Thinking of doing a triathlon - any tips?

Bella0531

I've done a few small races (bike or run), but never anything like this.

The one I'm looking at is a 1mi swim, 22mi bike and 6mi run. I need to work on getting my swimming stronger, but have until August.

Any tips? What was your first race/triathlon like?

girlcalledryan

in for tips

WaKay

stop thinking?!?!?

:0

WJS_jeepster

If you can find one, I'd suggest a triathlon training class. They can help you work on transitions and give you insider tips.

Also, most triathlons are not evenly split effortwise between swim/bike/run. All the ones I've done have been light on the swim, heavy on the bike, and medium to the run. Which is not good for me, because I'm a swimmer and runner, and a terrible biker. The effort on the bike usually killed my runs. Figure out how yours is split and plan accordingly.

Do a lot of running right after riding so you get used to the wooden legs feeling of just off the bike. Having the right equipment also makes a huge difference - even if it's just figuring out how you are going to get your biking shoes on with wet and possibly sandy feet. Most people set a tub of water up on their transition spot for washing off feet, since you usually will have to run on sand or dirt to get to transistion.

You will not only need to get better at the swim (a 1 mile swim is pretty far considering the other distances of your tri) but get used to open water swimming, which is a completely different animal than pool lap swimming. If it's a mass start, you need to figure out how to deal with a thrashing crowd possibly kicking and hitting you (mostly by accident). It helps to learn how to sight on the buoys or shoreline so you can go in a mostly straight line.

Hope that helps somewhat - I'd really emphasize how helpful a training class would be.

Capt_Apollo

i'm starting my third triathlon season. my first triathlon was a sprint, and i've done about 5 sprint triathlons, and one olympic distance race.

i think that if you're going to start with a triathlon, best to start with a sprint distance, but if you want to go for an olympic distance event, go for it. just make sure to really get the milage in.

check out beginnertriathlete.com for some training templates. very very helpful.

the swim isn't that important. there is a saying that you don't win the race in the swim, but you can lose it there. too many people try and swim all out and come out ahead. they end up coming out of the water and are really exhausted and really bog down quickly. if the race is wetsuit legal, rent a wetsuit. depending on the time of the year and how strong of a swimmer you are will dictate if you sleeveless or not. a wetsuit provides a lot of bouyancy and "free speed." the swim is the smallest part of the race. stay in the back of the pack. don't worry about keeping the shortest distance around the buoys.

the bike is one of the most overlooked part of your training. i think 60% of the entire race is on the bike, yet a lot of people don't train as hard on the bike because "it's easier." you know, a lot of people train really hard to shave a minute per mile of their run, so they would come in six minutes faster. but if you were to train to take a minute off your mile time on the bike you'd come in 25 minutes faster. so bike, and bike hard.

lastly, it's all a warm up for the run. let yourself recover from the bike the first two miles on the run. let the blood flow to the muscles you'll be needing and the sensation get back to your feet. step up the pace the next two mile, but leave some in the tank for the last two miles. remember to smile at the finish line.

don't worry about all the gear. this sport can get expensive. i did my first triathlon on a mountain bike and wearing sneakers. you can spend money on an aero helmet, and clip in pedals or whatever, but it doesn't make up any deficiencies in your training at all. the only gear i'll recommend you buy is a pair of tri-shorts and a tri-top. the provide much needed comfort in the swim, the bike, and the run. and if you never do another triathlon again at least you have a comfortable pair of bike shorts and a top.

notice i didn't mention transitions (until now)? you will not win or lose your triathlon in your transition. you're doing a short race, so you really shouldn't be needing tons of stuff. don't take up too much space in the transition area.

race like you train. thinking about electrolyte drink and gel packs? wondering if you should wear socks or not? well, you need to figure that out waaaay before race day. honestly, you might not even need more than a couple of bottle of water and some gel packs. and i always wear socks.

pro-tip- aquaphor or any water-based jelly, on your toes will help prevent blisters, and chaffing in areas around your neck and your thighs. apply them before the start of the race while wearing a rubber medical glove.

Bella0531

Thanks Capt and WJS! Awesome responses! Just the kinds of things I was looking for!

freezerburn2012

i'm starting my third triathlon season. my first triathlon was a sprint, and i've done about 5 sprint triathlons, and one olympic distance race.

i think that if you're going to start with a triathlon, best to start with a sprint distance, but if you want to go for an olympic distance event, go for it. just make sure to really get the milage in.

check out beginnertriathlete.com for some training templates. very very helpful.

the swim isn't that important. there is a saying that you don't win the race in the swim, but you can lose it there. too many people try and swim all out and come out ahead. they end up coming out of the water and are really exhausted and really bog down quickly. if the race is wetsuit legal, rent a wetsuit. depending on the time of the year and how strong of a swimmer you are will dictate if you sleeveless or not. a wetsuit provides a lot of bouyancy and "free speed." the swim is the smallest part of the race. stay in the back of the pack. don't worry about keeping the shortest distance around the buoys.

