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First Give-It-A-Tri - Help!
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 2010-06-21 3:23 PM |
Member 52 |  Subject: First Give-It-A-Tri - Help!Hello, I've decided to try my first "give-it-a-try" in September at Wasaga Beach. I'm beginning to train now and I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping more experienced athletes can help me with! The bike that I hope to use is an old road bike (maybe 20-25 years old). It still works well and has been maintained very well. Will this be good enough for my first attempt, or should I look into getting something newer/a different type? I have no idea what to wear for the different legs of the race. I want to minimize my transition times, so I don't think changing between every leg is a good idea. But I also want to minimize my costs, and not have to buy a bunch of expensive speciality apparel. Also, I've heard horror stories of women literally swimming over other women instead of swimming around them, and almost drowning one another. Is this really the norm? And if so, how the heck can I avoid that craziness?!? I just started running races this year (used to run for fitness, but I just started signing up for races this year) and this will be my first time seeing, and participating in a tri. Since it is my first time, and I'm not sure if I will even enjoy it and want to continue on, I don't want to have to spend tonnes of money preparing for this one. And, to be honest, I'm not even sure where I can get triathlon gear in the GTA, or what "reasonably priced" is! Any advice would be a lifesaver!!! Thanks! |
| 2010-06-21 3:36 PM in reply to: #2935066 |
Master 1531   TORONTO | Subject: RE: First Give-It-A-Tri - Help! Congrats on going for it!! You should be fine using the bike you have. I did my first TATs using a mountain bike with thin slicks on it. Maybe just get a good tune up before your race. re: clothes - I'd recommend things that dry quickly and are body hugging. If you are wearing a wetsuit you should be able to wear your other clothes underneath. Not sure what the weather will be like then - I did one in Ottawa in the fall - twas chilly and I wore tri shorts with a swimming tank and then threw a thin zip up cardigan on after the swim. I've done some smaller TAT's where people have collided on the swim but it's usually because no one is sighting well  Maybe start off to the side and back to avoid the crowds - depending on your speed - if you are fast - take off like a rocket so that no one can catch up!Endurosports is a good place to shop but you should be able to get by on what you already train in. If I had to buy anything to start - I'd buy a pair of tri shorts and the price can vary depending on the brand/style. Good luck and enjoy the race! |
| 2010-06-21 3:42 PM in reply to: #2935066 |
Master 4119  Toronto Bronze member | Subject: RE: First Give-It-A-Tri - Help! Welcome! Your bike will be fine - for try a tri you'll see all kinds of bikes. Don't worry about that ... if you can bike 10k on it now you'll be ready! As for the swim. It can be chaotic but again, with some good prep and a decent race strategy you won't have worry about too much contact. Sure, there can be the swimming over people and some incidental contact but again for Try a Tri where it's pretty much all beginners you don't have to worry too much about it. My fiance who did tris long before I started always tells newbies, especially nervous swimmers to stay off to one side and stay out of traffic. As for the clothes, it's best to just stick to one outfit ... some women wear a just a bathing suit, bathing suit with shorts over top, some have tri-suit, etc. But I wouldn't expect to be able to do a full-change as there isn't really space (transition area is wide open!) for that and pulling dry clothes over a wet body can be quite challenging! |
| 2010-06-22 4:36 AM in reply to: #2935066 |
Expert 1360 | Subject: RE: First Give-It-A-Tri - Help! First of all, congratulations for signing up for your first tri! When I did my first, i did one with a 32 km bike (was already able to run and swim the distances) and did the triathlon on my trusty old hard tail Norco from 1992 (this was in 2001). The thing weighed a tonne and I didn't get slicks put onto it. The bike kind of sucked being passed by everyone (i still get passed by everyone!) but I still had a blast! At the Give it a tri distance, there will be people with all different kinds of bikes. Probably the only people that will have tri bikes will be the competitive kids. As for what to wear, I did my first several seasons of tris putting the following clothes on, in this order. 1) sportsbra 2) swim suit 3) tri shorts. Minimized the cost (you can get tri shorts for $40-$50), got me to the finish and I didn't have any problems with chaffing at that distance. Just make sure you try what you will wear on race day a few times. if you are self concious going for a ride/run in your swimsuit, just throw a shirt on over top. I would also consider renting a wetsuit wasaga can be cold. As another poster said, may also consider throwing something long sleaved on in T1 or maybe wear armwarmers as well. |
| 2010-06-23 8:07 AM in reply to: #2935066 |
| Member 52 | Subject: RE: First Give-It-A-Tri - Help! Thanks so much for all the advice guys! It's helping to calm my nerves about this thing. I think I might try to get out to watch a tri before the Wasaga one, so I can see the flow of things. I'm fine biking/running in a bathingsuit, so I think I will do the bathingsuit plus tri shorts. Maybe this is a silly question, but should I wear the tri shorts over the bathingsuit for the run, or put them on in T1? I've never even seen tri shorts before, so I have this picture in my head of shorts that add drag in the water and weigh you down, lol! Does anyone know where they sell tri gear, besides online? I've gone to my local running room and they said that they USED to sell tri stuff, but they don't anymore. Also, are there any brands that are better than others...how tight/loose should they fit...etc? PS, keep your fingers crossed for me that the summer last long and it's still hot on September 11! the try-a-tri doesn't start until 1pm so at least it will be warmer than starting at 9am! |
 2010-06-23 1:33 PM in reply to: #2938263 |
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| 2010-06-25 4:00 PM in reply to: #2938263 |
| Member 84 | Subject: RE: First Give-It-A-Tri - Help! Congrats on signing up for your first race. Wasaga is a great venue. I've been 3 years in a row now-it's become tradition to end the season there. As for clothing, tri shorts do not add drag. They have a thinner chamois (pad) and are made of a quick drying material. They are meant to be swam in. Don't waste time changing in transition, unless it's to just throw a shirt on. I, personally, could not stand the feel of a swimsuit when I was biking or running. I suggest a sports bra/top and your tri shorts under your wetsuit. As for the swim, I do suggest practicing in open water as much as possible. Last year, the try a tri swim was choppy and I think that's what caused all the turmoil in the water. You will have such a good time! |
| 2010-07-06 8:56 AM in reply to: #2935066 |
| Regular 187 Barrie, Ontario, Canada | Subject: RE: First Give-It-A-Tri - Help! I did the sprint at Wasaga last year. To get to the actual swim you had to wade/run about 200 metres in knee/waist deep water. That did a pretty good job of thining out the swimmers so you shouldn't have to worry about being swam over. For your first tri, you can also give the more aggressive competitors a 15-30 second head start and you should have a problem. Don't worry too much about clothing. Whatevery you have that fits fairly snug and is comfortable in saddle for the 10 km bike will do. Wear the same clothing from start to finish. For this distance, the padding in the tri shorts isn't really needed. I was more irritated by the seams in my jammers that I wore for my first tri a tri but even then, at only 10 km, it was nothing more than a minor uncomfortable feeling. Relax and enjoy. See you there! |
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