Triathlete Weight Loss & Training Plan

Starting triathlon training is an ambitious endeavor, and determining the best plan to accomplish your goals is essential to finishing. Depending on your fitness levels or any necessary weight loss, training for a triathlon is important to reduce risk or injury from overextending your body at first. Determining goals is the first step in planning for a triathlon so that you may successfully finish what you start.

  1. Setting Training Goals

    • Whether you are physically fit or have a sedentary lifestyle, deciding on a triathlon plan is essential to prevent injury and to help you get through the event with endurance. Set realistic goals and give yourself plenty of time to reach them. Most individuals give themselves one full year to train for a sprint triathlon (the shortest distance), which typically is comprised of a half-mile swim, 13 mile bike ride and 3.2 mile run. Setting goals is also important to prevent over-training, which causes you to become fatigued, more prone to injury and even sick.

    Weight Loss

    • If you have more than 10 pounds to lose, you will be better off losing the weight before beginning triathlon training. Extra weight on the body increases stress and impact on bones and joints, especially during running training. Start to precondition your body for a triathlon while also losing weight with low-impact activities such as swimming and biking. You will build up endurance for the triathlon while losing weight, allowing you to successfully begin to train for the running portion of the event.

      Before you begin any sport activity, especially one like a triathlon, it is essential to get clearance from your physician to be sure you are in good shape. Training when you are not ready may lead to joint degeneration, as mentioned on Beginner Triathlete.

    Selecting a Plan

    • Choosing the right plan to train for a triathlon will help get you closer to finishing your goals. For those who have never trained for an endurance race or who have not done a race in more than two years, training for the basic triathlon, which is known as the sprint, is advised to reduce any risk of injury. The basic plan includes training for running, biking and swimming an average of three to four times a week.

      To begin training for a sprint triathlon, use the following guide to help you get fit and build endurance in 13 weeks: On Mondays, swim for 15 minutes and run for 20 minutes, increasing that time by five minutes for the rest of the 13 weeks. Take off Tuesday, and bike for 35 minutes on Wednesday and increase time by five minutes the following week, as well as for the duration of training. Run for 20 minutes again on Thursday, increasing the time by five minutes for each of the following weeks, and swim on Fridays for 30 minutes, also increasing time by five minutes the following weeks.Take Saturdays off for rest, and bike or run on Sunday for 30 to 45 minutes. You may use this plan as a guide, or modify it to fit your training needs as long as you build up endurance throughout the 13 weeks prior to the event.

      Nutrition is also a fundamental part of a training plan, so refrain from eating sugar-filled foods, saturated fat and trans-fats. Eat plenty of lean protein, whole grains, fruit and vegetables and keep portion sizes within reason. Fill up on fruits and vegetables, but leave carbohydrate and protein portions to be no larger than the size of a deck of playing cards.