Training

I'm certainly no expert in triathlon training, but I did get ready for my first one in about 8 weeks (with a baby, 3 and 4 year old at home to boot). I had not been working out regularly, so I was probably starting from the beginning.  I followed a pretty moderate schedule, usually 3 days a week. I didn't use a set training schedule, my goal was to take it slow and steady, not worring about the total distance to start.

Swim:  My first time in the pool I made it 3 lengths and thought I was going to die. I swam for about 20 minutes with a combination of strokes, and used a kickboard much of the time, and took lots of breaks.  I wasn't sure what I was getting into!  The next time I swam, I noticed 2 old ladies who were swimming literal laps around me, and was amazed at their stamina, and realized that they were just taking it slow and steady.  So I worked on going very slowly, regulating my breathing and not wasting too much energy by kicking a lot, and it worked!  I quickly found my groove, and within a short time I could swim for 30 minutes without getting winded.  

Bike:  I started out using the spin bikes at my gym and was quickly discouraged.  Again, I rode for about 20 minutes and was beat.  But, like the swimming, the more I did it, the easier it got.  I also tried to bike outside whenever I could.  I found it helpful to use a speedometer so I could guage my speed and effort.

Run:  I really don't enjoy running, so I was not looking forward to this part.  My goal was to start running for 10 minutes, and work up to 30, no matter how slow I went.  I did this a few days a week, and before I knew it I was running 30 minutes - but VERY slowly.  I tried working on my speed, but never really picked it up very much.  My goal was to finish, not win - so I didn't worry about that much. 

Bricks:  One of the important things in training is to practice bricks.  These are when you do two of the events back to back.  I met my friend Mical once a week to bike and run together.  We would bike about 14 miles, and then run.  We started out running 10 minutes or so, and then worked up to the full distance.  This SUCKED, but I really think it helped in the end.  You can't be prepared for how heavy your legs feel after the bike until you do it! 

So, basically for the first 4 weeks or so I just focused on the length of the workout, increasing slightly each time.  The second 4 weeks or so I tried to put them together, and increase my speed.  

There are lots of websites that provide information on training for a triathlon.  You can even pay for a training schedule designed for you.  I just tried to read a bunch of different program information and put together something I thought would work for my schedule.  The bottom line is that you really CAN get ready for this in a relatively short time!