Last year, I did the try-a-tri which is doable even without training too much. You see lots of beginners and skill levels at all parts in the field. I, like many others in the race, just wanted to finish. I didn’t care about transition times or gear, I really just didn’t want to drown or get disqualified. I hadn’t even swam outside until the race (which showed). My results are posted below.
I am a person who likes goals and honestly was tired the entire race. Since you have to start with the swimming portion, and that’s my worst skill by far, I assume that’s why. Ideally, I’d like to do a harder triathlon each year until I can do an Ironman-distance triathlon. To even dream about doing this, I knew I needed some help. I got a book that looked like it included everything – even the basics of equipment, weight training and stretches. It looks like a gimmick and it worked. Only 12 weeks and I’ll be ready for a triathlon? The 12-Week Triathlete by Tom Holland looked good enough for me.
I don’t know any triathletes by name, but looking him up showed me impressive race credentials, completing more than 500 races, including Ironman triathlons and ultra marathons. He is a contributor in magazines and is often a guest on TV giving advice on what to do and what not to do. I decided to try my best to follow his advanced sprint triathlon training plan for an 800 m swim, 20 km bike, and 5 km run in June. The training plan has a workout scheduled almost every single day and is broken up into 4 phases until race day.
Base Phase – To build endurance and strengthen connective tissue preparing for the rigors of the Build Phase.
Build Phase – To prepare the body for the race demands often with similar intensity and pace.
Peak Phase – This phase has the highest training volume to get you in the best shape for the triathlon.
Taper Phase – A few weeks of reduced volume to help the body recover for race day.
Currently, I’m a week away from finishing the Base Phase. All phases have weight training, swimming, biking, and running involved. I will update how it’s going with some statistics!
-Adam