train for an Olympic, Sprint, or Ironman triathlon
• Fuel your body and prevent injuries
• Prepare for training sessions
• Maintain energy and recover quickly
• Set training schedules for every triathlon event
• Treat common training and racing injuries
• Live like an athlete

Triathlon Training For Dummies comes complete with resources for finding triathlons near you, lists of items to bring along on race day, and tips on registration formalities and racing etiquette.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

What You’re Not to Read 3

Foolish Assumptions 3

How This Book Is Organized 3

Part I: Starting Your Triathlon Training 3

Part II: Taking It One Sport at a Time: Swim, Bike, Run 4

Part III: Training for Your Triathlon 4

Part IV: Planning for Race Day 4

Part V: The Part of Tens 5

Icons Used in This Book 5

Where to Go from Here 6

Part I: Starting Your Triathlon Training 7

Chapter 1: Training for a Multi-Sport Event 9

Defining Your Triathlon 9

Choosing a distance and event 10

Setting your triathlon goal 10

Evaluating Your Equipment Needs 11

Taking to Your Sport 12

Finding your form 12

Making time for transitions 13

Training on a Schedule 13

Fueling your body and mind 14

Strengthening and stretching your limits 14

Looking Forward to This Race, and the Next One, and the Next One 15

Knowing what to expect during your first race 15

Thinking about what you’ll do next 16

Chapter 2: Choosing Your Event 17

Going the Distance: Knowing Your Race Options 17

Super Sprint 18

Olympic 19

Half-Iron 20

Ironman 21

Checking Your Calendar 21

Considering the Course 22

Going with the flow in a lake, ocean, or river 23

Striving for peak performance 23

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Traveling to Your Event 24

Getting yourself there 24

Getting your gear there 25

Eating and sleeping away from home 26

Weathering the heat or cold 27

Registering for Your Event 27

Chapter 3: Gearing Up with the Right Equipment 29

Selecting Comfort First 30

Suiting Up: Knowing What Equipment You Need for Swimming 31

Selecting a suit 32

The eyes have it: Finding the best goggles 39

A no-hair day: Selecting a swim cap 43

Ride On: Choosing a Bike and Bike Gear 45

Looking at your bike options 46

Getting fit first: Why the proper bike fi t is important 52

Picking pedals and shoes 54

What to wear: Clothing and accessories 54

Pounding the Pavement: Getting What You Need for the Run 57

Choosing a good running shoe 57

Dressing for the occasion: Clothing and accessories 58

Chapter 4: Getting Ready: Body and Mind 61

Let’s Get Physical: Checking In with Your Doctor before You Begin 61

Knowing whether you need a physical 62

Knowing what to expect if you get a physical 63

Evaluating Your Fitness 63

Cardiovascular 64

Body composition 65

Muscular strength and endurance 67

Flexibility 68

Building Your Support Network 70

Developing your own cheering section 70

Part II: Taking It One Sport at a Time: Swim, Bike, Run 73

Chapter 5: Swim: Taking the Plunge 75

Looking At the Benefits of Swim Training 75

Mastering the Strokes 76

First things first: Relaxing in the water 77

Chalking it up to chin position 78

Stroke… stroke… stroke: Getting down the fundamentals 78

Kicking it up a notch: The flutter kick 82

(Not) waiting to exhale: Breathing 82

I spy: Sighting your way in the water 83

Finding Water to Train In 83

Training for the Swim 85

Drill 1: Front float 87

Drill 2: Streamlined front glide 87

Drill 3: Streamlined front glide and kick 87

Drill 4: Body position 88

Drill 5: Body balance 88

Drill 6: Statue of Liberty 89

Drill 7: Ten snap ten 89

Drill 8: Ten-three-ten 90

Drill 9: Front kicking with a board on an interval 90

Drill 10: Proper push-off 91

Drill 11: Fingertip drag 91

Chapter 6: Bike: Cycling Strong 93

Identifying the Benefits of Cycling 93

Mastering the Spin 94

Finding your cadence 95

Circling the issues 96

Technique and form 98

Hills 103

Performing Basic Repairs and Maintenance 105

Checking your bike before you ride 107

Fixing flats on the fly 108

Handling repairs on the road 112

Staying Safe 113

Training for the Bike 117

Spinning inside 117

Chapter 7: Run: Finding Your Stride 121

Catching Up with the Benefi ts of Running 121

Mastering the Mechanics 123

Foot strike 124

Stride 124

Posture 125

Breathing and pacing 125

Where to Run 126

Roads 127

Trails 127

Beaches 127

Track 127

Treadmill 128

Staying Safe 128

Training for the Run 129

Starting with a run/walk 130

Going on short runs 134

Going the distance: Long runs 135

Biking then running: Bricks 135

Drills to try when you’re not running 136

Chapter 8: Putting It All Together 137

Knowing Where to Focus Your Training 138

Adding Dual Workouts: Why You Need to Combine Two Sports in Training 138

Becoming a Quick-Change Artist: Planning Your Transitions 140

Transition 1: Swim to bike 141

Transition 2: Bike to run 143

Saving Time: Making Your Transitions Smoother 143

