Quote Originally Posted by channlluv View Post
I am so blessed and humbled by the support and great suggestions here. Thank you, everyone, for the encouragement - especially about ignoring what other people think. It's something I really have to work on. It's just hard to ignore people laughing out loud as I pass them on my bike, or coming toward them and seeing them look up and me and their jaws drop in astonishment (I wish I could say "wonder and awe," but let's be honest here).

Thank you, Salsa, for pointing me to Junonia. They've got a hot tri-suit - black with pink detailing - in my size. And thank you for the book recommendation, too. I ordered Slow, Fat Triathlete at Amazon today. It will be my vacation reading during Spring Break.

Okay, now, for the clothes...I wear the tri-suit under the wetsuit for the swim? And then take the wetsuit off and bike in the tri-suit with my cycling sandals - Keen, on sale now at REI - and then switch to my running shoes for the run, and slip on a skirt over the tri suit?
Yes, you've got it right

Can you swim in just the tri suit? The swim portion is in Mission Bay, I think, and it's connected to the Pacific, so the water will only be in the low 60s, if that.
Yes, if the water is warm enough. Probably anything under 70 you'll want a wetsuit. I did a tri last April where the water was in the low 60's and a few people went without a wetsuit. I heard that one guy came out of the water and was almost completely out of it and needed help. Hypothermia is dangerous.

Or maybe a tankini top with swim shorts or Junonia has swim capris...never seen those. And all of this fits under a skin-tight wetsuit? Really?
Yes, it will all fit under a wetsuit. Really!

Are you allowed to have help getting through the transition part?
You are not allowed any "outside help" at any time once the race start.

Do you just leave your stuff in a rack with everyone else's stuff and trust that no one mixes up and takes your goggles by mistake?
Yes.

Can any of you recommend a good post with a step-by-step how-to for what to expect? If I can envision it and feel like I've planned it well, I'll feel better about going in. Meanwhile, I need to get myself on a regular all-in-one-day training schedule for these different activities and maybe even practice the transitions.

What would be considered a fair time for these distances?

200m swim

6-mile ride

1.5-mile run

I've never timed myself swimming, but I'm not fast. I think I could ride the six miles in about 28 minutes, but that's on mtb tires, and I've never tried it racing - the pace may be faster if I'm not watching out for pedestrians and toddlers who've escaped their strollers while mom's on her cell phone.

The run I do in 30 minutes. 28 if I'm pushing myself.

I figure an hour and a half for the whole thing.

I know I can finish. I know I can finish. I know I can finish.

This is become more real with every post I read.

Thank you all again.

Roxy
Yes, you can do this. Yes you can finish!