For those who have ever thought they were too old or too unfit to compete in a triathlon, From Couch Potato to Endurance Athlete will prove that it is never too late to compete! This is a story about overcoming life's obstacles-from injury and business trouble to grief and loss and everything in between. Hilary Topper was a 48-year-old working mother who once upon a time had practically failed high school gym class. She was working 60-plus hours a week, running a small business. Her focus was on others-her children, her aging parents, and her staff. In the meantime, her weight kept increasing, and she was unhappy with the way her life was going. She needed a change. To turn things around, she joined a gym for the first time in her life. This book will take the reader on Hilary's decade-long journey as she trains for and runs her first 5K, swims the aqua-blue waters of the Caribbean, cycles a hilly course in Milwaukee, learns how to run-walk her way through the New York City Marathon, and competes in her first triathlon in Sanibel, Florida. The reader will be right with Hilary as she narrates each experience-even a 5-mile swim in the murky waters of Long Island. Hilary's story will move, motivate, and inspire readers. They will laugh and cry as they follow her on her journey.

Triathlon is more than the sum of its parts. You can swim, cycle, and run but you need more to become a triathlete. If you want to prepare for your first triathlon, this easy-to-understand introduction to the sport is what you need. Roch Frey and Paul Huddle, two of the most respected names in multisport coaching, cover all the bases to get you to the starting line and help you finish your first race. The book contains information on everything from weight training to flexibility up to nutrition. It also contains detailed workout schedules for the sprint and Olympic distances to guide you through your training period. Triathlon: Starting Out is an easy-to-use training book that will help you visualize the race and make it to the finish line. With Roch and Paul at your side, anyone can do a triathlon!

The Triathlete Guide to Sprint and Olympic Triathlon Racing will help you discover the speed, thrill, and challenge of triathlon's most popular race distances. Not everyone has time to train for long-course triathlons. By pursuing triathlon's shorter distances, you can enjoy all the total body fitness benefits of the swim-bike-run sport and discover the unique challenges of short-course racing-all while enjoying a life outside of training. This complete guide from former pro triathletes Chris Foster and coach Ryan Bolton shares all the know-how you need to find speed and enjoy successful racing in sprint and Olympic-distance triathlons. Foster, now the Senior Editor of Triathlete magazine, shares his pro advice for how to set a smart race strategy, how to master triathlon pacing, how to execute fast transitions, how to train to improve your weakness and race to your strengths. Bolton offers smart, effective sprint and Olympic triathlon training plans so you can get started right away, no matter your background. Sprint and Olympic triathlons are triathlon's most popular distances for good reasons. Experienced triathletes returning to the short course will enjoy a break from long, slow hours of training and rediscover the joy of speed. Active people looking for a new challenge can jump right into triathlon's most beginner-friendly distances. The Triathlete Guide to Sprint and Olympic Triathlon Racing makes it simple to get back up to speed in the world's most rewarding endurance sport.

From Simon & Schuster, Dave Scott's Triathlon Training provides the best training insights from the five-time Ironman World Champion. In this essential book, the author, Dave Scott, discusses training routines, motivation, nutrition, race strategy, and proper swimming, cycling, and running form to help readers of all skill levels prepare for their next triathlon.

Why is the Half Iron-Distance the most popular triathlon distance? Because it is the perfect length for busy athletes with demanding career and family responsibilities. Full Iron-Distance races require such painstaking planning and sacrifice that it's difficult to keep life in balance. The Half Iron-Distance is accessible, while remaining challenging. Also known as the "70.3" for the sum of its 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run, the half-iron triathlon is not simply a race for which an athlete can use a full-iron training regimen chopped in half. Doing so would in no way approach maximizing an athlete's performance. The races are performed at completely different intensity levels, with completely different approaches. As a result, the training is completely different. "IronFit Secrets to Half Iron-Distance Triathlon Success "does for the half-iron what "Be IronFit" has done for the full-iron. It provides three sixteen-week training programs--Competitive, Intermediate, and "Just Finish"--and details everything an athlete needs to know to successfully prepare for and maximize performance at this racing distance. In as little as four months, any athlete can be physically and mentally ready for the world's most popular triathlon challenge.

