Chapter 1: Your New Challenge. Race distances -- Choosing and entering a race -- Your first race -- Can you do it? -- A new sport (or three) -- Chapter 2: Your triathlon lifestyle. Motivation -- Recovery -- Weight and exercise -- Exercise and aging -- Chapter 3: Your Nutrition. Fueling before exercise -- Fueling during exercise -- Refueling after exercise -- Eating during the rest of the day -- Chapter 4: Your Support. Emotional support -- Training support -- Technical support -- Where to find more Information -- Chapter 5: Your swimming. Flawed technique -- Reinforcing good technique -- Where to swim -- Swimming equipment -- Chapter 6: Your cycling. Your bike -- Other cycling equipment -- Basic cycling skills - Bike safety -- Chapter 7: Your running. Good running form -- Building fitness for new rummers -- Staying healthy -- Where to run -- Running in hot weather -- Running equipment -- Chapter 8: Your muscles. Getting stronger -- Strength exercises -- Strength-training phases -- Improving your flexibility -- Chapter 9: Your training plan. Getting fit: the big picture -- Finding the right training plan -- What to do when things don't go as planned -- Chapter 10: Your advanced training gear. Heart rate monitors -- Power meters -- GPS devices -- Accelerometers -- Back to the future -- Chapter 11: Your first triathlon. Race week -- The day before -- Race morning -- Race start -- After the Race -- Epilogue -- Appendix A: Workouts -- Appendix B: Gear checklists -- Appendix C: Triathlon Resources -- Index -- About the Author

"Joe Friel is the top coach in triathlon and his book Your First Triathlon is the best-selling book for beginner triathletes. This clear and comprehensive book makes preparing for sprint and Olympic triathlons simple and stress-free. Joe Friel's practical training plan takes fewer than 5 hours a week, giving aspiring triathletes the confidence and fitness to enjoy their first race. Your First Triathlon offers a 12-week training plan for total beginners as well as custom plans for athletes experienced in running, cycling, or swimming. Four easy-to-use plans include achievable swim, bike, run, and optional strength workouts that will gradually but surely build anyone into a triathlete. Joe offers helpful advice to simplify the complexities of the swim-bike-run sport. Even a total novice will learn commonsense tips and tricks to navigate packet pickup, set up a transition area, fuel for race day, finish a stress-free swim, and ensure that race day goes as smoothly as planned. "--