Last week Boss Hunting’s fearless leader Jack Slade asked me: “Have you ever done a triathlon? I’ve signed up for the Noosa triathlon next year and need some bike advice.”
Fortunately for Jack, I did a few triathlons back in the day. While I was far from elite, I wasn’t too bad in my age group at the time, generally finishing in the top ten for sprint distance (500m/20km/5km) and Olympic distance races (1500m/40km/10km) in Victoria (I even managed a handful of podiums and wins).
His question got me thinking — what are the bits and pieces every budding triathlete should know before they do their first race? How to make a training plan, what bike to ride, how to pace yourself, and what to do in the transition between disciplines are unknowns for everyone’s first triathlon.
With that in mind, I’ll dig into everything you need to know before your first triathlon, with some expert words of advice from Lachlan Kerin. Lachie is an old training partner, a former professional triathlete, and is currently an Endurance Coach at Scientific Triathlon (while still capable of running a handy 2:31 marathon). This article is as comprehensive as it gets, so grab a coffee and enjoy.
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Equipment
So you’ve entered your first triathlon. Now what? Triathlon is notoriously a sport for folks with “all the gear and no idea,” but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set yourself up with all the kit you need.
Swim
A pair of goggles (from $50) and a pair of speedos (from $55) are all you need if you’re running a minimalist set-up, and that’ll serve you well for training. However, when it comes to racing, a swimming wetsuit is a good idea (no, they aren’t the same as surfing wetsuits).
Not all races allow wetsuits for the swim (so it’s worth double-checking your race rules), but if nothing is stopping you from wearing one it’s almost always a good idea. A wetsuit will make you more buoyant in the water, saving energy for later in the race, and so long as you’ve practised taking it off quickly, stripping out of it shouldn’t add anything more than a few seconds to your race time.
Even for a 500m swim in a sprint distance triathlon, I would always wear my wetsuit, because as the old triathlon saying goes, “You can’t win from the swim, but you can lose.” Essentially, you should be finishing the swim and heading into transition as fresh as possible, so if a wetsuit makes you 5% faster and saves you energy, it’s worth wearing.
A triathlon suit is also worth buying, as you’ll be able to wear it for the entire race and won’t waste time or energy trying to pull a shirt on when you’re soaking wet after the swim. You can wear it under your wetsuit for the swim and it has a small padded section stitched in for a comfortable ride, without being a full-sized cycling chamois that would make you feel like you’re running in a nappy.
“It’s worth getting a comfortable, well-fitting tri suit,” Lachie Kerin advises. “Don’t just go for the cheapest option here, you’ll spend all day in it with a large portion of that on a bike saddle. It’s worth spending the little extra money for a good suit, as it’ll also have the benefit of serving you in future races.”
For wetsuits, brands like 2XU, Orca, and Volare are trustworthy (expect to pay between $300 and $800), while Scody, Santini, and 2XU are good names to look into for a triathlon suit (costing from $150 to $400).
Bike
A bike will be the biggest investment for your first triathlon, so it’s worth getting as good as your budget allows. There are two options for bikes in triathlon: a regular road bike or a triathlon bike (also known as a time trial bike).
The main difference between a road bike and a triathlon bike is that the triathlon bike is designed to be aerodynamic and faster, with handlebars that you reach forward for and rest your elbows on. While there’s no doubt triathlon bikes are faster from point A to point B, the gear shifters and brakes aren’t next to each other, meaning they’re a little more difficult to use on a hilly course or one with lots of turns (expect to pay at least $2,000). Generally speaking, they’re better for those who’ve done a few triathlons already and are looking to get faster.
A regular road bike is the best option for anyone doing their first triathlon, or those who don’t have experience riding triathlon bikes already. For your most affordable option, a second-hand aluminium frame bike is your best bet, which shouldn’t cost more than $800 from Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.
If you’ve got a little more budget, a road bike with a carbon fibre frame will always be lighter and faster, with solid second-hand options for between $1,500 and $2,500. If you’d prefer a brand-new bike, expect to at least double that price.
Once you’ve picked out a bike, it’s worth mentioning the importance of keeping it in good working order, especially before race day. If there’s one thing Kerin recommends you do before the big day, it’s to get, “a good set of tyres and a bike service.”
“The one thing that will ruin your day quicker than anything is a mechanical or a flat tyre. Make sure your bike is in working order and that you’re rolling on some nice rubber. This will also help to make your ride feel a lot smoother.”
