Are you ready take on a new life changing challenge, and race your first sprint triathlon? Or, have you signed up for a sprint triathlon and you are looking for the perfect plan? Check out the FTT 8 Week Sprint Training plan. In 8 weeks with about 5 hours a week you will arrive to the start line of your first sprint triathlon ready to go. Continue reading FTT 8 Week Sprint Training Plan is Here!
Have a Marvelous Monday! Let’s do this! We all could use a bit of motivation to get rolling on Monday. On Mondays, I like to share a Mantra or short inspirational message. If the message resonates with you, use to motivate yourself in training or life. Do you have your own awesome Mantra? Please share it below in the comments.
My local YMCA this weekend, hosted an Indoor Triathlon. I wasn’t able to participate, but on the way out from my workout, I was able to see the first participants. I was truly inspired by what I saw. People of all different abilities, body types, and experience having fun and competing. 40% of the participants were first time triathletes. It truly moved me to see people being active, and trying new something new.
How does this tie into the quote above about purpose? Watching the inspiring people compete in that event, reminded me why I started this blog. The purpose of this blog is to support and inspire others who want to become triathletes. My purpose is to provide any support I can to get new triathletes to the finish line. One of the best feelings in my life is crossing the finish of a race I wasn’t sure I could finish before started training. Finishing your first triathlon or a new distance is making the impossible, possible. That’s the feeling I want to help others achieve.
For the last couple of months, I have been considering whether to keep this blog going. The traffic and stats aren’t growing as I would like. It’s difficult to come up with quality relevant content. As of this weekend, I decided all of that stuff doesn’t matter. What matters is being a service to others. If I can help 100,000 people or only 5, it’s worth it. I feel it is my purpose to help others improve their life, by completing their first triathlon.
Welcome to Fantastic Finish Photo Friday. We want to bask in the awesomeness of your finish photos. A finish photo captures a moment in time, where you overcame the challenges of the race and training, and reached your goal. The feeling of elation as you cross the line is what keeps us pushing our own limits. Please consider sharing your own photo to inspire others who are working toward their own finish.
This week’s photo is from 
Dr. David Powers:
David:
Merry Monday! Let’s do this! We all could use a bit of motivation to get rolling on Monday. On Mondays, I like to share a Mantra or short inspirational message. If the message resonates with you, use to motivate yourself in training or life. Do you have your own awesome Mantra? Please share it below in the comments.
The workouts that seem hard now, will soon be easy, if you keep training. Maybe you can’t run a mile without stopping, or swim a 100M without be winded. Don’t give up, keep training, and soon your will be amazed by your progress.
I’m currently training for my fifth marathon. When I look back to the training for my first, it’s a night and day difference. My first 18 mile run ended in disaster. I had never run that far, and at mile 14 both of my calves seized, and my wife had to come pick me up. That was a hard day for me. In my current training plan I have three 20 milers. I can complete them with little struggle. I still bring my phone, in case of disaster.
What workouts used to be difficult for you, that you can now complete with ease?
Are you ready to take on a triathlon? Fantastic, let’s get you started. Below are top ten tips to have a great first race. Check out the links embedded in the tips to dig deeper into each topic. Happy training, and I hope you have great first triathlon.
1. To get started, Sign up for a race
Signing up to the race sounds kind of obvious, but is very important. First, signing up tells your brain it’s go time.With that race day looming in the near future you will be more committed to train. . Second, choose a race that gives you the proper amount of time to train, but not lose your motivation. A training cycle of 8-12 weeks works well for new triathletes. Lastly, after you sign up, tell your family and friends. They will know you are serious about your new goal, and be your support system.
Happy President’s day Monday! Let’s do this! We all could use a bit of motivation to get rolling on Monday. On Mondays, I like to share a Mantra or short inspirational message. If the message resonates with you, use to motivate yourself in training or life. Do you have your own awesome Mantra? Please share it below in the comments.
It’s hard to fail, but it is worse never to have started –
T. Roosevelt
I sure Teddy Roosevelt would have been an Ironman, if the races existed in his time. He was a true hard man. As a child he was sickly from asthma, and instead of accepting his fate, he trained to get stronger. He eventually became very physically fit, and a celebrated boxer. His physical accomplishments were made from pure power of will as he was not physically gifted.
What I admire most about TR is his tenacity and fearlessness. When TR decided he was going to accomplish a goal, he went after 100%, and no man could deny him. That same will is required to take on big challenges like IM.
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS A HUGE AMOUNT OF SELF PROMOTION!
