I can hear it now: “It’s only March. The race is months away!” Yes, this is true. But, health and fitness are year round, lifetime commitments. Think of this early season training as preparing to train. The goal of this first month of training is to get you moving on a consistent basis. Some considerations: How much time daily/weekly do you have to devote to your fitness? Do you like to train alone or with friends? Are you a morning, afternoon or evening exerciser? How can you arrange your schedule to fit in regular exercise? Is your family supportive of your goals? If not, how can you change that?

You can comfortably participate in the Tri for the Cure sprint triathlon with as little as 5-7 hours/week of training. Find a way to make regular exercise part of your daily and weekly schedule. Make it a priority. It is a good thing you do for you. All bodies need to move; your commitment to taking care of yourself will prove a positive example to those around you.

Here’s how the monthly calendar works: it is interactive with the information posted here. The two work together. To get the most out of your training, read here first, then put the two together. The program is geared toward beginners. There is often a wide range of time posted for some activities. This takes into account some of you who are, for example, avid hikers, skiers, etc who are exploring triathlon as a new sport, a new challenge. But, if you have not exercised in years and are using triathlon as a way of getting your body moving again, please start small and grow, one step at a time.

Customize this plan to you: to your needs and time availability. Move the workouts around as needed. Here are some ideas on how to accomplish the various workouts planned:

1. Do a new thing! Choose Your Activity: Really! Do what you like to do: ski, hike, snowshoe, run, swim, bike, skate, etc. For beginners, keep it short, for those experienced athletes, do what you might normally do. OR, do a new thing. Try something you’ve always wanted to do. Enjoy winter, the snow and cold are here for a while! Get your friends and family involved with your training activities. Having buddies makes it more enjoyable for all.

2. Cardio: General cardiovascular training. Get your heart and lungs ready for more specific training that is coming up. Examples: spin class, elliptical trainer, row machine, swim, bike, run, aerobics or dance class, etc. Mix it up, keep it at an easy endurance pace. Try to increase your time each week.

3. Run and/or Walk: Pretty self-explanatory! Walk or run indoors or outdoors, uphill or on the flats. Walking is a great low intensity, low impact sport that prepares your muscles and joints for more rigorous exercise. Also, during the race you may do a lot of walking instead of running. This is fine!

4. Rest Day: Just as your body needs the stress of exercise, it also needs the rejuvenation rest gives it. Stress, recover, stress, recover, etc…. this is the path to improved fitness. Make sure you are getting adequate sleep (8 hours is best). Get a massage, take a yoga or stretching class, take a nap! Honor your body for all it does for you.

5. Strength Training: Below is a simple strength training program for triathletes. If you’re new to strength training, consider working with a personal trainer for a few sessions. Yoga and Pilates also work as strength training. Be sure to stress your muscles enough to get a training effect. Improve your core strength and stability as this will improve your swimming, biking and running. Upper body strength is particularly important for women to help with swimming.

Basic Strength Training Routine for Triathletes

Dumbbell chest press on stability ball

Straight arm press on Lat pull down machine

Double arm triceps kickback, prone on stability ball

Seated row

Shoulder Lateral Raise or shoulder press

Walking Lunge & Step ups

Standing Hamstring Curl

Abdominal Crunches and obliques on stability ball

Complete 2-4 sets of 12-15 reps

6. Bike: Time to get on that bike! Spring thaw is actually happening! You can ride indoors or outdoors, take a spin class or take a spin around town. Just get on a bike. Also…. Do you have a bike that works? Are you going to buy a new one? Is that one in your garage in good operating order? If not, get it out, dust it off and get it to a bike shop (Bicycle Village has several metro area locations) for an tune up to make sure it is in proper working order. The bike is the biggest piece of technical equipment you will use in training and racing the TFC. Best to be comfortable with it.

7. Swim: Get in the pool! Figure out where you are going to swim: at your gym, local Y or rec center, etc. If you’re afraid of the water or a real beginner, get some lessons. Mostly just get in the water and get comfortable, play! You’ll need some time to figure out the best bathing suit, goggles and bathing cap for you. Equipment matters. The more comfortable you are with your equipment the more confidence you’ll have for training and racing.

TFC Swim, Bike and Run Clinics run by Coach Melissa:

Starting this month, Coach Melissa will be offering many, many clinics! pool swims, open water swims, bike/run and run sessions. These clinics are offered exclusively to TFC triathletes. For details and links to register, click here. (Coming Soon!)

For month number two, get moving and keep moving! Get to the gym, get outdoors, do whatever it takes to get and stay active. The program below provides some ideas on how to make that happen and how to fit it into a week. The workouts will be more and more triathlon specific as the race approaches. If you need help, ask! There’s no such thing as a stupid question. Contact Coach Melissa at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it