Quote Originally Posted by bb523 View Post
So, on May 23rd I turned 33. I feel like I'm the most fit and healthy I've ever been, yet it was still the first birthday I felt...OLD. As a birthday present to myself, I signed up for a Sprint Tri in Coeur d'Alene, ID in July..... 7 weeks and counting.

I'm a runner who enjoys "casually" riding my road bike (maybe a 15 mile ride every week or so), and "tread water" only with a life jacket when I'm retrieving my wake surf board playing on the lake. On Wednesday, I did my first "BRICK".....I rode for 12 miles then ran for about 2 (unable to run any further).....
OMG. What did I just get myself into!?! THIS is going to be rough! I guess I'm giving up my summer of boats and booze! Not such a horrible thing, I suppose ;-) Yet, I feel like I'm gonna have to get SERIOUS about training.... and learn how to...um, swim. Eeeks. I'm too competitive NOT to take this seriosly,(plus, I'm actually looking forward to seeing how I do) so I need some advice!

1. What is an "average time" to complete the race?
2.The swim is in the Spokane River (Washington), end of July... wetsuit or no? Should I invest in a tri suit or just go with a basic 3/2? I'm 110lbs and tend to get a little chilly in this Idaho water...
3. The bike is 3 loops, so I assume there's gonna be a lot of peeps/turns on a short course... I'm not used to riding in packs. Should I be worried?

Thanks girls. It's my first time on the site, and I've learned SO much from all of you.... I appreciate any advice you can offer!

Hope to hear from you soon!

B
Hey B, just read this. A friend of mine is also doing her first tri at Race the River. (We live in the area) She is using a "couch to sprint" training plan, but by now you should be able to find a 6-week plan, since it's 5 or 6 weeks away, if you wanted a plan.

The swim is in the river right where it outlets from the lake, currently the temperature is about 63-64 degrees F, but by July it should be closer to 70. It will be chilly, but should be okay without a wetsuit. You should be able to swim in the lake just upstream of that point and get familiar with it (the temperature should be the same). The good news is that it is downstream. If you look at the swim times from last year they seem fast - because you're swimming with the current.

The bike is on a four-lane road (two lanes going either direction) so there should be plenty of space. The run (or walk, if you walk) will be pretty much flat, and is on the centennial trail (a multi-use paved path, basically).

You can look up times on the website from last year. It looked like there was a mix of people who were fast and then "the rest of us." Otherwise, I don't think I could have convinced my friend to sign up.