Triathlon Training Basics

Triathlon Training Basics

Getting started in triathlon has gotten intimidating with all the information available online. As someone who stumbled into the sport knowing nothing about swim technique, bike fitting, or brick workouts, I learned that the basics matter far more than the advanced stuff everyone argues about on forums. Today, I will share the foundational training approach that actually works for new triathletes.

Triathlon challenges athletes across three disciplines — swimming, cycling, and running — and the beauty of the sport is that you don’t need to be elite at any single one. Balanced training across all three develops complete endurance fitness and keeps things interesting when one discipline starts to feel stale.

Training Tips That Actually Matter

Train all three sports consistently, even when one feels harder than the others. I know the temptation is to hammer the bike because it’s fun and skip the pool because it’s humbling, but consistency across disciplines is what separates triathletes who finish strong from those who suffer through one leg.

Practice transitions regularly. That is what makes triathlon unique — it’s not three separate races, it’s one race with three components. Getting in and out of transition smoothly saves real time and reduces race-day anxiety.

Build endurance progressively. Probably should have led with this section, honestly, because the number one mistake new triathletes make is doing too much too soon. Add volume slowly, keep most training at conversational effort, and your body will adapt.