General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Yikes! I just registered for my first sprint tri! Rss Feed  
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2009-08-10 8:52 PM

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Hudson Valley, NY
Subject: Yikes! I just registered for my first sprint tri!
Gosh - I hope I have time to get ready!  It's next month - Sept 12 - Vassar Medical Center Tri - http://www.nytri.org/dbacceptance.cfm?ID=24.

1/4 mi swim, 14 mi bike, 5 K run.

For my first attempt, I'm just looking to finish, not break land/water-speed records.  I'll definitely be able to complete all the distances, but can I put them all together?  I hope so!  But, I just registered, so there's no turning back - lots of training in the next month. 

The transitions sound scary to me - do I have anything to be worried about??  Any words of wisdom? 

Since it's my first one, what real gear do I need?  Do I NEED a tri-suit, or can I swim in a regular suit, and use regular biking and running clothes.  

Thanks!  Moral support appreciated!!
Jen


2009-08-10 9:23 PM
in reply to: #2340217

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Brooklyn, NY
Subject: RE: Yikes! I just registered for my first sprint tri!
No need to worry--you'll be fine.

The key to transitions is keeping it simple. There are tons of videos on youtube that show you how to do your transitions efficiently.

As for the suit, it kinda depends on you. There's a pro male triathlete named Faris Al-Sultan who races Ironman tris in a Speedo. Most people would need a little more padding than that. Why not try wearing the bathing suit on one of your bike/run workouts and see how it feels? What I wouldn't recommend is trying to throw a bunch of clothes on over your wet swimsuit in transition. A pair of running shorts would be ok, but trying to wrestle a t-shirt on over a wet torso with the clock ticking is more trouble than it's worth.

Good luck, and keep the questions coming!
2009-08-10 11:23 PM
in reply to: #2340217

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Subject: RE: Yikes! I just registered for my first sprint tri!
I'm still fairly new to all this, but I'd definitely recommend trying things out before the day. Sure, you'll get a few strange looks when you turn up at your local pool wearing biking gear under a wetsuit but it's well worth it to know what everything feels like. Same goes for anything else you plan on taking along.

I found that biking shorts and a lycra top work fine underneath a wetsuit and that they're easy enough to run in as well. Your mileage (pun very much intended) may vary.
2009-08-11 7:46 AM
in reply to: #2340217

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Buffalo
Subject: RE: Yikes! I just registered for my first sprint tri!
I can definitely vouch for the time that putting on clothes over a wet torso can take (I was 8 seconds over my goal time last tri cus I had troubles putting my biking jersey on after the swim!).  Everyone one had pretty much said this but just take some time and test out different things before the tri to see what you think works best.  Being that this will be your first time I would recommend going for smoothness in your transition rather than speed and most importantly have fun!!
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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Yikes! I just registered for my first sprint tri! Rss Feed