The Perfect Companion for Beginners (Rating 5 of 5)
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The sport of Triathlon is not always the easiest to access for novices. There seems to be a very 'elitest' approach to the whole sport which puts many first-timers off. This book helps to remove this veneer, and breaks it down into the componant parts in a way which is simple and fun.
Gone are all the blinding science sections. In are all the top tips for shaving off seconds and improving overall performance. A well structured training diary is included and this will help all athletes monitor performance.
A perfect gift for all budding Tri enthusiasts.
Too Basic (Rating 1 of 5)
» Brendan Donaghy
I have about ten books on triathlon and this book is the only one in that collection I have cause to criticise. The introductory pages at the front end of the book really lack detail to be particularly helful to readers entering the sport of triathlon or those who are contemplating doing so. Ken MaClaren produced a diary, published by Kineli and this is far more helpful and better laid out. Also, Books like Triathlon 101 or Swim, Bike, Run are far better buys for those requiring a written introduction to the sport.
The basis for my criticism is that if you are committed enough to have bought a training diary then you probably have above average enthusiasm for your sport and a reasonable amount of knowledge also. I found the introductory pages fairly elementary but the diary format was the most disappointing characteristic.
The diary page format enables only very brief entries and are not structured for one to calculate weekly hours spent training in each of the three disciplines but, my main criticism is the book is not structured to record heart rate information which is desirable for novices/amateurs and elite athletes taking part in multi-sport training and racing. The heart rate training zones enable one to avoid overtraining by training at the right intensity. Also, this is a vital means of measuring performance and improvements and will also tell the athlete when they are perhaps ailing from overtraining or pending sickness.
To some readers heart rate information might sound like more information than they need when all they really want to do is get out and swim, bike or run. While this approach is fine to an extent, a heart rate monitor really helps put training into context and they can be fun to use also. In fact, without a monitor multi-sport training can be very confusing. It is very easy to fall into a pattern of going out on succesive days and training as hard as one can but without the help of a monitor, fatigue and other affects of overtraining can creep in and this can be followed by exhaustion and despondency to the extent the athlete may need a prolonged break or walk away from the sport altogether.
If the page format enabled entry of heart rate information then it is up to the user to decide whether they would like to use this feature each time they use the diary. In summary, this book was a real let down and there are better alternatives.
(Rating 5 of 5)
(Rating 1 of 5)
