HOW TO GET STARTED: BEGINNER'S TRAINING DIARY

Get yourself ready for the 2008 season

The summer is the perfect time of year to start training with nice weather and the added incentive to step out into the sun and top up that tan. Now is the time to find your feet and start with some easy runs of up to 30 minutes. If possible stick to the grass which will cushion the impact and protect your joints. If you work near a swimming pool, why not mix in a evening run with a swim at lunchtime?

Don’t worry about having the best equipment, triathlon is actually a very cheap sport to get started in. All you need is a pair of decent running shoes, something to swim in and a bike… and don’t worry, your old mountain bike sitting dormant in the garden shed is just fine!

Build up gradually and stay within your limits. Remember to stay safe on the roads by using a helmet on the bike and wearing reflective high visibility clothing when running. Training should be enjoyable as well as testing, so why not go running with some friends? You will spur each other on at the same time as having a good catch up.

Nutrition for Triathlon

Triathletes are effectively endurance machines, needing to burn energy over a prolonged period of time. The average standard distance triathlon takes anything up to three hours to complete, requiring substantial energy reserves and replenishment.

As many triathlon events start in the early morning an athlete will usually eat their main meal the night before competition, and then get up three hours before their race start to take on a moderate sized breakfast, usually carbohydrate rich porridge, honey, banana, jam and bread.

Once racing an athlete will drink up to two litres of sports drink on the bike along with two energy gels to replenish the energy exerted through swimming and pedalling. On the run athletes can rehydrate at drink stations which usually provide sports drink and water.

Your First Event

Ideally you will want to start with a shorter length triathlon, such as a sprint (750m swim – 20km cycle – 5km run) before moving onto the longer distances.

A good first event for many newcomers to the sport is the Mazda Blenheim Triathlon which takes place at the start of June.

Similarly, the country’s biggest participation event, the Michelob ULTRA London Triathlon attracts a large number of first timers who compete around London’s Docklands in either sprint or standard distance events.

Chester Tri Club organise an annual women’s only sprint race in Chester, called the Deva Divas, which is a great event for newbies to the sport.

How can I join British Triathlon?

British Triathlon is the national governing body for the sport of triathlon in the United Kingdom. It has three Home Nation members, Triathlon England, triathlonscotland and Welsh Triathlon.

The benefits of joining one of British Triathlon’s Home Nations are enormous:

• Reduced race entry fees
• Worldwide public liability cover
• Worldwide personal accident cover
• Preferential rates of products and services
• Free legal claims service
• Bimonthly copies of TriNews, the membership magazine
• The highly acclaimed British Triathlon Annual Handbook
• Eligibility to represent Great Britain at Age Group level
• Automatic entry into the Mazda National Ranking Series
• Access to the members-only section of the British Triathlon website
• Support from Home Nation and British Triathlon staff