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On 21 August 2011 I will be competing in my first Triathlon, the Tri to Beat Cancer. The event is taking place in Athens, Georgia, and is a sprint triathlon. A sprint tri is the shortest length triathlon type event. The swim will be 400 yards, followed by a 16 mile bike, and then finish with a 5k. Why they switch to metric for the run is beyond me, but that is the way it is done. Proceeds from the even are going to help cancer research.

Training for my first triathlon has been interesting. I had already been swimming and cycling, so I was not to worried about those two events. However, I have recently switched to minimalist running, and as such, have not built back up my running endurance length. That means that I have to get back up to the 3.1 mile distance before the 21st. The last run that I did was 2.75 miles at a 9:00min per mile pace. This is not bad, but the distance needs to be at least 3.1 miles. I would prefer to be running 4 – 5 miles, but I will have to work up to that point.

So the question that first hit me when I signed up for the triathlon, was how do I train for it. If you take a look out on the web and at book stores, there are about 9,342 different programs out there on how to prepare for your first tri. Some of these guides are geared toward people that have not been doing exercise, to those that expect you to give 10 – 20 hours a week to training. Some of the guides are geared specifically toward a sprint triathlon, while others are geared toward the longer Olympic and half iron man distances. The next problem is that a few of the guides are free, and some you have to pay for. It can quickly become confusing and daunting as to where to begin.

My recommendation when it comes to training plans is mixed. If you are a person that needs a set schedule, go out and find a plan you like and try it out. This does not work for me as my schedule can fluctuate. I have 4 kids, one of them being a newborn, as a result, I cannot guarantee what times I will be able to train. Due to this, I came up with my own training program to prepare for this upcoming triathlon. It is quite a simple concept, but if you do not have discipline it will not work.

The first thing that you need to be able to do is track your workouts. I use runkeeper as a way to track my runs, rides, and swims. I am thinking about switching to a spreadsheet, but have not had time yet. The idea is just to be able to look at your progress.

The second thing that you must do is to do a self evaluation. Determine where you are in all 3 events. Tests how far you can swim, see how far you can ride, and go for a run. Figure out what your week areas are. If you are weak in all 3 areas, go with a training plan. If you are weak in a specific area then this is the plan I would follow.

1. Attempt to do some activity at least 5 days out of the week. If you can do 6 then go with that. But whatever you do, rest for at least one day. Rest is vital.

2. Make sure to do all the activities, and stack them. Do more than one activity on some days.Mixing a ride with a run is great. Doing a swim and bike, or swim and run. Mix it up to get your muscles ready for going from one activity to the next.

3. Add extra emphasis on your weak event. I need to work on the run the most, as a result I am increasing the number of runs that I am doing per week.

4. Have fun.

Note: You get the biggest bang for your buck in the bike section of the race. That is where you can make the biggest difference on your time.

At work I was bombarded by some guys that road ride about joining them for some rides. At first I blew them off, but the more I thought about it the more I thought that it might be nice to get back on a road bike again. I continued to push back, but slowly started to waiver.

Years ago, and by years ago I am talking about 1988, I used to own a road bike. I remembered the rides that my brother and I would go on, and how much fun they were, but for the past 4 years I have been solidly into mountain biking. What fun could come from doing a road ride? However, there was always something that I enjoyed about going for a ride and the wind in my hair.

And then recently I started running and swimming again. People started taking note, and asking me if I was training for a triathlon. I have been doing 6 hour endurance bike races, but they take all day, and I always putter out at 4 hours. Plus, I just do not have the time to train for that.

Not sure which was the one that broke the camel’s back, but I finally decided to get a road bike. I tried out a couple, and could never get super comfortable on most of them, but the Trek 2.1 was close. Also, I wanted to support a local shop that does rides and such. For this reason I did not go with a Performance Bike branded bike. And, without trying it out, I ordered a Trek “Fisher Collection” Ion Pro. The bike felt right from the first time that I got on it.

The first ride that I did was a drop ride out of Apalachee Cycles on the day that I got my ride. It is a 24.5 mile ride with roughly 1500 – 1800 feet of climbing. The ride was great. After spending years on the mountain bike, I remember why I liked road riding so much. There is something about the window in your hair as the road flies by that is just exhilarating. Needless to say I got dropped by the lead group, but made it in with a respectable pace of 18.5 mph.

I have had the bike for a little while now, and have to say that it was a good decision to get the bike.

By the way, did I mention a triathlon is in my future?