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Where to start? - First pick a race!
- There are many different race types & lengths. As a new triathlete, you will want to start with a mini-sprint or sprint length triathlon, so look for races at those lengths. The Tarpon Triathlon is a sprint triathlon, so it's a great one to start with!
- Now look at where the swim happens, pool or open water. If you are a strong swimmer (by this, I mean you have swam competitively for a while) then open water is ok, however if you are not a strong swimmer, you should try to find one with a pool swim for many reasons!
- Look at races that are closer to home. This will help to ease your race day jitters. If there are none close by, you should stay in a hotel near the race or with someone you know.
Now on to the training
- You will want to train the hardest in you weakest sport of the triathlon (swim, bike, or run), keep in mind the distance you are training for. There is no need to be able to run 26 miles for a race where the run is only 3 miles!
- It will be helpful to you if you talk to someone who knows that sport well, so they can help you with training. If you are a weak swimmer get stroke technique lessons (for most people the swimming is the weakest event, so get help, you will be glad that you did!)
- You will want to do what is called brick workouts. This means that you will sometimes need to train for 2 of the 3 events in one workout, so swim then bike, or bike then run! This will help your body get used to transitioning from one event to the next. It will also help you form a plan for how you will want to do the transitions on race day. You will also know what you need to pack in your race bag! Trust me, going from biking to running will feel strange to your legs, so you don't want the first time you do it to be race day!
- There are many websites and books that offer more detailed help in designing workouts to get you ready. Check them out!
Do I need a fancy bike?
- Not at all. You just need a bike (and a helmet)! Many people do their first tri on an old mountain bike or even borrow a friend's old bike! You should however bring your bike to your local bike shop and have it checked out. Make sure the tires are in good shape and the gears are working properly. You can do this prior to training, but you especially want to check it out about a week prior to the race.
What do I need to know for race day?
- Many races offer early packet pick-up. This is when you get your race number, shirt, etc. This usually happens a day or 2 before the race. If they do offer this, you should try to get there and get your things early, as race day pick-up lines can often be long and make you more nervous on race day!
- You should get to the race no less than 30 minutes prior to the race, but I would really recommend getting there about 1 hour ahead of time. This will give you time to set up your transition area, familiarize yourself with the facility, get your body marking done (this is when they write your race number on your arms & legs, these lines can get long as well), warm-up, and most importantly relax a little before the race. There is usually a meeting just prior to the start of the race to explain race rules and any other changes made on race day. You will need to be there, and this can sometimes take up to 15 minutes.
- When you lay out your transition area, you should put your biking stuff closer to you, and your running stuff closer to the racks. You want things to be as efficient as possible to make your transitions as quick as possible. Your transition time does count in your overall time. You will also want to have a bottle of water at your transition area and/ or on your bike. There is often no water stations along the bike course. There will be water stations along the run course.
- Be familiar with the race route for the bike and run.
- Most importantly have fun with it. There will be something that will go wrong! Don't dwell on it. Just have fun and make your goal to finish the race. Your first one should not be for you to try to get an age group award. Enjoy it! Make some new friends!
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