Considering first sprint triathlon...

wistera

....anything more experienced people think I should know? I have, in the past, done up to mile-long swims, a half marathon, and done lots of longer bike commutes, so I'm confident that I can train up to the challenge. Just not very knowledgeable about the races and would love tips, tricks, reassurances, training plans people used, etc - anything you've got.

Like, should I get a wetsuit? How supportive of beginners are races usually (aka am I going to be lame because I'm slow?) How different is swimming in the lake/ocean vs the pool where I'll be training, and how to prep for that?

I'm 5'4", right above 160lbs and the race I'm looking at would be in mid-September, so I can get a solid 12 weeks of prep in beforehand. Still very much in planning phase, obviously.

conniedj

I have done 2 sprints. So--I am not an expert, but I do enjoy them immensely!

I think the biggest thing people underestimate is the swim. Open water is way, way, way different than swimming in a pool. I would highly recommend going to the place where the race is going to be held (if possible) and just doing an out and back swim ( you know your time for an 800 meter swim, right?). Also--as for a wetsuit--it helps with a few different issues: it makes you more buoyant and keeps you warm. For me, the buoyancy boosted my confidence in the open water. And I hate cold water--it always makes me hyperventilate.

As for other races/racers being friendly....my first race I had 2 women literally swim over the top of me, rather than tap me and pass. Totally threw me off my pace. But you can hang back, or go to the outside of the main pack to avoid this.

For the transition...there are lots of forums with lists of items to take with you and how to transition. I always put a neon colored towel on my bike seat and on the ground next to my bike, along with water to rinse feet. Everything else was pretty standard.

My fave part is the biking...and I always test ride the route so that I can ride hard and with confidence. The run is just the run...hard to find your legs after the ride. And I don't run--so even harder for me! HTH!

3dogsrunning

I say go for it. You are far ahead of where I was when I did my first one and you have a good deal of time to train. I don't see any reason you shouldn't.
I can probably go on forever about tips and stuff so I'll just address the questions in your post. I never followed a formal plan (I really should have) so I can't help there. beginnertriathlete.com has a bunch. I did buy the book "Your First Triathlon" by Joel Friel and found it helpful. It also had a number of training plans.

Do brick workouts - that is bike to run practices. It takes some getting used to.

Wetsuit - it depends on where you are swimming. Pretty much all the races where I am a wetsuit is a very good idea. But in other places not so necessary. If you are in a warm place, you may want to check to see if wetsuits may possibly be not allowed, depending on water temperatures. They do give a little added benenfit to swimming but definitely try it out before hand. You can also look into renting one.
My advice - Do NOT cheap out and buy a wetsuit that is not specifically meant for swimming. I learned my lesson the hard way. I even tried it out before hand.

In every race I have done, everyone is really supportive. But the races I do are fairly small and it is a tight community. I did finish DFL in my first one, it was all good. No one cares how you did, especially your first one. You probably won't be last, but if you are, I can assure you, it isn't bad.

Swimming open water - it is very different but is pretty much something you just have to get used to. More advice - if your swim is open water - practice open water as much as you can, ideally in similar conditions to what you will be swimming. I wasn't a strong swimmer - literally learned proper stroke in January and did my first race in June with only a handful of open water swims - but I managed. I do recommend getting a little more than I did in. Every single race I have done, I had those moments of panic at the beginning of the swim. I don't know if it is the cold water, the tight wetsuit, the excitement, all the people around or a combination of all of the above. Apparenlty it is normal. I just remember what someone told me - remember to breath. I take a few moments and just focus on my breathing and it gets better.

A few other things off the top of my head -
For sprint distance, you really don't need a whole lot. You can invest in a tri suit (the shorts have a thinner bike padding that you can swim in) but it isn't required. I did my first few in tight shorts and a quick drying running tank top and bra (wore this under my wetsuit). Same with the bike, most bikes will get the job done. Change out knobby tires if you are using a mountain bike to road tires. It will make a difference.

Good luck. Have fun!

ETA -
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/88-triathletes-duathletes

Oh and in regards to above - I also tend to hang out at the back of the pack. I'm not a strong swimmer so I let the pack go and follow.

wistera

Thanks, guys! I trained and finished all of my running races without harassing people for help, but for some reason I'm finding the info on triathlons to be significantly more overwhelming, so I really do appreciate the personal advice.

I'm unfortunately not able to make it to where the race will be (almost two hours away) for regular training, but I think we do have some lakes in the area that you can swim in. I'll admit that I have absolutely no idea what my 800m time would be - it's been maybe two-three years since I last did any form of non-recreational swimming! (And -50lbs or so, so I'm probably going to sink like a stone. :P)

I'll definitely check out beginnertriathlete, pick up a book and poke around the group on MFP. You've given me lots of resources super quickly, thank you again!

lealorali

Tris can definitely be overwhelming! I actually felt like all the damn GEAR you needed was too much! I posted a bunch about triathlons on my blog here if you want to check it out - it's all a newbie's perspective: leahloudly.com
Enjoy and I hope it helps!

cavewoman15

learning about triathlons is more overwhelming than running races because it is a much bigger deal! triathlon is much more involved than running races both in terms of training and gear. it is awesome though! i highly recommend

sprint is a good distance to start and you have a good base, but if you plan to race in 12 weeks i would start training immediately. i used the sprint tri training guide from beginnertriathlete.com for my first race in april and it was great.

you are a more experienced runner than me, which i think is an advantage. running was, and still is, the hardest part for me. my suggestion is to start doing bricks as soon as you can work them into your training program without too much fatigue. brick = bike + run in same workout - you run immediately after biking, or as soon as you can change your shoes and remove your helmet.

good luck!!