You know that running a triathlon isn’t easy, but that doesn’t stop you from dreaming about it. You think of the amazing physical prowess you would possess after your triathlon training program. You imagine the sense of accomplishment you would feel when you finish your first triathlon — whether or not you won. You can see the wide eyes of impressed people when they hear that you participated in one.

But participating in a triathlon isn’t easy. There’s a lot of preparation required to develop your body to that state. You’re probably wondering where you should even begin.

If that’s you, then you’re in luck. In this article, you’ll learn about the strength training programs needed to prepare for your triathlon. You’ll learn how to stay healthy with sports medicine, physical therapy, and practices like yoga to help you through your triathlon training program. We’ll also discuss nutrition, weight loss, and other dietary considerations to guide your shopping at the health food store. Finally, you’ll learn about team sports apparel and equipment you’ll need for a successful triathlon.

More than 550,000 people in the U.S. participated in triathlons in 2012 alone. Next year, you could be one of them. From the health benefits of chicken to the training process to be a vegan athlete, this guide will tell you everything you need to know for a successful triathlon training program.

Choosing a Triathlon to Train For

Before you begin preparing for your triathlon, it’s important to note that triathlon events are not created equal. There are different types of triathlons that place more or less focus on different aspects. The level and intensity of your training goals will also play into which specific event you choose to sign up and train for.

The different kinds of triathlons are as follows:

• Sprint Triathlon: this is the shortest kind of triathlon, though that’s not to say it’s easy. Still, for your first triathlon, this would probably be the best choice. This type of triathlon would probably feature a half-mile (0.8-kilometer) swim, a 15-mile (24-kilometer) bike ride, and a three-mile (five-kilometer) run. However, these distances aren’t set in stone, unlike longer triathlons which have set parameters.
• Olympic Triathlon: this is the most common form of triathlon. It involves a 0.93-mile (1.5-kilometer) swim, a 24.8-mile (40-kilometer) bike ride, and a 6.2-mile (10-kilometer) run.
• Half Iron Man: this triathlon features a 1.2-mile (1.93-kilometer) swim, a 56-mile (90-kilometer) bike ride, and a 13-mile (21-kilometer) run.
• Iron Man Triathlon: without a doubt the most famous and challenging triathlon out there, this event involves a 2.4-mile (3.9-kilometer) swim, a 112-mile (180-kilometer) bike ride, and a 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) marathon.

The specific kind of triathlon event you prepare for will depend on how much you want to challenge yourself. This isn’t about an ego-boost, though. Take into consideration your current fitness level, and what would be most achievable for you as a first-time triathlete.

Choosing a Triathlon Event to Sign Up For

Similar to how different triathlons vary in intensity, individual triathlon events are also different. Some races take place on flat terrain, while others take place on a hilly landscape. Some events have choppy, wind-blown water for the swimming segment, while others involve lakes that are mostly calm. These differences depend on where the individual triathlon event is taking place.

To find triathlon events to register for, you can check out well-known websites and magazines for triathletes. These tend to be excellent sources for information on individual triathlon events, as well as on triathlons in general.

A triathlon should have its own website with details about the event. Before you register to participate in an event, you should look into the details to find out when and where it’s taking place. Depending on your fitness level and how much you want to challenge yourself, you should choose the type of triathlon and the kind of terrain you feel comfortable subjecting yourself to.

You’ll also want to sign up for a triathlon that’s far enough in the future to give you plenty of time to prepare. If you aren’t already in shape for a triathlon, you probably shouldn’t register to one taking place sooner than one year from now.

Getting the Right Gear

Once you’ve decided when to participate in a triathlon, you’ve got to start your triathlon training program. In a way, you want to practice simulating the actual event to condition your body to perform well for the real thing. To do that effectively, you’ll need the right gear.

If you think you can get away with the same teeshirt and shorts you wear jogging, think again. Triathletes have to wear special clothing to avoid injury during their training and the events. Wearing ordinary clothing during such intense workouts can cause serious pain to your skin.

The following are the apparel and equipment you should have:

• Running shoes
• Road or mountain bicycle, depending on terrain
• Helmet
• Cycling shorts
• Swimsuit or wetsuit (wetsuit for swimming in colder temperatures)
• Swim goggles
• Swim cap
• Water bottle
• Customized team sports apparel (if you’re participating with a team)

Remember not to skimp on quality when you buy your gear. It’s not about looking cool, although wearing high-quality, name-brand clothing can certainly be a mood booster. It’s about having the equipment that will protect your body during some very physically demanding work.

Designing Your Triathlon Training Program

Now it’s time to begin thinking about the way you’ll train leading up to your triathlon event. Since you’re going to be swimming, biking, and running in the event, it’s important that you train for each of these disciplines, sometimes back-to-back. You’ll also want to incorporate strength training programs and perhaps yoga into the process to help fortify your body against accidental injury.

Regardless of what types of training you use, you should be planning your triathlon training program based on your current fitness level and ultimate goals. To help you with this, you can use the framework below to outline your training emphasis. This framework will guide you from right now all the way to the weeks preceding the event. If you’re new to physical training, you should start all the way at the beginning with the Base stage. If you’re already pretty fit, you may choose to begin with the Build stage. Keep in mind that the following applies to all forms of exercise you use to prepare for your triathlon.

