I’m doing my first full Triathlon this weekend,1500m swim, 40km cycle, 10k run

any tips?? I’ve been practicing and know the run will be the killer part, especially being the final part.

Spend £500 on a custom wetsuit, £7k on a super-agressive triathlon bike (make sure to stick 5cm of spacers under the stem though), and as a minimum you’ll need to carry the following on the run: fuel belt, skins compression socks, visor, rudy project mirrored sunglasses, saltstick, heart rate monitor and gps.

Doesn’t matter where you come (don’t forget to sprint for the line though. Either that or pose with your wife and kids for a photo), but you’ll fit right in.

I used to do biathlons/duathlons back in the day (I never got on with the swimming part – so stuck to running & cycling).

Cramps on the run are quite common, as you’re legs will be knackered and using different muscles after the cycle – so take it easy at the start.

Have you been practising the transition – make sure you know where your stuff is and what order you’ll put stuff down/on/etc. I’ve seen many people fall over, drop stuff & run in the wrong direction over the years!

I don’t do them anymore, but I go to quite a few as my sister is a professional triathlete (Jess Harrison – Google her – ranked 2nd in the world at the moment! And yes she could have me in a fight!!)

As it’s your first, take it easyish (but not too easy) & enjoy it 😀

Too easy to mock the afflicted, as I could never do one, but the tri bars in the stratosphere thing does make me wonder …

Which event are you doing? I’m just getting my stuff together for windsor at the weekend which will be fun. There are quite a few little tips, but this one is useful and low risk to do for the first time in a race. Make sure you put a ton of oil or bodyglide on your ankles/feet. It helps get the wetsuit off quicker.

It’s in France, so the heat will also be a factor.
gosh vaseline – don’t know if they sell it here – have to be olive oil!

in danger of incurring wrath of Finbar and others……….

swim:

– if you are a good swimmer get out in front – push to the front in the water if a water start. If not, hang back and find someone to draft
– yes – baby oil around neck, ankles, wrist to get wetsuit off easier, stops chafing around neck too
– number belt under wetsuit
– swim in what you are going to cycle / run in
– if you have a silicone swim hat, wear this with the rubber one they give you on top – comes off easier

swim to bike transition:

– talc in bike shoes so feet go in easily, no socks
– helmet on bars right way round, glasses in helmet
bike

– pedal fast

bike to run

– can put socks on now as will have dry feet – but could run in bare feet (blisters a risk though)
– elastic laces (anal – yup)

run

– swear to yourself – a lot

fun when its finished…………

Bring it on AdamT, you’re racing against me!

Go as fast as you can, if it’s your first one then just try to enjoy it. Then you will do many more and have time to improve.

in danger of incurring wrath of Finbar and others……….

Don’t get me wrong, i’m doing a triathlon next month and one in August too . I’m just bitter b/c i can’t afford a spermaero helmet 😀

Also, be wary of everyone during the bike leg. We all know triathletes can’t ride for sh1t. (one year at London a guy crashed into me whilst he was opening a gel riding no handed….was I pleased???) 👿

1500m for your first tri? Flippen ‘eck, I take it you’re a good swimmer!

Ok, much of what charlie says but these also work for me (one ironman, lots of olympics and a few sprints):

Swim: go easy, pace yourself esp. over 1500m. I try to stay to edge of the pack if it’s an open water start cos I’d rather be pushed slightly to the side than pushed under by some over-agressive swimmer.

Swim-bike: put towel folded into a ft square under shoes. Sprinkle talc on towel so arrive at bike, put feet on towel and sort helmet out, then shoes on and off you go. If it’s hot don’t forget some sun block. Sounds ridiculous but I’ve raced in New Zealand where I fried because I didn’t spend 30 seconds slapping the stuff on my legs and neck (and they had sun block at every drinks station on the run and bike). Also, last two hundred metres or so change down a couple of gears and spin on approach to the bike/run transition so your legs aren’t pumped from pushing a 52-11.

Run: remember to take your helmet off. Socks are good (put talc in your socks before you start the race then shake the socks a bit), quck squirt of energy gel (make sure it’s open before you start the race) then off for an easy 10k canter (the first 2m or so are always a giggle).

Good luck!

M30-35 cat alwyn, I go off at 7:40….I’ll be the one in the black wetsuit! 🙂 More seriously, I’m number 1623. Possibly you might spot the silver Giro e2 in stealth roadie mode (peak removed). White & carbon litespeed with lo pro bars and old skewl alu cosmic wheels

Main thing I’d advise to is to mentally and physically go through the transitions beforehand.

Also walk through the transition area so you know you can find your bike out of the swim and find where to put it after the bike before the run.

In the swim, know your limits. If the race is competative and you have positioned yourself at the front, faster swimmers will swim physically over the top of you (guilty of doing it myself plenty of times) in the first crammed rush for the first buoy. If you just want to get around start towards the back near one of the wings.

Don’t forget to thank the marshals on your last laps.

ajantom – your Jess’s sister! I went to Loughborough with her many many years ago! She was damn good even then. Getting put in her lane on early morning swims was a bitter sweet experience – it meant you had arrived as an athlete but also meant you were about to get humiliated! Do you still speak to her these days, what with her turning French and all 🙂

Im in under 27 I think, pretty sure it’s 7.35. Race Number 715.

I am also in a black wetsuit, and on a white monoc with tri bars. Will be wearing a Team Mazda tri suit.

Sounds like a very nice bike, you show off.

I didn’t recognise the name and googled her and saw she competes for France .. that’ll be why!! My left the Brits behind!! ;-0

Not that gucci. It’s a an ali litespeed (spit) with carbon forks and back end.

IIRC there’s something a bit screwy with flickr linking, but here goes

Pic reminded me of another tip. You can stick gels on your top tube using electrical tape. I part open them to make it a little easier.

I’ll say Hi when I overtake you 😀

LOL@alwyn, since you start ahead of me you’ll not get the chance to overtake until you lap me on the run course. (I split 1:10 inc T2 on the bike last year, just don’t ask about the other bits…I was injured OK)

What can you say, it’s a short distance one, it’ll be fast, just go for it ignore the hurt.
It’s too short to get that good feeling of completing it, you probably train further than you’ll be racing.
That’s why I stopped doing them, that and no longer being able to train in the Serpentine.

Thanks all,
the swim i’ve been practicing in the pool, and more recently in the sea,
off tomorrow for talc,oil and energy gels!

I think there should be a good atmosphere. At the last one I saw to get an idea of how things work, one of the guys with the posh aero helmet came to an abrupt halt after one bike lap as his equally aero bike developed a technical problem.

Tris are won on the run, you might be a bikist, but you wont win because of that. Use the bike leg to gain places, but run like your mum’s found your stash.

Convert – Yeah I still talk to Jess, but I do tease her mercilessly about her traitorous behaviour.

I went MTBing with her in the Pyrenees last summer. She took it easy on me for the first 10km, but blew me up on the hills! The best I can say is that I’m faster on the downs than her – probably only due to gravity though 😳

A lot of people rip the pee out of triathletes for their cycling (Jodie Swallow being a serious case in point!) but Jess is probably one of the best out there – including MTBing. She raced in one of those off road Triathlon series in the USA for fun a couple of years back, and came 3rd over the season!