Wheels
Wheels are another hot topic within the triathlon community, however, for your first race, using the wheels that your bike came with are plenty good enough. If you want to take things to the next level without getting a bank loan, a “deep dish” aerodynamic carbon fibre front wheel will give you some speed gains (from around $950 for a front wheel). Just make sure your race isn’t forecast for strong winds, as they’re harder to control in the wind than regular bike wheels.
Helmets
A regular bike helmet will also do the trick for your first triathlon, however, an aerodynamic helmet will make you faster if speed is a priority. If you want to go halfway down the aerodynamic path, an “aero road” helmet will be quicker than a regular helmet, without needing to wear a teardrop-shaped helmet that makes you look like an extra from the set of Aliens. Brands such as Kask, Lazer, and POC are all well-known for their high-quality helmets, but more affordable brands such as BBB do a great job too (from around $140).
Cycling Shoes
One piece of equipment that’s also optional is triathlon cycling shoes (which start from around $120). If it’s your first race, wearing your runners will be fine, but triathlon cycling shoes are great if you’re keen to get around as quickly as possible.
They’re similar to regular cycling shoes, but with a wider opening for your foot so you can have them already clipped on your pedals in the transition and slip your feet into them once you’re already riding. If you use cycling shoes on the bike, make sure you’ve practised running with your bike with them clipped in and getting into them while you’re riding, because the only thing more embarrassing than walking in cycling shoes is trying to run in them.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are another preference, but I always used to race wearing them. They keep the wind and sun out of your eyes, you don’t need to take them off for the run, and they hide your suffering from your competitors and event photographers. Expect to pay around $250 from brands like Oakley, or $150 from the 100% brand.
Multisport Watch
The last piece of equipment I’ll mention here that’s important for the bike is a fitness watch. You’ll wear it for the entire race, but it’s most important for the bike to know how fast you’re going. Brands such as Garmin, Suunto, and Apple make solid products (Garmin multisport watches start from $500).
Run
The only things you need on the run are your shoes. Sunglasses and a hat are worth considering if it’s a hot day, but if you’ve got your shoes you’ll always be able to make it to the finish line.
There are countless different running shoes to pick from (the $260 Hoka Mach 5 is a good training and racing shoe), but the only detail I’d suggest is to replace the tie-up laces with elasticated laces (just $10). There’s nothing worse than finishing the ride with your heart rate through the roof and getting stressed before the run because you can’t tie your laces.
If I was running less than 10 km, I wouldn’t bother with socks, but if you do wear socks, take the time to sit down and get them on properly. I’ve seen some triathletes put talcum powder in their socks to dry their feet a bit, which could be another thing to consider if you’re worried about blisters.
“You need a set of running shoes that won’t destroy your feet when wet,” Kerin advises. “Remember, it’s a triathlon, your feet will be covered in sweat, sand, dirt and everything else before you even slide them into your shoes.
“Invest in good footwear and trial them well before race day to make sure they don’t cause blisters. There are plenty of specialty running stores around that can help out here.”
The Running Company is one such store, where you can get a free analysis of your running gait on a treadmill to work out the best kind of shoe for your running style. I bought my shoes from the Melbourne store, but they have locations across Australia.
Hydration belts that carry nutrition and water bottles are a great idea for a half Ironman or full Ironman, but for anything shorter, the water stations along the course should be enough to keep you hydrated.
Approximate Cost
As you’ve probably realised at this point, triathlon isn’t the cheapest sport. If you can buy second-hand gear, I highly recommend it to keep costs down as much as possible, but here’s a breakdown of how much you could spend on gear to do your first triathlon to a good standard.
Swimming: Goggles — $50, Speedo — $55, Triathlon Suit — $180, Wetsuit — $300.
Cycling: Bike — $1,500, Helmet — $140, Triathlon Cycling Shoes — $120, Sunglasses — $150, Multisport Watch — $500.
Running: Running Shoes — $260, Elastic Triathlon Laces — $10.
Total Cost: ~$3,265
Triathlon Training Plan Principles
Now you’ve got some kit to work with, it’s time to get into the training plan for your triathlon. Because triathlon is essentially three sports rolled into one, a necessary amount of training volume is required to finish with a smile on your face.
Most people can ride a bike fine, but swimming and running require more effort. Joining a triathlon club will make the training sessions more social and enjoyable, no matter which discipline you’re worst or best at. Especially when your body is tired and you want to lie on the couch, the prospect of running with a group is a lot more motivating than doing it solo.
