And just by way of a good story - My wife competed in her first triathlon last March (still in the midst of her weight loss journey), never having run a full 5k even in training - she had come close, but not a full 5k. On race day what exRunner said held true - adrenaline carried her through the full 5k without walking, and it was a HUGE confidence booster. In April she ran the Cooper River Bridge run in Charleston (10k) and by August she had won her division (I know I've mentioned this before somewhere, but proud, so I'll say it again!). The point being - race #1 taught her a lot and was a great spring point.

Like exRunner, I'm typically only running 3 times a week - that has held for training for all distances, sprint through iron.

As far as the brick goes, you might try running just a mile, or even less once you hop off the bike. The feel of running right off the bike can vary - sometimes you get elephant leg, but sometimes I actually run faster off the bike than I do in training due to the high cadence I keep on the bike. My legs start turning over faster on the run than they might typically in training, in which case I have to back off or risk burning up.

When it comes to the day though - it's all going to be about having the experience - enjoy it!