need tri course 101...

The trick is to keep things simple. I swim in my tri shorts and top under the wetsuit. Peel off the wet suit after the swim and get on the bike. Remember- helmet on first.

I change into socks in t1- I hate riding without them, and just change shoes in t2.

Race belts make the numbers easier to deal with. 

 Just remeber to have fun and enjoy yourself. Which race are you doing?

thanks   Do I need to get a pair of "tri" shorts, or can I wear my biking shorts under my wet suit... they will get wet I presume, right?  I am doing the tri-shark tri first, on June 2nd.

You put on whatever you're going to wear for the rest of the race UNDER your wetsuit.

Swim, peel off wetsuit, put on shoes/bike helmet/whatever else you need and bike.  Finish bike, take off helmet and bike shoes, put on running shoes and run.

There is NO changing area to fully change clothes and nudity is prohibited, so that's basically it.  You only get into changing tents and so on at 1/2 IM and IM distances.

Tri-shorts or some other short you can wear through the whole race is critical.  You could do the whole thing in a swimsuit as well, but I think that would be really uncomfortable on the bike and the run.

thanks everyone... I think I know what I need to do now

I'm bad at this... I "wing" alot of this kind of stuff and end up not prepared.  I'm gonna make sure it doesn't happen for my first tri

Thanks!

Whatmom, unless you have special (clipless) pedals, you don't need special bike shoes, you can ride in your running shoes.

 I did my first triathlon last year and my second a couple of weeks ago, and my transition times suck, so I'm no expert, but it does help to run through in your mind beforehand what you need to get done, and maybe practice a couple of times.  Lots of people say you should practice starting T1 when wet, as it makes a difference in getting things off and on.

 I try to think about getting gear off from the top down, and on from the bottom up.  For example, in T1 (swim to run), it's:

• Swim cap off
• Goggles off (supposedly if you wear goggles under your cap, they're less likely to get kicked off.  I find that being really slow in the swim and therefor well behind everybody also helps with this)
• Wetsuit off (wearing tri shorts underneath, which are worn for bike & run)
• Wipe/rinse feet
• Bike shoes on (I like to ride without socks and put them on in T2, others prefer to bike in socks)
• T-shirt on (with race number already pinned on, unless you get a race belt)
• Sunglasses on
• Helmet on & strapped--absolutely do not unrack your bike until this is done

 Then grab the bike and go.

 Similar routine in T2 (bike to run)

 If you've got time before your first race, I'd also highly recommend volunteering at a race.  You can see a lot more, especially of the transition area, as a volunteer rather than as  a spectator.  I volunteered at a race two weeks before my first, and learned a ton.  Plus got a free t-shirt.

If it's shallow enough you could wade the entire thing.  The only rule for the swim, is to follow the swim course as it's laid out.  That's pretty much it.

When you're finishing up though, swim as long as you can before standing up - it's more efficient to swim than to wade.