When you’re first starting your training, it’s important not to bite off more than you can chew, because an injury is the best way to interrupt your preparation. With that in mind, you should be doing a swim, a ride, and a run at least once a week for the first few weeks of your training, before increasing the number of sessions.
“Consistency is king,” says Kerin. “One great week followed by a few weeks of barely anything is far inferior to finding a routine that allows you to get out and train most days. Keep consistent and the early improvements in fitness will come fast.”
Weekly Training Schedule Example
As a rule of thumb when I was doing triathlons, I would aim for six sessions per week. Three were dedicated to my worst discipline (running), two to the discipline I was okay at (cycling), and one to my best discipline (swimming) to ensure I wasn’t getting worse at it. Two sessions for each discipline is another good way to split up your training.
Six sessions might sound like a lot, but you don’t need to do long sessions when you’re starting. Cycling generally takes the longest, but even 20-30 minutes of swimming or running can still count as a great session.
“Vary your intensity,” Kerin tells me. “Whilst there are many methodologies around training intensity distribution when it comes to doing your first race a sound principle would simply be to include a large portion of work that is “fairly comfortable” (RPE 4/10 or less) with a small portion of work that is quite hard (RPE 7-9/10). If we were looking at an example of six sessions/week, this might mean only one or two of those sessions included some higher intensity work.”
If you’ve never heard of the Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale, it’s essentially a measure from one to ten of how hard you’re pushing yourself. One would be lying on the couch and ten would be a 400m all-out sprint.
Mix things up depending on your strengths and the amount of time you have for training, but my typical week of training for racing sprint distance triathlons would look something like the following:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
| AM | Swim (with a squad, around 1hr) | Ride (1hr at a hard pace) | Rest | Run (1hr+ long run at a slower speed, but around double the distance of Tuesday) | Ride (long ride at a slower pace, at least 2hrs+) | ||
| PM | Run (30-45mins tempo: whatever distance you can run at the pace you want to race at) | Run (45mins track: shorter efforts at your maximum pace for that distance, e.g. 400ms, 800ms, 1kms, etc) |
Training Totals
Swim: 1 hour
Ride: 3 hours
Run: 2.5 hours
Total Hours: 6.5 hours
I did three runs and one swim because I was a slow runner and a good swimmer, but if you’re a great runner and a poor swimmer, you should be swimming at least two or three times a week. Essentially you want to get better at what you’re worst at, so ensure most of your sessions are focused on your weakness. Another tip to help run in the race is to go for a 10-minute job after each of your sessions on the bike, to get your legs used to the feeling of running after riding.
“You need to think about the demands of your race,” Kerin explains. “Think about what it’ll take to get through the race and use that to inform your training.”
“For instance, it could be as simple as doing a bike and run session back-to-back — commonly known as a brick session — in your tri suit. You’ll be able to iron out any kinks, such as where you might need a little more Body Glide (from $18) to avoid chafing.”
Admittedly, I was young, energetic, and didn’t have a child when I was doing triathlons, but I did have a full-time job and an active social life. It’s definitely possible to do three to six sessions a week without ruining your life.
As someone who much preferred to race than train, the best way I found motivation was to train by doing it with friends (if you don’t have sporty friends, join a club and you’ll make some) and keeping in mind that doing something was better than doing nothing. If I didn’t feel like training because I was tired, I’d tell myself, “Just do a warm-up and you can go home,” and 90% of the time I’d feel much better once I was doing it.
Even if I didn’t do a full session, getting in the pool for 500m or jogging around the block for 15 minutes was better than sitting on the couch with a snack. In a sport that rewards training volume, doing something is almost always better than nothing (within reason, of course, there’s no point in training through injury or illness).
Nutrition
Because of how demanding triathlon training and racing can be, nutrition and hydration are critical.
Fuel
While I wouldn’t eat anything before a sprint distance triathlon because it took an hour from start to finish, anything longer than that required sustenance during the event. Before an Olympic distance triathlon, I’d typically eat carbohydrates like Weetbix for breakfast, at least two hours before I was scheduled to start. I found if I ate any closer to the race than that I’d feel sick on the run, but everyone is different so experiment in training to see what works best for you.
During an Olympic distance triathlon, I would aim to eat an energy gel about once every 30 minutes. That meant one when I started the ride, one near the finish of the ride, and another one or two gels during the run depending on how I was feeling.
