Awesome!
Sometimes (/here) they have indoor triathlons when the seasons turn freezing! I have never participated-this season because I am not in Montreal, but at one place, they have a resistance pool and then you spin and then run on a treadmill and you compete against your own time. I have also heard of people swimming in the pool and then hopping out onto a stationary bike and then a treadmill. They might exist where you are too!

Hey!
I am actually not sure how the training varies according to distance-I will try and find some good resources on that for you. It is awesome that you have been doing such great training! I find the challenge is the transition between the sports and combining them altogether. Typically, when training, I overtrain for individual sports and practice transitions. For example. I will do 25-30k bike and then run for 10 minutes and incrementally increase and see how it goes. I would imagine the training for more distance can be similar. In my mind there is a level of trial and error with training and typically people overtrain, but perhaps that is not the best advice!
I will do a bit of research and get back to you. Until then, check out some triathlon magazines-especially at this time of year when people are making resolutions!

Thanks! This is awesome!
If you need swim training tips I can help-beyond that, my theory is train like hell!
Good for you for your goals and acomplishments!

Hmmm....I have a couple of disparate thoughts on this,which I will (I hope) pull together at the end!

My first is that my old swim coach told us never to judge a swimmer based on what his or her warmup looked like because it takes a while to warm up and for the body to start working properly. For me, it takes a while to wake up (I work out EARLY), but either way, it is pretty much the same principal.

Like any workout, a warmup is always always optimal to get yourself moving well and efficiently, but it is not always possible-specifically with races. Of course, it puts us at a disadvantage (but then again, it puts everyone at a disadvantage, so in terms of competition the playing field is about even), so you can stretch and at least wake up the muscles. I always jump and wiggle around in the water right before-take a few practice strokes-some even swim a few meters/yards (but I am not sure that is possible in a pool tri). I also wave my arms and move my legs and ankles around...stuff to bring heat in. It is always a good idea to stretch before a race anyway. The jumping also helps dissipate the nerves.

Another principal (and I am not being obnoxious here...not on purpose anyway) is mind over matter. I love triathlons, but aspects of them are just plain unpleasant. For example, to me, the transition between the bike and the run makes my legs feel like spaghetti-I have to literally say to myself "you are running now. you are running now. you can do it. you are running now" and I will my body to listen. It does not always work, but I still find it helpful-gives me back some control when I feel I have lost. I also visualize finishing and remind myself how amazing it will feel when I am done and how I am making a meaningful difference in my emotional and physical well being.

For swimming in the cold water, you can speak to your body-like "OK, this is cold and it sucks, but i am doing a triathlon and i need my legs, arms, whatever to move..." I find that I set a good rhythm for myself when I swim by repeating "pull, pull, pull" to take my mind off being uncomfy.

Finally, you WILL be nervous. Nerves will likely make you go faster!

This rambly response summarized:
You might be slower than you'd like-it's normal and it's still amazing-whatever you do.
Try for a bit of a stretch and warmup before you start
Mind over matter
Nerves=faster

Remember, just completing a triathlon is a remarkable accomplishment and do not be down on yourself if there are aspects you feel you could of done faster or better...you will have done wonderfully just by doing it and will learn along that way!

Hope this helps (I wish there was a magic answer, but alas...)

Hey! I believe the hot shower will make the water seem sooooo much colder when you jump in!