BEGINNER TRIATHLETE: STARTING POINT

This article is for complete beginners in the sport of triathlon, but it could also serve well the athletes that have been doing triathlon for a while and would like to improve their results and take their performance to the next level. Wherever you currently stand - this article is your first step towards success in Triathlon.

Name dropping tends to get people's attention, so besides the 3 National Tri Teams officially using it, here are a few star athletes that have been implementing the Pose Method in their training for several years now: Andrew Johns, Tim Don, Hunter Kemper, Mark Jenkings, Leanda Cave, Jurgen Zack, the list can go on for a while. Would you like to climb up there too? Read on...

Before you can get into the actual training, you need to have a clear picture and thorough understanding of the sport that you will be or currently are training for.

1. Triathlon is a sport that consists of swimming, cycling and running. Triathlon is one event, not three separate sporting events.
Whether you're just starting or have been "triathloning" for some time, more likely than not, you already have a certain image of the sport of triathlon formed in your mind. The dominating view on Triathlon is one of perceiving it as three separate events that go on one after another. How can you expect fluidity of things when you see and perceive them as separate, independent and not connected events? All three events comprise one that is known as a sport of Triathlon. Accept that and approach it as such. It requires a change in your perception not just a nod of your head.

2. Triathlon is a skill based sporting activity.
It is widely accepted that the sport of Triathlon is all about endurance. But why is the focus on what is only a by-product? Endurance, just like the much talked about, and quite important VO2 consumption concept, will come to everyone whether they specifically work on developing it or not, because it is the by-product of your skill development. Just think about it. You will run, swim, bike, move longer, if you know how. EVERYTHING ELSE comes after KNOW HOW.

The truth about VO2 is it can only be developed so much and there is no point in working on its development because it will happen regardless while you're training and working on developing your skill.

3. To be the best triathlete you can be - focus on learning the techniques of Triathlon.
In the age of general expectance of getting immediate results and gratification, people got completely blindsided by their own forceful ambitions of becoming faster, better, bigger RIGHT NOW! Let's tweak something here and there, let's drink some shakes and eat some gel, let's find something to point our finger at. If you're slow - it must be because you're drinking less water, if you can't handle the bike - of course it's because the tires are too thin... Swimming too slow? You must've not shaved close enough... It's an exaggeration of course, but it should clearly show you the ridiculousness of the situation.

Everything starts at learning how to do it, learning the technique. If one doesn't know how to do something, how can he possibly do it well? Knowing how to do something with a correct technique allows you to keep on doing it longer and allows you to strive to get better at it. Without the technique, without developing one's skill level of using that technique, the progress can only go so far.

While in swimming the technique is considered somewhat important and everybody works on their swimming technique, cycling technique is on a much lower level of consideration, and when it comes to running, until recently the idea of "learning how to run" was laughed at.

So here's your key to success - focus on learning the technique, first, and there will be no limit to how far you can take your skill. Remember however, you can go only as far as you allow yourself to go.

Article by Dr. Nicholas Romanov
Composed by L. Romanov