There is plenty of information about how best to fuel during a race, with factors including your body weight, the distance of the race, and the weather, so I’d suggest you do some further reading if you want additional detail. Very general guidelines suggest, “30-60 grams of carbs per hour. Each gel has about 20 grams of carbs, so consume 1-3 gels per hour.” There are plenty of energy gel brands out there, but I used to enjoy GU Energy gels ($3.50 per gel).
It’s also important to remember one of the main reasons to do longer training sessions of 90 minutes and beyond is to get your body used to consuming fuel while exercising. It’s less relevant for swimming, but for cycling and running you should be consuming gels or other fuel during longer training sessions.
Hydration
Running out of energy during a race is a horrible feeling, but hydration is equally important to ensure you’re performing at your best. For an idea of how severely extreme dehydration can affect you, one study found a loss of “5% of body weight [due to dehydration] can decrease the capacity for work by about 30%.”
While losing 5% of your body weight during an Olympic distance triathlon would be unlikely, it’s far from impossible during a half Ironman or a full Ironman triathlon. With that in mind, good hydration during a race starts in the days before the event, so make sure you’re drinking around 3-4L of water and sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade a day before your race.
Ensure you keep fluids up during the morning of the race (you should use the toilet a couple of times before you start your race). During the race, it’s recommended to drink between 600mL and 1L per hour of your event, so make sure you’re drinking at least a litre on the bike as it’s the easiest place to take on fluids. I would always have two 700mL bottles on my bike — one with water and one with Gatorade — to make sure I could replace electrolytes, while also having water to wash it down with.
Drinking lots of water on the run can lead to a painful stitch in your side, but it’s still important to try and drink a mouthful or two of water at every water station along the course. Drinking an entire cup at every aid station is probably unnecessary unless the weather is very hot, but use your common sense, because if you wait till you’re thirsty before drinking, it means you’re already dehydrated.
What To Expect On Race Day
Before The Race
You’ve bought all your kit, done the training you needed to, dialled in your fuelling and hydration, and now it’s race day. Congratulations, you’ve already done more than most folks can handle.
No matter how many races I did, I’d always feel nervous before the big day, so it’s a good thing if you’ve got butterflies in your stomach. It means you’re taking the race seriously.
Before getting into everything to expect on race day, there’s one cardinal piece of advice for triathlon.
“Don’t do anything you haven’t tried in training,” implores Kerin. “Race day isn’t the time to trial new things, stick to what you know and what you’ve practised!”
While I’m not always the most punctual person, I’d always try to arrive at least an hour before the transition area closed, because there’s nothing worse than the stress of rushing when you only want to think about your race. You also want to take your time in the transition area for a couple of reasons:
- You need to set up all of your gear properly so you aren’t messing around during the race,
- You also want to familiarise yourself with the area so you know exactly where you’ll be running in from the swim, where your bike is, where you’re taking the bike once you’ve got it, where you’ll finish the ride, where you need to rack your bike, and where to go to start the run.
This might sound stupid, but you need to remember you literally won’t be able to think straight, especially in the transition area. When you finish the swim and need to run several hundred meters to the transition area, your heart rate will be through the roof and your critical thinking will go through the floor.
The best example I’ve ever seen of what it’s like is this video of Aussie two-time Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack struggling to put his helmet on during the transition. It’s something he’s done thousands of times in training and probably dozens of times during a race, but even the very best in the world can have stress get the better of them during the transition.
To minimise stress as much as possible during the transition, take five minutes standing where you’re going to rack your bike and familiarise yourself with where it is and where you’ll need to go during the race. I would stand there until I could visualise every detail of the two transitions in my mind with my eyes closed.
I would always bring a very bright towel into transition, both so I could look for it while I was running through the transition to my bike and so I could stand on it and dry my feet before the ride and the run. Rack your bike using the nose of the saddle, so it’s easy to unrack when the time comes.
If you’re using cycling shoes, ensure they’re clipped into your pedals already. One great trick I learned was to use elastic bands through the rear pull tabs on the shoes and hook the left one to the rear axle of the bike and the right one to the front derailleur. This was so the pedals stay level while you’re running with the bike and the shoes are in a good position to step onto it when you mount the bike.
If you’re using runners for the bike, put them on your brightly coloured towel with the tongues open as wide as possible for easy putting on. If you’re using socks, put them partially in each shoe with the opening out so they’re easy to put on.
In most triathlons, you can get disqualified if you unrack your bike without putting your helmet on, so I would put my helmet on my shoes with the straps carefully placed out and my sunglasses in my helmet. Then, I’d make sure my bike tyre pressures were good, lube my chain, make sure my bottles were full, and for nutrition, I’d have two gels in the back pocket of my tri suit for the run and have two gels sticky taped to the frame of my bike for the ride.