the bike is one of the most overlooked part of your training. i think 60% of the entire race is on the bike, yet a lot of people don't train as hard on the bike because "it's easier." you know, a lot of people train really hard to shave a minute per mile of their run, so they would come in six minutes faster. but if you were to train to take a minute off your mile time on the bike you'd come in 25 minutes faster. so bike, and bike hard.

lastly, it's all a warm up for the run. let yourself recover from the bike the first two miles on the run. let the blood flow to the muscles you'll be needing and the sensation get back to your feet. step up the pace the next two mile, but leave some in the tank for the last two miles. remember to smile at the finish line.

don't worry about all the gear. this sport can get expensive. i did my first triathlon on a mountain bike and wearing sneakers. you can spend money on an aero helmet, and clip in pedals or whatever, but it doesn't make up any deficiencies in your training at all. the only gear i'll recommend you buy is a pair of tri-shorts and a tri-top. the provide much needed comfort in the swim, the bike, and the run. and if you never do another triathlon again at least you have a comfortable pair of bike shorts and a top.

notice i didn't mention transitions (until now)? you will not win or lose your triathlon in your transition. you're doing a short race, so you really shouldn't be needing tons of stuff. don't take up too much space in the transition area.

race like you train. thinking about electrolyte drink and gel packs? wondering if you should wear socks or not? well, you need to figure that out waaaay before race day. honestly, you might not even need more than a couple of bottle of water and some gel packs. and i always wear socks.

pro-tip- aquaphor or any water-based jelly, on your toes will help prevent blisters, and chaffing in areas around your neck and your thighs. apply them before the start of the race while wearing a rubber medical glove.

Great response. Sprint triathlons and Beginnertriathlete.com got me going on my way to eventually doing an Ironman. Brick workouts (bike ride followed immediately by a run) during training really help too.

Don't forget to recover after the race with a nice cold beer!

WJS_jeepster

To add - I just put a lot of emphasis on the transitions because I found that if you messed something up at transition - say not cleaning your feet off all the way - it can really be annoying for the rest of the race. There are some really easy things you can do (like swishing your feet in a bucket of water) that can make your life a whole lot more pleasant.

I totally agree that many people go out way too hard on the swim. You need to remember that there are people in the pack that trained as swimmers and they have the techniques and skills to make the swim the easy part for them. Just because they're first out of the water doesn't mean they're going to win. (in my case I was passed for the first of many times within a few minutes on the bike). People without swimming backgrounds can easily use up way too much energy trying to blast out the swim. Just take it nice and steady.

Capt_Apollo

i recommend bringing a large 2 liter water bottle to leave in transition to wash off your feet. you can take a swig of it to wash out the salt water that you just swam in, and then dump the rest on your feet to facilitate getting the grime off of it.

if you are triathloning, you should be bricking. don't go nuts and try and do a 24 mile bike ride and then a six mile run. do something like a 3-4 mile bike ride and then a half mile run, and repeat 2-3 times.

also, training tip, try and schedule your run day after your bike day. it'll help get you used to the feeling of running on bike legs. but don't schedule your long run day after your long bike day.

cwolfman13

i'm starting my third triathlon season. my first triathlon was a sprint, and i've done about 5 sprint triathlons, and one olympic distance race.

i think that if you're going to start with a triathlon, best to start with a sprint distance, but if you want to go for an olympic distance event, go for it. just make sure to really get the milage in.

check out beginnertriathlete.com for some training templates. very very helpful.

the swim isn't that important. there is a saying that you don't win the race in the swim, but you can lose it there. too many people try and swim all out and come out ahead. they end up coming out of the water and are really exhausted and really bog down quickly. if the race is wetsuit legal, rent a wetsuit. depending on the time of the year and how strong of a swimmer you are will dictate if you sleeveless or not. a wetsuit provides a lot of bouyancy and "free speed." the swim is the smallest part of the race. stay in the back of the pack. don't worry about keeping the shortest distance around the buoys.

the bike is one of the most overlooked part of your training. i think 60% of the entire race is on the bike, yet a lot of people don't train as hard on the bike because "it's easier." you know, a lot of people train really hard to shave a minute per mile of their run, so they would come in six minutes faster. but if you were to train to take a minute off your mile time on the bike you'd come in 25 minutes faster. so bike, and bike hard.

lastly, it's all a warm up for the run. let yourself recover from the bike the first two miles on the run. let the blood flow to the muscles you'll be needing and the sensation get back to your feet. step up the pace the next two mile, but leave some in the tank for the last two miles. remember to smile at the finish line.

