Common Mistakes Triathletes Make (and how to keep it fun)

In today’s Find Your Edge podcast, we welcome Coach Marty and hear about his extensive experience in track and field as well as triathlon. We talk about common mistakes triathletes make and how to keep the sport fun.

Training Too Hard, Too Much

The first mistake is that triathletes commonly train too hard, too much. We talk about potential reasons why certain athletes can train a lot and improve, while the rest of us need additional rest and recovery to absorb their training effects. We also talk about the importance of coaching and zone training. One way or the other, we encourage people to methodically use a plan and take plenty of time to get to your race. 

Picking Races “Willy-Nilly”

Many people pick races because they sound fancy (like Ironman), or are in exotic locations, or even close to home. Oftentimes, they don’t do their research on the logistics of the course, the skill or fitness required to do that race, or weather. We talk about why it’s important to take a more step-wise approach to increasing fitness, gaining confidence, and being adequately prepared for races. 

Thinking that Triathlon is all about Ironman

Ironman branded events are intriguing to people, especially those who haven’t been in the sport before. But there’s a lot more to triathlon that just Ironman (who, incidentally, have been in the news a lot lately based on their debt). We definitely encourage athletes to explore pool swim races for anyone who’s not comfortable with open water swimming. There are a lot of great local races too, which are great stepping stones to training for longer distance events. Check out our episode on why you should race locally with Set Up Events owner Bill Scott here. 

Don’t Be that Tri-Geek

There are plenty of goofy things that triathletes do (trust me, we know as we’ve done them!). We talk about why walking around in your race kit might not be the cutest thing ever or why you look a little silly wearing your aero helmet when you’re not riding your bike. 

Getting Data Obsessed

As coaches, we LOVE data. But sometimes people get too data obsessed. We talk about why it’s important to get the “feel” for certain paces and effort levels as well as enjoying the ride (literally) instead of training like a robot. We also touch on how people can “data-dope” to make themselves “look” better on platforms like Garmin Connect and Strava. Plus, data collection is not a perfect process with watches not working perfectly. It’s also important to watch where you’re going instead of staring at your watch or power meter!

Our take home messages:

Don’t take yourself too seriously and be sure to keep it fun early. Also, to be a triathlete, you don’t have to do an Ironman. Know that fitness takes time to build and that getting a coach can help you work through that process in a smart and fun way. Find a community so you can learn, have fun, and build your fitness. 

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