Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week: From Beginner to Finish Line in Just Six Weeks - Softcover

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Author and professional triathlete Eric Harr began his career as an out-of-shape legal clerk living in the U.S. Virgin Islands. After training by commuting on his mountain bike, he competed in his first athletic event, the St. Croix Triathlon. He waddled across the finish, ahead of a few noted professionals.

Almost one year after that event, Eric was ranked sixth in the world and was named Rookie of the Year. Since then, he has won 30 amateur and pro events in 23 countries and has represented the United States in two World Championship events. He is about to undertake the Hawaii Ironman as the culmination of The Ultimate Challenge, in which he's competed in 10 of the world's most strenuous and celebrated athletic events to raise money for international charities including Special Olympics.

Eric is also a TV and radio show host, a columnist for Shape magazine, a nationally syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times and the author of The Portable Personal Trainer. He lives in Marin County, California, with his wife, Alexandra Stretton, and their dog Owen.

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"Eric Harr has an astounding ability to motivate practically anyone and crafts a compelling case for the fact that fitness challenges are not just feasible but fun. Eric makes the daunting feat of training for a physically demanding event completely doable because he is there every step of the way--cheering you on, spurring you to greater heights, making you want to do this. His book is a brilliant tool that should truly inspire members of our sedentary society to put themselves, and their health, first."--Alexa Joy Sherman, senior editor for Shape magazine

"Eric Harr's book will be of great value to the newbie triathlete. He will help you from your first step to when you cross the finish line."--Jim Taylor, Ph.D., sports psychologist and ironman triathlete

The Transforming Power of Triathlon

Training for a triathlon will get you in the best shape of your life, not to mention give you a new and exciting fitness pursuit. More than that, it will change your life in ways you never imagined.

In 1994, when Eric Harr decided to train for his first triathlon in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the extent of his exercise was walking to the local mango stand for lunch. That one simple step set in motin dozens of other positive steps. Eric began eating better, had more energy, and grew more sensitized to the joys of everyday life.

You hold in your hands the key to unlocking a healthy, passion-filled life. All the motivation and practical advice you need to train for and finish a triathlon is within these pages.

Four separate training programs to accommodate every fitness level

A complete list of all the gear you need, with money-saving tips on how to get it for less

A 40-minute stretch-and-strenghten workout you can do at home--plus an abbreviated 10-minute workout for those days when you're pressed for time

A complete menu plan with delicious, healthy meal choices to fuel your active body

Strategies to stay motivated and injury-proof your body

Discounts on triathlon gear, race entry fees, travel expenses and lodging

A minute-by-minute guide to your race day

Author and professional triathlete Eric Harr began his career as an out-of-shape legal clerk living in the U.S. Virgin Islands. After training by commuting on his mountain bike, he competed in his first athletic event, the St. Croix Triathlon. He waddled across the finish, ahead of a few noted professionals.
Almost one year after that event, Eric was ranked sixth in the world and was named Rookie of the Year. Since then, he has won 30 amateur and pro events in 23 countries and has represented the United States in two World Championship events. He is about to undertake the Hawaii Ironman as the culmination of The Ultimate Challenge, in which he's competed in 10 of the world's most strenuous and celebrated athletic events to raise money for international charities including Special Olympics.
Eric is also a TV and radio show host, a columnist for Shape magazine, a nationally syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times and the author of The Portable Personal Trainer. He lives in Marin County, California, with his wife, Alexandra Stretton, and their dog Owen.

"Everyone dreams of being an athlete, but most of us don't think that we have either the time or the ability to do it. In Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week, Eric Harr will give you the inspiration and the right information to accomplish that dream. It will fit into your life, you'll never feel better, and you'll never look back."--Susan M. Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D., author of Power Eating

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20 GREAT REASONS TO DO A TRIATHLON

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

--HENRY DAVID THOREAU

P eople are motivated to "take the plunge" and do a triathlon for reasons that are as varied as those setting out on this mission. Some are obvious: "to lose weight fast!" Others are personal: "to boost my self-confidence and feel good about myself." Others are spiritual: "to find more meaning in my exercise" or "to live more fully." A few are social: "to brag to everyone in the office that I did a triathlon." And some are inspirational: "to serve as a model for others and show what is truly possible in life."

Although the reasons people do a triathlon differ, the benefits are universal. That's what this chapter is about--it outlines the 20 benefits you can reap from training for and completing a triathlon. The bottom line is that this process is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do in your life, not just physically but also mentally, spiritually, and socially. Ask anyone who has done a triathlon and they will tell you the same thing.

But for all its power to change your life, training for a triathlon isn't going to consume your life. The training program set forth in this book is designed to blend seamlessly into your busy schedule and requires four hours a week for six weeks--a total of just 24 hours. The payoffs, however, are timeless: You will lose loads of weight, feel better than ever, and gain self-confidence that will last a lifetime.