Part III: Training for Your Triathlon 145

Chapter 9: Living like an Athlete 147

Eating for Energy Every Day 148

Carbohydrates 148

Fat 149

Protein 150

Water 151

Vitamins 151

Minerals 151

Sussing Out Supplements 152

Caffeine 152

Creatine 152

Fueling Your Workouts and Your Race 153

Eating with training in mind 153

Hydrating for peak performance 154

Planning your race day meals 155

Maintaining Your Energy 155

Staying hydrated: Energy drinks and water 156

Snacking on the go: Bars, gels, and natural foods 157

Recovering Quickly 159

Chapter 10: Training Schedules: From Super Sprint to Ironman 161

Finding the Time to Train 161

Training for Your Event 163

Training for a Sprint or Super Sprint in 12 weeks 165

Training for an Olympic in 20 weeks 170

Training for a Half-Iron in 24 weeks 177

Training for an Ironman in 30 weeks 186

Chapter 11: Strength Training and Stretching 197

Adding Weights to Your Workout 197

Identifying the benefits of strength training 198

Fitting in your workouts with weights 199

Learning the ropes 199

Keeping it in balance 200

Choosing the right equipment 201

Strength training 101: Exercises to try 203

Stretching Your Limits 216

Recognizing the benefits of stretching 217

Stretching 101: Stretches to try 217

Chapter 12: Coping with Injuries 231

Preventing Pain and Injury 231

Preventing injuries 232

Identifying the signs of overtraining 233

Preventing overtraining 234

Treating Common Swim Injuries 235

Swimmer’s ear 235

Swimmer’s shoulder 236

Avoiding Common Cycling Injuries 236

Knee pain 236

Neck and shoulder pain 237

Numbness 238

Saddle sores 238

Running Injury Free 239

Iliotibial band syndrome 239

Pulled hamstring 240

Shin splints 240

Achilles tendonitis 241

Plantar fasciitis 241

Training in Extreme Heat or Cold 241

Heading into the heat 241

Catching some cold 243

Knowing when to go back inside 244

Part IV: Planning for Race Day 245

Chapter 13: Counting Down to Race Day 247

Tapering Your Training: Slowing Down as Your Event Approaches 248

Maintaining your nutrition 250

Getting into Your Head: Staying Positive and Focused 250

Overcoming common fears 251

Practicing pumping yourself up 253

Packing for Race Day 254

Checking your gear for wear 254

Knowing what to pack 255

One Sheep, Two Sheep: Logging Enough Shut-Eye 257

Chapter 14: Race Day: Ready, Set, Go! 259

Picking Up Your Packet 259

What’s in your race packet and why you need it 260

Steps to a stress-free packet pickup 261

Arriving on Race Day 263

Preparing for Your Start Time 264

Having your bike checked and approved 264

Staging your transition stall 264

Stretching and focusing 270

Getting ready to start 271

Taking You through the Tri 273

At the start 273

At the first transition 273

On the bike 274

At the second transition 274

On the run 274

Minding Your Manners: Race Etiquette 275

Chapter 15: After You Finish Your Triathlon 277

Crossing the Finish Line 278

Making the Most of the First Hour after Your Finish 280

Hydrate and eat 280

Stretch 281

Collect your gear 281

Evaluating Your Performance 283

Planning for Your Next Event 284

What to consider before you register again 284

Overcoming burnout 285

Adjusting your diet 285

Finding other ways to stay involved 286

Part V: The Part of Tens 287

Chapter 16: Ten Reasons You Should Do a Triathlon 289

Bragging Rights: Having the Chance to Be a Finisher 289

Moving Out of Your Comfort Zone 290

Finding Focus and Relieving Stress 291

Improving Your Health and Well-Being while Having Fun 291

Achieving Total-Body Fitness 292

Reducing Exercise Burnout 293

Reducing Risk of Injuries by Cross-Training 293

Enjoying the Camaraderie of the Triathlon Club 294

Motivating and Inspiring Others 295

Changing Your View of Yourself and the World 295

Chapter 17: Ten Triathlon Myths Debunked 297

Triathlons Only Take Place in Hawaii 297

Triathlons Take All Day to Complete 297

Triathlons Are for Elite Athletes Only 298

All Triathletes Look Fit and Thin 298

Triathletes Spend All Their Free Time Training 299

I’ll Panic in the Water 299

Triathletes Have to Swim Long Distances without Stopping 300

I Don’t Need to Practice Transitions 300

Triathletes Need Expensive Bikes 301

I’ll Be the Oldest, the Slowest, or the Last to Finish 301

Chapter 18: Ten (Or So) Items to Bring on Race Day 303

Your Cheering Section 303

A Race Belt 304

A Tub and Towel for Transitions 304

A Way to Identify Your Bike in the Crowd 305

A Road ID Bracelet 306

A Waterproof Sport Wristwatch 306

Sun Stuff: Sunscreen, Sunglasses, and a Hat 307

Body Glide 307

Your Favorite Fuel 308

Lucky Charms 308

Chapter 19: Ten (Or So) Resources for Finding Triathlons 311

The American Triathlon Calendar 311

USA Triathlon Calendar 312

TRImapper.com 312

Inside Triathlon 312

Triathlete 313

Race360 313

Active com 313

Team In Training 313

GetSetUSA 314

Slowtwitch 314

Women-Only Events 314

Regional Events 315

Index 317