If you can afford it and this is your first triathlon, sure, consider hiring a coach. They’ll be able to create personalized training plans, analyze your performance, give you feedback and encouragement and offer plenty of tips from personal experience. However, if you can’t afford a coach, there is plenty of support out there. Turn to online groups, in-person clubs, teams, group-training programs, and training partners that you find within your own community. Some first-timers attend a training camp over a long weekend to kick start their training and get excited about their goal.