Getting Started in Georgia

Thank you, COgirl. This is a great site, there's quite a bit of info here for beginners.

yeah...just go to the 'directory' link at the top right...their are a few georgia clubs there...what distances are u covering now consistently?

Welcome and good luck with your training. I'm also a beginner here in the Atlanta area. check out GA multisports http://www.gamultisports.com/for some local races and membership information if you are interested.

I don't train with any clubs or groups myself so I'm not too much help with references, but a couple of groups out there are http://www.tri-atlanta.org/& http://www.triathletetribe.com/;However you've already found the best support groups here at BT.

For local races also check out http://www.trifind.com/ga.html

Hello and Welcome!

Hey - I'm just north of ya - and signed up recently for my first tri in August - check out www.tribluesky.com - I am doing the High Falls State Park race. I went and watched the John Tanner Race in Carrollton to get the feel of it and I highly recommend you do too. You can see that it is all types of people, all types of bikes, plus the excitement from just watching will make you want to jump in with them. Feel free to email me for tri-talk!

Thanks for the great advice and support Ron, GABLUE, Whizzer, tplauche, COgirl, and Y-NOT-TRI. Ron, I run and bike 3 times a week each, running 3 miles and biking 15-20 miles. What concerns me the most is the swimming component. I used to swim competitively in high school, but that was sprinting short distances (and it was a long time ago). I'm 41 now and lack the upper body endurance to swim more than 300 meters at a time (and I thought I was in shape). I'll continue running and biking, but will try hitting the pool to build up my swimming.

I'm going to take up Whizzer's advice (thank you) and train for a tri-sprint race, which cuts the swim down to a palatable distance. I also looked into the Georgia Clubs, but have decided to try the training on my own for now. I'm highly motivated to complete a full triathlon and believe a sprint will give me a good taste for what's in store.

Geez, yesterday, I decided to update my street bike. I was shocked by the technology of the new equipment and the $$. I have a great bike (alum Canondale), but was really surprised to learn what it takes to build a triathlon bike. I got everything installed and am very pleased with the results (light Mavic wheels, light tires and tubes, etc.). Now, I suppose its time to train.

I had one more question, and its about the transition areas. Do the race components, (swim, bike, and run) all begin and end in the same place? I mean, is the transition area the same for all three events? Is it necessary to have a friend or "staffer" there to keep track of your stuff?

hi motivated. boy, i can feel your enthusiasm as i read your post. i remember getting ready for my first tri and all the excitement. you've got a good base so far sounds like. swimming will come back in no time trust me, just get in the pool and practice. transisitions vary i suppose from race to race, but for the most part they all take place in an enclosed area where your bike is racked and all your gear is arranged for each leg of the race. it is a wise thing to practice the "fourth leg" of the race, the transition, before the race. when you choose a race find out how they are set up ahead of time. good luck, you'll do great!

also, there are some articles about transitions here on bt.

Okay, I have selected an event. Its July 18th, a sprint Triathlon with a 440 Yard Swim, 12mi Bike, and 3.4mi run. I can do all these things individually now, I've just never put them together before. That gives me 6 weeks to train. Is this reasonable? What times should I be shooting for in each leg of the race? What are the averages terms of the rates (e.g. swimming 100 meters/minute, biking miles/hr, and running minutes/mile) that people keep in these events?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Hi
This is a great place to learn and stay motivated

-joe