Beginner Questions- Training time, Equipment, etc...

Hi asmiley;

Great to hear you are entering the Triathlon arena. I'm in a similar position as you in that I was into marathon running and just picked up the the triathlon bug b/c of its diversity as well as its ability to save on wear and tear.

In regards to your question, based on my personal experience, you should be conditioned to finish a sprint tri, but do not underestimate the importance of getting saddle time and working on swimming. I've been at it for 3-4 months and my swim and cycling skills are still in need of a massive improvement. While us marathoners are indeed in good shape, it's in good shape to run marathons or long distances. the swimming and biking portions require a completely new set of skills that you have to master. It has been much tougher than I thought, especially cycling. Just speaking from personal experience but I do have to say the training has been really rewarding though thus far and i do feel fresher... Hope this helps

If you are in good enough shape to run a marathon in April you should be in good enough shape to do a sprint distance triathlon in July. Your aerobic conditioning probably far exceeds the minimal conditioning required for a 1 - 1.5 hour race. 10 weeks is plenty of time for you to re-adjust your training routine to include bike and swim workouts. I'd recommed you get in the pool right away and start working on your technique, then gradually build up your distance as the race approaches. Make sure you get in the pool 3x per week if at all possible. Get in a bike ride 2-3 times per week, also.

As far as a bike to purchase - don't feel you have to have a brand new triathlon specific racing bike or a time trial bike. Many do their first triathlon (or entire first season) on borrowed bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, etc. This gives you time to learn about the sport, get a feel for what features you want in a bike. Then when you buy a new bike you will know exactly what you want.

If you do buy a brand new bike (or a decent used bike from a shop or ebay) you will first consider road vs triathlon bike. I think a road bike is a little more versatile and works well for training, group rides, and racing. A road bike can be fitted with aerobars and other adjustments can be made to simulate a more agressive triathlon type of setup, making it okay to race. An entry level road bike by one of the bigger manufacturers (Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Felt, etc) will run well under $1000 and will last for many many miles.

A triathlon bike will be optimized for racing but some don't like long training rides on a tri bike, especially on lots of hills. Entry level triathlon bikes tend to cost a little more than road bikes, and to get a really solid tri bike new you might end up in the $1400 range.

And, should you decide that you like this sport , make sure you get your bike fitted. I mean schedule an appointment at a good local bike shop (that would be an LBS on this site!) in the secret place you live - and pay them to fit the bike. The higher your mileage the more important.
Good luck with the sprint - at your fitness level it should be really fun

Based on your marathon ability, I would say a 10-11 week training program should not be a problem to prepare for sprint distance triathlon (and, depending upon your swimming ability - maybe a oly distance).

My biggest suggestion is to get a swim coach and concentrate on getting swimming form down right....

As for a bike... any good road bike THAT FITS will do. A prefectly good used bike shouldn't cost you any more than 600-750 dollars (or less - including a few other bike things like shorts, shoes and pedal and helmet). The key to finding a bike has more to do with the BIKE FIT than the kind or brand of bike. IT'S ALL ABOUT BIKE FIT. Spend as much time looking for a good bike fitter than looking for a bike. BIKE FIT first... everything else is secondary.

FWIW Joe Moya