If you were to purchase one book on Triathlon training, which book would it be? What about specific books on biking, swimming, running?
No question: Triathlon Training Bible. If I could pick a second, Going Long.
Thanks.
And well done with your despair.com link on the blog!!! They make me laugh even when I’ve already seen them 100 times before.
For IM Training, Going Long. For any other distance, Training Plans for Multisport Athletes, Gale Bernhardt.
The training bible is too complicated for me.
Try cruciblefitness, slowtwitch, trinewbies, beginnertriathlete, insidetriathlon, extremetri, ironmanlive ,etc. Lots of info.
Having said that, Triathlon 101, Triathlete’s Training Bible, and Swim, Bike, Run were useful to me. I got the TI Book and DVD, and my advice is just use the DVD. I’m about to get Gordo’s Going Long.
The best book for me (so far) was Becoming an Ironman. It was simply motivational and opened me up to what is possible and succumbing to mental limitations. I literally had a pausing moment where I was getting somewhat choked-up/emotional during each story/account. That doesn’t usually happen to me. Obviously, it is a non-training book. I enjoyed this one because I have yet to read a triathlon book that focuses on “Daddy’s Training” and everything else that is involved in being the man of the house.
I think, for a good number of people, triathlon training doesn’t need to be any more complicated than a week containing a long swim, long bike, long run, and whatever shorter and/or recovery days the week calls for (will vary). That could just be my naive, inexperienced opinion. Progression and consistency have been more important to me than a specific plan.
Here are some links to articles that have been included into shaping my training. Hopefully they can/will be helpful to you also.
http://www.xtri.com/article.asp?id=1152 (4 Parts)
http://vnews.ironmanlive.com/vnews/topstories/1085587490
http://vnews.ironmanlive.com/vnews/topstories/1086275211
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/triathlon_training/000433.php