'If I can start to run at 50 and become the oldest British woman to complete an Ironman, everyone should realise it's never too late' At the age of 50, Eddie Brocklesby decided to run her first half marathon. Until that point, she'd done little running, and her exercise regime consisted of little more than chauffeuring her children to their own sports clubs. In common with so many people, any interest she'd shown in sport in her childhood had diminished as her adult life progressed, with spare time becoming ever more limited in the face of work and family commitments. After that event, and following the loss of her husband of thirty years to cancer, she completed a marathon. Now, 75 years old, the past twenty years has seen Eddie take part in marathons, triathlons and Ironman races across the globe and she has accrued many medals and awards. In Irongran, Eddie looks back on her life and explains just how she's managed to develop the energy to match the enthusiasm she's always had for an active lifestyle. She shares the difficulties she's experienced in her sporting endeavours, and explains how she's managed to overcome them. Eddie is passionate about the health and wellbeing of our ageing population and provides up to date research about why keeping active in later years is so important, along with guidance about how to remain full of life in your later years.

Triathletes spend a lot of time and money making sure they have the right gear, optimizing their training plans, and selecting their races. And part of that preparation for big race days is taking care of diet to be sure the body is properly fed to maximize athletic performance. Enter "The Complete Nutrition Guide for Triathletes, a" thorough nutritional guidebook tailored specifically for the three-sport athlete to reach his triathlon goals and to cross the finish line with the best nutrition plan possible. Dr. Jamie A. Cooper brings to the book her expert knowledge about nutrition and exercise combined with her extensive experience as an active triathlete. The book covers each essential nutrient, offers up tailored nutritional plans for Sprint, Olympic, and Ironman races, and troubleshoots nutrition-related issues specifically concerning the triathlete.

Triathlons, such as the famously arduous Ironman Triathlon, and "extreme" mountain biking-hair-raising events held over exceedingly dangerous terrain-are prime examples of the new "lifestyle sports" that have grown in recent years from oddball pursuits, practiced by a handful of characters, into multi-million-dollar industries. In Why Would Anyone Do That? sociologist Stephen C. Poulson offers a fascinating exploration of these new and physically demanding sports, shedding light on why some people find them so compelling. Drawing on interviews with lifestyle sport competitors, on his own experience as a participant, on advertising for lifestyle sport equipment, and on editorial content of adventure sport magazines, Poulson addresses a wide range of issues. He notes that these sports are often described as "authentic" challenges which help keep athletes sane given the demands they confront in their day-to-day lives. But is it really beneficial to "work" so hard at "play?" Is the discipline required to do these sports really an expression of freedom, or do these sports actually impose extraordinary degrees of conformity upon these athletes? Why Would Anyone Do That? grapples with these questions, and more generally with whether lifestyle sport should always be considered "good" for people. Poulson also looks at what happens when a sport becomes a commodity-even a sport that may have begun as a reaction against corporate and professional sport-arguing that commodification inevitably plays a role in determining who plays, and also how and why the sport is played. It can even help provide the meaning that athletes assign to their participation in the sport. Finally, the book explores the intersections of race, class, and gender with respect to participation in lifestyle and endurance sports, noting in particular that there is a near complete absence of people of color in most of these contests. In addition, Poulson examines how concepts of masculinity in triathlons have changed as women's roles in this sport increase.

Your First Half-Distance Triathlon will guide any triathlete who wished to finish his or her first half-distance triathlon from the beginning of the preparation until race day. The half-distance triathlon consists of a 1.2-mile swim, 56 miles of cycling and a 13.1-mile run. It is anything but an easy option, but it represents a fascinating challenge for any well-trained endurance athlete. Considered a Long Course it covers more miles than the Olympic distance and provides the perfect stepping stone to the ITU Long Distance races and even the Ultra Distance Ironman triathlon. This book offers a great amount of detailed training plans. There are in-depth examples of core and peripheral training and heart-rate dependent pace levels T1-T8, which help to illustrate the year-round training recommendations. It also features advice on swimming, cycling, and running training, cross training, equipment, strengthening and stretching, typical training errors, recovery, self-motivating performance testing and motivation tips, as well as anecdotes and emotional stories from competitions. With this guide, anyone can finish their first half-distance triathlon.

