1. Attend a camp
There are several good camps depending on how munch of a commitment you want to make. I highly recommend the ICTN Camp held in Tucson each year. UNO has a one day camp a couple times a year. FCA- Endurance does a camp at Common Grounds in Elkhorn. All are well done and geared for beginners as well as seasoned triathletes.
2. Spend time training for your transition areas
I have seen people struggle in the transition areas because they do not practice. Take time each week to practice running up to the bike with wet feet and getting onto the bike and coming in off the bike to prepare for a run. Whenever you practice your open water swims, take a little extra time at the end of the swim doing a practice T1. Swim with whatever top you are going to wear on the run, it is very difficult to put a top on a wet body. Loose the socks on the bike and run. Get used to getting on the bike with your shoes already clipped it. Some people like to rubber band the back of the shoe to the frame in a breakaway fashion. I prefer not using this method and have trained myself to get into the shoes when they are dangling.
3. Find a training partner
Call one of the bike shops and find out about group rides or spinning classes. Pinnacle and Lifetime both have triathlon clubs and the Nebraska Triathlon Club has group workouts throughout the year.
4. The week of the race do not do anything new
Have a plan and stick with it, don’t get off track, don’t eat anything new. Know exactly when and what you are going to eat all week. This is not the week to try that new Paleo recipe. Do not try a new pair of shoes; don’t even try a new sock. I once used a tube on my bike that I had never used before and ten minutes before the race I could not get the tube to hold pressure.
5. Focus on you weakness
Kirk Nelson who is a friend of mine and a pro triahtlete gave a talk at the ICTN Triathlon camp about focusing on your weakness. The swim is most people’s weakness. I recommend swimming three times a week for an hour. Keep in mind the swim is less about fitness and more about form. I recommend joining a Masters swimming program. If you are in Omaha, I like the one that Todd Samland does at College of St Mary’s. Lifetime Fitness also has one but there are others.
6. Train with intensity
A lot of people go out to train and just think they need to get the mileage in. There is something to be said about this, I believe you need to teach your body to train with intensity. A six hour ride or two hour run does have its place. But if you do not do have tempo/interval training in your schedule you will not find improvement from your workouts. Focus on return on investment. If you are going to train for an hour you need to get as much out of that hour as possible. I suggest you invest in an indoor trainer for your bike and get a Spinerval training DVD. Most gyms have spinning classes but some are not very well done. Shop around or ask me and I will suggest my favorites. For tempo running workouts show up on Tuesday nights at the UNO track at 5:15pm. The Nebraska Triathlon Club puts on a free coached track workout that concentrates on interval training. Also, CrossFit endurance has some great work outs.
7. Match your gear to your goals
If your goal is to complete your first tri this year and all you own is a mountain bike, you are fine. However if your goal is to finish on the podium at the Hy-Vee triathlon you may want to go for a top of the line bike. For most people a $1,500 to $2,000 bike is a good price range to start. I would suggest starting with this and adding gear as you go. Here is the order that I think you should go with if your bike does not already have it. 1- Aero bars, 2- Carbon forks, 3- Aero helmet, 4- 404-Aero rear wheel, 5- 404 Aero front wheel, 6- carbon crank, 7- Aero-carbon frame, 8- disk rear wheel . Forget new, craigslist is great place to buy used bikes.
8. The importance of recovery
Most people completely underestimate recovery. I have discovered the miracle of ice baths. You only need to stay in for 10 to 20 minutes; they significantly reduce your recovery time after long workouts. Also, take at least one day a week off and listen to your body. You will benefit more by taking a week off to deal with a problem area than over training for that week.
9. Mental toughness
Be prepared for the swim. There is a video on YouTube, put on by Cliff Bar, which is a satire on the swim on a triathlon. This video is very true; prepare yourself to get knocked around a lot on the swim. I am a better than average tri swimmer, so my strategy is to stand or tread water as close to front of the pack. When they blow the gun I go all out for the first few minutes so I can get some distance between me and people trying to run over me. But if you don’t feel like you’re a strong swimmer then stay towards the back. Do a few brick work outs. This means to do both a swim and bike or bike and run workout back to back. This will prepare you for the uncomfortable feeling that goes with the transition.
10. Concrete
Spend as little of your long runs on concrete as you can. Become obsessed about this. The difference in how much concrete bounces back energy into your knee is shocking. Look for asphalt where ever possible. When I do a run of more than two hours I go to the Wabash Trail. The crushed limestone is ultra smooth and there is plenty of shade for an out and back 20 miler.
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