Lofty promises, indeed. Can doing a triathlon really deliver? Follow the advice in this book and, yes, without a doubt it can. It has for hundreds of thousands of other triathletes, and it will for you, too.

PHYSICAL BENEFIT

For you to consider training for and completing a triathlon, there have to be some serious, long-lasting benefits, right? Well, here they are--20 of them. Let's start with the most observable payoffs: what will happen to your body.

YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT

The first thing you'll probably notice as a Triathlete-in-Training is that your clothes will become too big. That's because training for a three-sport event will make you as fit and healthy as you have ever been in your life. When you engage in a well-balanced program of swimming, cycling, and running--known as cross-training--you will burn an enormous amount of fat from every area of your body. Better yet, the weight will come off as a natural consequence of your passion-driven quest to complete a triathlon, rather than from a guilt-induced diet, a boring exercise plan, or a bizarre fitness implement.

FEEL GOOD AT ANY WEIGHT

Losing weight is a goal coveted by many, and you certainly stand to shed the £ds on this program. But it's also important to accept and enjoy how you look here and now--and every step of the way.

Over the past few decades, the American media has perpetuated an almost hysterical level of irrational obsessive-compulsion with looking thin. That has wreaked havoc on our sense of perspective and our self-esteem, making it virtually impossible for us to enjoy how we look.

The problem is that when you fail to appreciate your body, in this moment, you postpone life enjoyment. It's saying: "I will appreciate my body when . . ." Unfortunately, "when" rarely arrives. But a Triathlete-in-Training is different: Although you're always striving for a better quality of life, and perhaps a better body, you're genuinely satisfied with, and grateful for, the here and now. That way, you can celebrate the destination of a fitter you while having enjoyed your triathlon journey along the way.

The principles and strategies in this book are built on passion, not deprivation. As you progress on this program, you will gain momentum: You'll lose a couple of £ds in the first week and you'll begin to feel stronger, which means you can do a little more and lose a little more weight. The workouts will get easier, so you'll be able to go even farther and lose more weight. Before you know it, you'll be sailing!

Keep this in mind: The program in this book isn't based on some untested herbal weight-loss product. The principles at work are basic scientific ones that your body cannot disobey. Like the apple that must fall from the tree, your body must lose weight if you're consistently burning more calories than you're consuming. And nothing burns more calories than training for a triathlon.

Plus, you'll likely find that when you're training for such an athletic event, you'll want to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that supports your training. Overeating or indulging in lots of less-than-nutritious foods will leave you feeling dull and tired during your workouts, so you'll quickly learn to eat what's good for you--and that will accelerate your weight loss even more. (For more on nutrition, see Chapter 10.)

ACTION ITEM: Ditch the scale and the madness attached to it. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if the numbers on the scale aren't budging, they aren't telling you the right story. Just look in the mirror and decide for yourself if you are making progress. Judge your fitness not by some arbitrary number but by how energetic and positive you feel and how your clothes fit!

YOU WILL LOOK AND FEEL YEARS YOUNGER

When we neglect our bodies, imperceptibly over time we gradually accept lower standards of fitness, of health, and, therefore, of living. Worse, we don't even realize how bad we feel until we wake up and get fit again.

Training for a triathlon will reconnect you with your body and make you feel like you haven't felt in years: young, energetic, and powerful. You will not only feel years younger but also look better than ever. Triathletes are legendary for having some of the best physiques in the fitness world. That is because cross-training shapes the body in complementary ways: Running develops long, lean muscles; cycling builds strength and tones your lower body; and swimming increases your flexibility and sculpts your upper body. Take a look at any triathlete over age 55 and you'll see what I mean. These people have the look--and swagger--of 20- and 30-somethings.

YOU WILL HAVE MORE ENERGY

Energy forms the basis of our existence, yet it seems that we all have less and less of it as our schedules have grown increasingly hectic. Unfortunately for some people, exercise can exacerbate this problem by draining their energy rather than replenishing it. In an effort to get results or lose weight fast, they may wind up overtraining and exhausting themselves.

Not so on this program.

The strategies in this book will show you how to exercise so that each workout refreshes your body and clears your mind, giving you more energy over time so that you can perform better at work and at play. That, I guarantee.

You're likely wondering, "How can training for something as rigorous as a triathlon actually give me energy?" This program is for real people, not elite athletes. By following the principles in this book and exercising at the right pace for your fitness level, you'll get fit without fatigue.

When I took a year off my triathlon training program (to write this book!), my energy plummeted. I couldn't believe it. It was as if someone had pulled the plug on my life force. When I returned to consistent training, I felt fully alive again. You will, too.

YOU WILL GET MORE OUT OF YOUR WORKOUTS

In this book, I show you how to exercise more efficiently by using a few simple strategies, such as monitoring your heart rate and breathing properly. Follow these and other techniques set forth in the training program, and you'll get fast results from your workouts without expending a huge amount of effort. It's all about training smart, not hard.

YOU WILL INJURY-PROOF YOUR BODY

When you stick with one...