Triathlon training – what you need to know

By Ross MacDonald, British Military Fitness Race Team
Quick links:
BMF beginner sprint triathlon plan
BMF intermediate sprint triathlon plan

Whether it’s your first triathlon or your tenth, making sure you are well prepared ahead of race day is vital in ensuring you cross the finish line. I’ve been competing in triathlons for over 10 years now, but I still use these tips religiously to make sure I’m ready to tackle whatever the race throws at me on the day. Here are my top tips to tackling a triathlon, as well as two training plans which will take you from your first training session up to the start line.

All the gear and no idea
You’ve probably heard this phrase before, and you want to avoid being this person as much as possible! Don’t buy the most expensive items before your experience and performances warrant it. Work out what will help your performance and invest in these key pieces. Tri-bars on your bike, for example, will help to increase your speed immediately.

Get a bike fit
The longer the cycle, the more important it becomes to ensure your bike is fitted to you. The more comfortable you are on your bike, the more efficiently you will be able to run off the bike. Having an aerodynamic position in which you are comfortable and can put power through the pedals is worth every penny.

Purchase elastic laces
Don’t underestimate the power of elastic laces! These will allow you to get your running shoes on and off quickly during transitions and can be set to the level of tightness you are used to.

Practice your transitions
Practice makes perfect, they say, and dedicating a training session to perfecting your transition will do wonders on race day. Practice running out of transition and jumping on your bike without coming to a stop, starting the cycle with your shoes already on the bike and getting out of your wetsuit quickly.

Don’t mix it up on race day
Use the nutrition and products you will use on race day in training to make sure it doesn’t cause any issues when you need it the least! Race day is not the time to be trying a product for the first time or changing your nutrition plan.

Rest!
It never used to be, but my two rest days are now the most important days of the week. Rest day doesn’t necessarily mean doing nothing – it could mean an easy swim, some yoga, or just spending time with your nearest and dearest! These days give you essential time to recover, as well as assessing how training is going and planning for the week ahead.

Don’t stress
If you go off plan or miss a training session one week, try not to worry too much about it. Sometimes life gets in the way of even the strictest training regimes, and it’s much better to approach training feeling fresh rather than trying to play catch up.

Have a plan
A good training plan (try our BMF beginner sprint plan, or BMF intermediate sprint plan) is vital in the build up to an event. Planning in rest days and taper periods is essential, and will make it easier to plan the rest of your life around training. Try and stick to the plan as much as possible, but don’t worry if you have to change things around sometimes.

Remember where you parked your bike
Spending a minute trying to find your bike is never a good start to a cycle! Some races are a free for all whilst others have an allocated slot for your bike in transition, but even then it is easy to lose track of where it is as you run into transition. Make it easier for yourself by leaving a bright towel near your bike or making a note of a tree that is nearby.

Enjoy it!
Perhaps the most important tip of all! Triathlon is an awesome sport. You will meet hundreds of like-minded people and the majority will be taking park to complete the course rather than win it. Encourage others, enjoy the support and keep smiling!

Ross has been competing in triathlons for over 10 years and has completed Ironman Zurich in under 10 hours as well as finishing in the top 15 of the UK Half-Ironman Championships, on two separate occasions. In 2016 Ross will be competing at Challenge Roth, Germany, which is one of the most prestigious long-distance triathlons in the world. Try his BMF beginner sprint plan or BMF intermediate sprint plan. 

If you have any questions for Ross, get in touch with him via the BMF Race Team Facebook Page