Beginner Series 2 - Selecting your first triathlon
That Triathlon Show
Lessons from First Triathlon Experiences
This chapter shares personal experiences of newcomers in triathlon, emphasizing the lessons learned from their initial races. It offers insights on choosing shorter distances and local events to enhance the racing experience and reduce logistical challenges.
In part 2 of the Beginner Series, we discuss what you should think about and take into consideration when selecting and signing up for your first ever triathlon.
HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS:
- Why the choice of your first triathlon matters
- Picking the right distance (the most important variable)
- Swim format, course type, local vs. destination races, timing and season, and other important considerations
- How and where to find a good first triathlon
- Common mistakes related to first race selection
- Athlete stories
DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES:
- We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode.
- The shownotes for today's episode can be found at www.scientifictriathlon.com/beginner2/
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
- USA Triathlon Events Calendar
- British Triathlon Events Calendar
- Ahotu.com - global endurance event database
WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?
If you enjoyed this episode and missed part 1 of the series, be sure to give it a listen:
You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.
You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON:
- The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
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SPONSORS:
- Precision Fuel & Hydration help athletes personalise their hydration and fueling strategies for training and racing. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event. That Triathlon Show listeners get 15% off their first order of fuel and electrolyte products. Simply use this link and the discount will be auto-applied at the checkout.
SPONSORS:
- Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.
- Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial.
- Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.
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