1. Base stage: focus on increasing distance or stamina, with low intensity.
2. Build stage: once you’ve reached your distance or stamina goal, continue training for this distance or amount of time with your focus on slowly increasing intensity.
3. Peak stage: decrease your distance or time spent training as you focus on maximum intensity.
4. Race stage: decrease distance and intensity to moderate levels.
5. Taper stage: further decrease distance or stamina training and decrease intensity from moderate to low. This is the last training stage you will practice before your triathlon.

You should adjust the time you intend to spend on each of the above stages based on how intense your triathlon will be. A Sprint Triathlon may only take you between one month and six weeks to prepare for, while a full Olympic race will take anywhere from three to six months.

As you progress through your triathlon training program, you should try to replicate the terrain you’ll be racing in for your training. Try to find land and bodies of water to train in that match the description of the location for the event.

It’s also important to train in amounts that are proportionate to the triathlon event. Specifically, swimming should constitute about 10-20% of your training time, since it makes up 10-20% of the race. Biking should involve about 40-50% and running should take up the remaining 20-30%. You should also practice swimming, biking, and running back-to-back during the final months leading up to the event. You should have around 15-20 minutes of strength training once or twice per week. Stretching or light yoga can help you recover between workouts.

Be sure to listen to your body as you follow your triathlon training program. If you begin to feel like you’re pushing yourself too far, or if you experience an injury threatening to happen, give yourself a break. Even when you’re in the most intense stages of your training, it’s very important to give yourself one full day of each week on which to rest.

Optimizing Your Diet

A triathlon training program is essential for conditioning your body to perform better, but the food you eat is the fuel that powers your training. If you eat poorly, you’ll see poor results. And it’s not just about the amount of food you eat, because the quality of what you’re eating matters just as much. Just like you can’t build a sturdy house out of sticks, you can’t build a strong body with poor nutrition.

Remember the following tips to keep your diet healthy and optimized for maximum performance.

• Always carry a water bottle with you, even when you aren’t training. Eight eight-ounce glasses may be the recommended amount of water to drink for most people, and you need at least that amount. Make a habit of drinking lots of water. Soda, juice, coffee, and other beverages do not count towards your daily water intake.
• To optimize your diet, you must calculate the amount of carbs and calories you need. A general rule is to consume 30-60 grams (between one and two ounces) of carbs per hour, but that’s just the average ideal. Your personal size, sex, and age will all come into play in deciding exactly how many carbs you should consume per day. When you calculate your ideal daily calorie intake per day, be sure and subtract the amount of calories you’ll be burning while training.
• Stay away from highly-processed foods and the wrong fats. It’s easy to convince yourself that you need the carbs and fats, no matter how terrible for you the food is that they’re in because you need the energy. But you can get better energy from nutrition than you can from sugars and fats.
• Instead of fast food or frozen dinners, get raw foods that you actually have to prepare to enjoy: vegetables, fruits, and lean meats. Whole grains are important as well, so get high-quality bread made with whole grains. There are many recorded health benefits of chicken, so some high-quality chicken breasts would make an excellent addition to your meal plan.
• Instead of using lean meat and dairy products for protein, you could also take this opportunity to try a vegan diet. While vegan athletes have to eat much differently from less active vegans, it’s a viable alternative to meat-based diets that’s growing in popularity.
• Have your biggest meal in the middle of the day instead of at night. Lunchtime is the perfect time to load up on protein, high-quality carbs, and healthy fats.
• Always have a post-workout meal ready before you begin training. Some people don’t want to eat anything at all after a workout, while others want to eat everything in sight, but neither of these is a good approach. Instead, have a protein- and nutrient-rich snack prepared ahead of time: chocolate milk, a peanut butter sandwich, or even salted nuts are good for keeping your body going between your workout and your next big meal.
• Like drinking water, you should eat healthy snacks several times throughout the day. As a rule of thumb, never go more than four hours without eating something. Some good snacks include yogurt, mixed nuts, smoothies, and high-quality granola bars.

Staying Healthy and Safe During Your Triathlon Training Program

Leading an active lifestyle like that of a triathlete is an excellent way to stay healthy, but it doesn’t make you immune to injury. Just like driving a car more and in rougher territory can cause it to wear out faster, using your body the way a triathlete does opens the door to potential injuries that most people don’t have to worry about.

Again, to stay healthy and avoid injury during training, it’s important to listen to your body. When you feel like you should probably stop, stop. It’s not worth a trip to the emergency room to finish a full workout.

The most important rule for intense training may be to be patient. When people are impatient to see quick gains, impatient to live their dreams, they go too fast and don’t take breaks when they should. If you’re impatient to reach a training milestone, you’ll force yourself to get there even if it’s bad for your joints and muscles in the long run.

Instead, take your time. Recognize that there’s plenty of time to reach your dreams. Most importantly, realize that if you push yourself to accomplish something quicker, you could end up getting hurt and postponing your dream for even longer.

Besides being smarter about how you train, it’s important to rely on sports medicine and physical therapy. Triathlons are a lot more extreme than other sports, so triathletes require special care for their bodies to stay in shape. Get a physical assessment before you begin training and again before your race. Stay in touch with your doctor, and be sure and report anything suspicious happening in your body.

By having fun, staying safe, and following these steps for an effective triathlon training program, you’ll soon be crossing the finish line in your first ever triathlon.