I'm in a similar boat as you. I just finished my second triathlon (sprint distance), so I am full of questions as well, but I have a few things I've learmed from the two I've done.

a) I bought a triathlon suit, and thankful I did. I hate chaffing, and this automatically cut down on it.

b) a CamelBak (a backpack filled with water and/or sports drink) helped a lot instead of having to reach for a bottle. Dilluting sports drink with water also helped cut down on cramps.

Okay, those are the suggestions I have. Now I need some advice. I've used my mountain bike twice and I'm painfully realizing that it is two heavy. A) Will a 10-speed be better B)What are the odds of finding a used race bike for someone only 5 ft. tall C) If I go bike shopping, what should I look for and expect to pay? I didn't want to go out and buy a $700 race bike to find out this was a sport I didn't like. (I'm training for my third sprint distance. Obviously, I've past the "I don't know if I like this" hurdle.)

Any suggestions?

Ren