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Summary
On episode 730, Coach Allan welcomes back Hilary Topper to talk about her new book, Unlocking the Triathlon: A Beginner’s Guide to Competing in a Triathlon. Once a self-proclaimed non-athlete, Hilary laced up her running shoes for the first time at age 48 and later took on triathlons at 53. Today she is an author, endurance athlete, and a certified USA Triathlon Level 1 coach who wants to show that anyone can tri. She and Allan break down what a triathlon actually is, walking through the super sprint, sprint, Olympic, international, Half Ironman, and Ironman distances, along with lower-pressure options like the aqua run, aqua bike, duathlon, and relay for people still building confidence in one of the three disciplines.
The conversation gets practical about how a beginner actually starts, from joining a master swim group or hiring a coach to learn to swim, to the gear you need for the swim and bike, to what you can expect to pay. Hilary and Allan cover training zones based on maximum heart rate, using both the numbers and a simple talk-test to gauge effort, and they stress that most triathlon training happens in the easier zones. They also dig into the mental side of the sport: running your own race, using self-talk and meditation, and not comparing yourself to others on apps. Hilary closes with three wellness strategies, eating the rainbow, staying hydrated, and getting out there to move every day, while reminding listeners that finishing a triathlon puts you in rare company.
Links
- Unlocking the Triathlon: A Beginner’s Guide to Competing in a Triathlon by Hilary Topper
- Get Unlocking the Triathlon on Amazon
- Episode 558 – How to go from couch potato to endurance athlete with Hilary Topper
Key Takeaways
- Start with a bite-sized distance: A super sprint or sprint triathlon lets beginners get their feet wet, and Hilary recommends building up gradually rather than jumping from zero straight to an Ironman.
- You do not have to do all three at once: Options like the aqua run, aqua bike, duathlon (run, bike, run), or a relay let you participate around a weak discipline or an injury.
- Learn to swim with real help: Hilary signed up before she could swim, then joined a master swim group and worked with a certified coach who got in the water and taught her the basics.
- Gear can start cheap: You can borrow or buy a used bike, rent a wetsuit for the season, and pick a tighter tri kit to reduce drag, saving the high-end bike for when you identify as an athlete.
- Train mostly easy using heart rate zones: Most triathlon training lives in zones two and three, and a simple talk-test (full sentences when easy, single words when hard) helps you gauge effort.
- Train your mind and keep it fun: Use self-talk and meditation to fight the urge to compare yourself on apps, run your own race, and remember that finishing any triathlon puts you in a small, rare group.
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 40 – Robin Sets a Stretch Goal
Episode Notes
Podcast: 40+ Fitness
Episode: 730
Published: 2026-01-20
Host: Allan Misner (aka Coach Allan), author of The Wellness Roadmap
Guest(s): Hilary Topper, a USA Triathlon Level 1 coach, endurance coach, and adjunct professor, Unlocking the Triathlon: The Beginner’s Guide to Competing in a Triathlon (Anyone Can Tri)
Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube (audio only)