Chrissie Wellington's 5 top tips for triathlon beginners

1. Keep it simple

Despite becoming more structured, holistic and focused in my approach to triathlon over time, there’s no doubt that rawness, hard work, passion and initial naivety counts for so much. Yes, in training for triathlon there’s a lot of information to take in, but try not to let it confound or worry. We are at our best when we are least stressed, frustrated or anxious, when we commit to keeping things simple, relish the rawness of sport and enjoying the process.

2. Train alone

Although group training is really beneficial it’s important to follow your own programme, and not compromise your plan for the sake of training with others; as well as learning to love your own company, deal with problems (such as flat tyres) alone and cope with those inner training demons without relying on others for motivation. This means also doing some of your training sessions alone.

3. Do your best

It’s extremely rare to have a perfect race, one where nothing goes wrong. In fact, every Ironman I did I had highs and lows, ups and downs and times where things didn’t go according to plan. Instead of aspiring to such perfection we should aim to deal with imperfections perfectly – that’s the true definition of doing your best.

4. Hit the gym

Strength and conditioning work is important for improving range and synchronisation of movement, flexibility, coordination, agility, strength, power, stability and balance. This is especially true as we age when muscle mass decreases, and our mechanical efficiency declines. Strengthen and condition our bodies and we can strengthen our triathlon performance and reduce the risk of injury.

5. Just start

Starting a session is often the hardest part. So, do just that. Start. At around the 2min mark your cells more easily utilise oxygen as a fuel, muscle temperature rises, and exercise becomes easier. If you have a set of intervals focus on completing only one. Then as endorphins flow, begin number two, then three… and, bingo! You’ve done 10. Or play mind games. Tell yourself you can stop after two intervals. You’ll do those two, and then the mind games can start again, ‘Just get to five.’ I bet you make it to 10.

TO THE FINISH LINE

Chrissie Wellington’s new book, To the Finish Line: A World Champion Triathlete’s Guide to your Perfect Race, in conjunction with 220 Triathlon magazine, is on sale now, priced £18.99

What are the different triathlon distances?

About

Chrissie Wellington OBE is a retired, British professional triathlete and four-time Ironman world champion. She held all three world and championship records relating to ironman triathlon races: firstly, the overall world record, secondly, the Ironman World Championship course record, and thirdly, the official world record for all Ironman-branded triathlon races over the full Ironman distance. She remains the world record holder for Ironman distance (8:18hrs). Chrissie won the Ironman World Championship in three consecutive years (2007–2009), but could not start the 2010 World Championship race because of illness. She regained the title in 2011. She is the first British athlete to hold the Ironman world title, and was undefeated in all 13 of her races over the Iron distance. She is the only triathlete, male or female, to have won the World Championship less than a year after turning professional, an achievement described by the British Triathlon Federation as "a remarkable feat, deemed to be a near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships." Since retiring in 2012 Chrissie has completed countless endurance events, from cycling sportives, to marathons and ultra-marathons and even a cross country ski marathon or two! Chrissie was awarded a first-class degree by the University of Birmingham (BsC Geography) in 1998 and a Distinction from the University of Manchester (MA Econ Development Studies) in 2000. Prior to becoming a professional athlete in 2007, she worked for the British Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as a policy adviser on international development and also managed water and sanitation projects in Nepal. Chrissie now devotes her life to work to improve individual and population health and wellbeing, and specifically interventions to increase participation in physical activity. She is the Global Lead for Health and Wellbeing for parkrun and is committed to engaging people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities in parkrun events, thereby addressing the entrenched health and wellbeing inequalities that impact many countries across the world. Chrissie published her Sunday Times Best Selling autobiography, 'A Life Without Limits', in 2012, and her second book, 'To the Finish Line: A World Champion Triathlete's Guide to Your Perfect Race', in 2017. In 2021, she co-authored and published two fully-illustrated children's wellbeing storybooks with friend and former athlete Susie Bush-Ramsey entitled 'You're so strong' and 'You're so amazing', as a means of sharing messages about belief, trust, love, friendship, trying your best and embracing change. A trailblazer at heart, Chrissie is often advocating for change. In 2014 she joined three professional cyclists in campaigning for and successfully creating a women’s race at the Tour De France. Chrissie was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to sport and charity. She was also named the 2009 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year and has Honorary Doctorates from the University of Birmingham and the University of Bristol. Chrissie lives with her husband, former professional athlete Tom Lowe, and their daughter Esme in a small village in Somerset.