where to begin?

[malaholic]

So, I know this is probably the wrong time of year to start thinking about triathlons. But, while having dinner at a gf's the other night, we were talking about her getting her bike fixed up, and she mentioned wanting to someday do a triathlon, and then we decided that we should both try a triathlon.

Problem of course is, we have no idea how to go about doing such a thing. So I thought I'd ask the experts! Having grown up in a landlocked area, swimming is definitely not my forte, so I for one want to target a "starter" triathlon that was not too intensive on the swim leg. We also don't want to feel like a total doofuses by signing up for some uber-competitive event when all we really want to do is try it out, have fun, and see if we'd be interested in doing it again. So, you fellow Northwesterners, any suggestions for events for next year that we might want to look at? Even though I assume most tris are not in the winter months, if I get some goal in mind now I'll stand a better chance of accomplishing it, than if I wait until the idea loses steam.

[light_sabe_r]

Hi Malahoic! Watch out! You've been bitten by the tri bug and there's no cure I'm afraid.

To begin with, why not try what's known as a "sprint" or even a "mini sprint" or enticer. generally the distances are VERY achievable and they're not the UBER competitative events. Generally the swim is between 200-400m, Ride between 5-15km (Ummm I don't know what the USAT distances are in miles - These are the Triathlon Australia suggested distances) and the run between 2-4km depending on the event.

Can't help you out with one specifically in your area, but look for anything with "SPRINT" and you've got a good chance of finding a great distance

[HillSlugger]

It was this time last year I decided I was going to do triathlon. I started running almost exactly a year ago. I started swimming in December. Starting now gives you lots of time to get in your training so you'll be ready for the triathlons in spring or summer.

As light_sabe_r said, look for sprint triathlons. The swim will generally be between 300-500m, with some being a pool swim. The ride will generally be between 10-12 miles. The run will generally be 2 miles or 5k (3.2 miles). You don't even need to run the whole thing.

Another convert! Cool!

[teigyr]

It's a perfect time to start thinking about a tri. I will be swimming with someone in Lynnwood, we'll be at a gym until it's warmer then we'll go to OW. There are also some really great groups that have swim practices. PM me if you're interested.

Swimming is my weak point too. At least you started earlier than me! There are some fun tri's in this area, you will have a blast!

[velogirl]

I highly recommend finding a club (triathlon) or a women's tri or beginner tri that has a training program. the support and camaraderie is invaluable. short of that, check out masters swimming programs and running and cycling clubs. many clubs have skills clinics and fitness workouts that will help provide structure to your training.

[HappyAnika]

Hello! I did my first sprint tri in July. I had just started learning how to swim in Jan or Feb, so I chose a tri for which the swim leg was in a pool instead of open water. I highly recommend the pool swim as even experienced swimmers sometimes have a hard time making the transition to open water. Also, an event with a pool swim is pretty much guaranteed to be low key, not super competitive.

I think this is a great time of year to start thinking about it and planning. My advice would be to get in the water now, swimming is hard if you're just starting out, don't underestimate it even for short distances. Good luck!