CanadianBiker32

I am curious as to how to start training for a triathlon

Now do most athletes do a major run, bike swim distance at least once a week or do you split that all up throughout a few weeks and just do short distances but in intervals.

Like some ideas of formulas

TriEngineer

hey CB32, first of all, thanks for your post. Second, when you say major, what is the distance you are talking about. There are many distances which people seems to all think are major, so more info will help - spr, oly, halfs or IM?

to answer your question, you do both. Brick workouts are good, but those generally tend to be shorter in duration and more focused on using your muscle groups one after another. long rides or long runs are important as well, as they teach you about techniques.

let me know more info and I can go from there.

CanadianBiker32

How bout for someone who wants to be able to do the Ironman Distance, what is a good plan to follow to get into shape and follow to be able to train for a major Tri

for starting running, i am more a of a cyclist
everytime i go for a run which is once every 3 weeks, i am almost sore all over legs, my legs are totally shot afterwards
is this normal, so do i need to run more to override this

Plainsman

There are lots of training plans out there for iron distance triathlons. Are you currently a pure cyclist? If so, I would recommend starting with some shorter distance triathlons and working into the full iron distance as you build up your confidence and endurance in triathlon. I came from a cycling background, but adding in two new sports was a big difference. When training for short distance triathlons (sprints - say 750m swim, 15 mile bike, 5 k run) I will run a minimum of 3 times a week. If you are only running once every few weeks, that will not be enough and your legs will most likely continue to be sore. Don't forget, running is weight bearing whereas cycling is not. It's not just your muscles that adapt to running, but all your joints and ligaments have to adapt to the pounding. It sounds like at this point, before you start doing bricks, you should ease into a regular running routine. Be careful not to go out to hard to fast, endurance is built up over time. If your goal is to eventually complete and Ironman, which is a great goal, I would say to spend some good time over the next year building up your run. Before my IM my weekly long run would be anywhere from 15-20 something miles, but that was not before I had established a strong base. For starters, I would recommend getting a good basic triathlon training plan, and get used to working in all 3 sports each week. If you are in good shape as a cyclist, 8 weeks would probably be plenty of time to get you prepped for your first sprint, assuming you already swim. For regular maintenance fitness, I goal to run at least 3 times a week, and swim and bike at least twice weekly. When I'm in training, the volume and frequency for each goes up.

Dalai

No where near often enough. Check out one of the many triathlon sites with suggested training plans such as beginner triathlete...

Muscular soreness you are noticing is DOMS due to infrequent runs.

I always tried to fit in 4 swims, 4 runs and 4 rides a week - 6 days a week, 2 sessions a day. The sessions are a mix of easy and hard sessions including one longer session for each triathlon leg per week.

rpeterson

I typically do 6-7 swims a week, 6 runs, and 3 rides. All the swims are fairly intense, 1 run is long and easy, 1 run is short and hard, 1 bike ride is long and easy, and 1 is short and hard.

Keeps me on the podium at pretty much everything.

CanadianBiker32

sounds interesting.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated to swim.
as when i do laps in the pool, i find it really boring?
i need some tips to make the swims more interesting

TriEngineer

you can use under water mp3

rpeterson

Join a masters group or get a coach, most people have an easier time with a structured workout and someone on deck. I just like swimming.