How do you start triathlons?

Dofflin

Hi

I want to get into competing in triathlons, but don't know much about them. I have been running most days for 4 months, and cycling lightly for a couple years. I also surf but don't swim laps yet. Do I just look up local comps online and sign up like you do with running a 5k, 10k etc? And I may not have th e right gear. How many montys/ years does it take to become proficient? What free weight exercises will be most beneficial, and is 2 sessions of each swimming, cycling, running per week a good start? I bought good shoes, but I want to avoid overtraining injury as I am very enthusiastic about exercise

(apologies for the wall of text, I am using my phone)

Thanks in advance for any replies

MeanderingMammal

Local clubs to me do a couple of Try-Tri races each year, aligned to other races that they're running, so it might be worth looking into whether that's an option. They'll tend to be a 300-400m swim, 10-20km cycle and 2.5km-4km run so it gives you a decent introduction to the sport. Given that you're not used to distance swimming yet then I'd suggest that as a reasonable distance, although a sprint distance might be ok for you. As the first discipline, and one that depends on good form, then it'll impact your other two disciplines quite a lot.

As far as kit is concerned, you can spend a lot on dedicated equipment, but you needn't. As you've presumably already got the kit the main thing is to recognise the limitations that each set offers and account for it; a mountain bike or hybrid is perfectly reasonable but it'll be slower and harder work in advance of the run. In the UK most open water swims mandate a wetsuit, so that may be something you'll need to consider in your geography. It's not clear where you are, but a swimming wetsuit is configured differently to a surfing suit, again you can swim in a surfing suit, but it'll be a bit harder work.

As far as training is concerned, the two things I'd add are transition training and combinations. The ability to get out of the water, out of your wetsuit and onto the bike quickly, smoothly and without incurring penalties, and similarly the ability to get off the bike, into running shoes and then step off takes some getting used to. My first couple of hundred metres off the bike are horrible when I brick up cycling and running. Try it, get used to it.

This group seems most active, so is probably worth exploring http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/88-triathletes-duathletes