If you thought these races were only for the super-fit, think again. More and more people are signing up to do triathlons, says Antonia Court, and you don’t need to be a professional athlete either

The idea of doing a long-distance competitive swim is enough to put most people off, never mind a run and a bike ride straight afterwards. So, not surprisingly, when you mention the word triathlon, most people assume you are either a professional athlete or totally mad. Images spring to mind of buff bodies ploughing through shark-infested waters and top-of-the-range racing bikes speeding down mountains. Despite the perception of triathletes as superhumans, training for a triathlon is not actually as hard as you might think, and it offers one of the best cross-training workouts around. Once you know what’s involved, you’ll definitely view the sport differently. And if you’re really keen, you still have time to test your mettle and sign up for the London Triathlon on 26th August.

There are three official triathlon distances. The first, the sprint triathlon, involves a 0.75km (0.46 mile) swim, a 22km (13.75 mile) bike ride and a 5km (3.12 mile) run. The second, the Olympic triathlon, comprises a more lengthy 1.5km (0.93 mile) swim, a 40km (25 mile) bike ride and a 10km (6.25 mile) run. Last, but certainly not least, is the Ironman, which involves a 3.84 km (2.4 mile) swim, a 179.2 km (112 mile) cycle and a 41.6km (26 mile) run. Whilst the Ironman distance is out of reach for the average person, the sprint distance is well within most people’s grasp. And if you’re curious to try a mini-triathlon, many clubs organise shorter training races, usually consisting of a 0.5km (0.3 mile) swim, 15km (9.38 mile) bike ride and a 3km (1.88 mile) run, which allow you to get a sense of what the real races are like.

Training
Once you’ve got your head around the idea of actually doing a triathlon, you may wonder how on earth to go about training for one. John Mora, author of the book Triathlon 101 (Human Kinetics; £12.99) says, ‘the trick to training is being consistent in all three disciplines rather than being brilliant on the bike but useless in the water’.

Mora suggests that most people need around four months to properly train for a sprint or Olympic distance triathlon. For the first two months work on building up a basic level of skill and fitness in the three disciplines. Then, over the final two months, you should prioritise your training and concentrate on improving the weakest discipline – but without losing speed or skill in the other two.

Mora adds that there are certain things you need to consider for each discipline which will determine how you train. Firstly, is the swim going to be in open water or in a pool? If it’s the former, you need to practise outdoors, as it’s very different to swimming in a pool. ‘Open water will be murky, you won’t be able to see the end of your arm – let alone where you’re heading – and until you get used to it, it’s very disorientating. Cold water also takes your breath away, which makes the swim extra tough,’ says Mora.

The bike ride is the longest section of the race and could take up to an hour to complete. Mora advises those in training to ‘pedal continually at top speed for this amount of time, and get used to drinking water without slowing down’. Another important thing to remember is that the course may have U-turns where you’ll have to navigate around orange cones. ‘Even Olympic triathletes get carried away, go too fast and fall off their bikes at these turns,’ Mora explains. He suggests aspiring triathletes set up their own U-turn course and practise cycling on it.

Finally, it’s important not to overlook the run just because the distance is relatively short. Simon Lessing is one of Britain’s leading male triathletes, and a veteran of the Olympics and various European events. He says: ‘It’s the last thing you do in the race, and running 5km after cycling and swimming feels very different to running 5km alone.’ He adds: ‘Your legs will feel like jelly, therefore it’s important to incorporate some ‘brick’ sessions into your training where you do one discipline followed immediately by another.’ Lessing recommends doing a 30-minute swim and then a 30-minute cycle. Most importantly, he advises people to get used to the feeling of running immediately after cycling.

Even if you decide not to enter a triathlon, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t train for one anyway. As Lessing points out, ‘practising these disciplines is a great way to get a balanced cross-training workout. The reason triathletes are always considered super-fit is because their exercise routine is so varied.’ Because so many different muscles are used, a triathlon training programme will not only improve overall fitness, but also tone your body far more than the rowing machine or treadmill ever will.

Your step-by-step training plan
The key is to master one step at a time.

Step 1: Start by practising each discipline for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Increase the time to 40 minutes as your stamina improves.
Step 3: Practise the weakest of the three sports at least two or three times a week, concentrating on your skill, stamina and co-ordination. Practise the other disciplines just once to maintain fitness. Keep doing this until you’ve noticed an improvement in your weakest sport.
Step 4: Practise swimming in open water and U-turns on your bike.
Step 5: Practise some ‘brick’ sessions where you do two disciplines back to back. Remember, the most important session is the 45-minute cycle ride followed by a 15- to 20-minute run.

If you’re interested, there’s still time to enter the London Triathlon on 26th August through various charity organisations. For more information, log on to www.thelondontriathlon.com. To find a triathlon club in your area, click on www.britishtriathlon.org

To find out more about triathlon training read Triathlon 101, by John Mora and Karen Smyers, and Triathlon for Women, by Sally Edwards.