You work hard and you like to play harder. As weekend-style warrior, we know you’re always on the lookout for something that promises a fun experience and tests your endurance. Multisport events promise that combo of vibe and thrive and the sport of Triathlon – swim, bike, run – is the perfect answer. Check out our guide to get started as a triathlete this weekend.

Find an Event & Commit

Before you set out with a hardcore training schedule, choose an event and sign-up. There’s nothing like a firm deadline to up the ante when it comes to commitment. Plus, not all triathlons are the same – distances and difficulty vary. If you’re just getting started, sign-up for a sprint triathlon. It’s typically shorter in length and offers the perfect experience to get you hooked and ready to move on to an Olympic distance.

Target Your Training

Once you know the distances for the swim, bike, and run – start training. You’ll want to have access to a pool to swim laps and build endurance and road bike to build up the miles. Running is as easy as lacing up the shoes and heading out the door. As a general rule, each week you should train in every discipline with two days of the week scheduled for combining the disciplines.

For example, you might run 3 miles Monday, ride 20 miles Tuesday, rest Wednesday, and swim a mile Thursday. Then, on the weekend you perform a swim and run on one day and a run and bike the other. The key is to start to get your body used to the movements all three sports require.

Practice Your Transitions

Weekend workouts should be longer and offer you the opportunity to learn to transition from one sport to another. Try a short open-water swim at a nearby lake followed by a longer run. Practice getting out of your wetsuit and into your shoes and dry clothes for the run. Likewise, hit the pavement to log 20 or so miles on the bike before switching to a run. While your legs will initially feel heavy as you start the run, you’ll get used to the effort necessary to swap disciplines on the fly during your race.

Commit to Your Training Program

Training for a triathlon is hard and takes a dedication only a weekend warrior can muster. But long days logging miles has a payoff – a successful completion of a triathlon and the medal to show for it.

For more tips on living well, check out our blog.