Hi, I've searched the forum (maybe not enough) and looked around, but I'm looking for advice on triathlons. Specifically, for the beginner. Training is important, but I really want to know about the rules, procedures, etc. I guess I just don't want to go to my first tri, or any event for that matter, and look like a total dumbass. I have no idea what or how to transition. I looked at amazon.com for beginner books, but a few of them had bad reviews. Your advice, or a book, whatever, I'll take it all. Thanks.

The best thing I did when I began, was to go to the first race of the season and see what happens. I was much more relaxed come race day.

best book out there for the beginner is "Triathlon 101" - a must read for all newbies.

I also second the idea of watching a race (in person) to see how it's done.

Thanks, I'll check it out. I'll for sure go to another tri beforehand. Does the book cover the transition and the rules?

http://www.slowtwitch.com/index.html

Nice multi sport site.

a good bet would be to join a club near you. There will be people in your position who can give you very good advice, and also help you out with the essentials on your first few races. Plus you'll meet like minded people.

Enjoy, Chris

The Triathlete's Training Bible by Joe Friel

There are usually a ton of smaller sprint events out there , although its getting late in the season you should be able to find something thats not too intense. When you do your first just remember not to sweat it there are alot of new participants in these ,I even see guys on mountain bikes out there. And dont worry about all of the gear, I do sprints in speedos,you dont need a tri suit with a chamois unless you are doing a long event.Good luck!

Thanks all for the advice. I bought Triathlon 101 and so far it is very good. I noticed a few others and I'm sure I'll get another book, but my main concern was equipment, transitions, and swimming technique. I can't wait until next spring...

Equipment, transitions and swimming technique?

That is a big list when you think about it.

One of them can be resolved by practicing and two are a matter of personal preference.

Equipment:
This is about as vague as it gets. What do you need? Not much, really. Things that I have found to be useful:
1) Wetsuit. Worth every penny. Makes you faster. Swimming takes less effort. Allows you to get in open water for training when it is cold.
2) A BIKE YOU ARE COMFORTABLE ON. Now what I didn't say was a kickass race bike or a dedicated tri-bike. For a newbie, it is important that you be comfortable. Happy riders ride faster. After you know what you like, then make that substantial investment into a bike. If at that point you get a racer or a tri, enjoy!
3) Race belt. I don't like wearing my number for the whole race or pinning anything to my clothes, so I have a race belt. You can pick them up at most running stores for $5-$10. Easy on and off.
4) Speed laces. They take a bit of getting used to, but they are great and you will never worry about undone laces on the run. (Helps in T2 as well.)
5) HRM. My personal tachometer. I have found this tool to be useful in measuring how hard I am pushing myself. I have a bad habit of going too hard and then falling apart in the run. My HRM has helped me out dramatically by telling me to slow it down a bit and I have since posted personal bests in my last two events.

Transitions:
IMHO, there is no one way to do transitions. After doing some eleven triathlons now, I am still tweaking things, but it is that constant improvement that drives us to do what we do. Things I have done this year to speed me up in transition.
1) Don't dry off. Takes time and you'll drip dry on the bike for the most part.
2) Wear your race clothes under the wetsuit. Nothing more difficult than pulling a dry jersey onto a wet body.
3) Simplify. If you can do it while riding or running through T1 or T2, do it on the move. Tape gels and powerbars to your bike and eat while riding. (The same goes for the run, except carry the gel with you.)
4) Socks. I have gone both ways on this. I rather like wearing a pair of socks on the bike and run, so I take the time to put them on. What I have done this year to speed up the process is to have a small hand towel handy to dry my feet off before putting on the socks. I also have started dumping talcum powder in the socks to make them an easier on with damp feet. Talcum in the shoes works well too.
5) Organization. Practice your transitions or be prepared for a long one the first time. Learn how you approach the transition and plan accordingly. Rarely will you see two athlete's transition areas identical. See how others do this and then modify it for you.

Swimming:
Practice.
Practice.
Practice.
If you can find a local tri club, you may be able to find a class that works for you. Otherwise...
Practice.

Wow. Fat Bomber, that was an awesome post (imho)! I agree with everything you said there. I will add a couple other items.

Socks: I put them on before the race and roll them off. I leave enough of the toe sticking out so I can see which side is the top (seam). Brush the sand/dirt/gravel off and roll those babys on. I have to use socks. I get blisters every time I don't have them.

Gel (bars work too): Before you get on your bike, you can slide a packet or two under the leg band on your cycling shorts. Easy access, they really do not come out without you pulling them out.


I haven't tried using a hrm. But, I probably should. I have heard there are great benefits.

Very good post indeed. The part about the transistion is what I was wondering about. Although the book did a pretty good job of giving me the basics, your post was very insightful, Fatbomber! I know I must have socks...thanks for the tip, neuronbliss!

Go to http://www.beginnertriathlete.com Great site

Also check out http://www.cruciblefitness.com

Check the resources section of the website. The guys that run this website are ranked 85th and 120th in the U.S. Triathelete rankings. They have also coached quite a few guys through Ironman events and speak at several of the Tri events in Southern California and in Arizona. The website that Lexi7013 is also very good. Don't be afraid to ask questions in the triathlete community. I started training in March 2004 and complete 2 triathlons while training for 2 marathons and 3 Century rides. Before you invest in a lot of money/equipment and crap for triathlons, do a sprint event. See whether this is something you really want to do. Most importantly, just go out and have fun! Best advice I received!

http://www.trinewbies.com

This site has an excellent beginner's 10 week training sched. to get you through your first sprint without dying. I followed it to the letter and did pretty well. Now I'm working on speed.

