Help! Tri in a month!

[Krys]

THanks for the advice. I will deffinatly try my first brick this weekend. So I have another question for all of you ladies.. i dont know how to spot in the water and I'm nervous about swimming in the open water. I'm used to competing in a pool where there is a straight line to follow. How do you do that? I'm scared I might freak out in the water and freak out because there are so many people.. how do you handle that?
My next question.. what do you usually drink on the ride? I've read of people doing water and others sports drinks.. what do you think??
Thanks ladies for all your help! I am SO glad I found this site and all of you wonderfull people!

[Wahine]

I agree with the swim advice but would add that while you don't want to kick a lot for most of the swim, do kick hard for the last 1 to 2 min. This will get your body moving blood back into your legs and will help you get ready for the ride.

[KSH]

THanks for the advice. I will deffinatly try my first brick this weekend. So I have another question for all of you ladies.. i dont know how to spot in the water and I'm nervous about swimming in the open water. I'm used to competing in a pool where there is a straight line to follow. How do you do that? I'm scared I might freak out in the water and freak out because there are so many people.. how do you handle that?
My next question.. what do you usually drink on the ride? I've read of people doing water and others sports drinks.. what do you think??
Thanks ladies for all your help! I am SO glad I found this site and all of you wonderfull people!

Spotting. Do it in the pool for practice.

Set something at the end of lane and every 4-8 strokes, glance up to look at it.

When you go to breathe, you kind of bring your head up and look ahead, then you breathe to the side with you head towards your shoulder and carry on with your stroke.

You don't need to analyze what you are spotting... but instead... all you need a glance at it.

In open water, you want to try to find something on shore (that isn't moving) that lines up with the boyous (? spelling) you need to swim for. If you can find a tree or something of the like that is good.

Keep in mind that the boyous are bright and easy to see in the water (assuming there are no waves)... again, all you need to do is get a glance of the color as you lift your head and keep swimming towards it.

To stay away from the crowds... start on the outside (away from the boyous) and towards the back. When you swim, do not hug the boyous, the fast swimmers and the ones out there really competing will be hugging them... if you stay close, but not on top of the boyous when you round them, less chance of getting run over in the water.

Otherwise... getting in OW does different stuff to different people. If you start to freak, you have to talk yourself through it. Remind yourself that you can swim, you can do it, and keep stroking. A lot people get freaked out because of murky water.

On the bike... for a sprint I just use water. A 20oz bottle. I don't even drink all of that. I do not do any nutrition. It's a short race, so you really don't need to. Just eat a breakfast of around 500 or so calories about 2 hours before the race... you will be good to go.

GOOD LUCK!

[alpinerabbit]

When you swim, do not hug the boyous, the fast swimmers and the ones out there really competing will be hugging them... if you stay close, but not on top of the boyous when you round them, less chance of getting run over in the water.
...
If you start to freak, you have to talk yourself through it.

hee hee although IF you start to freak you may be so glad to reach your buoys (sp!) that you are going to hug them. Just joking.

I've only done two OW swims recently and have been fine so far. Seems to me we are only hearing of those who get scared.

[eclectic]

KRYS - I am glad you found this site too!
You are asking questions that I haven't thought of asking but am really glad of knowing the answers to.

Thanks Wahine on the kick advice - makes perfect sense!

[Krys]

Well as for the no kicking thing I have NO problem with that my coaches used to get mad at me because I wouldn't really kick until the very end of the 500 ( that is what I used to swim) so i'm used to that already.. glad that finally came in handy I knew I didn't like to kick for a reason jk
KSH: thanks for the advice! I tried spotting at the pool today. It was kind of akward making my self look up when I new the line was on the bottom but it gave me a good idea of what to do in ow.
THanks ladies

[eclectic]

Well as for the no kicking thing I have NO problem with that my coaches used to get mad at me because I wouldn't really kick until the very end of the 500 ( that is what I used to swim) so i'm used to that already.. glad that finally came in handy I knew I didn't like to kick for a reason jk
KSH: thanks for the advice! I tried spotting at the pool today. It was kind of akward making my self look up when I new the line was on the bottom but it gave me a good idea of what to do in ow.
THanks ladies

your kicking strategy made me laugh - I am not a great kicker either (I asked my masters swim coach how I can get a better kick - she said "you never will" (real encouraging THEN she added - you are a natural breaststroker so it will be hard for you to do a good flutter kick

I was reading through all the old posts on this thread to see if there was anything I may have missed.

We used the great list roadie gal linked to. BUT the advice of check your list twice is true!
my partner in tri crime forgot her cycling shoes.
Luckily I hadn't decided which ones I was going to wear so I brought both my mtn bike and road shoes- I decided on my mtn bike shoes, luckily my road shoes fit her and we had the same pedals.

Doing a practice one is GREAT! (I thought everyone did this do you have anyone you can do it w/ ?

The other gal I was w/ is doing her first one too (she is a runner) and a friend who has done many tris and has swam in the river for years came along to guide us and watch over our stuff - it was awesome!