Available Fall 2026
Training Plans and Coaching Support for a Confident Race Day
by Alison Freeman — USA Triathlon Level III Certified Coach
You don't have to go it alone — from your first start line to your best finish, an expert coach is with you every step of the way.
Pre-Order on Amazon →Get launch updates + Coach Alison's triathlon gear recommendations →
"Having a great coach changes everything in triathlon — and Unlocking Triathlon gives every athlete access to exactly that. Alison walks you through skill development, training, and race preparation. Whether it's your first race or your tenth, she makes you feel like you're not doing this alone.”
Gwen Jorgensen
Olympic Gold Medalist, Triathlon
"Nobody makes triathlon feel more accessible than Alison Freeman. With the patience and clarity she's known for as a coach, Unlocking Triathlon takes the overwhelm out of the triathlon world and replaces it with confidence. Think of it as having Alison in your pocket—on every training run, in every transition, and all the way to the finish line.
Emma-Kate Lidbury
Former professional triathlete and endurance sports journalist
“Alison Freeman is the triathlon coach who answers athletes’ questions before they even think to ask them. In Unlocking Triathlon, Alison combines her deep knowledge of the science behind, and the experience of, triathlon training with her no-BS approach to help you get to the start line feeling fit, fearless, and excited to compete.”
Susan Lacke
Senior Editor, Triathlete Magazine
“Most triathlon resources either oversimplify or overwhelm. Unlocking Triathlon finds the balance. Alison brings the same clarity and patience to this book that she brings to coaching, and the result is a book that builds real confidence at every step of the journey."
Justin Trollé
Senior Education Manager, USA Triathlon, and USA Triathlon Level III Certified Coach
Tackling a triathlon can feel overwhelming. Training for three sports — especially when one is new to you — plus a pile of gear and a race day filled with logistics is … a lot.
But you can move through that journey with confidence when you have an expert coach in your corner. In Unlocking Triathlon, Coach Alison is there every step of the way — from selecting your first race, through the weeks of training, and all the way to the finish line. Whether you're a complete beginner wondering if you can even do this, or an experienced athlete looking for a smarter, more structured approach, Unlocking Triathlon meets you where you are and builds from there.
The book treats you just like one of Coach Alison’s athletes, covering the coaching conversations you'd have if you were actually working together. And the triathlon training plans allow you to tailor them to your athletic background and current fitness level — so your plan reflects your reality, rather than being a generic one-size-fits-all template.
The sport-specific skills that make you a stronger, more efficient athlete — from swim stroke and breathing technique to bike pedaling efficiency and cornering to running form that holds up when you're tired. Plus the triathlon-specific skills that connect all three: transitions and fueling the engine.
What is triathlon fitness, how you develop that in training, and what that looks like when laid out in training plan form. This is the “why” behind your plan, so you understand the intention behind the workouts and the reasoning that drives them.
This is where sh*t gets real, and the coaching along with it. Coach Alison walks you through how to move through your training season, piece by piece: from creating consistency in the first weeks through the motivational lows to the peak week highs, along with tips for navigating illness, injury, and life disruptions.
Everything from the days leading into your race through the moment you cross the finish line: from what to eat, what to pack, how to write your race plan, and how to set up your transition area to the swim start, bike rules, aid station strategies, and saving enough to cross the finish line with your head held high.
Modular training plans for sprint-, Olympic-, and half-distance triathlons that fit together like puzzle pieces, allowing you to build a single-season plan or a multi-race season calendar. Pick your level by sport to create a plan that matches your unique athletic background and current sport-specific fitness.
I found triathlon in my late 30s after several years of “baby boot camp” (I had 3 kids in 3 years, not my best planning) — I was looking for a challenge, something for myself, and triathlon turned out to be everything. I went from self-coached athlete to certified coach to co-founding NYX Endurance, where I specialize in beginner and intermediate long-course triathletes. I've been writing about triathlon training at Triathlete.com for years, and this book is the culmination of everything I've learned as a coach, athlete, and writer.
USA Triathlon Level III Certified Coach
Nearly 100 Athletes Coached · 400+ Finish Lines · 58 First-Time Distance Finishes
50+ Published Articles at Triathlete.com
Unlocking Triathlon arrives Fall 2026 and is available for pre-order now. Sign up for launch updates and I'll send you a PDF with my gear recommendations — a list of my all-time favorite gear, the items that I come back to year after year.
