10 Things You Need To Know Before Your First Triathlon

I’m reliant on a nose clip to swim, in my first tri the melee at the start meant someone’s arm brushed my face and took my nose clip with them… cue a very slow swim. In my second race, I decided it wasn’t a bad idea to give myself some space!

Thanks guys! This is so helpful! I'm doing my first triathlon in 2 weeks!

Don’t blow your load on the bike. Unfortunately there’s a run that follows it. Learned this one the hard way. Toughest 10k run of my bloody life!!

This was really helpful! I'm doing my first try-a-tri in a few weeks and I feel incredibly unprepared (especially because I'm not using a wet suit). I've been working in brick training, which has been super helpful, but the transitions and the swim make me nervousssss!

My first half distance was last August. As I was getting ready to start the bike ride I discovered I had accidentally brought 2 right bike shoes. 56 miles wearing 2 right shoes. Very uncomfortable but I made it.

Not having a rain jacket when the weather turned cold and rainy

Am having my first triathlon in 2 weeks am going beast mode with my mountain bike and running shoes with running shorts 👌

Mark was on my first triathlon 2012, he took a massive wrong turn at the swim and the race organisers totally let him off coz he was a big name (0Cholmondeley castle ) . Fraser was on my first ironman that year , Bolton , can't tell you how much I hated you for laughing and joking in transition while I was about to die !! Love you all now ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

The biggest advice I give all newbies is do not go out too fast on the swim. My first TRI I went out too fast and panicked, couldn't breathe, and honestly thought I was going to die. There happened to be a Kayak near me and got to me quickly. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go out slow. If you are a good swimmer it will happen for you out on the course. Do not start out fast.

We miss you, Fraser 😢

My first tri a few months ago I forgot to take my helmet off at T2 😭 started running with it in then realized.

Fun fact: an alligator can swim AND run faster than a human. So if you wanna beat it in a triathlon you have to be a really really good cyclist!

Learn to swim

My mistake was hiring a bike for the race it was the same configuration as the one I’d been training on but honestly (and this is no reflection on the bike) it felt like I was riding a wonky supermarket trolley as I didn’t give myself enough time to get used to it.

don't forget your race belt

have a water bottle or bucket and towel in T1 to rinse your feet off from the sand that your feet pick up leaving the water running in transition.

What do I show up wearing? Swimsuit and flip flops? Can I show up barefoot? Where do I put my bike when I show up? It goes swim-bike-run, so transition bag is with my bike while I get out of water?

Great video! I’m sure I’ll forget something but your previous video saying all you need is swimsuit, running shoes, bike and helmet bring my stress way down at the end of the day.. Sep 12, 2021 here I come!!!

I made the mistake of taking to much time in transition zones, which was actually today. It was also my first triathlon so it was a little shaky

How do you change from wetsuit to cycling shorts? Do you wear them underwear your wetsuit or put them on in T1?

big tip: don't arrive late and then forget your goggles as you queue up for the swim start. its not fun. just take my word on it.

These are awesome tips! Bring 2 shoes, a wet and swim suit

Changing a puncture. "does any one have a spare puncture by any chance?"

How do you get changed in t2 for the run and wear shorts?

Olympic and above I wear socks

If i don’t want to do a flying mount, when exactly do i put my shoes on because i need to run with the bike out of transition

70.3 here I come!

Make sure you warm up adequately before the start (run a bit, bike hard a bit, and swim if you can). As an age grouper, it's important to get you body moving well before the start.

I though this was a great list.

However the one thing I learned, and I recommend to new triathletes. I think a tri suit is a worthwhile investment even for your first race; they can be had on sale for $50-60. It increases your level of comfort and makes you surprisingly competitive through transition. All other gear can wait in my opinion.

Encourage the person beside you at the start line or swim line - it may only involve a smile, a 'good luck' comment or a hand shake. I remember my first try-a-try and this made the world of difference for me...

4 more days until my first triathlon and I’m so scared lol

Check if your aero handlebar is allowed (especially in short distance triathlon) and/or prepare for removing them. I was told that it wasn't allowed when passing my bike to transition zone (30 min before the start) without chance to remove them (due to auxiliary brakes installed on them with inner cables and housing). Thankfully, I borrowed one friend's MTB, which clearly showed me that: a)Any bike can save your day and still allow you to enjoy your day; b)Not all triathlons are explicit in advertising about regulation but will take it seriously; c)Bikes with thick tyres, low presión and back suspension are physiologically challenging.
Also keep hydrated well before the start: waiting in the swimming area, especially when in contact with water mislead your hydration status, so you'd drown yourself while pedalling.

An open question: do I need to shave or not my legs? Pros and cons about that.

> if you eat one of those sugar-gels you might wanna have something to drink after
> make sure your hairstyle underneath the cap also fits under your helmet
> while leaving the water, whatch your steps - you wouldn't be the first one to stumble ^^

Doing my 1st triathlon on Sunday! Excited and nervous.

I thought this gonna be a serious video ...hahaaha..thumbs up

During my first sprint plus triathlon, (750m swim, 25k bike, 7k run), I placed my timing strap OVER the leg of my wetsuit. Big mistake. During T1 I quickly peeled off my wetsuit only to find that it wouldn't come off my left leg LOL. Had to spend a few minutes, yes, minutes, unravelling my inverted, tangled wetsuit to remove the timing strap, take off the wetsuit, and put the strap back on. That first transition was 4 minutes 34 seconds.....Never Again!

First sprint triathlon September 15!

Practice transitioning beforehand. In my first tri, my T1 was 7 or so minutes, and I fell over more than once, so it’s a good thing to practice

First one in September!

Are they all related ?
GTN
GCN
GMBN
GEMBN

Good because I'm watching this instead of sleeping

I have a question,
Is it okay to wear a bikini for the swim part of the triathlon?

Thank you for your helpful videos! Soon I will do my first triathlon and I am very excited! But I have a question: sometimes I read that you swim with your run clothing and now I read that you can change into them after the swim... is there a general rule or is that different from time to time?

Should I change all wearing after the swimming? I'm little bit concerned about a skin abrasions from salty water after swimming in the sea

1. I like to use a list when I pack a day or two prior to the race. It helps me to not forget something. If I have left something off the list, you ave plenty of time to still pack it.
2. I rehearse Transition-1 & Transition-2 tree times at home two or three times when it doesn't matter how many mistakes you make. If you don't rehearse at all, you will be surprised how many mistakes you can make when you're fatigued and loosing time.

why does heather tuck her ears into her baseball cap? is it an aero thing?

What brand of shoes are next to her feet in the socks portion??

I just completed my first tri. It rained at the start. I did not have a water proof gear bag. I would recommend that so that your gear stays dry during your swim. You can still lay out your gear and just put the bag over it.

I forgot to bring my tri suit to my triathlon