Do you have a finish line in your life? A goal that you want to achieve―a dream that you want to live―but you know the road to get there will be long and hard? There are obstacles in your way and you fear that you might fail, and failure intimidates us all, but you still dream of that moment―your finish line moment. How do you get there? FINISH LINE VISION® is the motivation that comes from visualizing your success, imagining yourself experiencing that moment.

Jay Hewitt will take you on a journey, telling you his remarkable story of overcoming type 1 diabetes to qualify and race on the US national triathlon team, balancing grueling physical training with work as an attorney, diabetes, and life as a husband and father.
He provides research on the neuropsychology of achievement with examples of high achievers in history. You will learn lessons on:

•setting and reaching goals

•overcoming obstacles and doubt

•achieving work-life balance

•fitness and diet for a healthy lifestyle

•handling change and failure

Many people have already been inspired by Jay Hewitt’s powerful message on stage. If you apply these principles, learn from these successes and failures, work hard, and persevere . . . you will reach your finish line.

Youve finished your first short-distance triathlon maybe even an Olympic distance, but now its time to up the ante and go further and faster than ever before. Experienced professional trainers Paul Huddle and Roch Frey along with T.J. Murphy will bring the triathlete in you up to the challenge all the way up to full Ironman triathlon distances and beyond. Time spent working out, balancing work, family and training, adding speed work, recovery and the mental game are all essential when you decide to move up to the long distance triathlon. No one has more training or racing experience than the team of Roch, Paul and T.J. They will get you to your target race healthy, happy and ready for more. The authors are not only triathlon winners; they have also trained triathlon winning athletes, and written about their experience extensively. This 24-week training program is laid out in four six-week increments. This represents the day-by-day, week-by-week work to be done in preparing for a successful long-distance triathlon.

Being mentored by Chrissie Wellington would be a dream for any triathlete. In To The Finish Line Chrissie presents her distilled wisdom, hard-won over the course of her extraordinary career, to give all triathletes the chance to learn from the very best. Chrissie writes with emotional honesty, and her warmth and sense of humour also shine through. She speaks frankly about her own experiences - both good and bad - from her career. Such stories will be a source of great inspiration to readers. The book will also be an invaluable practical resource for triathletes. It contains a significant amount of easily-applicable advice on subjects ranging from training tips through to mental strength, transition techniques and nutrition.

Triathlon Swimming reveals the rewarding and rigorous Tower 26 program for mastering open-water swimming by the world's leading open-water swimming coach Gerry Rodrigues and former pro triathlete Emma-Kate Lidbury. Triathlon swimming is unique in its challenges and physical and mental limits. Over his lifetime of over 100 open-water swim race wins and over 30 years of coaching, Rodrigues has perfected the art and science of open-water swimming. His famed Tower 26 swimming program trains athletes in both the pool and in rough open water conditions, making triathletes and swimmers skilled, confident, capable, and fast in any condition. In Triathlon Swimming, Rodrigues and Lidbury break down open-water swimming technique and show how triathlon swimming requires different form. From kicking to sighting, Triathlon Swimming describes the best technique for swimming in open water. This guide shares the best gear for open-water swimming, shows how to create your own effective open-water swim workouts, and shares a plan for race prep and taper. Tower 26 offers the best open-water swimming technique. With Rodrigues' coaching approach and Lidbury's first-hand experience and insight, Triathlon Swimming can help you become a master open-water swimmer for faster, fearless racing.

