Triathlon 101

Most beginners feel guilty going slow. That guilt is costing them performance. Easy days make hard days possible, and hard days are what actually make you faster.

• 80% of your training should be at low intensity (conversational pace).
• 20% at higher intensity — intervals, threshold work.
• This maximizes adaptation and dramatically reduces injury risk.
• Most beginners do the opposite and wonder why they're always tired.

• Frequency: how often you train each discipline per week.
• Intensity: how hard each session is (use heart rate zones or RPE).
• Duration: how long each session lasts.
• Start by increasing frequency first, then duration, then intensity — in that order.

Pro tip: For the first four weeks, just show up consistently. Structure matters less than the habit of showing up when you\'re starting from zero.

It\'s not fun to spend your training time on the thing you\'re bad at. Do it anyway. That\'s where the time savings are on race day.

• Most beginners come from a running or cycling background.
• Train your weakest discipline the most — that's where the gains are.
• Sustain your strengths with maintenance sessions, not obsessive volume.
• If you're truly balanced across all three, focus on the run — it's last.

• If you haven't trained in a while, see a doctor before ramping up.
• An 8–12 week plan is plenty for most beginners targeting a sprint.
• Missing a session is fine. Missing two weeks is a problem.
• Sleep and rest are training. Treat them that way.

Pro tip: An 8-week plan you actually complete beats a 16-week plan you abandon at week 3. Start with something you can show up for.

Race nutrition is a skill, not an afterthought. Train it in every session over 60 minutes — what works for your stomach in training is what you race with.

• Balanced meals: carbohydrates for energy, protein for recovery, fats for hormones.
• Hydrate throughout the day — not just during workouts.
• Eat before sessions longer than 60 minutes. Don't bonk in training.
• Practice your race-day nutrition in training — never try anything new on race day.

• Join a local triathlon club — PNW has excellent options in WA, OR, and BC.
• A coach is the fastest shortcut, especially for swim technique.
• Training with others beats suffering alone on a cold February morning.
• Check the clubs and coaches pages here for PNW-specific resources.

Pro tip: Show up to one group swim or ride — just once. The PNW tri community is genuinely welcoming to beginners, and training with others makes the cold February mornings survivable.

Swimming is the one discipline where technique genuinely outweighs fitness. One coached session early in your build is worth more than months of unguided pool laps.

• A technically efficient swimmer will beat a strong swimmer every time.
• Front crawl (freestyle) is the most energy-efficient open-water stroke.
• Work with a swim coach or attend a clinic — one good session can save months of frustration.
• Pool time first, open water second. Don't skip the pool phase.

• No lane lines, no black line on the bottom, no walls to rest on.
• Sighting is how you stay on course — lift your head every few strokes to spot a buoy.
• Practice sighting in the pool before your first OWS.
• Bilateral breathing (both sides) makes sighting easier and improves adaptability.

Pro tip: Get at least two open water swims before race day — not to build fitness, but to eliminate the unknown. Familiarity with the environment removes a major anxiety variable.

Cold water on race morning feels shocking even to experienced athletes. Getting in slowly, splashing your face first, and taking a few breaths before the gun makes a real difference.

• PNW lakes and Puget Sound are cold. Wetsuits are your friend.
• A wetsuit adds buoyancy, reduces drag, and keeps you warmer — all beneficial.
• Check race rules on wetsuit temp cutoffs (usually 78°F / 25.6°C).
• Thermal swim caps and neoprene gloves/booties help for training in cold water.

• Never swim open water alone. Buddy up or join a group.
• Use a tow float for open water training — adds visibility for boats.
• Wear a bright swim cap. Two caps keep you warmer and more visible.
• Join a weekly OWS group — most PNW clubs run them through summer.

Pro tip: A tow float doubles as a kickboard for rest stops in open water training. It\'s a $25 piece of gear that pays for itself the first time a boat doesn\'t see you.

Open water anxiety is common enough that race directors plan for it. You will not be the first person to roll onto their back and take a breath, and you won\'t be the last. Every swimmer there has been nervous.

