Your First Triathlon (Paperback)

by Joe Friel (Author) "Why do you want to do a triathlon?..." (more)
Key Phrases: Tri Optional, United States, Monday Tuesday Wednesday (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Every year thousands of people decide to take on a sprint triathlon for the first time. Now USA Triathlon and USA Cycling certified coach Joe Friel provides a complete guide to finishing that first triathlon. The same principles and training methodology that the pros and committed triathletes rely on are presented here in language that a beginner can easily understand. Friel maps a course to prepare for a sprint-distance triathlon in 12 weeks, with five hours of training each week, plenty of rest, and the beginnings of a lifestyle marked by a commitment to health and fitness and personal growth. Your First Triathlon provides the training plans, workouts, checklists, and instruction that first-timers need. Joe Friel is known for his thorough approach and with his help, what may have begun as a challenge to complete a sprint triathlon will grow into a love for this demanding yet rewarding sport.

From the Publisher

"Any new triathlete would greatly benefit from this book, and if you were to buy just one book for your first triathlon, this would be the one!" --TriNewbies.com

"If you are looking to get off to a great start in this sport, you have come to the right place! Joe Friel's wealth of knowledge in triathlon is astounding and he has a wonderful way of sharing that knowledge with all athletes from beginners to elite professionals." --Siri Lindley, Triathlon World Champion

"Whether you're a beginning triathlete or a seasoned pro, Joe Friel is the leading authority on triathlon training." --Ryan Bolton, Ironman winner & 2000 USA Olympic Team

"Joe takes the fear out of doing a first triathlon. Joe's practical experience and wealth of scientific knowledge about triathlon are the perfect combination." --Barb Lindquist, 2004 USA Olympic Team

"Joe Friel has spent most of his life in devotion to the understanding and teaching of sport. Joe has managed to focus on the key components to athletic success while weeding out the noise." -- Justin Daerr, professional triathlete

"25 years of active multisport coaching has proven that Joe Friel has an unprecedented understanding of endurance sports. As a multiple triathlon world champion, I would consider Joe as one of the leading figures in triathlon coaching today. Joe's professional approach and practical understanding of sports physiology has helped many endurance athletes of all abilities reach their full athletic potential." --Simon Lessing, 5-time Triathlon World Champion

"With his book, Your First Triathlon, Joe Friel uses his expert knowledge to help new triathletes use the same training principles that have made The Triathlete's Training Bible such a success." --Gale Bernhardt, 2004 Team USA Olympic Triathlon Coach

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: VeloPress (May 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931382859
• ISBN-13: 978-1931382854
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,965 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #8 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness > Triathlons
  #21 in	Books > Sports > Other Team Sports > Track & Field
  #24 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Cycling

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got me through my first triathlon!, November 24, 2007

By	Katie (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

I did my first triathlon (sprint distance) in September after three months training, and I was lucky enough to have found this book towards the beginning of my training. Needless to say I am hooked and can't wait to do another one!!! The book did an amazing job of preparing me by arming me with the information I needed to train properly, learn new sports (I had never biked or swam seriously before), eat right, and avoid injury, and yet avoided getting too "hard core" (when you do your first triathlon you keep wondering whether or not you're crazy). Joe keeps it manageable. There is a scary overwhelmed feeling you can get when you start reading about some of the crazy training schedules and techniques out there -- and he really clears through all that and gets to the essentials you need to know to make it through your training and cross the finish line. For example, his race day prep chapter really helped me visualize what to expect on the big day. Also, I really liked his approach to gear -- you can really get sucked into buying a bunch of stuff -- and he emphasizes ways to work with stuff you already have (ex: your old mountain bike) until you're more experienced and can better select the right gear to invest in. Overall, I really liked his fun-first emphasis, while providing what is clearly well-researched and high quality information. Two thumbs up!

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good for motivation....that's all, July 7, 2006

By	Bryan (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This book is great to help you get motivated and mostly teaches you that attitude is key to success. It will not teach swim, run or bike techniques, so don't waste the money if, like me, you are looking for actual instructions. Basically, the swim section tells you that you shouldn't learn alone, to go find an instructor. Thanks...I sure wouldn't have thought of the obvious without paying $20 for Joe to tell me! Hopefully his other books are better, but I sure won't pay to find out.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great, March 2, 2007

By	I. Furness "wordcandy70" (Fargo, ND) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

More than any other peice of equipment, this book definitely gave me what I needed to get to the starting line. It gave me the confidence that I would need to finish my first tri. The book was definitely for me, the person who really doesn't know much about how to even start my training. The drills were helpful and the training calendar worked well to get me to my goal.

But, it is not without it's flaws. As already mentioned in other reviews, swimming is not covered enough to really help you out. My only real struggle was in the swim and his lack emphasis may have led to some over confidence from the attitude her presents. Also, the simplistic way it covered the training regimine was not helpful; I never understood why the drills I was doing were going to help.