Triathlon - Man I hate to do it . . . another n00b question thread

Sorry.

This weekend is my first Tri, a sprint distance.

Transition area . . . help me with this.

This particular place (I think this is the case) has car parking a decent distance from the transition area. What is my plan? Put everything in a bag and ride the bike down? Will I be able to have the bag in the area once everything is out, etc? I would think so.

I will look around and ask stuff, but any tips? Sounds like I want to try to put my sunglasses in my helmet and my helmet somewhere close to my bike. Bottle on bike already. Towel on top of my stuff on the ground so I do not have to dump stuff to dry off what I need to dry off. Have bike shoes and socks ready. have running shoes ready, with hat neat it.

I have some tri shorts, so i am good there. As far as shirt I just have a regular bike jersey and dri-fit running shirts. Do I just put on my bike jersey and do the bike and run in it?

Yes. :) Your plan sounds fine. Just make sure that you tuck your bag underneath your towel/shoes so that it doesn't get in the way of other people's stuff.

I would pick one of the shirts for both the bike and run. Go hop in the shower, get out without drying and figure out which one goes on easier when wet. Wear that one.

Good luck & have fun. The best way to learn is by watching those around you. While you're at the race, take a peek to see what others are doing. It is how I did most of my learning. That and by learning from mistakes....

again i think the most important thing for a first tri (having just done mine) is to not fret times or speed all that much and just focus on the experience of it. it's a learning experience and you can't stress doing everything perfectly. just do it and have fun so you'll want to do more.

also remember to have a large bottle of water (gallon) filled at your transition to clean your feet off after the swim, assuming you'll have to run through sand. some people also recommend flip flops at the swim exit to wear to the transition

Use one towel to "mark your territory" and lay your stuff out on. Have a second towel on your handlebars to dry and wipe your feet as you come into transition. There should be room for your bag there, most people will do that.

My helmet is usually resting on my aerobars, but the ground works just fine. Rest your sungalsses in there and make sure the straps are straight.

And wear the bike jersey throughout.

Good luck and have fun.

While we're answering noob questions, is there any real benefit to wearing a jersey during a tri? I ran my first sprint recently without a shirt the entire time and that seemed to work fine for me...

While we're answering noob questions, is there any real benefit to wearing a jersey during a tri? I ran my first sprint recently without a shirt the entire time and that seemed to work fine for me...

Some races may not let you go shirtless.

Alberta Triathlon rules state that you may not have a bare torso during the race. I'd wear a shirt to be on the safe side.

Most US races, especially sprint ones, will allow you to race bare chested, and that's what I do when I can. Much easier and less chafing.

I keep a triathlon backpack (wife and girls bought it for me for Christmas) that has room for all of my gear and includes a pad to put on the ground that I lay out my shoes on. I also keep a roll of tape and extra safety pins in it for attaching balky race numbers or if the organizer runs out.

I should mention that if you want to go shirtless, you'll need a race number belt in most cases so you can wear your run number.

I have a few extra lbs in the midsection. . . nothing too bad, but not really keen on running without a shirt.

Thanks for all the info!!!

Good luck to us, indygreg. My 1st tri is tomorrow as well (Eagle Creek Sprint?) Weather looks iffy but I bet the water is plenty warm after last week. Trying to decide whether to drag my poor family along for moral support. Wife is not a morning person.

My big dilemma now is tires...I don't normally train in the wet, esp. not full throttle on the aero bars. Wondering if I should bring something with treads just in case? What are you riding?

I wouldn't change tires right before a race. Just take it easy in the corners and be especailly careful of metal surfaces (railroad tracks, bridge expansion joints, etc.) and the painted lines and such on the road. They can be like ice when wet. You'll be fine.

Good luck.

Good luck to us, indygreg. My 1st tri is tomorrow as well (Eagle Creek Sprint?) Weather looks iffy but I bet the water is plenty warm after last week. Trying to decide whether to drag my poor family along for moral support. Wife is not a morning person.

My big dilemma now is tires...I don't normally train in the wet, esp. not full throttle on the aero bars. Wondering if I should bring something with treads just in case? What are you riding?


Same tri as you tomorrow . . . both of our first. Yeah, water is a bit warmer than I would like, but with the weather we have had, that is to be expected. My family will be there.