• Open water anxiety is real and common — you're not alone.
• Start at the edge of the swim pack in your first race, not the front.
• If you need to stop and rest, that's fine — roll onto your back and breathe.
• Focus on technique, not time. The feeling passes with experience.

The bike you own, or the one you can borrow, is the right bike for your first race. Fitness on an old road bike beats a $5K tri bike sitting in a garage.

• Road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, and tri bikes all work for beginners.
• Comfort and fit matter more than aerodynamics at the sprint level.
• Get a bike fit — even a basic one. It prevents knee and back problems.
• Visit a local bike shop; they'll steer you right without upselling you into tears.

• Spin classes build cycling fitness before you own a bike.
• Local triathlon clubs often have equipment loan programs or group buys.
• Check Slowtwitch's classified ads or Facebook tri groups for used bikes.
• Renting for your first race is completely reasonable.

Pro tip: Spin classes are genuinely useful for building cycling fitness before you own a bike — and they\'re free of traffic, rain, and the embarrassment of falling over at a red light.

Read the athlete guide before race day — not just the highlights. Draft penalties and helmet violations are the most common beginner infractions, and both are completely avoidable.

• Helmet is mandatory — no helmet, no race. Full stop.
• Know the traffic rules for your training routes.
• In most triathlons, no drafting — maintain 3 bike lengths behind the rider ahead.
• Learn to signal turns and communicate with other riders in groups.

• Clipless pedals improve power transfer but take practice to use safely.
• Fall at least once in a parking lot before relying on them in traffic.
• Mountain bike shoes with recessed cleats make walking in T2 easier.
• Platform pedals with regular shoes are fine for your first sprint race.

Pro tip: Platform pedals with running shoes are completely legal and perfectly sensible for a first sprint. Save the clipless upgrade for when you know you\'re coming back for more.

Change a flat at home before your first training ride. Not as an exercise. Consider it a requirement. Race day is not the place to figure it out.

• Flat tires happen. Learn to change one before your first ride.
• Always carry: a spare tube, tire levers, CO₂ or mini pump, and a patch kit.
• Practice the change at home until it takes under 5 minutes.
• A flat tire on race day is survivable. A flat tire you can't fix is a DNF.

• Spare tube, tire levers, CO₂ or pump, patch kit.
• ID and some cash or a card — always.
• Phone for emergencies (and to call for a ride home).
• Nutrition for anything over 60 minutes.

Pro tip: Build a permanent saddle bag with the flat kit and ID and leave it on the bike. One less thing to remember before every ride — and you\'ll never forget it on a day when it matters.

The first brick will feel like running through wet sand. The fifth will feel manageable. The tenth will feel normal. The work is in doing the first one anyway.

• The run after a bike feels uniquely terrible the first few times.
• Your legs have been in a fixed position pedaling — now they need to run.
• Train with brick workouts: ride, then immediately run, even just 10–15 minutes.
• The feeling dissipates. Experienced triathletes barely notice it.

• Posture: tall and upright, eyes toward the horizon, not the pavement.
• Lean: forward from the ankles (not hunched at the waist).
• Arm swing: elbows at ~90°, swinging fore-and-aft, not crossing the midline.
• Foot strike: land under your hips, not out in front — reduces braking force.

Pro tip: In the last km of a race, when your form wants to collapse, pump your arms harder. Your legs will follow the arm rhythm — this is one of the few free speed hacks that actually works.

Your feet absorb the full impact of the run after swim and bike have already taxed your body. Proper shoes are not optional — they\'re the one piece of kit worth spending on first.

• Designate a pair just for running — not the shoes you wear everywhere.
• Get a gait analysis at a running shop before buying.
• Losing toenails or chronic blisters = wrong shoes, not bad luck.
• Thin synthetic socks only — cotton is foot damage waiting to happen.

