Triathlon for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know About Training, Nutrition, Kit, Motivation, Racing, and Much More

by Dan Golding

Are you thinking about getting into triathlon or doing your first race? Have you finished a couple of races and are keen to improve your performance?

Triathlon training and racing can be daunting and confusing. Many beginners are a little intimidated by everybody else who looks like they know what they are doing and have all the gear.

Triathlon for Beginners is an easy-to-understand and insightful book packed with practical training tips and strategies, nutrition advice, how to develop mental toughness, and advice on triathlon gear you need. It will help



Understand the sport of triathlon and how it works Develop a training plan that simplifies your season Train effectively, so you minimize the risk of getting injured Avoid making mistakes that cost a lot of time and money Help you feel confident when you are on the start line Decide what race length is best for you, from sprint to Ironman Buy the right triathlon kit to suit your ability and your aspirations

A personal note from the This book is gathered from years of training and racing, not only from my triathlon experience but from the experiences of champions. I have trained with and raced with elite athletes and winners from all over the world, but I also started out not knowing what I was doing and was scared to death when I did my first race.

I wish I had this book when I started out. I would have saved myself a lot of heartache and stress! I wrote this to help all triathlon rookies get over their nerves and enjoy this fantastic sport.

Triathlon for Beginners is a complete start-to-finish guide that covers all areas of training and racing, including what you need to know and how to begin; how to understand the jargon of the sport; training rules and techniques; swimming, cycling, and running techniques; race etiquette; and how to get faster and better performances.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Health, Fitness

Audible Audio

First published July 8, 2012

Reviews

[Tara]

Great information, lots of great realistic tips on what to expect for race day and how to train. The chapter on nutrition had a lot of detail, though I disagree with some of it based on my own experience with endurance sports. Covered topics I wouldn't have expected a "how-to" guide to cover, and well. There were a lot of grammar and punctuation mistakes, though, which is why it's not 5 stars. As someone who edits daily for work and has a strong understanding of proper writing, these simple mistakes that should have been caught by the writer or an editor were painful. Overall, I recommend this book for anyone training for a triathlon, whether it's you're first or 50th.

[Katy Jean Vance]

Well, I don't feel like I learned that much, and I do feel like I got a bit ripped off. Anyone have a good recommendation for a triathlon book?

[Glenn Goysens]

I would advise you to get "Your first Triathlon" from Joe Friel in stead. If you want a true beginner book. There are also books less focused on beginners. But you might couple them with information from websites like beginnertriathlete.com or whatever.

The content of this book was OK, you'll learn some important things, but I think you'll get more value from the resources I mentioned above.

The content is the most important thing of course, but the way it was put together, the layout and the flow of content wasn't that great either.

[Ryan]

Pretty decent information and gave me a lot to consider and practice as a newbie. My only complaint is the info felt a little superficial, not a ton of details. There are definitely some questions I still have and I was hoping there would be more examples on putting together a training plan. Also the strength training section was lacking so I am glad I got a complementary book on strength training

[Jennifer]

Easy to follow, informative

I'm new to racing and wanted to get more familiar with the sport. This book has been so helpful. It's easy to read and follow. The information is digestible without being too hard to take in all at once. I appreciate that. I feel like I have a better grasp on what to do and expect going into my next race.

[Joey]

Very informative and I think gives a solid introduction on what to expect for a triathlon and how to prepare. Listened to this via audiobook so it was a little bland, and also wish there was a PDF to accompany (purchased via Audible). Will definitely need to listen a few more times and take notes to make it stick.

[Mark]

A Great Place to Start

I am in the Contemplative Stage of Triathlon, and this book was very informative. It addressed lots of detail that can easily get overlooked, but presented in an accessible way. It’s also very encouraging for wherever one is in their endurance training and provides a great confidence boost!

[Gabe Marino]

My favorite quote:
- "It is what you do each and every day that counts."

Helpful, easy read. Straightforward information that is nice to read through to get the full picture of a triathlon race day if unfamiliar with the race format. Best takeaways were the running drills, transition prep tips, and the notes on changing of a tire.

[Dianne]

This book is great for triathlon beginners. It has lots of information and guidance from the starting training right the way thru to race day. I really recommend this book to anyone thinking of entering their first triathlon

[Kaneicia Brown]

Good read

Robust coverage of trip rep. Will definitely use this once I’m cleared to run! I wish he would given samples of what he or other beginners have done (like a sample training program)

[Josh]

Good read for starter book

Good read for a starter book. A little light on the specifics but good intro. The plan and heart rate is key.

[Daniel Bryan]

Full of great information! Ready to start the journey.

[Lesa Hudak]

Read it. This was a great introduction for me as I signed up for a tri in August of next year. However, it really didn't give me as much as I wanted by way of a training program.

[Daniel Coral]

Nice book to begin in the triathlon world.

[Michy]

Interesting for beginners

[Courtney Lahr]

If you’re new to the sport, this is a great place to start! Breaks down everything!!!!

[Erik Esson]

Good overview to get me started but would like more in depth info.

[Lucy Duggan]

3.5 stars

[Javier]

Basic book for those who want to start in the triathlon world

[Dave Roberts]

I am reviewing the book Triathlon Training For Beginners by Dan Golding which is a very good book. I read this book because I thought it would help me with dietary and fitness advice. I think it is important to make the most of your situation and circumstances. Triathlon especially in the form of the horrendous ironman challenges are the ultimate test of endurance being even more gruelling than a marathon. The triathlon is a test of running, swimming and cycling over enormous distances. I think it might be pushing things a bit far if I participated in something like this but it is something I might do at some point. I think it is more important in life to just say fit and healthy. One thing I did read somewhere else was marathon runners have the best resistance to things like colds presumably because of the regime they subject their bodies to. The first ironman event was held in Hawaii where 3 events all separate races in there own right were merged into one race. Of the 15 athletes who took part only 12 finished. I can't imagine how anybody can get their body fit enough to take part in one of these races. Steroids must be rife in this sport. They say taking part in the Tour de France takes months off your life expectancy. Taking part in a marathon means you lose at least 2 stone in body weight. It must place terrible strength on your body competing in a triathlon contest let alone an ironman contest. This is a book I enjoyed with a kind of sick fascination but at the same time was intrigued.

[James Calthorpe]

Concise, clear and thoroughly enjoyable read. I have been thinking about doing triathlon for many years and this book is just what I needed to get going. I have now had the courage to book my first triathlon and shall keep this book handy as a valuable guide.
Easy to read, informative and really helpful.

[Steve harrington]

I really like this book. Simple to understand and delivers what it says it does. If you are getting into triathlon then check it out well worth the money.

[Jamie]

This is a pretty basic book, but I used many tips from the book for my first tri! The author also used humor throughout the book, which was a pleasant surprise for a training guide

[Silvia Hajas]

It was ok. Didn't blow me away. Maybe I got 10% value. It was entitled for beginners and he included info for seasoned triathletes. I really needed the dummies version for my first Tri.

[Burak Ozdaryal]

It was a great introduction. It covered all the basics just as I needed it. Can't be much help for an experienced triathloner.

[Alicia]

Good start for a beginner

I found this book helpful in training for my first tri. Since I am new to the sport I just wanted something easy to read.

[Miranda Moberg Diaz]

Not the best book in the world, pretty short and not a lot of substance. I'd pass on this one.

[Becca]

A must read for anyone thinking or starting tri training!! This was beyond helpful!