First Tri

[Chris]

I will be competing in my first tri this year and was looking for a few pointers. I will be doing a super sprint one just for starters.
What types of things I can expect from it?
What kind of gear do I need? (wet suit, special running or biking shorts) Any reccomendations?
If there is anyone experienced thats close the the pepper pike area that might want to do some training to that would be great.

Hope to get some help.

[suziharman]

A super sprint is really short and you will be begging for more when you finish!

I would not invest in a wetsuit for this. It is just too short of a swim. Even for a regular sprint, most folks do not wear a wetsuit.

You could wear your swimsuit for the whole thing; throw on shorts and a shirt for the bike/run. OR, you could buy trishorts, which are meant to be worn for the whole thing and have a little padding for the bike.

Check out the Transition Hints on our website:
www.clevetriclub.com/transition-hints.html

[Chris]

I just did my first swim work out. it was brutal, I had now swimming strength at all. Are there any recomendations on how to become a better swimmer so I dont drown the first time swiming?

(unfortunately I dont float well)

[rinibry]

hone you skills in the pool first to build a base and good form, don't hesitate to get a coach before you get too involved because its harder to break bad habits the longer you have them. I can still only breath out of 1 side in the water because thats the way i did it since I was a kid. most important come to some of the open water swims near you, maybe not for the workout but just to get the feel of the open water(if you are not already familiar with it). On a super sprint you can sidestroke the swim if needed.

defiantly check out Suzi's link and remember that spandex is hard to put on a wet body so wear it in the water if you want to wear it on the bike or run, it dries out quick. good luck

[alison]

Chris,

I occasionally swim with a masters swim group at Orange High School (definitely in the Pepper Pike area!). I think this group is great for newer swimmers because we always have Coach Pete on deck and he is more than happy to help you with technique critique and drill suggestions. There are quite a few other triathletes that swim there, too. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 PM til 9PM and occasionally on Saturday mornings.

Also, I live in University Heights and almost every time I go for a ride I end of riding through Pepper Pike, so if you want to ride with me and my posse sometime, just shoot me an email, it is in my member profile.

Best way to get familiar with how a sprint triathlon works is to go watch one, or better yet, volunteer at one. That way you can see first hand what people wear, how they organize transition, and so on. My first ever tri was a relay, and I learned a TON just from being there, so when I did an individual event I felt more prepared.

Good Luck,
Alison

[sarajean]

"Super sprint"? Is that one of the Pacific Sports Cleveland Triathlon races, by any chance? (I haven't heard of any other local race that uses the term.)

The "open water" swim of the super-sprint at the CT feels like you're in a large, dirty outdoor pool with a lot of other people. It was my first open-water swim, and I recall being very disoriented the first time I put my face in the water and couldn't see anything because of the mud in the water. Other than that, it was pretty straightforward. My husband tells me that there were people doggy paddling from one rescue kayak to the next, so I'm guessing that everyone didn't take the time to learn to swim before Race Day.

Compared to most of the people around here, I'm a newbie, but here are some of my suggestions:

• Check out the course before Race Day. That way, if there's a "What on EARTH have I gotten myself into?!?" reaction, you'll have time to process it before Race Day. Also, if you find the course is hilly, you'll know to do more hill work.
  
• I found that doing a practice swim/bike/run of the race distance before Race Day was helpful because it gave me the confidence that I could actually cover the distance. I did it at the Kent State Recreation Center (or whatever they're calling it), so it was pool / stationary cycle / indoor track, but it was close enough.
  
• Attend the course meeting at the expo and don't be afraid to ask questions. After going the wrong way exiting T1 at my first tri (and having another competitor inform me I was stupid for doing so), I always made sure I knew exactly how traffic flowed out of the transition area.

[MattCollister]

I tossed this up here a while ago.

clevetriclub.proboards44.com/index.cgi?board=newbies&action=display&thread=3908

[sarajean]

Matt -- I think someone should add a link to your presentation to the "Links" page on the club website.

[Chris]

Thanks for all the help guys, good stuff.

[bwilms]

This is my first tri season. I'm training for the Xterra ONE on the 20th, but completed the SummiTri back in June (which was my first tri). Here are some comments from my experience.

I have not and currently will not be buying a wetsuit.

I bought proper running shoes because I didn't have any.

I purchased closeout tri shorts and a tri top which I found very comfortable for racing.

I practiced open water swimming at the race venue three times before the race and it was very helpful so that I knew what to expect.

I have been training consistently since March, so I felt very comfortable in the swim, however, during my race I realized it wasn't where I was going to make up the most time. For example, I beat one of my competitors by 2-3 minutes in the swim, but he blew past me in the bike. I need to focus on being faster in the bike and the run to keep my lead.

I had to figure out how hard to push myself at each event. It turned out I did not push myself enough and had a ton of energy left at the end. Be prepared to mentally push yourself and give it your all.