Again, everything is prepared to make it as easy as possible when you’re tired and can’t think straight. On my best days I got my first transition to a little over a minute and my second transition to just under a minute, so these tips do work.
Once you’ve got the transition set up, it’s time to take your goggles, swim cap, and wetsuit and warm up. I would take a second pair of runners to the triathlon so I could do a 5-10 minute running warm-up before the race, but if you don’t have a second pair, a swimming warm-up is enough to be ready to go.
Generally speaking, the starts will be organised in waves by age group, so when your age group is 15 minutes from starting, get into your wetsuit and go for a swim. Even if you only swim 100m, it’s important to get used to the temperature of the water and to warm the shoulders up.
Swim
For most people doing their first triathlon, the swim will probably be the most stressful part of the day. Especially if you’re used to training in a pool, a mass start with other athletes swimming over you and kicking you in the face, as well as the choppy water to contend with, will combine for a mental and physical challenge you aren’t used to.
If you aren’t a strong swimmer, I’d recommend starting at the back of the group or on the sides of the pack, so you don’t get run over by the rest. You’ll need to swim around floating course marker buoys, so to avoid the pack, I’d suggest swimming a little wider around them than you necessarily need to.
Another challenge people find when they’ve only done swim training in the pool is swimming in a straight line, so stay on course by lifting your head and looking forward to see where you’re going.
“Pace yourself,” Kerin tells me. “No matter the distance, it is still an endurance event.
“The best pacing strategy is one where you keep consistent across the day and avoid big surges in effort. Remind yourself of this, especially at the start of the swim when many are a little too ambitious with what they can do.”
Bike
Once you’ve finished the swim, ditched your wetsuit, and found your bike, it’s time to start the longest leg of the day. The hardest part of the bike for most new triathletes is getting on the bike.
I’ve seen dozens of athletes fall over when they’re trying to mount their bike at the start of the ride — I even saw someone slip on their pedal and smash their knee through the carbon fibre frame of their bike — so stop, take your time, and get on the bike carefully.
Once you’re moving, it’s time to take your first energy gel. It’s also important not to ride too hard, because you’ll have a horrible run if you do. Pace yourself and ride at an effort well below your harder training rides.
With a few kilometres left in the ride, it’s time to take your second energy gel. I’d also recommend lowering the gear on your bike and spinning your legs a little faster to freshen them up for the run. If you’re wearing clip-in shoes, get your feet out of them and ride standing on the shoes for the last few hundred meters to avoid needing to run in your cycling shoes.
Run
After dropping off your bike, it’s time to finish things off on the run. Ideally, you won’t have ridden at your limit and you’ll have been able to freshen up your legs a little on the bike by spinning them out.
Because you’re transitioning from an exercise heavier on the quads to one more focused on your glutes, you might feel like you’re running in a sitting-down position. This is normal and should go away after five or ten minutes.
The key things to remember on the run are to have an energy gel before halfway, drink a few mouthfuls of water at every water station, and pace yourself. Even professional athletes will take half an hour to do a 10km run and most of us will take closer to an hour, so it’s not a sprint and settling into a rhythm is important.
A good way to run fast without blowing up is to target a slower runner in front of you and hunt them down at a faster pace. Once you pass them, slow down, recover, and do it again. You can also do this with faster athletes running past you by keeping up with them for a few hundred meters, before slowing down and recovering. It’s also a good way to keep you motivated and focused on something other than the pain in your legs and lungs.
As hard as it is to do during a triathlon (especially on the run), Kerin reminds us that it’s important to soak it all in and have fun.
“Enjoy the day! In the end, the race is just the cherry on top of the build-up to it. Have fun out there and use the buzz of the spectators to give you a lift. Most of all, be proud of what you’ve achieved when you cross the line.”
The Finish
Congratulations, you’ve done it. As much as a triathlon is always a challenge, there’s nothing better than crossing the finish line, grabbing a drink, and meeting friends and family who’ve come to support you.
You won’t feel like eating when you finish, but eating a couple of bananas or other easy carbohydrates within half an hour of finishing is a good idea. Drinking plenty of fluid is also important to avoid dehydration later in the day, as is a few minutes of stretching your legs while you chat with your supporters.
After that, it’s time to grab your gear from the transition area, find a spot to eat a big breakfast, and start thinking about your next goal in triathlon.
