Book: Your First Triathlon by Joe Friel

Notable Quotes:

"You should have only one goal for your first triathlon--to finish the race with a smile on your face."

"How much time does it take to train for a sprint? You can di it in less than five hours a week... With a day off each week to make sure you get enough rest, that works out to less than an hour a day."


History:

"Triathlon got its start in Southern California in 1974, when the San Diego Track Club added a short race to its calendar, a combination of running 4.8 miles, biking 5 miles, and swimming half a mile."

Race Distances:
1. Ironman-distance or "Ultra-distance
     a. Swim: 4000m
     b. Bike: 112 mile

     c. Run: 26.2 mile

Time to complete: 8 hours -17 hours (Cutoff is 17 hours)

2. Half Ironman or 70.3
     a. Swim: 2,000m
     b. Bike: 56 mile
     c. Run: 13.1 mile

Time to complete: 4 hours - 8 hours

3. Olympic or "international-distance"

     a. Swim: 1,500m
     b. Bike: 25 mile
     c. Run: 6.2 mile
Time to complete: 2 hours - 5 hours

4. Sprint or "short-course"
     a. Swim: .5 mile 
     b. Bike: 13 mile
     c. Run: 3 mile
Time to complete: 1 hour - 2 hours