What distance?

[Veronica]

So if I were to do a triathalon. What's a good distance to do for your first one?

Cycling a long way is not a problem.
Swimming a long way is not an issue.

Running... well...

That can be dealt with.

V.

[KnottedYet]

I did a sprint for my first. (Danskin Triathlon) Around 1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run. (I walked the run every step of the way.) I had a great time, and finished in about 2 hrs and 15 minutes.

[Starfish]

Veronica, I have the same question! I just checked out the BeginnerTriathlete (or, beginning triathlete?) website.

There are a variety of training plans to look at (for free). There is also a good article about choosing a running training plan, and it discusses what to do if adding running is the issue (including if there are old injuries, etc).

There was a discussion of how to choose distances that took into account the level of endurance training you already have done in another sport.

I have never done a tri, but I am intrigued, and I found good info on the site.

[Veronica]

Thanks for the website.

Well here's the thing. I look at the distances - swim 2.6 miles. Sure I can do that. I was a distance swimmer in college.

Bike 112 miles. No problem. Last year I was doing double centuries.

Run 26.? Are you insane? What's this run thing...

Then there is the whole question of putting it all together on the same day. A hilly double century takes me 15+ hours. I'm not really worried about my endurance.

So I could see an IM happening someday. But not as a place to start. Is starting with a half crazy? The other distances seem really short in the swim and bike - my strengths. But even 13 miles seems like a crazy amount to run, when you're a non runner. Okay, so actually I did do cross country in high school - a bizillion years ago.

And then there's the whole, is this really what I want to focus on? I like challenges and having a goal.

The champagne is wearing off. I can actually think again.

V.

[Wahine]

V. My first Tri was Oly distance: 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run. Total time for you would be between 2:30 and 3 hours based on your fitness. It might be the right place for you to start. Oly distance is interesting, it's not a sprint effort but it's pretty bloody close. Kinda like running the 800 in track.

You can really handle the bike and swim, I think that a sprint distance would not challenge you quite enough (based on your double century past). I think that 13 miles running is likely a little excessive for a starting point, although you might be able to go up to that distance fairly quickly. Yup, I'd say that Oly is the way to go. IMHO.

[HillSlugger]

I've seen some very short sprint triathlons:
200-300m swim
10k (6mi) bike
1.5mi run

My first will be:
300m pool swim
12mi ride
3.1mi run

An event with a pool swim should feel less intimidating than an open water swim. My second tri, the Iron Girl, has a lake swim. I'm not intimidated by the open water, but I'm intimidated by the 1000m length. I couldn't do that now if I had to, but I could do 300m in a pool. I'd be slow, but I could finish.