Total Newbie

[karentri]

Hi! I'm Karen and I've always wanted to complete a triathlon but have always found reasons to not have enough time. Now, I'm determined to actually go through with it and commit to this. I'm planning on completely my first tri in April or March and I'm going to start training now. I'm really just looking for some support and a group of women to help me get through the training process. Hopefully there are some other women who feel the same way.
Are there any women out there that want to give a new girl some advice?

[e.e.cummings]

I was a complete tri-newb until May this year. My cycling is my strongest part, next running (I don't do long distance because of my bunions, but a 5k is good for me), and I discovered that I was far worse in my swimming endurance than I ever imagined. I called a local tri club and hired a swimming trainer for an hour (I think I will join that club, I got a lot of good advice and they seem like a fun group). She gave me lots of good pointers in just one hour and I practiced after that - my technique was not bad, but my endurance needed work.

My tri was on Mother's Day in May. Not an outdoor swim. And wouldn't you know it, it SNOWED! They cancelled the cycling part, so I did not get the total tri experience. However, I decided I wanted to go through it, always a first time.

The questions/comments I had when I started:
1. What do I wear? I bought a tri suit and a tri bra (I go crazy for new gear, but there were others in swimsuits, who changed into their dry gear afterwards). Because cycling was cancelled, we had more time to change than we imagined. I made sure I had a decent swim cap and goggles. Bought one of those belts to attach your race number to (pins were something that more than a few people forgot to pick up at registration, they became a hot item). I found I had to pack more because I did not know how cold it would be. I REALLY needed the winter bike gloves that I had bought - my fingers got cold really quickly just standing around getting ready at the cycling transition area with thick wet snow falling (before the cancellation was announced). Re changing: our transition spot from swimming to cycling was meant to be by our bikes at the rakes outside, BUT with the snow, we changed at the bleachers by the pool. Have a small towel to stand on and one to dry off. Be careful not to get your socks wet (some skip socks, I didn't, it was too cold!) For my wet hair and for cold weather, I was happy to have my polar stocking cap that clung to my head. I ran in my running tights and an all-weather running jacket. I cannot wait to do a tri in warmer weather, leave the polar gear at home.
2. How do I know what my swim time is - how will I know when to start? I timed myself for the distance beforehand in my practices, and there were markers for the different times that you normally take - the elites will go first, the slowest will go last. I put myself last - there was more than one of us newbs vying for last place!
3. Not all volunteers know exactly what is going on. Because the cancellation of the cycling threw the schedule a bit, I went to the registration to ask when my group started. She said "NOW, get yourself out there" So I raced to the start line. Because I had studied the map beforehand, I got to where I thought must be the turnaround, and just to be sure I asked the volunteers, but they said to keep going. Saw another volunteer who looked more senior a little further, and they told me that I was right, I should have turned around at that point. Grrrrr. Really study your map before you go. (By the way, this was the first time this particular tri had taken place, some growing pains were evident). On top of that, I was not running with the right group - that volunteer at the registration desk also gave me bad info. So at the end, I went to the organizer and made sure that they did not disqualify me - apparently I was not the only participant that ran with the wrong group.
4. In the swimming area, there were bleachers where my husband and son could have come and watched from. I wish I had known that. They say that if you are doing a first tri, it is a good idea to do an indoor swim first. I have yet to do the crazy charge from the beach yet.
5. It is a bit never-wracking, but if you keep your sense of humour, you should be fine. I was actually sick and on medication the week before my tri - I had a doctor's appointment two days before and asked if it was okay to do it - he said sure, just take it easy. So that eased the pressure even more - I was in it for the experience. I kept an eye on my heart rate with my Polar watch.
6. I brought my bike to my LBS a couple of days before to have it checked out. Changed my tires, they were almost finished. The owner is always delighted to hear that you are competing.
7. Being their first tri, there was not many 'goodies' - there was a shirt that you could order that did not even have the name of the race on it, it was more like a good deal on a tech shirt. My souvenir was my bib!

I am very happy that I did it, and with my gym membership expiring, I am going to join my local tri group. It is family oriented, so I will take a membership the family. Good luck!

[karentri]

Thank you so much for all that info! It's refreshing to hear that things may not go perfectly but finishing is most important.

