Triathlon - First Tri this Sunday! I'm nervous!

I have lots on concerns running around in my head so I think I might just list a few?

- Open Water Swim....I hope I don't freak out/get knocked out by someone's stroke/ drown...
- Flat tire? I'm planning on carrying 1 tube a pump and tire levers. Will this do?
- Pacing myself...

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

i have lots on concerns running around in my head so i think i might just list a few?

- open water swim....i hope i don't freak out/get knocked out by someone's stroke/ drown...
- flat tire? I'm planning on carrying 1 tube a pump and tire levers. Will this do?
- pacing myself...should i take it easy so i don't flop or should i push myself?
- transition questions. Can i bike/run shirtless or will i look like a ******? Anything extra i should bring to the transition area besides the obvious?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

edit

Just did my first one a little over a month ago... here are some suggestions:


Drowning/Run over - If you are worried because you aren't a strong swimmer, wait on the beach until the crazies that are part of your wave are off. The worst part of the swim is the initial start. If you wait, you might be the one running over people :)

Flat tire - you never can predict these. I carried two tubes just in case. You can carry one, but you need to be careful if you hit glass that you attempt to remove it before putting in the spare tube. Are you concerned about the weight of a second tube or you just don't have the room?

Pacing - tough call here. Depends on how good of shape your in and what distances the race is compared to your workouts. For me, I pushed the swim hard and went easier on the bike because the run is my worst discipline. Also, it depends on your goals. I would set your goal for the first one just to finish and still be relatively fresh... the more races you do, you gain experience on pushing yourself.

Transition area - Not knowing gender, I won't say whether you should go topless or not. I suggest a tri top or bike jersey (full zip is quicker to get into) as you will have to put a number tag somewhere during the run. It gives you room to carry spare tubes and gels. As far as what else to bring, a jug of water is handy so that you can clean your feet off if you have to run through sand after the swim. I saw a guy with a rubbermaid tub just large enough for feet at my tri. Maybe a small pail or cooler to sit on when changing shoes.

A couple of things, get there early as you can claim a better transition area and have an easier time finding your spot. Go to beginnertriathlete.com as there is a video on setting up a transition area. Don't forget to click your helmet strap before grabbing your bike off of the rack otherwise you run the risk of disqualification.

I have lots on concerns running around in my head so I think I might just list a few?

- Open Water Swim....I hope I don't freak out/get knocked out by someone's stroke/ drown...
- Flat tire? I'm planning on carrying 1 tube a pump and tire levers. Will this do?
- Pacing myself...

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

I'm on the same page as you, mine is tomorrow morning.
I've been taking lots of advice from these boards, thanks all.

it seems like something easy to overlook but my last tri I was so disoriented when I came out of the water. My next tri i'm going to do trial runs before the race starts from the exit point on the beach to my transition area. Just so I can get a good route engrained into my head.

What length tri are you doing? As an overall comment...Relax. You'll be fine and you'll have a great time.

What length tri are you doing? As an overall comment...Relax. You'll be fine and you'll have a great time.

Its a sprint triathlon (thankfully). .25 mile swim, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run. I can't wait but unfortunately I have a XC meet the day before. :(

Its a sprint triathlon (thankfully). .25 mile swim, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run. I can't wait but unfortunately I have a XC meet the day before. :(

those look like great distances for the sprint. The bike a bit short but overall a pretty good distance. I would try not to get caught up in any sort of competitive aspect of it. Relax and enjoy it. You will have many days of remembering how fun it was after the fact.

cjbruin is dead on, though I know it's tough to relax on that first one. Remember just that though, it's the FIRST one, likely not the only one, so you'll hopefully have plenty of other shots to perfect everything. Just focus on having fun for now. Nothing beats that feeling of crossing the line for the first time.

For the open water, you might want to start near the back of your wave, or at least out to the side to avoid the blender. Honestly though, I've been kicked and karate chopped, and with all the adrenaline you'll likely have you probably won't even feel it if it happens. Just don't forget to take time to sight. Calm and steady. If you get panicked stop and breast stroke for a while.

If you have time, go over the course the day before. A car ride to find landmarks takes out the mystery and helps you pace yourself if you are better with visual cues than watching an odometer. It also helps you pinpoint where you can really crank it on the bike (flat smooth road) or where any potential hazards might be.

The same goes for the transtion area. Know where you enter and exit for each leg of the event, and
practice your transitions. Even a couple of dry runs in your living room is worth the time invested. Again, anxiety about the unknow that you can easily eliminate.

I would not necessarily say to worry about getting new gear for this one, use what you know and are comfortable with, but in the future you might consider a CO2 inflator. Catching a flat is going to knock a dent in your bike time regardless, but at least you can salvage some time if you don't have to wrestle with a pump. A race number belt is also a great time saver.

Have fun!

treat the first one as experience and make no attempt to win:lol:

Seriously, just jump in and have fun. Your goal for the day should be to have a smile on your face :D and learn what to do for the next one.

My one tip, no matter how excited you get, go EASY in the swim. I've seen really good swimmers blow up in the swim because they got caught up in the 'race!' part of it.

sermon over, good luck

If you read this in time, then good luck. If not, I hope you had a blast. Take your time going into the water - don't rush in and get kicked in the head. For your first, I would suggest keeping a pace that you know you can sustain. What you don't want to do is blitz the swim and bike and the crash during the run. I just finished my first tri this morning. Still jacked up about it! Keep us posted on how you do.

Thanks guys, I'm really pumped for tomorrow. Now, my last question, any tips on how to fall asleep?

Not gonna happen. Just do some laundry and maybe remodel the bathroom.

Not gonna happen. Just do some laundry and maybe remodel the bathroom.

Haha! Thanks for the honesty. I'm jumping up and down right now, I don't see an end in sight.

I always have trouble sleeping the night before...don't sweat it, your body can handle it. Just try to relax the best you can, and don't forget to give us a report when you're done! Finish Well!

I can't sleep.......................

So how did it go?