For the past three weeks, Total Rec has tapped experienced coaches Chet Blanton, Raul Boca and Brian Clarke for tips on how to establish and build proficiency in each of the triathlon's individual stages — swimming, biking and running.

Today, with the additional help of Try Fitness founder KC Carlberg and elite triathlete Tim Marr, we pull it all together with sound advice on how to construct your training schedule, what to do in the days leading to the big race, and how to give yourself the best chance for success during the race itself.

And while each of our fonts of triathlon wisdom has his or her own distinctive take on training and racing, they agree on one thing:

"You have to keep things fresh, keep them fun," Marr emphasized. "Triathlons should be fun."

TRAINING: KEEP ROLLIN'

A smart training schedule requires a sense of balance. If you do too much, you risk illness and injury — and you'll likely come to dread what should be an enjoyable journey. Do too little and you won't be properly prepared to meet your race-day goals and have a satisfying race experience.

For novice and intermediate triathletes, the first phase of the training cycle should focus on establishing or re-establishing a solid base of swimming, biking and running fitness and skill. From there, you can begin to integrate workouts specifically targeted to increase strength, endurance and speed.

Carlberg, for example, guides her charges through an initial phase of base-building, spends the next third of the training cycle building strength and endurance, then wraps up with specialized workouts that build speed.

The challenge is spending enough focused time on each event while keeping an eye on the larger event.

Most triathlon coaches recommend a minimum of two to three swim workouts a week, including a pool workout to refine form and ocean swims to build endurance and to acclimate to race conditions.

For the bike and run events, most training programs go with at least three workouts each: one long workout (greater than the distance of the actual race stage) for endurance, a hill workout for strength or a tempo/interval workout for speed (these can alternate), and another moderate workout for overall fitness.

Given the number of workouts a triathlete has to coordinate, pairing workouts is necessary — and beneficial.

Carlberg's program for female triathletes meets three times a week for workouts consisting of a swim and bike, a bike and run, or all three. The other workouts are left for the athletes to coordinate on their own.

Many coaches recommend at least a short run after each bike workout to get used to the physical transition between the two events.

While doing events in sequence is helpful in knowing what to expect from the race, Blanton said he also likes to do "negative bricks.

"I'll do a long run first until I'm wiped then get on the bike and spin for 25 to 30 miles," he said. "I recover so much faster. I'll do this in first third of training. Toward the end, I'll do things in sequence."

Some triathlon programs also include "mini-tris" — simulated triathlons, complete with transitions, performed at shorter distances or slower pace.

Clarke, for example, has his athletes run through four or five practice triathlons over the course of their training.

"If you do them at less than racing distance, it allows to you to go at race pace without it becoming a killer," Clarke said. "If you want to go duration, then go slower. I hear of people who do the full race two to three weeks before and then feel flat for the real race."

Clarke has his athletes do the full course at least twice so they know what to expect and what it will take to finish it.

TAPER TIME

As with other endurance events, triathletes should ease off their training as the big day approaches.

"We look at tapering as the conservation of energy and letting that energy build up," Carlberg said. "We bring down distance but not intensity. We'll do shorter, faster intervals to keep muscles peppy and blood flowing, but not super-fast or you risk injury. You want to do just enough that you don't feel sluggish either."

Marr, for example, said he cuts his workout distances by 50 percent.

"But I'll keep up the intensity because I don't want to be flat," he said.

As your body gears itself for an optimal physical performance, your mind should also be gathering its resources.

"The most important thing is to visualize the race you want to have," Clarke said. "You have to see it from the week before (the race) through the awards ceremony to the next week. What is your intention? You have to know what you intend for each stage and the transitions and have a plan for making that intention a reality."

Clarke recommends cutting off the visualization four or five days before the race, lest the stress of thinking about the race wear on you.

Nutrition and rest are also key points of emphasis in the week leading to the race. Clarke recommends healthy meals of vegetables and lean meat early in the week and carbohydrates like pasta a couple of days before the event.

Because athletes often have trouble sleeping the night before a big event, Carlberg says it is important to schedule an "absolute rest day" two days before the race. "We operate on a 48-hour clock so be sure to eat and drink well during that period before a race and get plenty of rest."

T MINUS 24

After a week or more of tapering, many triathletes are ready to bounce off the walls the night before the race. That goes a long way in explaining the almost fanatical diligence that goes into preparing clothes and equipment the night before the race.

Some athletes rely on a checklist to make sure they don't forget anything, others visualize each step of the race and what they will need.

Blanton's ritual includes laying out all his gear on the floor, with his clothes arranged in anatomical correctness.

"My wife always thinks there's a body on the floor," Blanton said, laughing.

Triathletes should continue to hydrate well through each stage of preparation, but Clarke says food intake should be minimal if anything the night before the race. He recommends some simple carbohydrates at noon and little or nothing at night.

"Side stitches and other problems are usually the result of eating the night before," Clarke said.

Carlberg advises her athletes not to eat after 6 p.m. "so you wake up feeling light."

Marr said he usually eats some chicken, bread and simple carbohydrates the night before a race, but nothing after 8 p.m.

"You don't want to eat too late or you'll be up late digesting and you won't get a good sleep," he said.

THE BIG DAY

Marr tries to get up at least two hours before a triathlon, enough time for him to bolster his energy with a big cup of coffee, a waffle or two or maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a banana and an energy bar. A half-hour before the race, he will also consume an energy gel.

As an elite competitor, Marr's place in the transition area is secure. Recreational triathletes may need to get up earlier so they can get to the race site early enough to find a good spot to rack their bike and set up their equipment.

"Get up early enough to set up your bike and map out the transition area," Carlberg said. "Allow time to figure out where exits and entrances are. If you give yourself enough time, you won't panic if something comes up."

Triathletes should also allow enough time for a gentle warmup before the race.

"Using too much energy will take away from race but you've got to warm up," Clarke said. "Get on bike to see that it's working properly, jog at literally a walking pace, then gently swim for about 10 minutes.

"The aerobic energy process takes time to get going," he said. "It's a step-by-step metabolic process and it can take most of an hour to get going. Until then you're just burning sugar."

Like every other aspect of triathlon preparation, the warmup must be controlled to yield the right results.

"Some people will run two miles to warm up," Marr said. "In my opinion, you've got a triathlon to do so why would you do that? You want to save every little bit of energy."

If you've trained properly, the race itself should just be an execution of familiar skills and decisionmaking. And while only a select few will ever perform at Marr's level, his advice for how to swim, bike and run a smart, controlled race is applicable at every level: Exert yourself but try to stay relaxed.

"You need to be fluid and loose," he said.

That isn't easy when unexpected difficulties arise. But dealing with those — be it a kick in the mouth at the start of the swim, a flat tire on the road or a cramp in the last mile — is a requisite skill.

"If you get a flat, it doesn't do any good to waste five minutes getting mad," said Blanton, who sometimes lets the air out of his athletes tires in training to get them used to reacting quickly and decisively. "Don't freak out, just handle it."

Carlberg suggests having one or two "backup" goals just in case your best-case race doesn't materialize.

However your race turns out, once it is finished you should concentrate on making a quick, full recovery.

Clarke's post-race plan includes a warm-down jog, a change into fresh, dry clothes, some food and a moderately sugared drink to rehydrate.

Just as important, Clarke said, is giving yourself a reasonable reward not just for your race, but for the all of the disciplined training that led to it. An extra helping of ice cream for dessert is certainly reasonable.

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.