So, you’ve decided to change your life. You want to be fitter. You want to take care of your body. You chose to start with training for a triathlon.

Triathlon training is no easy task. It requires full focus, strong will, determination, and the spirit to continue and not quit. I’ve known a lot of people who jumped into the triathlon bandwagon only to get drowned by laziness, wrong expectations and failure to prioritize. Getting into the triathlon is committing yourself into a life of discipline, self-control and

1.      Train Your Body

This is a no-brainer. Triathlon involves running, biking and swimming. You cannot complete a single lap if you are not fit. I should not be dwelling much into this as triathlon equals training.

As a first-timer, you need to find a good trainer. Though some friends will be very happy to help you out, getting your own, and paid, personal trainer is the better choice. Triathlon training requires time. You do not want to distract your friends. Though you can ask them questions time-to-time, it is still best not to disturb their training.

1.      Train Your Mind

80% of those who failed or quit on their triathlon trainings are those who do not have strong will. You need to train your mind. Know what is expected of you. Learn to be patient. Be open enough that everything will always not go as planned.

A planned running session on the hills may be cancelled due to heavy rains. Switch to the treadmill. Be quick to adapt to changes. Those who cannot adapt to rapid changes eventually fail.

2.      Know What to Eat – And What to Avoid

Your personal coach can help you on this. Knowing what to eat helps you get rid of excess fats faster and build muscles. Protein-rich foods are on your top-list.

It is also very important to note that eating right does not mean starving yourself. Starving one’s self is never healthy. A quick tip when you go hungry and it is not yet your time to eat – eat lots of fruits and vegetables when you experience hunger or have the urge to eat during training time.

3.      Set Your Priorities

Do not forget that triathlon is not your whole life – training should not be treated as your life as well. Most of those who attempt to put triathlon in their way of life failed miserably because of missed priorities.

An angry wife who called you during your cardio-training demanding that you fix the month-old defective window. A girlfriend who is upset because you have cancelled a romantic date due to a swimming session – five times. A son who quit from school saying he does not feel being loved since you do not have time for him. These are recipes of failure.

Remember that aside from the triathlon life, you still have your friend, family, social life, and work that you need to attend to. Create a schedule to know your priorities.

4.      Enjoy What You Are Doing

Training will take a big chunk of your free time. You need to enjoy what you are doing. Enjoy the trainings. Have fun during your sessions.

You are not training to get better biceps, or have bigger muscles. You are training because training makes you happy. Sweating makes you happy. You are not training merely for the thought of training.

You will be spending 2-4 hours on training per day. If you do not enjoy that, you might as well quit on your triathlon dreams.

5.      Don’t Forget Your Other Hobbies and Interests- games, leisure etc.

You are a person. Not a machine. Not a racing bike. You have feelings and other things that you love aside from running, biking and swimming.

Never forget to do the things that will make you happy. Though you are happily training (see no. 5), having fun from other activities is also needed. So pickup that book, grab that video game controller, go to your favourite laser tag place, and have fun! Find ways to do the other things that you want.

In my case, playing in the casino 2-3 hours a week is one of my favourite past times. It gives me the sense of control. It forces my mind to make calculations. It keeps my brain on top condition. However, I am on an island where there is no casino. As a native Arabic speaker, I frequently visit one of the leading sites for online casino in the arabic internet- online-casino-arabic.com. It’s one of the best online casino review sites around, and it offers full casino experience review- they detail and explain the online casino, online roulette, slot machines and everything else. Naturally they cover the casino world in the arabic language (casino online is كازينو اون لاين in arabic), and help those in the arab countries also enjoy the gaming experience. Take your time to visit!

6.      Call a Friend – But Don’t Get Too Attached

Having someone to train with is a good idea. We are humans after all. By nature, we perform better with companions. However, take note that you should not get too comfortable with your training buddy. You should also learn to train alone or train with others aside from your usual training partner. The reason for this is based on observations that people who have training partners who quit has a higher chance of not pushing through with the training.

7.      Have a Good Night Sleep

Sleep is very important. It is the time for your mind and body to rest and recuperate. A 6-8 hours of straight sleep per day can very much help you on the next training day.

These are the 8 tips on succeeding with your first triathlon without secluding yourself from the rest of the world. Train to increase your circle of friends. Train to have fun. Train for your health. Most importantly, train for your loved ones.  

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