[JennK13]

I did my first tri this year, too, in June and my second one last Tuesday. Here in Colorado we have quite a few ladies only tris that offer training plans and even practice tris at the location so people are comfy and know where they're supposed to go and see the course. If you can find something like that near you, that might be good.
A lot of people who do those, that is their only tri - they train all winter/spring just for that race, a lot walk/run the run leg, and you'll see every kind of bike racked there imagineable.
I quickly found out that swimming was my weak leg - funny thing growing up in Southern California and even being a life guard at 18 (many years ago).....totally underestimated that! What I learned is practice every leg so you know your weakness, and build on that. I swam in the pool some (not enough) and thought I'd be alright.
As I want to compete regularly in triathlons, my goal was/is to train to become better, not just to be able to finish like so many others that do the women only events. I wanted to get a feel for a tri, go through transitions, swim in open water with people all over me, and do all three legs under pressure without worring about distance. I found an organization that does a tri series, starting in June, and they do three tris two weeks between each one, and each increasing in length. Perfect for me! The first was a Super Mini Tri, 250 swim, 8 mile bike, 1 miles run - all things I can do without issue (okay, the swim was hard.....) It was an excellent way for me to learn exactly what I needed to work on, get through transitions and practice that setup, and see how my body responds to such an event, without killing myself in the mean time with distance - I actually finished 2nd in my age group and had the fastest bike leg of all women :) all this despite my crappy swim leg (ok, the swim....it seemed like an eternity out in the lake. Seriously, I thought I was in the water for like 25 minutes for a stupid 250 meters. When I crawled up the shore, I thought I really need to make up time on the bike if I want to finish with any decency - probably why my bike leg was so good! Lol...I was absolutely taken aback when they posted the results and my swim was only 7:30 mins! I swear, it seemed like forever!)
I was hooked! It was so much fun, I didnt exhaust myself, picked an easy, relaxed venue to do it in, and promptly made an appointment with my trainer for a swim lesson! I bought a three pack of sessions with the tri trainer at my local rec center - well worth it.
My next tri was the second in that series with a 500 swim, 10 mile bike, and 2 mile run. I felt awesome and relaxed, had great transitions, and was much more comfortable in the lake - still need to practice my swimming, but it was way better!
I am now ready for a larger, longer race, and I know I'll finish well, not just "finish".
ALL this said, what are your goals? To complete a tri for the experience of doing one and just finish it, finish that one race strong and happy, or make it a new hobby/sport? When I say finish strong, I'm not talking about winning or even placing, but crossing the finish line feeling good - tired yes, but not dead. If you can find a series like the one I did, I highly suggest it. It's been well worth it knowing what to expect. I also didnt buy any tri specific gear other than a pair of googles and some tri shorts. I wore my bathing suit top with a quick dry tank top over it, pinned my number to my HRM strap, and just used that. I was dry by the 3rd mile on the bike (although it wasnt snowing!) I didnt bother drying my feet, just put my socks on and they dried quickly, too. I wanted to make sure I liked it before investing money into any specific gear.
One last thing, I also took an open water swim clinic after my pool lesson with my trainer - if you're swimming in a lake or the ocean, it's well worth the money. Many people swim just fine in pools but freak in open water.
Most of all, have fun!

[roadie gal]

Just aim to have fun on the first one. Don't stress yourself about time or the other people, or what bike you have. The first one is always a huge learning experience.

If you can, find a smaller (in number of participants) race. It'll be less intimidating.

Come on over to the triathlon section of this forum. It's a supportive, friendly group. :)

[karentri]

I've been swimming since I was very very little, really before I could walk. I'm most concerned about the run leg because I have had some issues with my knees in the past, but I'm hoping that consistent bike and swim will strengthen them. I guess for me it's not about "just finishing" it's about finishing well and I would like to make this a consistent activity. I don't care so much about winning, but feeling good about what I accomplish at the end of day. At least, thats what I care about now :) I get a little competitive sometimes.
I'm definitely going to check out the Triathlon forum. I didn't even know it was down there! I already feel more confident about getting started. I've also read about the issues that can rise with anemia and low iron. So I'm going to start taking a women's vitamin and maybe Vitamin b12 as well.
It's great to already have people to talk to since I don't know anyone in my area that does this kind of thing. I'm going to search around for a women's group or tri group though. If anyone knows of one in KY let me know!!