First Sprint Triathlon Advice

Making the decision to enter your first sprint Triathlon can be daunting at the time, but when you cross the finish line you’ll be delighted!

A Sprint Triathlon is the the shortest triathlon distances and generally involves a 750 Metre swim, a 20k Bike Ride and a 5k run. The swim can take place in either a pool, a lake, a River or the Sea.

Although these distances may seem a bit daunting at the beginning, they are easily do-able with the proper training and preparation. The key thing to keep in mind is “no task is too great, so long as you are willing to break it down into smaller – more manageable pieces.”

Nobody is ever great at all of the 3 triathlon disciplines and inevitably you will discover a favourite and least favourite to train for. It is important that you identify which of the 3 sports you are weakest at and then focus a larger amount of training time on that discipline.

  The Swim

For most people this tends to be the most daunting element of a Triathlon. If you are like the many other people out there who cannot swim to save their lives, then entering your first Sprint Triathlon can be the perfect opportunity to become a competent swimmer. Joining a local swim class or even just getting one swim lesson will have a huge impact on your ability and confidence. You may even find that the people you see doing lengths in the local pool can be valuable and friendly sources of information. For most the key to swimming can be doing lots of short but frequent sessions and then building it up over time.

   The Bike

If your main goal is to just get through your first Sprint, then the Bike section of a Sprint Triathlon is usually easier than you imagine. If you can cycle for an hour then you should be ok. The most important thing again is to ensure that you have covered the race distance prior to race day and that you carry whatever nutrition or drink you may need. In training practice drinking small amount of fluid often and also practice what is known as the ‘brick’ session. A brick session is where you simulate the portion of a triathlon where you will run after the bike section. Practicing this will help you to get used to the ‘jelly’ feeling which people sometimes get when running from the bike. It will also give you confidence in your own ability, as you will already know you can cover the race distance.

  The Run

For some people it’s the Swim and for many others it is the run that is the most daunting element of them all. The run course in a sprint Tri is generally no more than 5k long. This works out at approximately 3 Miles and once again is a distance which you will be able to cover with the correct training. If this is your first time covering this sort of distance, try building up your training distances slowly and don’t be afraid to use a run-walk-run strategy. On the day using the Run-Walk-Run strategy can greatly increase the distance you can cover and also your enjoyment of the event. As you will see on Race-day, many others will use this method so don’t be afraid to!

For those who are more familiar with running these types of distances, remember to practice your Brick sessions as they will help you to get used to running from the bike.

Before your race ensure that you have all of your gear prepared and arrive at registration early to avoid feeling rushed. When you arrive you will be asked to rack your bike alongside those of the other participants. It is important to take note of where your bike is located in the transition area(try counting the number of racks in it is, or perhaps make note of an object it is opposite.) This may sound like a strange suggestion but it can be a great help when you arrive into a busy transition after your swim.

Overall, enjoy your first Triathlon! These races are a lot of fun and your sure to meet many of participants who are in the same boat as you!

Other articles that will help you with you Sprint Training:

Endurance: The ability or strength to continue or last, despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina