Anyone who knew me a few years ago would be literally gobsmacked that I’ve now completed two sprint distance triathlons (750m swim, 20km cycle, 5k run) and as of Saturday evening, an Olympic triathlon (1500m swim, 40km cycle, 10k run). I’ve never been much of an endurance athlete but this is precisely why I’ve pushed myself to do these, just to prove that I can and stop making excuses.

Triathlons can be seriously intimidating and before my first one I spent ages scouring the internet for tips and tricks to take the fear out of the experience. Now that I’m gearing up for the Olympic distance and feeling much more relaxed I wanted to share some of the tips that I’ve picked up to help anyone thinking of doing one:

1) It doesn’t have to cost a bomb

I bought an ex-rental wetsuit at first for about £65 and it kept me admirably warm & safe throughout the two sprint distances. However it now feels a bit tight so I’ve rented a new one for £59 for the rest of the season from Wetsuits For Hire. Equally, my bike was a treat to myself but I hunted around and found a great one in the sale. There’s no need to pay full price if you go for a model that’s a season or two old

 

2) Find a training plan that suits you

I roughly followed a 12 week training plan that was based around lots of short brick sessions and a couple of longer sessions. It suited me because I could fit it round everything else and it didn’t require hours and hours of exercise. Search online and compare a few before you make a decision

3) Learn how to put a wetsuit on properly

Due to my bad technique at putting my old wetsuit on it now has nail holes in it and I can feel water travelling through it when I swim. Not ideal. The trick is to pull it up from the inside rather than the outside and take your time! It can take up to 15 minutes to put a wetsuit on properly the first time so don’t panic, just ease it up

4) Don’t panic if your wetsuit feels a bit tight

Triathlon wetsuits are meant to feel tight on land so that when you get in the water it will trap water between itself and your skin to keep you warm. It’ll loosen up as you get into the water and pretty quickly it will feel like a second skin

5) Be prepared

Mentally walk yourself through every step of your race including transitions and make a list of any equipment that you might need. Then on the day, lay out your kit in the transition area in the order that you need it so that your swim-addled brain doesn’t need to think too much before you jump on your bike

6) Talcum powder & lube are your friends

Use a water-based lubricant (like Bodyglide) around your neck, ankles and wrist to help you slide your wetsuit on and to avoid chafing. Don’t use an oil-based lubricant like Vaseline though as it can degrade the rubber of your wetsuit. If you’re racing in socks then shake a load of talc into them before you lay them out in transition, it will help get your wet feet into them

7) Use nutrition you’ve tested before

My standard pre-race breakfast is eaten at least 2 hours before I race and consists of oats with berries, protein powder, flaxseed and almond milk with a piece of gluten free toast and peanut butter on the side, washed down with plenty of water. Don’t pick a race day to fuel up with a full fry up for the first time… Equally, if you’re going to refuel during a race then try it out first. I’ll be using the MyProtein (or us.myprotein.com if you’re US-based) Energels (tropical flavour) as I tested these out on a long cycle and they seemed to agree with me

8) Count the laps

It’s more than likely that there will be different distances and definitely different waves racing at the same time as you and no one else will be telling you how far you’ve got left so keep reminding yourself of what you’ve done. After all, you don’t want to short-change yourself or be disqualified!

9) Have a recovery plan

After the sprint triathlons I’ve taken two complete rest days and then eased myself back into exercise with a couple of runs and maybe a swim before anything too intense. After the Olympic I’ll be taking at least 3 total rest days before seeing how my body feels. I’ve also booked in a sports massage to help my muscles loosen up after the exertion. Nutrition-wise, make sure you eat plenty of protein to help repair any sore muscles and rehydrate with an electrolyte drink or tablet

10) Let the endorphins disperse

One of the things that I’m really bad at is signing up for more events on a post-event endorphin high. Now this is all well and good but my advice would be to give it a few days to process the event, assess whether you really enjoyed it or you just enjoyed finishing it and figure out whether you really want to do it all over again