Triathlon - Save Me....

...from all the new guy mistakes.

If you could give one piece of advice what would it be?

I am pondering getting started in sprints and work my way up to bigger and hopefully better. Right now, being on the outside looking in, it all seems a little overwhelming and I'm not sure exactly where to begin.

Can you save me some steps? Thanks in advance.:)

Train consistenly in all three disciplines, work hard, do a brick once a week until you are used to bike to run....

Do lots of searches and reading on this forum. Lots of good people with good information.
Set reasonable goals.
Train well for the distance and goals you have set (do you want to finish or be competitve)
HAVE FUN - this is the most important one

First and foremost, go to a triathlon this weekend and watch some middle of the pack people and the steps they go through. You'll see that it isn't that intimidating.

Sign up for a race
then train.
then get a list of everything you'll need for your first race(by this I mean remembering a towel for transition, goggles, decent tri clothing, body glide, and so forth)
Race

Be prepared. Don't worry about going fast your first time out. Just havefun.

After your first one or two,if you want to get better, go back to a race and watch the top guys. How they transition. Also don't be afraid to ask people questions, I love talking to new people about the sport and what I do.

Few random mistakes you could avoid on the first race:
- get some sandals and leave them by the beach, to wear them to transition
- have a bottle of water and towel in transition to clean your feet after the swim
- have a race belt for your number
- make sure you practiced bricks
- go easier in the last mile on bike

I'm assuming a "Brick" is all the events at one time atleast once a week?

My goal at first is just to survive intacted. If that is accomplished then we'll move to a new goal. :D

Some great advice guys. Thanks! As far as equipment, are there any items you wish you would of had but didn't or vice versa?

A "Brick" is a "Bike,Run,Ick". One of the hardest things is getting your legs to work running off of the bike. This needs to be practiced at least some so you are familiar with it. It also gets easier with more practice. Basically a 30 min. to 1 hour bike ride followed by a short 1-2 mile run will suffice. Do one of these at least once a week if you can to help get used to this feeling. The first one will be horrible, but they get better.

All you really need is some goggles, shorts, bike, and run shoes. I would spend the money on some actual tri shorts. They are like bike shorts but with a lot less pad that dries up fast. This way you can swim, bike, and run in the same pair of shorts.

I think bricks are all combinations of the 3 sports, but the most commonly practiced is Bike-Run. For surviving the first one, you don't need Swim-Bike or Swim-Bike-Run.

As for equipment, you need a tri suit, wetsuit if the water is cold, goggles, bike, bike shoes if using clipless, helmet, gloves, running shoes, maybe a hat if it's sunny, and everything you use for nutrition. Much more expensive than just running, isn't it?

Equipment? Keep it basic for the first few triathlons, just like tajsss recommends.

I did my first tri with an old road bike and wore a pair of running shorts. I guess the only thing I was not ready for was swimming with so many people at once.

You don't need "special" equipment - especially for your first one. You'll figure out soon enough what you wish you had & what you can do without. The only thing you might want is a race belt (ie a piece of elastic to go around your waist with your race number on it). The nice thing about it is that you can change your mind about clothing on the fly. You can make a really cheap one - go to a fabric store, buy a piece of elastic and a little plastic clip. Sew together & use safety pins to hold the number on.

+1 on going and watching a race. If it is a pool swim, go early. You will see MANY ability levels, and the intimidation factor will go away.

You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the input.