A few questions from a complete beginner

Hello there everybody!  I'm a fairly fit 21 year old female in CA and I just made up my mind over the past few days to seriously start training to do a sprint triathlon, and I have a few questions.

The first is, are there any stretches or exercises I can do to relieve sciatica pain? And are there any workouts I should avoid to keep my pain from becoming worse?

Second, if I am completely new to both running and swimming (meaning I can barely do either, lol), is it a better idea to train to improve both of these things separately before moving on to triathlon-specific training, or should I just dive right in?

The third is, are there any books you would recommend for triathlon training?  This site is great but I like to also have something I can hold and use as reference when I can't get to my computer.

I like to take spinning classes a few times a week.  Is it a good idea to continue going as I begin the "Aggressive Couch to 5K Plan"?  Is spinning any good at all for helping with the cycling part of the course?

Lastly, what are everybody's favorite races in CA?  I'd like to do one that is scenic and not too much money.  I live in Bishop so nowhere is too far, as in, everywhere is equally far. :D

Thanks for your help! 

Edited by yosly 2009-07-26 6:12 PM