We recently came upon a great article in the Washington Post with tips for preparing for your first sprint triathlon.  Click here to read the full article.

With contributions from several of Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau’s running buddies and colleagues, the article gives lots of useful tips of the trade for anyone thinking of “trying a tri”.

Most importantly, a sprint triathlon features shorter distances than, say, an Ironman triathlon for each of the three segments of the race — swim, bike, and run.  The exact distances vary from race to race.  Because of the shorter distances involved, a sprint triathlon is a perfect “baby step” for someone new to triathlons.

The author suggests training at least four hours per week for at least three months, splitting those hours between cycling, swimming, and running.  The most time should be devoted to the bike since that is the largest part of the race; a good cycle time is key to overall performance.

It is also important to spend some time running, as well as swimming in open water.  Click here for Landau’s tips on open water swimming.

Finally, strength training should be included in the prep, as time permits.

You don’t need to go all-out on equipment and gear for your first tri.  Washington-area triathlete and tri coach Debi Bernardes reveals her bare-bones list of essentials:

• A bike (any kind, even a borrowed one), without toe cages
• A helmet
• Running shoes
• Swimsuit (worn alone or with shorts for the ride and run) or tri-suit
• Swim goggles
• Water bottle
• Race instructions and race bib

There are plenty of sprint triathlons in the upcoming months in the Virginia-Maryland-DC area for athletes to get their feet wet (pun intended!).  For more information on upcoming sprint triathlons, read the full article here.

There are also free clinics conducted locally for those thinking of trying a tri.  Transition Triathlon in Leesburg offers them periodically.  Visit their website for details.