Been inspired to do an iron-distance triathlon for the first time? We're here to help. And while we can't guarantee you'll be swimming exactly like Lucy Charles-Barclay, biking like Magnus Ditlev or running like Anne Haug, we can provide the knowledge you'll need to help make your first full-distance an enjoyable success.
The great news is that whether you want to go full M-Dot with the Iron man brand, or fancy a smaller, local race in the UK, there's plenty of choice. But deciding where you want to make your debut is just the start. If race day is the celebration, then the journey to the start-line is often the real achievement. Taking charge of logistics, training and recovery has to fit around often already busy lives, and it demands some clear thinking and a willingness to be flexible, as not everything will always go to plan.
But when you get it right it makes crossing that finish line all the sweeter, and to help you on your way we've provided 30 of the most important tips for the first-time Iron man. So let's get cracking...
01 PICK A RACE THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU
Triathletes are spoilt for choice with iron-distance races these days, from pancake-flat sunkissed drag strips to windy and hilly challenges and exotic climes that you'd struggle to find on a map. Consider what you - and your supporters - will enjoy first time out.
02 PLANEARLY
It's not just about the race. If you're travelling afar, do you want to acclimatise beforehand or have downtime afterwards? Or both? Think flights, insurance, bike boxes, a spare derailleur hanger, hotels... Then put your feet up in compression socks, knowing it's all done.
03 HAVE A TRAINING PLAN
This story is from the June 2024 edition of 220 Triathlon.
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This story is from the June 2024 edition of 220 Triathlon.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How to Carb Load - Packing your working cells with carbohydrates in the build-up to your big race is a proven strategy to race stronger and faster...
Whichever distance triathlon you're racing, the intensity and duration of your activity will see your body tap into its stores of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) to power your effort. While it's possible to top up your tank on the go, it's better to start your event with your stores full to the brim.
The Olympic Champion - On 31 July, Great Britain's Alex Yee put together arguably the greatest one-day performance we have ever seen at an Olympic Games to win gold. And we were there at the finish line to speak to tri's new poster boy...
The opening line of the race report read how 20 years on from New Zealand’s first and only Olympic triathlon gold medal, Hayden Wilde had put in a careerbest performance to regain the title for his nation. Then Alex Yee comes around the corner.Yee’s charge, seemingly from nowhere on the final lap of the 10km run in Paris, didn’t just help him become the most decorated Olympic male triathlete of all time, and didn’t just cap a rivalry that has been building for six years, it left seasoned watchers of swim, bike, run in awe. It will go down as one of the greatest triathlon races; Yee, still just 26, as one of the greatest triathletes. His medals from Paris added to the two from Tokyo, leaving his haul at two gold, a silver and a bronze, and counting.
"I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF TRIATHLON"
British Triathlon CEO Ruth Daniels talks Paris, her plans to grow tri and her own personal goals... knees allowing
ZWIFT RIDE
£1,199.99 Zwift's new Ride is an indoor bike that might help you break your PB... but won't break the bank
PARIS SHOWED THE VALUE OF OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE
With the spotlight on triathlon like never before at these Games, debutant athletes talked about being overwhelmed by the unique environment
GAMES AT THE GAMES
After watching and enjoying the Olympic triathlon events, Brunt amused himself by playing the 'guess how far into each event I would die' game...
WHERE EAGLES DARE
With little heat prep, the wrong gear choice and a course-recce mistake, would experienced extreme triathlete Sean McFarlane soar like an eagle or drop like a stone in Italy?
HOW TO INCREASE RUN PACE WHEN FATIGUED
The ability to dig deep in the latter stages of a race helped Alex Yee achieve Olympic gold. Here Ben, a member of Team GB's coaching staff in Paris, explains how you too can find that extra gear...
BUYER'S GUIDE: BIKE COMPUTERS
Log your rides, find your way and monitor your multisport training with a quartet of impressive bike computers...
POLAR GRIT X2 PRO
\"You can't be anything other than impressed with the GPS, whose design is one of the significant changes to the V3\"