Serious triathletes may be the most tech-savvy of all athletes. You have the latest devices and know that data to improve your performance are at hand, but putting it all together can be a daunting, confusing task. Triathlete, coach, researcher, and author Jim Vance maintains that, despite access to the relevant information, most triathletes start a race undertrained or overtrained. That's why he's developed Triathlon 2.0: Data-Driven Performance Training, the first program to take advantage of the latest science and technology. Triathlon 2.0 examines the sport's most popular devices, including cycling power meters, GPS trackers, and heart rate monitors. Capture the most accurate readings, learn what they mean, and, just as important, what they don't. Then, put the numbers to work for you, translating your data into a comprehensive program based on your performance needs and triathlon goals. With Triathlon 2.0, you will learn these skills: * Establish and identify optimal aerobic fitness base. * Determine the exact number of intervals for the most effective training and quickest recovery. * Identify performance markers to track training results. * Develop a tapering plan for peak performance. * Monitor pace and progress in real time. If you're serious about maximizing performance, then turn to the only program built around your personal performance data. With Triathlon 2.0, the power and plan are in your hands.

Swim. Bike. Run. If the combination of those three words gets you excited, then you need Train to Tri: Your First Triathlon. Written by experts with USA Triathlon (USAT), the largest multisport organization in the world, this book provides proven strategies, secrets, and advice to gear up for your first sprint-distance or standard-distance event. This is not another one-size-fits-all program. Train to Tri is designed so you can focus on the training you need most. You'll establish a baseline in each of the three phases: running, cycling, and swimming. You'll find bronze, silver, or gold levels of training for each phase, which can be combined and customized to your needs, your goals, and your lifestyle. Train to Tri is more than just training. It's total preparation. Featuring expert advice on selecting gear, staying motivated, overcoming challenges, preventing burnout, determining nutritional needs, and achieving recovery, it's a multifaceted plan for multisport success. If you're ready to go from athlete to triathlete, let Train to Tri and the experts at USAT lead the way.

Never a Bad Day is a compilation of Bob Babbitt's best and funniest editorials from Competitor Magazine and Triathlete Magazine. In 1987, Bob Babbitt started Competitor Magazine. One of the features of the publication was his editorial that ran at the front of the publication. This book is a collection of his favorite editorials from both Competitor Magazine and Triathlete Magazine. Bob Babbitt's stories bring out the human side of running, cycling and triathlon in a way that no one else ever has. Through humor and inspiration, this book will become a must-have for the hundreds of thousands of endurance athletes who have made these sports not just their hobbies, but an integral part of their lives.

What would you do if half your town caught triathlon mania? If you're like Alicia DiFabio-a minivan-driving, harried mother of four small children whose daily look features stained yoga pants, a messy ponytail, and a big diaper bag-you would shrug your shoulders and try to hold on for that after-bedtime glass of wine. It was to her utter surprise that this middle-aged, out-of-shape mother found herself on the starting line of a triathlon. In Women Who Tri, DiFabio explores the triathlon phenomenon that has gripped her town and swept the nation. Her memoir is both inspiring and informative as it explores the popularity, psychology, subculture, and transformative power of triathlons among "ordinary" women. Set in a small New Jersey town that now hosts America's largest women-only triathlon club, Women Who Tri weaves together the insights of a psychologist, the research of a journalist, and the deep insecurities of a daunted newbie. DiFabio shares her journey from nervous newcomer to triathlon finisher as she investigates one of the world's most challenging and inspiring sports. She profiles women who have overcome challenges to become athletes and tri for themselves and to help others. Women Who Tri will entertain, enlighten, and inspire any triathlon enthusiast, from tri-addicts to the tri-curious.

