First tri coming up...need pointers on transitions

First off, welcome to BT.

Second...many questions here. But the most important one is the swim. "is the swim manageable without a whole lot of training". Absolutely not. People die that way. Seriously. You should be able to swim at least 2x the race distance COMFORTABLY in a pool to know that you can swim the same distance in open water (OW). An open water swim is totally different than a pool swim, and if you are not confident out there, you will get yourself in trouble and quickly. Also...you are smart to not swim alone in open water. Don't do it. People die that way. Seriously. Try to find a training group or a swimming group or a life guarded beach. And get some practice in as much as possible, as soon as possible and definitely before you cross the swim start line. If you are unsure AT ALL that you can't make the distance...dont do the race. Period.

As far as transition areas. Your personal space in the transition area is SMALL (or at least, it should be!). So, less is more. You arent there to set-up a picnic, its a race! So just take what you need and try to take up as little space as you can. My transition area typically just has my cap and goggles in front, my bike, my shoes, my glasses and helmet (glasses in helmet, helmet on aerobars/handlebars), and running shoes, race belt, socks (rolled and in my shoes). It takes up very little space. My transition bag is behind everything and out of the way. My wetsuit is either hanging on my bike or I am wearing it. Dont take a bucket (oh god, not another bucket thread)...you wont need it. If you are really worried about rinsing your feet, take an extra water bottle and leave by your cycling shoes. You can squirt them off and go. I usually leave a bottle there for this purpose. I dont think I have used it yet. I either forget or just dont need it.

Lastly: practice practice practice your transitions before race day. A lot of people disregard how difficult transitions are. They really arent that hard once you practice them a few times. So be sure to incorporate this into your training plan as soon as possible. I know it seems stupid to set this up in your driveway (and your neighbors may look at you funny), but you will appreciate the practice on race day.

Good luck!

Edited by JohnAgs3 2010-09-09 9:21 AM

No on the bin/bucket/whatever for T1. Please don't. People will step on it and it'll spill all over someone else's stuff.

You don't need half the stuff you're thinking about using. Helmet, glasses and Halo head band (if you use one) on the bike. Shoes, race belt, glasses (if you sweat as badly as I do, you always have another set for the run, just in case) and optional socks for the run.

Here's my standard setup, this was for Mooseman HIM last year (note, the backpack in the bottom went away before the race started:

Very much agree with JohnAgs - in my first ever tri a fit 40 year old with no OWS experience was found floating in the river.  The cause of death was not publicized, but it demonstrates a lot of things can go wrong in water.  Most folks, including yours truly, have stories about panicking in the water.  It has nothing to do with fitness, but much more so with familiarity - e.g., the constraints of a wetsuit, murky water, current, getting kicked in the face, sun in your eyes, etc.  The only way you can get a handle on what OWS is like is to practice with supervision.  Never OWS alone.

As for establishing a baseline of swim fitness, 12 mos. ago I didn't know how to swim and I signed up for a tri with a 900M swim leg.  I took a very disciplined approach to learning technique and never focused on speed.  For me, once I knew I could swim a mile in a pool, I knew that I could complete the 900M distance.  When you get to longer distances I'm not sure the double distance necessarily holds true (i.e., I'm doing an Oly with 1 mile swim and I've never swam 2 miles in one shot (but I do train at distances of greater than 1 mile)). 

As you are worried about the swim leg, do what it takes gain confidence and experience.  If you feel you have a weak freestyle stroke, try completing the race distance using breaststroke.  It may be slow, but it will give you something to fall back on when and if things get tough during the race.  If you are not confident (different that being nervous) that you can't swim the required distance, please do everyone a favor and gracefully withdraw.

Transition - less is more! Just remember to take your swim cap off before you put your helmet on - and your helmet off before you run (Yes - I've seen triathlons where people didn't do this!)

Swimming - let's go with some positive encouragement. First - you can use any stroke to finish the swim. My first triathlon was a combo of front crawl, breast stroke and back stroke - probably with a little dog paddle in there as well! For many people - it's the breathing that is hardest - back stroke makes that much easier.

I agree you need to get some fitness in for swimming - but there are a few other things to remember:

1) You can hold on to the lifeboat, buoy - whatever they have marking the course - as long as you don't make forward progress. If you need to catch your breath - it's ok to stop and rest.

2) Let's say you get out on the swim - and decide this just isn't for you - get the lifeguards attention. Wave your arm - call out. That's what they are there for.

3) Find a tri club in your area - or post something on here - you'll find people who are going to do Open Water Swims. There are a lot of triathletes out there who enjoy helping other people enjoy the sport!

JohnAgs -- Thanks for the info! I am pretty confident that I will at least finish the 300-yd swim Saturday, as I've completed more than that in a pool. My primary goal this weekend is to use it as a measure of how ready I am (or can be) for the swim by the real tri. And thank you for the transition set-up information!

DanielG -- The picture is a tremendous help, thank you! I plan to do pretty much exactly what you have pictured in your post.

Thanks again, everyone, for your quick responses and good info. I will be sure to post back here and let you know how it went on Saturday!

Go swim in the open water at least once prior to the race. If only getting in there and swimming 100 yards before the race starts. It's amazing how many people can swim all day long in a pool and have zero problem but as soon as they get into a lake they forget which way is up and panic. No, that's not an exaggeration. There's no rhyme or reason to it, it just happens a lot.

Sometimes it takes three or four OWS for a person to get used to it. Again, this also happens to strong pool swimmers. Be careful. Go swim in open water at least once prior to doing it in a race.

