Tip #5: Practice Brick Workouts
If you've practiced swim, bike and run workouts and think that's all there is to a triathlon, you'd be wrong. You'll want to practice brick workouts before your first race.
Brick workouts are when you practice two disciplines back to back. The most common brick is the bike-to-run brick. This means you do your bike workout and then get off, change shoes if you need to, and do your run.
The first time you do this, your legs will feel like lead. That's why they're called brick workouts. After practicing this a couple times through, your legs will start to get the hang of it and your mind will be prepared for the transition.
More: A Brick Workout for Every Distance
Tip #6: Your Bike Doesn't Matter Until It Matters
You really don't need a nice bike to start racing. Too many tri newbies go out and buy a $5,000 bike, do one race with it, and then let it collect dust in the garage. You can get a bike for $150 off craigslist or borrow one for your first event. If you decide that you like racing, you can start looking for your own bike.
It really doesn't matter what type of bike you use for your first race but it would be best if you didn't use a mountain bike. Mountain bikes are significantly slower and harder to pedal than a road bike. The frame of the bike is less comfortable for long distances, the overall bike is much heavier, and the wheel is smaller and wider, which means you go less distance every time you pedal and each of those pedal strokes is harder. Take it from me: Beg for or borrow a road bike if you can.
More: 7 Steps to Find Your Tri-Specific Bike
Tip #7: Start Now
If you can exercise for just 15 minutes right now, you can train to do a triathlon in about three months.
The absolute hardest part of doing a triathlon is the act of deciding that you're going to do it. Make that decision and everything else is just the legwork to make it happen.
Search for your next triathlon.
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