I have my first sprint this weekend in Houston and I have not practiced any open water swimming. Luckily its in a lake and has very still water. My goals are to finish...and hopefully not be last!

Right now my training is 1-2 days per week of weights, about 3 days a week of 2-3 mile jogs, and 1 day a week of bicycle riding. I have 2 young kids (1 and 3 years) so I squeeze in workouts where I can. Some days its a 10 minute ride, and some days its a 30 minute jog with time to lift weights. The most consistant part of my routine is that I try and exercise at least 5 times a week.

Definitely try to get in an open water swim before your event. It makes a difference, because you need to practice sighting buoys (as you will in a race). Find a lake, or if you are near the coast, swim there. I live in FL, so I try to swim open water in the ocean. It's usually tougher than most of my events, so it's great training.

For the person who asked about training schedules, your regular schedule should include brick workouts (bike ride followed by a run, as you would do in a race). This helps your legs acclimate to the switch between those sports. Even if you just run 10 minutes after every bike ride, I promise it will help you. At first it feels strange, but now I actually prefer a bike warm up before running.

I have a triathlon coach, and my workout schedule normally includes: 2-3 days of swimming; 2 brick workouts a week (these are usually shorter rides and runs); long ride on the weekend, usually followed by short run; long run on the weekend. Sometimes there are optional workouts in there, too. Every week includes three days of core exercises and stretching, too. I know this sounds like a lot, so just scale it down to your fitness level and the time you have available. Frequency is extremely important. It's most important to do something every day, even if it is short.

Good luck and most importantly, focus on having a great time at the event. Run your own race.