Hey, what's up everybody and welcome to beginner tip two on that triathlon show, the podcast presented by scientifictraathlon.com.

I'm your host, Michael, and today I'll talk about whether you have to start with a sprint triathlon as your first race or not.

And I'll also answer a listener question on combining triathlon with a sprint triathlon as your first race or not. And I'll also answer a listener question on combining triathlon with strength training or with other sports for that matter.

So this is going to be a short and sweet beginner tip once again. Let's just get into the first

topic about whether you have to start with a sprint distance race.

So the short answer is no, you definitely don't have to.

I would say though that is my recommendation, my strong recommendation.

In most cases it makes a lot of sense to do so.

The preparation is easier both training-wise, but also there are all sorts of logistics and the preparation

for race day itself that is a bit easier when the day out is shorter in a sprint distance and

things are a bit more relaxed so so that's one aspect of it also if you're preparing for a longer race, you'd train, do some sort of slightly longer brick sessions anyway.

So you might not do a swim bike run, but at least a bike run.

And maybe an open water swim on a separate day or even on the same day.

So you'd do these kinds of sessions.

Let's say that you would even do a 20k bike and

5K run, not necessarily for, yeah, maybe something like that for an Olympic distance.

Then why not make that longer training day as part of a race, a sprint distance race itself?

A sprint distance is a great training day for a longer race.

So, and in addition to actually getting the physiological training, of course, by being out there,

by training, by swimming, biking and running, you also get the training in the race day logistics

that come into it. Because the logistics of a triathlon race, they're pretty difficult.

It's not just like turning up to a running race.

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