Happy New Year 2019!

With a new year comes goals – new and old ones – just waiting to be accomplished. Right?

And, perhaps you’re thinking that THIS is the year that you’re finally going to do that triathlon. But. You’re scared. I get it. But. You got this. Really. (Well, for a sprint tri, anyway.)

Most city dwellers can do a sprint triathlon. It’s the shortest distance in the world of triathlons. Let me, your City Bike Coach, break it down for you:

THE SWIM
If you can swim, and do so continuously for about 15 to 20 minutes, you can manage this part of the course. For a sprint triathlon’s swim distance of about 300 meters, a SLOW time would be about 8-9 minutes. So if you can swim without stopping for longer, you’re golden.

THE BIKE
If you can ride your bike for 50 to 65 minutes at a consistent pace without stopping, then you can complete the cycling leg. The distance is usually about 10 miles. A loop around Central Park – the full, 6+-mile loop – should take about 24 – 30 minutes IF you’re slow. See? Not so bad, is it?

THE RUN
Ah. The run. So, if you live in a city like New York, and you walk at least 30 to 60 blocks a day, you’ve got the running part down. A sprint tri’s running distance is 5K, about three miles. Even if you WALKED it, you could do it in about 45-50 minutes.

Now, these hypothetical times for each leg of a triathlon won’t get you anything but DONE. If you want to seriously compete and place within your age group, that’s a different matter completely.

My job here is to share with you that it IS possible for you to complete your first sprint triathlon.

*Make sure to check with your physician or health care professional before embarking on your first triathlon. This article is purely for informational purposes.