Triathlon Training Basics contains all the information that new triathletes need in order to successfully complete a sprint or an Olympic distance triathlon. Written by Gale Bernhardt, Triathlete columnist, member of the USA Triathlon 2004 Olympic Team Selection Committee, and certified Elite Level Triathlon and Cycling Coach trainer, the book contains detailed training plans that are tailored to different levels of fitness in each of the swim, bike, and run categories. Strength training and stretching portions are included to illustrate proper form and the last chapter deals with injury prevention and treatment.
{"itemData":[{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":14.78,"ASIN":"1931382255","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":14.63,"ASIN":"1931382921","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":20.94,"ASIN":"1934030759","isPreorder":0}],"shippingId":"1931382255::uHoeYKIYZv8ojVSHh1cKnDmcn3dUVn%2FeJSPW5D6qQZdDwdnlChEUi0%2BMOTJvqJPhP%2FCrA0BxmZlJofyW6x%2BBOuA3juODniEmMik59RdJeHc%3D,1931382921::Y1%2FhSL1BlEJOWkfoCtviSP2N8nkaWaZ68gWJFTzg%2FajEL6coxmtfg3DYMdj5EnzCQDKPplyVLmDWnryFPWQ4VcnGpUoCm0U72qDfxY0urco%3D,1934030759::SZcstn6%2BFSZgFCFT2RlsPLJH029feJLokI74HLnvHilHlJ%2BvwTMdbyiMNsXuCM84YdIcTKbhsrRfB8Cr64AJPtOmR637DUGBoe8z1ulTeTrRgBR0XrqTeA%3D%3D","sprites":{"addToWishlist":["wl_one","wl_two","wl_three"],"addToCart":["s_addToCart","s_addBothToCart","s_add3ToCart"],"preorder":["s_preorderThis","s_preorderBoth","s_preorderAll3"]},"currenyCode":"USD","shippingDetails":{"xz":"same","yz":"same","xy":"same","xyz":"same"},"tags":["x","y","z"],"strings":{"addToWishlist":["add to wishlist","Add both to Wish List","Add all three to Wish List"],"addToCart":["Add to Cart","Add both to Cart","Add all three to Cart"],"showDetailsDefault":"Show availability and shipping details","shippingError":"An error occurred, please try again","hideDetailsDefault":"Hide availability and shipping details","priceLabel":["Price:","Price for both:","Price for all three:"],"preorder":["Pre-order this item","Pre-order both items","Pre-order all three items"]}}
Helping endurance athletes succeed is Gale's primary business goal; she can help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training to complete an event or compete at an event, you can use the same training principles that elite athletes use to improve your fitness. Gale makes it easy to succeed with her books and ready-to-use training plans for several different event distances and athletic goals.
Gale's first Olympic experience was as the personal cycling coach for an individual cyclist at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Her athlete won the 2000 USA Cycling Pro National Championship race, which was also an Olympic team selection event. Winning this event meant a secure spot on the 2000 Olympic team.
In 2004 Gale was selected from a small number of top coaches to be the 2004 USA Triathlon Olympic Coach for both the men's and women's triathlon teams for the Athens, Greece Olympic Games. This honor was in addition to the selection by USA Triathlon to serve as the 2003 Pan American Games Coach for both the men's and women's teams.
Gale has instructed or coached athletes since 1974. She has a BS degree from Colorado State University, is certified as a Level I Coach by USA Cycling and a Level III Coach by USA Triathlon. These are the highest certifications available in both sports. She was among the first, small, group of Level III triathlon coaches certified. She served on the USA Triathlon National Coaching Committee from 2000 to 2006. She served as the committee chair-elect, immediately after joining the committee and went on to serve as the chairperson for five consecutive years.
She served as one of only a select, few USA Triathlon World Cup coaches. Her success and experience lead her to being selected as a World Cup Coach for the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Sport Development squad. She has worked internationally for the ITU as a World Cup coach and presenting at coaching clinics and corporate team championships.
You can find plenty of supplemental information to help you succeed in her books Training Plans for Multisport Athletes, Triathlon Training Basics, Bicycling for Women and Training Plans for Cyclists.
Gale created the Workouts in a Binder(R) product line and co-authored the first edition of Workouts in a Binder(R) for Triathletes, which quickly sold-out four printings. These handy workout cards help athletes and coaches optimize workouts and are waterproof to prevent destruction from water, sweat and dirt. This product line is constantly expanding to include new workouts and new authors.
This book had lots of good starter information. It gave me a good foundation to really start planning for my first triathlon. The training routines were well divided into fitness levels. This is a good starter book to build a knowledge base on.
I've found other triathlon training books to be either too detailed, or too simplistic. This book really covers a lot of necessary information in an easy to follow manner for the beginner or intermediate athlete.
This book is OK but is certainly padded with a lot of irrelevant info. The main problem is that there are too many training plans with little to distinguish them. The criteria for "fit" vs. "unfit" are almost identical and the plans themselves seem very conservative. A previous reviewer mentioned the "team" training plans, and I agree that these are redundant.
Another issue is that there is minimal emphasis on swimming; for beginners, swimming is probably the most difficult discipline to get comfortable with, so this seems like a poor approach. There are some useful tips on bike fit and nutrition, yet probably far too much info for a beginner. I strongly recommend the training plans, info and general style of the "Complete Idiot's Guide" ahead of this book.
