Wake Up To The Power Of One

What You Need To Know Before Your First Triathlon

Starting new things is scary. Period.
Journeying into the world of triathlons is intimidating.
You’re inexperienced.
It’s something you’ve never done before.
You might not fully know what to expect.

That’s all normal! Think about it — every star player, every athlete you look up to had to do something for the first time, right? They’ve all been in your shoes, not knowing what to expect and feeling inexperienced, and look at them now!

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden

The hardest step is taking the first step. Once you do, you’re on your way to success and enjoying the journey! But, don’t worry — you don’t have to do this alone! We have some tips for you to use before you sign up for your first triathlon.

Here are the 4 things you need to know before your first triathlon!

Start small.

When you’re finally ready to sign up for your first triathlon, it can be tempting to sign up for the big races. We know we’re usually big proponents of “go big or go home,” but you’ll want to think about it and set yourself up for success. We recommend starting with a sprint distance or super sprint race, with sprint distance typically being a half-mile swim, a 12.4-mile bike, and a 3.1-mile (5k) run, a super sprint being even shorter. By starting small, you’re able to ease yourself into things. Even if a sprint-distance race sounds like a piece of cake, starting with something easy gives you an almost guaranteed success!

Gear up.

A lot goes into preparing for your triathlon, but having the right gear can make all the difference. We’re not saying to go out and spend your entire savings on the best of the best triathlon gear, especially for your first one, but you should think a little about quality and comfort here! There are tons of resources and guides about the basics of what you need for your first triathlon, so do your research before buying. Remember, feeling good is the key to success!

Train, Train, Train!

If you’re thinking about your first triathlon, hopefully, you’ve already done some training to prep yourself. But, if you haven’t yet, it definitely isn’t something you can skip out on, no matter how fit you are! If you’re just getting started on your journey to your first tri, there are a lot of beginner and general training plans to help you get a jump start on training. If you’ve already started training, don’t stop now! Keep doing what you're doing, and stay strong!

Don’t psych yourself out!

It’s way too easy to compare yourself to everyone else around you. Maybe someone looks way more prepared than you, they have better gear, and they’ve done it a thousand times. Whatever! Your only competition is you! No matter what everyone else is doing, if they’ve trained longer and are more experienced, it literally doesn’t matter. You’re in control of your own thoughts, and those thoughts will impact your actions! Remember, Dream. Defy. Deliver. If you believe in yourself and that you’ll be successful and finish the race, then you can and will!

After your first tri, ride the highs of finishing — it’s an awesome achievement! Don’t dwell too heavily on whether you could have done things differently or better. Acknowledge your wins when they come! Then use those thoughts of wanting to do better to get back out there and work harder. The work doesn’t stop until you do! So let’s get to work.

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t — you’re right.” – Henry Ford