My 67-year-old mother has decided she wants to get involved in triathlon. She's even picked an event - a sprint triathlon in Florida next May. She doesn't have a fast internet connection, so I'm doing some poking around on her behalf.

She's not in this to break any speed records, but rather just to finish. She has done all three sports at some time in her life. Presently, she swims 5-800 meters 4 times a week and rides casually some on her hybrid bike, but neither of these is competitive. She does not do any running. I'll do some searching on this board for "first-tri" advice, but do people have any particular advice for someone in her age group starting out with the sport? In particular, are there any tri training books people would recommend? Thanks very much.

(I'm not a triathlete, but a plain vanilla roadie.)

It is so cool that your mom wants to start this! I don'[t know of books or anything, but I suggest she might check for a triathlon club in her area. There are many women "of a certain age" that compete these days and she may find some training partners. If not triathlon club, a running club would be helpful as that is the discipline that she has not participated in.

Good luck to her in her new venture!

You Go Mama!

Try www.trinewbies.com or www.beginnertriathlete.com. Beginnertriathlete has a bunch of free training schedules and a very supportive forum for newbies.

Print her out some stories about Sister Madonna Buder.

+1...I thought that I read somewhere that she got started in tri quite "late" in life--as if "late" actually meant a danm thing.

Great story, that one.

I used this running plan to get my feet and knees back into running shape. Whatever running she does make sure her effort / running session increases very gradually (I've heard <10% per week). This plan is good because it has both distances or times so you can run at your own pace.

https://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml