fbpx ;

Can You Do a Tri in 12 Weeks? This Book Says Yes (& We’re Giving It Away)

12-week-triathleteI may have run a marathon, but the idea of doing a triathalon still intimidates me. I know a lot of people who do them regularly (including our very own FBG Kristen—woot, woot!) and love them. No matter the distance, the thing that really gets me is the gear and, to be honest, the lingo. A brick? A transition area? A sprint vs. an Olympic? There’s much to be learned. But if you’re a newbie like me, your life just got a whole lot easier with The 12-Week Triathlete by Tim Holland (you may recognize Holland from his time training Good Morning America host JuJu Chang to compete in her first triathlon).

This book isa guide to triathlon training for triathletes of all levels. As someone who doesn’t know much about the sport besides that it involves a swim, a bike and some running, it was a great read for decoding the aforementioned lingo and getting a really good sense of what it takes to train for and complete a triathlon. With chapters on each part of the race, nutrition, strength training, flexibility, and what to do before, during and after the race, Holland pretty much covers it all. He tells you what gear is essential and what you can save on—an incredibly beneficial part of the book for any tri newbie.

He also lays out detailed 12-week triathlon training plans for all the of the tri distances (sprint, Olympic, half Ironman and full Ironman), each with a beginner, intermediate and advanced option. While the advanced plans are complicated enough to make your head spin a bit, the beginner options for all of the distances—especially the shorter ones—are extremely realistic and doable. In 12 weeks, his plan can literally take a mildly active person into a sprint triathlete with not even that much of a time commitment. Cool beans.

What’s really nice about this book, too, is that there are pictures! Lots and lots of color pictures. Many of them are of Holland, which seems kind of odd page after page, but they really liven up what could start to feel more like a triathlon-training textbook if it was just straight text. The stretching and strength-training exercise photos are particularly helpful, and I love, love, love that his plan puts such an emphasis on these two areas, as many endurance racers tend to focus on cardio, leaving their strength and flexibility to suffer (I sooo skimped on those two things during marathon training and may have gotten injured because of it.)

While seasoned triathletes probably won’t get a whole lot out of this book besides the training plans (which still are very helpful), I really think tri newbies and intermediates who are looking to take their triathlon training to the next level would benefit from reading the book.

Want to read 12-Week Triathlete and see if you agree with our review? We’ll select one random U.S. reader to win a copy! Just leave a comment with why you’d like to win this triathlon training book, and we’ll select a winner in about a week. The winner will be notified via email and in the comments below. G’luck triathletes (or soon-to-be triathletes)! —Jenn

FTC disclosure: We often receive products from companies to review. All thoughts and opinions are always entirely our own. Unless otherwise stated, we have received no compensation for our review and the content is purely editorial. Affiliate links may be included. If you purchase something through one of those links we may receive a small commission. Thanks for your support!