The First Time Triathlete facebook is now live!
I know, hold you excitement. Why does this matter to you? Good question. Along with the great information and inspiration posted on this blog. I share well curated articles from other sources relating to triathlon and endurance sports. I know your facebook wall is already barraged with memes and cat videos. I promise to only share high quality useful information. (If I get a cat riding a tri bike video, it will be shared.)
Are you sold yet? Click here to like the FTT facebook page.
Ok, enough of the used car approach, here’s the real reason for First Time Triathlon and the facebook page. One of my greatest passions is endurance sports. I love the sense of adventure and achievement of training for and completing a race. You get to know your true self when you push your limits for a goal. A goal you are not sure if you can complete when you start training. The feeling of euphoria and pride when crossing the finish line is what I want to share with anyone who willing to sign up for their first race.
I need your help to reach these new triathletes. If you are a seasoned triathlete or training for your first race, you are inspiring someone else. They may not tell you directly, but they respect you for pursuing a big positive goal. Some of these people are your facebook friends, and may want to start their own triathlon journey. These are the people I would love to assist in seeking their own goals.
Thanks for being awesome, and liking the FTT Face book page!
Merry Monday! Let’s do this! We all could use a bit of motivation to get rolling on Monday. On Mondays, I like to share a Mantra or short inspirational message. If the message resonates with you, use to motivate yourself in training or life. Do you have your own awesome Mantra? Please share it below in the comments.
One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure. – William Feather
I love this quote, because it talks about adventure as a mindset. It’n not the cliche “Life is an Adventure” ads you get from shoe companies. Instead, he says to get more out of life treat it like an adventure. If you are stuck in a rut, find a different rut to jump into. Be aware of your life around you, and look for opportunities to explore. Take your daily routine and look for ways to add variety and excitement.
Five suggestions to add adventure to your routine:
1. Change your commute. Drive home a different way. Take the bus. Walk or ride your bike. Change you view point on the same old way to work.
2. Try a new food. Go to an Indian/Ethiopian/Spanish restaurant. Taste food from another culture. You can learn a lot about another culture by tasting their food. If you enjoy cooking, try the recipes at home.
3. Workout in a different place. Change up that daily 5 mile run, with a new route. Do your yoga practice on the beach, or in a park. Instead of lifting weights at the gym, get outside and lift some rock and branches.
4. Lunch Al fresco. Are you normally eating your lunch in a crammed break room? Go outside and eat your lunch. If there is a park near by even better. The fresh air and change or scenery will get your brain recharged.
5. Plan a weekend adventure. One Saturday a month, break your routine and try something new. Take a short trip. Go for a hike. Check out a museum. Adventure shouldn’t be reduced to a family vacation one week a year.
Do you have any suggestions to add adventure to your daily routine?
The number one fear of new triathletes is swimming. Unless you learned to swim as a child and have been around water your entire life, learning to swim as an adult can be daunting. It is perfectly rational to have this fear. As humans we can survive in water, but its not our natural habitat. Did you know the average dolphin is 80% efficient moving through the water, and an world class swimmer is only 12%.
The key to learning to swim and overcoming your fear is to become more comfortable in the water. If you can learn to relax and not fight the water, you ability to swim will increase quickly.
Here three steps to get you more comfortable in the water, and eventually swimming. You have to get comfortable first to make progress in your swimming:
Merry Monday! Let’s do this! We all could use a bit of motivation to get rolling on Monday. On Mondays, I like to share a Mantra or short inspirational message. If the message resonates with you, use to motivate yourself in training or life. Do you have your own awesome Mantra? Please share it below in the comments.
Don’t just think, act!
I am personally guilty of not following this mantra. I will anylize and over think what I really want until it doesn’t happen. This self sabotage is counter productive and borders on insanity. I don’t know if its fear of success or failure that causes this indecision. When I break this pattern and get into action, I feel better, and my life improves. I am in a constant battle with this resistance.
I know I’m not the only one. What thing in your life are you putting off, and over thinking? I’m not talking about putting off the laundry or getting your car inspected. What is it you really want, that you can act on now! Fear hates action. Take that first step toward what you want now, and the path will open. You have to take action right now, or the resistance will pull you back into indecision.
Let’s tie this into triathlon. If you goal is to complete your first race. Sign up for a race now. Are you an terrible swimmer? Sign up for a swim lesson. Don’t have a bike. Ask a couple friends, if they have one to lend. Most problems are caused by lack of resourcefulness, not lack of resources. Fight the resistance, act now, and take that first step.
First Time Triathlete 