The Brave Athlete solves the 13 most common mental conundrums athletes face in their everyday training and in races. You don’t have one brain—you have three; your ancient Chimp brain that keeps you alive, your modern Professor brain that navigates the civilized world, and your Computer brain that accesses your memories and runs your habits (good and bad). They fight for control all the time and that’s when bad things happen; you get crazy nervous before a race, you choke under pressure, you quit when the going gets tough, you make dumb mistakes, you worry about how you look. What if you could stop the thoughts and feelings you don’t want? What if you could feel confident, suffer like a hero, and handle any stress? You can. The Brave Athlete from Dr. Simon Marshall and Lesley Paterson will help you take control of your brain so you can train harder, race faster, and better enjoy your sport. Dr. Marshall is a sport psychology expert who trains the brains of elite professional athletes. Paterson is a three-time world champion triathlete and coach. Together, they offer this innovative, brain training guide that is the first to draw from both clinical science and real-world experience with athletes. That means you won’t find outdated “positive self-talk� or visualization gimmicks here. No, the set of cutting-edge mental skills revealed in The Brave Athlete actually work because they challenge the source of the thoughts and feelings you don’t want. The Brave Athlete is packed with practical, evidence-based solutions to the most common mental challenges athletes face. Which of these sound like you? · Why do I have thoughts and feelings I don’t want? · I wish I felt more like an athlete. · I don’t think I can. · I don’t achieve my goals. · Other athletes seem tougher, happier, and more badass than me. · I feel fat. · I don’t cope well with injury. · People are worried about how much I exercise. · I don’t like leaving my comfort zone. · When the going gets tough, the tough leave me behind. · I need to harden the f*ck up. · I keep screwing up. · I don’t handle pressure well. With The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion, you can solve these problems to become mentally strong and make your brain your most powerful asset.

This book is both a lesson in true grit and determination, but its goal is one that is attainable. Andy isn't a sporting superstar, he holds down a 9-5 job and all the pressures that go with it; he isn't blessed with speed and talent; there are no multi-million pound sponsorship deals; yet this remarkable "common man" is inspiring in a way that some of today's sporting superstars have forgotten how to be. You wouldn't recognize Andy in the street, yet his story provides valuable lessons to us all: "Never give up" and "Anything is possible." "Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run" follows Andy Holgate's epic journey from being an overweight librarian to an Ironman triathlete. Before he could even begin the rollercoaster ride which amassed more punctures than Andy cares to remember, this would-be Superman had first to buy a second-hand bike and take swimming lessons. Along the way, he ended up in hospital, dealt with family crises, encountered crocodiles and deadly amoebas, and persuaded his friends that doing an Ironman event is what normal people do on their stag weekend. This is the inspirational, amusing and moving story of how one normal bloke learnt how to fall off a bike and not injure himself, to run a marathon despite two dodgy knees, and most importantly how not to drown.

Whether you're an extreme exercise enthusiast or you're just looking to shed a few pounds, this is the last book on training, endurance, health, and life you will ever need. In this book you will learn: The 2 best ways to build fitness fast without destroying your body; Underground training tactics for maximising workout efficiency; the best biohacks for enhancing mental performance and entering the zone; how to know with laserlike accuracy whether your body has truly recovered; 26 ways to recover quickly from workouts, injuries, and overtraining; the 25 most important blood and saliva biomarkers and how to test them; 5 essential elements of training that most athletes neglect; 7 stress-fighting weapons to make your mind-body connection bulletproof; proven systems to enhance sleep, eliminate insomnia, and conquer jet lag; 40 high-calorie, nutrient-dense meals that won't destroy your metabolism; Easy tools for customising your carbs, proteins, and fats for your unique body; 9 ways to f

The Complete Book of Triathlon Training is for any athlete who wants to improve in, or convert to the fascinating sport of triathlon. Learn how to develop a training program and how to approach a competition. The book is an encyclopedic reference that covers all aspects of triathlon training. The triathlete and aspiring triathlete will have one reference with everything they need to know about triathlon, whether an endurance sport novice or an accomplished athlete in another sport. It tells you how to get started, what equipment to buy, the diet you will need, how to devise a training routine and how to arrange your busy life in order to accommodate it, and then explains how to finish a race, as well as how to recover from it. The Complete Book of Triathlon Training will tell you how to be the best that you can be in triathlon; not necessarily by training harder, but by training smarter. Every aspect of your life has the potential to affect your mental and physical performance, and you need to take this into account when devising your training in order to avoid both over-training and under-training. Marks system for monitoring training-stress levels which he has been successfully using for many years is unique to him but is revealed in this book. Use it and you can achieve your optimum performance