Meaningful Macros

Alright, I’m going to preface this by saying I am NOT a personal trainer. BUT I also want to say that I’ve done an Olympic triathlon & have been known to spit facts. Do with that information what you will. So, here’s what you’re going to know about doing one of these bad boys.

Determining Your Timeframe

Like preparing for any other goal, we have got to iron out some details before we jump in. That is, how much time you can commit to this goal & what your estimated completion date is going to be!

I craft a new weekly schedule every 3 months or so and this is a habit I HIGHLY recommend. I try to find a way to fit in 4 consistent 90-minute sessions each week (as well as a bonus time where I can hit a 5th session if I really want. I’m building my workout plan based on this… it’s crucial that you find a time commitment that you can STICK to. Consistency is absolutely crucial when it comes to habits & hitting your goals.

Training Goal Formulation

So first things first, an Olympic Triathlon consists of the below distances:

• Swim: 1.5 km (0.93 miles)
• Bike: 40 km (24.8 miles)
• Run: 10 km (6.2 miles)

This isn’t some walk in the park. I almost hot HEAT STROKE when I ran the 10k of my triathlon in August Chicago weather. You absolutely have to assess your fitness level. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Can I comfortably swim 500m?
• Do I have experience biking for over an hour?
• Am I willing/able to run multiple times in a week?
• Am I ready to endure the soul-crushing discomfort of my bike seat?

And to be 💯 with you right off the bat, I want to tell you that you’re going to need to spend some money to do one of these things. I was NOT aware of this before my first triathlon, & want that to be crystal clear to you. Expect to spend $700 if you’re starting from scratch… check out my detailed list of triathlon expenses & recommended products at this link here. You probably won’t have to start from scratch, but you’ll definitely need to spend a few hundred bucks to do this thing.

Now that I’ve made it crystal clear that this thing is HARD & a bit pricey… & you STILL want to do it, God Bless your soul. Lets dive into the details. Again, I’m not a pro athlete or trainer. But I know a few things, & one of those things is that in order to do a triathlon, you need to practice swimming, biking, & running. If you’re starting off, & workout 4-5 days of the week like me, I’d recommend something like this:

As far as intensity / length of the workout, I’m going to assume you’re giving yourself 4-5 months to prep for this bday boy. My advice is to think of it like this:

Phase 1: Get yourself up to the point where you can complete each of the disciplines at their Olympic distances independently. For the swim, you’ll likely need to practice in a pool, which isn’t the same, but close enough.

Phase 2: Start pushing pace. Start to zone in on a goal time & work yourself as close to those splits as you can. Then keep training, & get FASTER than all those splits.  I’ve found it incredibly helpful to have a fitness watch. I personally use & recommend the Fitbit Versa 4. This provides real-time pace information, workout breakdowns, & an app that integrates with other health apps like myfitnesspal. You’re gonna REALLY want something like this for your training.

Phase 3: Mix in 1 Brick workout per week. I recommend getting to this point about 2 months before race day. On the weekend, I want you to work yourself up to being able to transition from your swim gear, throw on the bike stuff, do the full 40k bike, then discard your bike stuff & throw on your run stuff, and run the WHOLE 10k. You don’t need to be doing the full swim at the start, but I want you to get a feel for the swim to bike transition. Here are some words of advice:

• Lay out your gear systematically.
• Practice quick wetsuit removal.
• Get comfortable running with your bike and mounting/dismounting quickly.

Phase 4: At this point, you’re able to consistently do each individual split faster than race pace, & have 5+ experiences with full bike -> run brick workouts. I can now confidently tell you you’re basically as ready as you’ll ever be! The two weeks leading up to the workout, start taking it easier & tapering down. Here are some other words of advice while training:

• Practice eating a high-sugar snack during the Swim -> Bike & Bike -> Run transitions.
  • This can be a sports gel, starburst jelly beans, or whatever.
• Practice reaching down & drinking from your bike water bottles during your training. This will be unnatural at first, but you’ll get way better at it.

Race Weekend:

Now that you’re race-ready, let me tell you what I wish I knew before I did my first tri:

• Check-In for your race as early as possible. Get your number & documents, & setup your transition gear just like you practiced.
  • There could be a ton of Bikes depending where you’re at. Bring a t shirt, handkerchief, or another piece of noticeable fabric & tie it to the bike rack so you can easily spot your stuff.
• If you’re doing one of these in a big city… reserve your parking ahead of time.
  • This is a game changer so you’re not scrambling the morning of race day.
• Hammer the hydration TWO days before the race… & also the day before the race.
• Have a solid breakfast 2–3 hours before the start and maintain hydration throughout the event.
  • I recommend pre-caffeinating during this time, but not during the race. Caffeine during the race will dehydrate you.
• Walk / Drive the route the day before your race. It’s a really good idea to know where the finish line is / where the end of the bike portion is at.
• If applicable, label all bags & your bike according to triathlon packet instructions. Typically, sticker on bike, sticker on helmet, & sticker on each of your bags.
• Ask any of your remaining questions at check-in! There are tons of people that know a lot of the specifics about your race & they’re happy to help.

• Finally, here is my exact gear checklist. This is nice to run through the night before the race:
  • Swim Stuff (will have on at starting line)
    • Jammer/Speedo/Wetsuit
    • Goggles
    • Cap (Typically, provided & color based on your heat)
    • Tracking Device (provided by race)
    • Smart Watch for pacing (make sure it is tight as to not lose in lake michigan)
  • Bike Stuff (all to be found in first transition bag except the bike itself dummy)
    • Bike itself (gotta be decent road bike & ideally have two cages for two bottles)
    • Towel
    • Socks (I recommend as a casual triathlete)
    • Biking Shorts
    • Shirt / Top of some kind
    • Biking shoes & associated pedals
    • Helmet
    • Biking Gloves
    • Sunglasses
    • Bike Liquids (water bottle & electrolyte bottle to fit in your bike cages)
    • Race nutrition (goo / carb boost for transitions & quick energy)
  • Run Stuff (all to be found in second transition bag)
    • Running Shoes
    • Bib (provided). You might also need to wear this during the bike depending on your race.
    • Bib Securing Thing (You can buy a cheap elastic belt (recommend) or use safety pins (might stab self)
    • Race nutrition (goo / carb boost for transitions & quick energy)

So there you have it! This is quite literally everything you need to train for & equip yourself for an Olympic distance triathlon. From goal formulation to execution & specific equipment. The triathlon is not a simple task, nor is it cheap, but man does it feel good to take one of these down for the first time.

Send me pictures of how your training goes on my social media! I would love to learn from you & celebrate your progress. Now lets do this thing.