• Start conservative. Seriously. Everyone goes out too fast.
• Develop a race plan (target pace or heart rate) and stick to it.
• Walk breaks are not failure — run/walk intervals are a legitimate strategy.
• Even pacing over the whole run beats blowing up at kilometer 2.

Pro tip: You will feel great out of T2. That feeling is a lie. Stick to your plan for the first km regardless — you can always speed up if the legs are genuinely there.

The PNW\'s beauty is also its hazard. Trails lose cell signal quickly. Download your route offline and tell someone where you\'re going before heading into the mountains.

• Plan your route before you leave — trails in the PNW are not always cell-friendly.
• Run with an ID; use reflective gear in the gray months (October–March).
• Tell someone where you're going on long runs.
• Carry a phone and water on anything over 45 minutes.

• Don't stretch cold muscles — warm up with 10 minutes of easy running first.
• Static stretching is for after the run, not before.
• Dynamic warmup drills (leg swings, high knees) are better pre-run prep.
• Post-run stretching is where you actually make flexibility gains.

Pro tip: Ten minutes of easy jogging before a hard run session is not optional. Cold muscles asked to perform are muscles asking to tear — a small investment in a very large return.

Transitions are the fourth discipline: timed, trained, and often the difference between a good race and a great one. Three minutes lost here costs nothing to recover except practice.

• The transition area is where your bike is racked and all gear is staged.
• T1 = swim to bike. T2 = bike to run. Both count toward your finish time.
• The clock does not stop when you enter transition. Ever.
• Walk the transition area before the race — find your rack, run the paths, note landmarks.

• Helmet open and ready near the handlebars — buckle it before touching the bike.
• Bike shoes with velcro open, placed behind the rear wheel.
• Sunglasses inside the helmet or open on the ground.
• Nutrition already on the bike. Don't fumble with gels in transition.
• A small towel to wipe feet prevents sand and grit from shredding your shoes.

Pro tip: Set up your T1 gear at home the night before and run through the sequence once. Race morning nerves are real — familiar motions are the antidote.

T2 is simpler than T1 but your legs are already tired. Practice the sequence until it requires zero thought. Tired brains make simple tasks complicated.

• Running shoes with laces pre-loosened — or elastic laces for a slip-on.
• Race number belt clipped and ready; rotate bib to the front for the run.
• Hat or visor optional — set next to shoes, not inside them.
• Rack the bike, remove helmet, swap shoes, clip belt — in that order.
• Helmet must stay on until your bike is racked. Removing it first is a penalty.

• Start unzipping and pulling the wetsuit off your shoulders as you run from the water.
• At your rack: push suit down to your hips, sit briefly, peel from hips to ankles.
• Step out one foot and use it to hold the suit while the other foot pulls free.
• Leave it inside-out — easier to spot in transition clutter.
• Practice this at home until it takes under 60 seconds.

Pro tip: Put the wetsuit on and take it off five times at home. Each rep should be faster. By race morning, the removal should be automatic — not something you think about.

Every one of these mistakes is made by first-timers at every race. Knowing the list in advance puts you well ahead. The others will figure it out at the penalty tent.

• Sitting down to change gear — stay on your feet, motion keeps blood flowing.
• Touching the bike before the helmet is buckled — this is a penalty offense.
• Sprinting out of T2 — your legs will feel terrible regardless; jog the first 400m.
• Packing everything in a bag — lay gear flat and visible, ordered by sequence.
• Forgetting to flip the race number bib to the front before the run.

• Set up your gear on a towel at home exactly as you would in transition.
• T1 drill: full wetsuit on → remove → put on helmet, bike shoes, sunglasses.
• T2 drill: cycling shoes and helmet on → remove helmet → swap to run shoes → clip belt.
• Time yourself. Repeat three times. You'll cut 60–90 seconds off without touching your fitness.
• Elastic laces are the single cheapest time saving in triathlon.

Pro tip: Twenty minutes of transition practice at home is worth more than any gear upgrade. It\'s free speed — and unlike fitness gains, it\'s available immediately.