I'll be doing my first tri at the end of September and it's an OWS. I fully intend on backstroking as much as possible because I hate getting my face wet. Great for a triathlete, right? I could be way off base, but I think the problem with OWS is people are afraid of what's in the water. Add the fact it can get choppy and people get nervous. 

I second seeing if there's a local tri group that does OWS. I know in my area there are several and they go out fairly regularly. It's just a matter of knowing when and where. Plus, triathletes are a rare breed and more than willing to welcome newbies into the fold. 

Daniel -- I will. This afternoon, I am going to see if there is another public pool here that I can use in the mornings, and I will will go swim open water tomorrow afternoon. I plan to do several open water swims between now and that actual race day. I have done a couple before, so it's not COMPLETELY new to me, although I definitely need more practice!

Now that we've given you all of this sage advice to either inspire or frighten you - we've all forgotten the most important part of your first tri -

HAVE FUN!

You never get a chance to do your first tri again - I can remember pretty much every detail of mine - including thinking I didn't need to use Yankz on my shoes - then having somebody come up behind me during the bike and say "Watch your lace." Yep - it had wrapped around the pedal about a dozen times.

Good luck.

I'm not trying to scare you here but what he said above is true becuase it happened to me. Twice. Both times in an open water tri. I practiced all the time in a pool but the ocean is different. Do what ever you can to get in some practice swims in open water. I have done 4 tri's so far 2 in the ocean and 2 in a pool. The difference is night and day. I am still not confidant or comfortable in the ocean and I will continue to work on doing practice in the ocean when I can.

It's your first tri so just get threw the swim. Take your time don't try to be the first in the water. Try to relax and swim smoothly and slowly. Use the lifeguards if you need them. Enjoy your first tri and good luck.

There are many articles and videos here on BT all about transitions and what to do (and not do). There are also some good articles and videos on the site below.

In your first race, your goal is to finish and enjoy it.

I didn't really heed the advice of doing open water swims before my first race. In fact, this year my four open water swims have all been in races, so it can be done. Just don't go to hard and do realize that you will probably get punched, kicked, and/or swam over during the first 100-200 yards of the swim.

http://www.active.com/triathlon/

"I've heard some people say to bring a small bin filled with water to dip my feet in when transitioning from the swim to the run."

First tip, make sure you bike between the swim & the run 

About OWS, I have been a swimmer for a looong time, went to state competitions in HS, kept up with it for pleasure in college and now as a "grown-up."  My first open water swim was a "try a tri" so the distance was only 300 yards, and it was terrifying.  I started off WAY too fast because I had no idea how to pace myself not in a pool- by the time I got halfway out to the turnaround point I was almost totally out of steam and began to flail.  I was totally unprepared for the pitch darkness of the lake water and not being able to see.  I had Swedish goggles which were worthless in the lake.  After the turnaround I was blinded by the sun and would up on the shore 30 yards away from the path to transition, and was so dazed and lost a volunteer had to run over and grab me to point me towards the right way.  

It was not a great first experience, but I'm so glad I had the practice.  I changed up a lot in my training, did another try a tri and just practiced ows, and for my first "real" competition I kicked the swim's butt and got second in my AG for the swim! 

I've waxed on long enough, but I guess my point is, even a very experienced pool swimmer can have their butt handed to them on the first ows.  Don't make the first time be when it matters.

UPDATE: The mini tri went well, I thought. The bike portion was slower than I anticipated, and I think that was due to my being exhausted from the swim. I registered in the Clydesdale division and placed 1/7. My overall time was a little disappointing, but my primary focus was to survive the swim and just finish the event. Here is my time breakdown:

Swim (300-yd)	T1	Bike (10-mi)	T2	Run (2-mi)	Total Time
8:59	4:10	37:47	1:04	20:37	1:12:36

Obviously, my T1 time needs to vastly improve. I originally anticipated the bike to be around 30 minutes. And I was a little surprised by the run time. Not a respectable time by any means, but considering how much I walked I expected it to be a longer time.

All-in-all, I survived and I had a great time participating in the event! Thank you to everyone who gave advice on different aspects of the triathlon. The information about swimming and the transition area was of tremendous value to me. Thanks again! I can't wait for the next triathlon!

Bigspoon17
you are a triathlete.
congrats on finishing your first race and 1/7 for the big guys is excellent stuff.
Keep it going for the next race and I am sure your times will improve dramatically now you have the experience of actually taking part. It is one thing to hear the great advice you get on BT but to actually do the race is better as you now know what everyone was talking about.
You got through the swim in a respectable time so no worries for the longer race next month.
Good luck

Thanks, Pashda! It felt great to get that one under the belt! And you're right: nothing helps prepare you for an actual race like being in an actual race. Competing in triathlons is definitely something I look forward to enjoying for awhile. It is a great sense of accomplishment to finish. Although this past weekend consisted of very short distances, it is something I couldn't have come close to finishing 6 months ago at 280+ lbs.

A little late now but the one thing I'll say about transitions: talk it out to yourself ahead of time so you know exactly what order you're going to do everything.  Then do the same thing when you race, be smooth and don't try to rush.

My husband & I just did our first Sprint this past wknd and it was awesome.  You're going to LOVE it!  The biggest disappointment I have with my times was from my transitions.  If I would've just cut out 30 seconds on both of them I would've gone up about 4 or 5 places at the end rankings.  They're important to practice (and can take a lot of time off your end numbers), but regardless of how many times you try it, it's your first one - so enjoy and have fun with it. Good luck!