As far as transitions, I recommend setting up your own system. I would set up my bike in the living room with everything laid out like a transition area. I would then swim in the pool, run in wet and go through the bike transition, run out the front door with the bike and hop on. Then I'd come in from the ride and prop the bike up, and go through the run transition.

Even if you don't have a pool I would recommend running in from the back yard or something, putting everything on, running out with the bike, hopping on, then turning around and simulating the run transition as well. If you wanted to get really acurate, get in the shower first and run through it wet because that does make a huge difference. However, the wifey sure does hate me running through the house wet.

Anyway, after you do this a few times you will begin to notice how you could be more efficient. Above all stay relaxed and calm in transition. You'ld be surprised what you forget to do or not do when you are freaking out in transition.

Welcome to the greatest lifelong sport in the world.

have fun

Some advice...

1) Get Body Glide - It's worth every penny
2) Check our Eric Harr's book - Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week
3) Please, please, please remember to STAY TO THE RIGHT WHEN YOU ARE ON THE BIKE COURSE!!! I was involved in a bad accident in September because several slower riders were all over the road. Another cyclist ran into me and took me out and I sustained a broken clavicle and scapula. I still won't be able to get back on my bike for another two weeks.

If you do a USAT sanctioned event, you will get penalized if you don't stay to the right but some other race directors don't stress the importance of this.

Lots of good books and articles out there.

I'd try joining a local club. My first year I used the book "Workout for Working People" by Mark Allen and Julie Moss. Lots of good info in there from strength training, nutrition, and 16 week plans for all distances.

Some coaches have posted training advice and articles on trifuel as well:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/

above all just have fun, you'll be hooked in no time!

The shocking thing is most people do not swim correctly!!(at least that I have observed).Many people(even good triathletes) thrash their arms as fast as possible(this will wear you out and is not efficient).The technique I use is explained in the bookTotal Immersion by Terry Laughlin.But the problem with his explanation was that it was so convoluted it was hard for me to apply in a simple fashion.
After months of practice and looking at websites I finally figured out an explantion for the front crawl that is simple, easy and fun. Step #1 DO NOT MOVE YOUR HEAD!!! Keep your face down in the water and DO NOT MOVE YOUR HEAD!!(pretend it is in a cement block) Step #2 As you swing your arms TURN YOUR SHOULDERS as much as you can WITHOUT MOVING YOUR HEAD.---A split second after your shoulders turn, your hips will snap(YOUR HIP SNAP,NOT YOUR ARMS, supplies the power).
Most people swim like they are marching ONE-TWO, ONE-TWO This technique is like a waltz ONE-2-3 ,ONE-2-3,ONE-2-3.You will reduce your # of strokes if you do it this way. It is a far more relaxing,fun and easy way to swim then what most people do.But as they say you have to practice, practice practice.

Take a look at www.ironmate.co.uk free training advice for triatletes, impressive background,with good sound advise from someone who's been there and done it.

Many books will tell you that the swim is the most psychologically intimidating aspect (this was certainly true for me). I read the Total Immersion book and it helped a little. After completing my first season, I got the Total Immersion DVD. It is nothing like the book and has dramatically improved my swim technique. The workouts are easy and you will see results quickly if you are not an experienced swimmer. Not being exhausted after the swim is the best way to have an enjoyable (and fast) race by making T1 less chaotic and helping to ensure you stay focused for the more time consuming stages.

I was a nervous wreck before my first race but a couple minutes after the starting horn sounded, I began to enjoy the personal challenge and have been hooked ever since.

you guys are awesome - thanks for all the patience and advice. i bookmarked all those sites and i'll shop for those books as well.

- and this wasn't even my thread!

woot!

happy friday everybody...

1) Get Body Glide - It's worth every penny

I followed a buddy of mine to a his first sprint tri last year and then an olympic length tri a few months later. In the sprint, he used Body Glide and still had a hard time getting his wetsuite off. For the Olympic length tri, he used PAM cooking spray. The morning of the olympic length tri he totally surprised me with the cooking spray, but as I looked around...everyone was using PAM.

Just a thought!

Ron

Yes, Pam is good for the wrists and ankles if you have trouble getting your wetsuit off (I personally don't). I prefer body glide for the chaffing points (underarms, inside of thighs).

Well, first of all it depends on how in shape you are. Do you think you'd be able to complete on at this point? If not, first you need to work on that. After you're ready, then look into rules. You can go to www.usatriathlon.org for rules and information. Don't worry, most triathlons have LOTS of new people at them who are in the same spot you are in. You can read up on transitions and practice them in your garage, outside, wherever.

Feel free to ask any more questions...

wow.

Hey, I'm a runner. Just got a new Cannondale hybrid. I came to this thread out of curiousity. Now, I am convenced that I need to learn to swim and be ready for a tri in 2006! Really.

So I made a list of those books, and the DVD. I'm gonna learn how to do the crawl.

I need to learn the lingo. I have no clue what a T1 is. I expect it to be in the books.

Thanks for all the great info.

2006? You have the whole 2005 season in front of you. Do not lose a year, these are too much fun!

BTW - T1 is the first transition between the swim and the bike.

I agree you have an entire season this year... start on a small "sprint" race and it will build... I started last year with a sprint and am training for a 1/2 IM this summer..... you will be hooked and spend more $$ on this hobby then you will on you wife's engagement ring...shhhh! I did! ;)