Triathlon Beginner

Getting your training started

Recently I had a conversation with someone who plays rugby and basketball but wants to target an Ironman.  Awesome, I said, how are you going to fit in your training? “I’m not sure”, was the reply, “I’m struggling to get things going”.

Getting started can be daunting at times no matter your sport, exercise regime or target event.  Hands up those who love pre-season training??  Not many hands!  Sometimes the thought of getting off the couch and doing some exercise is overwhelming so I thought I’d post a few of my strategies and thoughts below, I hope this is helpful!?

Christmas Training

Another year has gone by and things have been very busy on the Tri-Planet front.  I’ve been doing a lot of work with athletes on swim and run technique, keep an eye on the website and Facebook next year for useful pieces of information that will really help you.  I’ve also had the privilege of helping with the TriNZ High Performance Junior South Island development weekend as well coaching and training the juniors for the Canterbury Triathlon Club. 

Auckland Triathlon Bike Course

Last month I was up in Auckland visitIng friends and meeting up with the Triathlon NZ director of coaching.  While I was there I hired a mountain bike and cycled the bike course for the Auckland triathlon as part of my race preparation.  For those of you who are entering the race and have not had the opportunity to cycle the course then check out the information below.  I can tell you that it is a hilly course but the climbs are short and there are only a couple of steepish ones.  I've also added some photos of some of the climbs for you to visualize, as well as the elevations.

Outdoor Fitness

I’ve had plenty of time to think over the Christmas break, which is sometimes bad news for my Tri-Planet athletes, but after too many bowls of Christmas pudding and too much beer I’ve come up with a training programme to work off those Christmas mince pies! The Outdoor Fitness programme is designed for people of all abilities and is ideal for anyone wanting to lose some weight or get back into fitness after an extended period of inactivity. It’s also a good way to start getting your fitness up to speed for the winter sporting season. Unlike the triathlon programme this course requires nothing other than a drink, shoes and some cloths to exercise in, although when the sun is out make sure you bring your cool sunglasses.
 

This programme involves a variety of training techniques and principals that will involve resistance training, circuits, running/walking, plyometric and more all done outside (rain or shine). These are designed to get you fit, lose weight and build some core strength, however I do advise that if you have not done any exercise for quite some time then please check with your doctor first to make sure all is in good working order. Furthermore I’m going to organising a few social outings along the way to add some fun to all the training.

Nutrition is an important part of any training so as part of the programme I will also provide you with some basic nutrition information to help you get the right food into your system, the right fuel = more energy and a healthier body. It will also aid muscle recovery after exercise and helps with weight loss. For professional nutrition advice I recommend you go to NutriFit and purchase the ebooks, they provide excellent in-depth nutrition advice and nutrition plans.

The programme will be run in Dudley park, Rangiora for 8 weeks and will involve 3 training sessions a week, for more information or to book go to the Outdoor Fitness programme. If you have any questions feel free to contact me here: https://coachcraigmoore.com/contact/

Beginner Triathletes

Starting out in any multi-sport event is definitely a challenge and can be quite daunting.  I remember my first triathlon in Clontarf, Dublin.  Believe it or not I was wearing speedos and a t-shirt in the race!  I had no idea what to wear and what to do, but I loved it and was instantly hooked.  

My transitions must have been the slowest in the world, it was a pool swim and trying to put on a t-shirt after the  swim was an absolute nightmare.  It fell like someone was holding onto my shirt and rolling it up!  I was so excited about doing the race but had no idea about training.  I was cycling to work . running and swimming so progression to a triathlon didn't seem that unrealistic.  I had an old 10 speed road bike with a steel frame and the gear change levers were on the frame of the bike!  Still I guess we all started somewhere. 

 That's where Tri-Planet evolved from, Richard Cattle and I came up with the concept, as we realised there was very limited support for beginner athletes.  So we put together some beginner  Boot camps to cater for triathlon, duathlon and multi-sport.   

And its been so rewarding seeing people achieve their goals or complete something they never believed could be possible.  The best part is that we are there with the athletes on the day of the race to not only help them to prepare for the race but to also be their number 1 supporter.  Its so amazing seeing people from all walks of life finishing a triathlon, and then there is the post race party which is always great fun and a chance to swap some race stories.

Being able to train, advise and support the athletes as well as share knowledge that has been gained over a number of years of training and racing in triathlon, is an important part of coaching.  We also provide some weekly coached Tri-Planet club training sessions, due to the demand of our Bootcampers who wanted to continue training and take their racing further.  It really is a great community of fun, dedicated people who give up a lot of time to take part in one of the most rewarding sports you can do.

So don't be afraid to take that step and do something that your friends might tell you is crazy, its very achievable doing the 'swimming, running thing', and it really gets you fit and improves your general well being.  I've always been involved in multiple sports at one time like swimming, cricket, basketball, mountain biking so triathlon has really helped me to focus on one sport (but still train for multiple disciplines!), plus I can race at my level and just compete against myself if I want!

Craig Moore

Tri-Planet Coach

Tri-Planet begins a new era in New Zealand

Tri-Planet is excited to be starting up triathlon and duathlon coaching in Christchurch, New Zealand.

After a number of successful 8 week camps in Ireland where athletes competed and finished their first ever triathlon, Tri-Planet is looking forward to working with new athletes and helping them to achieve their goals.  I'm currently putting together some training camps and sourcing some venues.  Triathlon New Zealand is onboard with what Tri-Planet is doing for beginner triathletes and duathletes.  Upcoming camps and training to be annouced shortly. 

 

Achieve your goals with Coach Craig Moore.