When I participated in my very first triathlon (2003), I knew little about the sport. As a collegiate swimmer, I felt extremely comfortable with the pool swim but the bike portion was super scary for me. I had a little experience with running so I was so relieved when my feet finally hit the pavement for final leg of the triathlon. I was equally exhausted and thrilled at what I had accomplished by finishing a sprint distance triathlon. It just seemed so crazy to me that my body could cover the distance of a sprint triathlon and that I did it by swimming, biking and then running.
In 2006, I was bit hard by the endurance bug. I completed the Boston Marathon, my first half ironman and my first Ironman. Not only was I amazed at what my body was able to achieve but I loved the triathlon environment. The athletes were so supportive, inspiring and positive. Biking was always my weakest leg of the triathlon - and the most unnerving to me. However, over the years I've been able to go from weak to strong. And since my cycling skills have dramatically improved, I love riding my bike.
Although I still feel like I have a lot more to learn and to accomplish in the sport of triathlon, I have learned the most from coaching hundreds of athletes over the past 10+ years. Although my focus is with endurance triathlon, every expert was once a beginner. From my own experience, I know exactly how it feels to be a beginner triathlete. It was scary, overwhelming, fun and exciting.
The sport of triathlon has experienced significant growth since becoming an Olympic sport in 2000. Since I crossed my first finish line in 2003, much has changed in the sport. From gear and equipment to the training and fueling - triathlon has evolved and grown over the years. However, there are still several barriers to entry - such as cost, time and intimidation. From the outside, triathlon may appear complicated, exhausting, elitist and overwhelming. For these reasons, many active individuals are hesitant to train for and participate in a 3-sport event.
To help grow the sport of triathlon (specifically, making it more inclusive for women, youth and various ethinic groups), I hope that my new book Athlete to Triathlete will simplify the sport to help individuals safely and confidently enter the sport of triathlon, while exemplifying that the sport of triathlon is welcoming to newbies and beginners. I want others to feel the same excitement that I felt as a newbie - but also train for races in a smart and productive manner.
Athlete to Triathlete also serves as a triathlon training guide with features such as:
- How to choose a triathlon race
- How to plan your season of training and racing
- Race day gear checklist
- Transition and brick workout tips
- Training principles and measuring progress
- Rest and recovery
- Motivational tips
- Tapering for a race
- Swim, bike, run gear
- Open water swim tips
- Warm-up recommendations
- The pre-race check-in and race-day procedure
- Triathlon lingo - yep, there is a language spoken by triathletes
- What to expect at the race (from start to finish)
- Nutrition guidelines for training and racing
- Race day rules
- Strength and stretching pictures
- Workout advice tailored to swimmers, bikers and runners
- Detailed, day-by-day training plans to prepare for a Sprint or Olympic distance triathlon (12-week training plans).
- And so much more!!!!
You can pre-order your copy here: Athlete to Triathlete.
