Your First Triathlon, 2nd Ed.: Race-Ready in 5 Hours a Week Kindle Edition

did a sprint triathlon last year on my own with a mish-mash of on line advice and a free downloadable training plan. I don't recommend doing that. I made lots of mistakes, and my run was physically and mentally miserable. This year I decided to dish out some money and find a source that had a better training plan and contained helpful advice. I recently completed my first sprint tri using this book and plan on using it again next season. There is a variety of beginner schedules based on your abilities as a swimmer,cyclist, or runner for both the sprint and Olympic distance. If you have little to no background in all three, there is a great plan for that too. The training plan is well organized and easy to follow once you get into the swing of things. One reviewer here complained at length about the workouts being too complex. I'd usually just write a brief note on my hand as a reminder (ex:1 min. walk, 3 min. run for 20 minutes) or simply stick a post-it on the back of my phone. Easy.I almost gave this book 4 stars for Friel's dismissal of using a wetsuit. He states your first race should ideally be in a pool, and that wetsuits are expensive and too technical. As someone who wears a wetsuit and LOVES it, this advice drove me nuts. What if you can't find such a race near you? What if you want to do an open water swim and the temp. might be questionable, or the race requires a wetsuit? Wet suits are not just about keeping you warm. They make you significantly more buoyant and streamlined. I found a great deal on one for under $100 and the company was very helpful regarding finding the right fit. I also ended up having some bad moments during the open water swim (a mental, not physical thing) and was grateful for my wet suit as it allowed me to float on my back and take a breather.I highly recommend getting your own copy of the book. My copy is pretty dog-eared from referring to it for a solid three months.Good luck on your tri journey – you can do it!!(BTW, my run felt GREAT this time around.)

I bought this book in order to train for my first triathlon and I am so glad I did! I also read "Triathlon for Beginners" by Dan Golding, which had a lot of great information and tips, but didn't include a detailed training plan. So I also read this book, and found a lot of complimentary information. Joe Friel seems like he is very experienced in training people new to triathlon. There are many different training plans depending on whether you want to train for a sprint or Olympic distance event, and whether you already are an experienced athlete in swimming, cycling, or running. Even though I have done a lot of recreational cycling and a bit of running (5K's and the like), I went with the Sprint Plan for Beginners, which assumes essentially no previous experience. This plan started out really slowly, and I am convinced could get a couch potato through a triathlon and finish with a smile on your face.My only complaints: 1) this book assumes the sprint swim distance is 400 m, and most races I've found have 750 m sprint distance swims, and 2) I bought the kindle version of this book, which made reading the training tables a little more difficult. They're still formatted correctly, but you can't see everything laid out neatly on one page, and you can't flip back and forth between plans. I ended up creating my own table on paper, using the info from the book. No big deal.Bottom line, I would highly recommend this book for someone who is wondering if they can really do a triathlon, because this book definintely makes it possible! I finished my first triathlon with a huge smile on my face and immediately went home and signed up for another one.

I bought a couple books in preparation for my first triathlon. This book was without a doubt the best. I mainly wanted some information on how to train properly and its all in here. There discussion of what gear to get and it is classified by "must have" and "nice to have". There are training plans for sprint and olympic distances and also training plans that cater to your strengths if you come from a swim, bike, or run background.There was a noticeable difference in progress after I switched to Joe Friel's training program. The goal of the book is that you finish your first triathlon with a smile on your face when you cross the finish line. If you read the book and follow the instructions you definitely will.

If you have never done a triathlon before, this book is a must. I had just purchased the Triathlete's Training Bible, and purchased this as a supplement, and it helped me get the most out of the more advanced Training Bible. He goes through things that you would not necessarily expect like "how to set up your transitions".I only wish that the sport specific details were a little more clear. Like he won't be able to teach you how to actually swim, bike, or run from this book.

With this book I successfully did my first triathlon with a huge smile across my face! I was recommended this book by a professional triathlete. The training is straight forward and easy to follow. He goes into a lot of detail about all aspects of the sport. It prepared me mentally and physically for my race. I couldn't have asked for a better first triathlon experience. Be consistent with training and you'll do great.

It's easy to jump into the deep end when it comes to Triathlon training. There's so much information available and us Tri-types usually love to get really in depth. I was reading a sample of Joe's book The Triathlete's Training Bible when he said something like... "if this is your first, go read Your First Triathlon." So I did, and I'm glad. It was very informative and encouraging. The answers for gear, nutrition, types of workouts, etc., all of it was great. There are training plans included that I used for a month or two before finding a local coach to help. I'd definitely recommend it for a first timer!

Very quick and easy read. He explains everything you need to know and all the acronyms. Though I am an experienced runner and cyclist, having someone explain how this can translate to triathlons in such a straightforward way is really useful.The training plans can be a bit confusing at first to understand, but writing it down for yourself solves that, also means you can fit it into your week and lifestyle.The focus on just finishing and enjoying your first triathlon is a great angle to read the book from. As it's not trying to get you to push yourself as hard as you can.Great read for a triathlon newbie (or even someone who has done one and needs to refine their training plan).

A great little book to help answer some of the questions you might have going into your first triathlon. Also includes some training plans to get you ready.

I have signed up for my first triathlon and was just a little worried about the combination of training to do and how to schedule it. The book dispelled a few myths and has put me on the right track.lots of common sense tips which leave you thinking why didn't i think of that. Also gave me the confidence knowing that my current level on two of the disciplines is already good enough to be considered "experienced"in the context of the book. My brother who has completed an Ironman had a thumb through and his comment was "that's all you need to know in one place" .

Really helpful. Goes into depth at important points

A superb introduction to the world or triathlon training. It navigates you easily through the 3 disciplines and provides easy to follow routines to get you ready to undertake your 1st triathlon. A really useful source of information with valuable tips to help you ease your nerves on race day. Highly recommended!