Training for triathlon

[Casper]

Hey guys. I just signed up with www.teamintraining.org to compete in a triathlon at the end of May. I am struggling with how to train for this event since I have never attempted something like this before. My goal of course is to finish the race with a dcent time and not get blown out of the water by a 60 year old woman. [img]smile.gif[/img] My stats are as follows: 5'9" 185 about 15-16% BF (just a guess but probably pretty close) I have a pretty decent build but don't want to sacrifice too much muscle mass but know I need to get leaner. I am finishing an EDT program that josh (cuver) wrote up for me at last years retreat. My diet has been clean and am keeping a little below maint. calories. I am currently trying to eat P+C in the first half of the day and P+F in the latter half. Need more info?? Ideas??

[vin]

Hey CMAS -
I'm actually doing the same program! Team in Training, and I'm doing St. Anthony's Triathlon down in Florida this coming April.
I'm assuming you aren't associated with the NYC chapter? I am - and it's a great program. It provides three group training sessions per week (one bike, one run, one swim) and two great coaches that work with us. There are also group emails that outline what we should be doing on the days that we don't have group training sessions (which I typically ignore, as I've got my own goals as well).
Personally - I participate in every group training session, and I also lift 3 mornings a week. Can be tiring at times, especially since I'm not really a swimmer and Wednesday swim practices KICK MY ASS. Old ladies and obese guys DO pass me in the pool. I think part of my problem is psychological, as something about doing cardio while underwater is kind of freaky.
Anyway, I don't really have any specific ideas for ya in terms of diet. I eat clean and am sticking to just around maintenance most days. So far, so good.
My only advice would be PRACTICE. Swimming and biking, for me, are pretty new activities. And I'm finding that simply spending time doing both is making me more comfortable. It doesn't hurt that I've got coaches checking my form as well.

[Casper]

Excellent. The program is really awesome. I had never heard of it before till a friend of mine signed up a week ago. I am with the North Texas chapter. I am more nervouse about the swimming than anything. I mean you get tired when running or biking you can slow down..you get tired swimming and you sink! I am glad to hear you are keeping up the lifting during the week. I don't want to have the same physique I did in HS after all this training!!

http://www.tri-training.com.au/ftraining.htm

If you guys have any swimming questions I will be glad to help, including designing workouts etc. I was a D1 college swimmer. The link provided is how I based my tri training, although I was forced to pull out of the competition a week beforehand..so I don't have experience in finishing, just in training for a triathlon.
Rod Cedaro's stats from the website:
Rod Cedaro
International Olympic Committee Triathlon Head Coach*
Member International Triathlon Union Coaching Commission

From swimming at the Olympic Training Center I can tell you that I personally believe the Australians are light years ahead of the U.S. in terms of training techniques.
(isn't Ian King Australian as well?)

Good luck, and send me a message if I can help at all..