also check trinewbies.com, triathlete.com, trifuel.com, slowtwitch.com all have free generic training schedules. have fun!

Blake93,

Congrats on discovering and entering a sport that you can enjoy for a lifetime! You sound like the "average" newbie, in that you are coming from a running foundation and trying to learn the other two segments.

Firstly, when is your sprint triathlon and how much time per week do you have to train? Second, what is your goal for this triathlon - to post a certain time, or to simply finish and prove that YOU CAN?

The type of training you choose to undertake for this triathlon will be greatly affected by how much time you have to prepare. If you are several months away from this race, then you can integrate quite a bit of training in all three disciplines. My suggestion for this scenario is to contact a local sports club (YMCA, etc) and ask if the pool director or a lifeguard knows any triathletes. Do the same at a local bike shop. As a breed, we triathletes are generally VERY supportive of others and will jump on the opportunity to welcome a newcomer. Contacting these folks will allow you to find people that can help design a training plan that will suit you and your situation. If the race is only several weeks away, that's a different story. Based on what you told us, your weak point is in the water. You will need to focus the greatest amount of attention on that discipline if you are pressed for time.

If your goal is to post a certain time (which is certainly your prerogative, but a goal I wouldn't suggest for your very first triathlon), then lay out the five segments of a triathlon - yes, there are five! - on paper and decide individual goal times that are challenging, yet realistic and will add up to your finish-time goal. Don't set a goal that is unattainable and therefore might drive you immediately from the sport. If you are challenging yourself just to finish this race, breathe easy... you can do it! You'll just have to focus on the places you're uncomfortable and learn to relax. Try not to place too much emphasis on your strong suit - running. You can already do that, it's "in the bag". Focus on the swimming and the cycling.

I'll not try to give you advice on equipment - that's for other posts (and, indeed, there's a huge volume of posts on this site available about just those subjects) and if you'll go out and meet fellow triathletes, you'll learn about that quickly. Good luck with your race(s) and above all else, HAVE FUN!!!

Charles Hailey
xraytriguy

Oh yeah... the FIVE segmets of a TRIathlon are:
Swim
Transition One
Bike
Transition Two
Run

*Learn about transitions!!!