don't worry about all the gear. this sport can get expensive. i did my first triathlon on a mountain bike and wearing sneakers. you can spend money on an aero helmet, and clip in pedals or whatever, but it doesn't make up any deficiencies in your training at all. the only gear i'll recommend you buy is a pair of tri-shorts and a tri-top. the provide much needed comfort in the swim, the bike, and the run. and if you never do another triathlon again at least you have a comfortable pair of bike shorts and a top.

notice i didn't mention transitions (until now)? you will not win or lose your triathlon in your transition. you're doing a short race, so you really shouldn't be needing tons of stuff. don't take up too much space in the transition area.

race like you train. thinking about electrolyte drink and gel packs? wondering if you should wear socks or not? well, you need to figure that out waaaay before race day. honestly, you might not even need more than a couple of bottle of water and some gel packs. and i always wear socks.

pro-tip- aquaphor or any water-based jelly, on your toes will help prevent blisters, and chaffing in areas around your neck and your thighs. apply them before the start of the race while wearing a rubber medical glove.

All of this...the good Capt knows his stuff.

Capt_Apollo

So did you decide on doing it?

Capt_Apollo

Also, stay ahead of your hydration needs. That means be properly hydrated BEFORE the race starts. Actually, before race day you should be hydrating. On short races like sprints and Olympic distance you shouldn't need more than a bottle of water during the whole thing (unless it's particularly hot that day.)

DangerJim71

6 months to prepare for an Olympic distance tri could be enough.

My first question is how well can you swim? If you have a hard time finishing 100 yds in the pool and have to stop for rest then you have your work cut out for you.

Next question is what are you riding? 22 miles on a quality road bike is a lot different that 22 miles on a big old mt bike. You can do it on a mt bike but it's gonna be a lot easier on the road or better yet a tri bike.


Finally, have you looked for a training plan? Lots of them out there. Does it look doable based on your current ability?

I went from being a fat smoker (270 lbs and smoking a pack per day) who fractured both tibia the first time I tried to run and couldn't swim a lap to finishing a half ironman in just 15 months. So anything is doable if you're ready to commit.

Bella0531

6 months to prepare for an Olympic distance tri could be enough.

My first question is how well can you swim? If you have a hard time finishing 100 yds in the pool and have to stop for rest then you have your work cut out for you.

Next question is what are you riding? 22 miles on a quality road bike is a lot different that 22 miles on a big old mt bike. You can do it on a mt bike but it's gonna be a lot easier on the road or better yet a tri bike.


Finally, have you looked for a training plan? Lots of them out there. Does it look doable based on your current ability?

I went from being a fat smoker (270 lbs and smoking a pack per day) who fractured both tibia the first time I tried to run and couldn't swim a lap to finishing a half ironman in just 15 months. So anything is doable if you're ready to commit.

Wow! Amazing work! Good for you!!

I think we've decided to start with a duathlon in June and see if we can upgrade to the triathlon in the Fall. Admittedly, I'm a terrible swimmer. I really need to get better at that before jumping into a tri.

Biking is my strong suit - I've got a decent bike (Cannondale) and can go for long distances without issue. I just have to get my run times faster and practice transitions.

Thanks for the tips! I'll definitely look up different training programs.

DangerJim71

Don't hesitate to get some swim lessons at the local Y or whatever is near you. I couldn't swim to save my life and took some lessons to learn good form which is essential. Even after the lessons it was a real struggle to build up the fitness needed to swim the 1.2 miles I needed. It took me 3 months of 4-5 swims per week to build up to it. I was really ready to quit at one point and finally the fitness and form came together. It was magical.

Sounds like you have the biking down which is good. My training is very bike oriented as being really strong on the bike makes race sense. It is the longest leg in distance and time so being fast there is a big plus. Being strong on the bike also makes it easier to get off it and run afterward.

Good luck and I think you should totally go for it. The 3 training disciplines means you're always cross training and it will get you pretty fit overall as each discipline makes you better at the others in a way.

mlanders22

Happy I found this info. I just registered for an event called "My First Tri" - 400 yd swim, 10 mile bike, 2 mile run.
So pumped!

rmysoldr

My first triathlon involved doing the doggy paddle for the swim (I was sloooow), riding a mountain bike, and walking the "run".

My next two triathlons became a breast stroke, a road bike, and a run/walk.

Now I'm serious about tri. I pay for coaching and training classes...they really are a good investment if you want to continue doing triathlon. The regular workouts keep you honest and because you are paying for them, you are less apt to skip them. The support from the fellow athletes is motivating. And the knowledge and skill of the coaches will be passed on to you!

I could barely walk a mile last year this time. Now, I'm down 50 pounds, completed 29 racing events last year to include an Olympic Distance Triathlon, a Century Ride, and a Marathon. This year I've registered for a 1/2 Ironman and 2 marathons... and all the little races in between.

Besides getting coaching and training, my biggest advice would be to ENJOY THE JOURNEY. Don't stress on times, don't stress on placing...just go and enjoy all of the disciplines (swim, bike, run) and be proud that your mind and your body carry you through those amazing races!