Triathletes, rejoice! For the first time, USA Triathlon, its elite athletes, and the nation’s most respected coaches share their secrets, strategies, and advice for every stage, every event, and every aspect of the world’s most demanding sport. From training to technique, fueling to recovery, if it’s essential to the sport, it is covered in Complete Triathlon Guide.
In this guide, you’ll find invaluable bike-handling techniques straight from the pros, learn how to assess running form and improve running cadence and stride, troubleshoot your freestyle swim stroke, and shave seconds off starts and transitions. And you’ll go inside the sport for expert instruction and personal insights from triathlon’s biggest names:
Joe Friel
Gordon Byrn
Bob Seebohar
Sage Rountree
Ian Murray
Sara McLarty
Linda Cleveland
George Dallam
Steve Tarpinian
Krista Austin
Iñigo Mujika
Alicia Kendig
Barb Lindquist
Christine Palmquist
Graham Wilson
Jackie Dowdeswell
Jess Manning
Joe Umphenour
Karl Riecken
Katie Baker
Kristen Dieffenbach
Kurt Perham
Mathew Wilson
Michael Kellmann
Mike Ricci
Scott Schnitzspahn
Sergio Borges
Sharone Aharon
Suzanne M. Atkinson
Timothy Carlson
Yann Le Meur
With Complete Triathlon Guide you’ll enhance your training regimen with the most effective workouts, including stage-specific programs for swimming, cycling, and running; programs for strength, flexibility, and endurance; tactics that address individual weaknesses; and advice on tapering to ensure you’re in peak physical condition on race day.
From the latest on equipment and technology to preventing injuries and dehydration, this guide has you covered. Whether you’re gearing up for your first race or you’re a hard-core competitor looking to stay ahead of the pack, Complete Triathlon Guide is the one book you should not be without.
Part I Training
Chapter 1 Developing Your Seasonal Training Plan
Chapter 2 Customizing Training for Specific Groups
Chapter 3 Yoga and Flexibility for Triathletes
Chapter 4 Strength Training for Triathletes
Chapter 5 Training for Triathlon Swimming
Chapter 6 Training for Triathlon Biking
Chapter 7 Training for Triathlon Running
Chapter 8 Recovery and Overtraining
Chapter 9 Exercise Physiology for Triathletes
Chapter 10 The Art and Science of Tapering
Part II Technique
Chapter 11 Bike Handling Techniques from the Pros
Chapter 12 Setting the Perfect Cadence and Stride Rate
Chapter 13 Assessing Your Running Form
Chapter 14 Improving Your Transitions
Chapter 15 Troubleshooting Your Freestyle
Part III Competitive Strategy
Chapter 16 Open Water Race Tactics
Chapter 17 Strategies for Drafting and Non-Drafting Races
Chapter 18 Performance Tips for Any Distance
Chapter 19 Mental Strategies for Training and Racing
Chapter 20 Traveling for Competition
Part IV The Triathlon Lifestyle
Chapter 21 Fitting Triathlon into Busy Lives
Chapter 22 Choosing the Ideal Gear
Chapter 23 Choosing a Coach
Chapter 24 Developing Young Triathletes
Chapter 25 Dealing with Common Injuries
Chapter 26 Nutrition for the Endurance Athlete
Chapter 27 Hydrating During Training and Competition
Chapter 28 Beyond Swim, Bike, Run
Chapter 29 Long-Term Triathlete Development
Linda Cleveland MS, CSCS, is a USA Triathlon LII certified coach and the coach development manager at USA Triathlon. She has a BS degree in exercise fitness management with a minor in health promotion from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh and an MS in exercise and wellness from Arizona State University. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Arizona State University; worked in corporate wellness at Motorola in Phoenix; and coached triathletes, cyclists, and runners since 2004.
Linda has been with USA Triathlon since 2005. As the coach development manager, she is responsible for overseeing a variety of programs in the education department, including coaching certification clinics and curriculum, mentorship opportunities in elite coaching, performance coaching newsletters, USAT University, webinars, and youth clinics. Since joining USAT, she has made the coaching education program one of the most highly regarded in any national governing body. Linda offers high-performance coaches the opportunity to learn what it takes to work with world-class athletes. She has also served as a head coach at several ITU races, including continental cups, world cups, and world championship series races.
Linda keeps her skills fresh by coaching age-group triathletes and training for triathlons herself. Linda resides in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, son, and two big dogs. She enjoys hiking, camping, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, and spending time in the great outdoors.
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is the national governing body for multisport in the United States. The organization serves as the sanctioning authority for more than 3,500 diverse events ranging from grassroots to national championship races across the country. The organization works to create interest and participation in a variety of programs, including camps, clinics, races, and educational opportunities. USA Triathlon’s 140,000-plus members are athletes of all ages, coaches, officials, parents, and fans who strengthen multisport.
On the elite level, USA Triathlon is responsible for the selection and training of teams to represent the United States in international competition, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan Am Games, and Summer Olympic Games. It conducts national camps and clinics and provides coaching education programs.
On the developmental level, USA Triathlon fosters grassroots expansion of the sport, which is facilitated by the sanctioning of age-group events and triathlon clubs. National and regional championships are held for triathletes from ages 7 to 80-plus.
The USA Triathlon mission is to encourage, support, and enhance the multisport experience in the United States while promoting fitness and health through exercise, the spirit of competitiveness, and the pursuit of excellence.