newbie has many, many questions

1.  No.  The swim might not even be wetsuit legal at that time of year.  Even if it is, you don't need one unless the water is really really cold.  And I'm guessing that even in Jersey, it won't be at that time of year.

2.  You need the stuff that you need for the three legs. So, your bike, bike shoes if you have clipless pedals, helmet, running shoes.  That's the bare minimum.  A running belt is nice, but not necessary. Hat, sunglasses, and other things are nice too.  Whatever you actually use on the bike or run -- that's what you need in transition.  A towel is helpful for putting it all on, but again not necessary.  Keep it simple.

3. Many people wear tri shorts and a tri top.  You can swim, bike, and run, in them. If you don't want to go to that expense (though cheap ones are pretty cheap) you can wear the bathing suit all the way (though I personally hate biking in a bathing suit), and slip a shirt on in T1.  Or, slip bike shorts over the bathing suit during T1.  Anyway, whatever you wear on the bike you can wear on the run too.

4.  Just be sure to be well hydrated before.  Some people never drink during a sprint tri.  I tend to put a water bottle on my bike and drink once or twice if I'm thirsty.  There should be drink available on the run as well.  Don't go overboard -- it's a short race, and you won't likely get dehydrated.

Have fun!

1) You will likely benefit from the wetsuit, but nobody's going to force you to race in it.  IIRC, the Jersey coast water temps in August are fairly warm for the ocean, so you don't need one per se.  A wetsuit will keep you warmer and boost your buoyancy, and you'll probably be a bit faster.  If you decide you want one, you can rent one and apply the rental cost towards a future purchase.  But try to get some swimming in the wetsuit before your race if you wear a wetsuit.

2) If you wear a wetsuit, wear your trisuit under it (or bathing suit, or whatever).

3)  T1:  bike, bike helmet, shoes are the bare essentials.  You might also want: water spray bottle for getting crap off your feet, nutrition/hydration for bike, socks.  T2: running shoes (unless you're biking in running shoes).  I'm probably forgetting something -- run a search of the forums and you'll find lots.

4) You can wear just a bathing suit for the whole thing and pull shorts over it for the run and/or bike.  You can also wear a tri suit, which is a full-body suit or shirt + shorts that can go in the water, but you can also bike and run in it.  That way you don't have to spend any time changing clothes in transition.

5) Drink as much water as you need, without drinking so much that it sloshes around in your stomach and makes you puke.  This volume tends to vary from person to person, and also depends on how hot it is outside

Also, welcome to BT! 

Edited by kat_astrophe 2009-06-19 10:05 PM

As for question #1, I think the previous responses have addressed the issue, however, let me add that if you wear a wetsuit you must have something on underneath when you take the wetsuit off. I have seen people get nude (ie take wetsuit off with nothing on underneath, then put on tri suit) and it can be grounds for disqualification.

As for what you need, I have attached a race day checklist that I saved from another thread here on BT. Just look it over and if you think you need it or might want it, then bring it just in case. Don't go overboard with your transition setup. This is a sprint tri and the simpler you make things the easier it will go for you.

Best of luck.

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Triathlon Check List[1].doc (27KB - 11 downloads)