I have always wanted to try a triathlon. There is one in March (750m - 20k - 5k) that I would like to do in Kurnell.
Running does not scare me and the cycling leg should be fine, even if I am still getting used to my pedals. In fact, I just hope to survive the swim and not be the very last person out of the water.
I was just wondering if some of you could tell me what their first triathlon experiences have been.
I would also like to know if it is realistic for me to think that I can do a triathlon in March, despite having never swam in open water before (will try to practice at least once) and having very poor swimming technique. How fast should I be able to do the 750m in the pool if I don't want to be the very last person out of the water? :)
What kind of clothes (wetsuit? swimmers? padded shorts?) do women wear for a triathlon like the Kurnell one?
Any advice, interesting stories or tips would be most welcomed.

Yabbie

If the Kurnell tri is looking a bit daunting, have a look at the Panthers Tri on March 6th. The swim is 750 metres in the Penrith regatta area and the run and bike are dead flat.

As a softer alternative, you can also do the enticer, which is 250m swim, 10km bike and 2.5km run. This is also a good introduction to the sport.

I acted as a helper at Kurnell for one race last summer and the swim leg was very rough. It has put me off doing Kurnell ever since.

Cheers

Pipe

Thank you, Pipe.
I have not signed up for Kurnell yet, so I will have a look.
I know there are also a few triathlons in Canberra on the same weekend.
I guess I am just trying to find the best race so that I have a good first experience of triathlon, not a discouraging one... But I would definitely like to do at least 20k and 5 k for the bike and swim sections.

yabbie i can still sort of rember my first tri exeperience ,,i was so excited just to get out of the water i didnt care were i was in the field ,,6 weeks early i had nearly drowned in the local pool cause some one told me wen u get to the end dont stop but turn and keep swimming so i did and lasted bout half a lenght and started to drown ,,but soon i cood swim 2 k comfy ..
yabbie to finish a tri is a great acheivement ,,nuff said :D :D :D
people will ask u at work on monday if u won but hey they were home watching video hits and u were out making it happen
look for a local club who will suport u
i wood probably encourage u go the enticer first
i always encourage people who do our club tri s to do the short one first ,,enjoy it ,,come back and do the longer one next month ,,sometimes people will do there there first season doing short course and that is great
most of my friends say the swim is overated ,,as long as u get out of the water in good shape and can ride and run okay u will be fine
most tri i have like the slowest swim but always catch people on the run that wood have had a quicker swim than me
yabbie enjoy it ,,see if u can track down a local club who can give u advice ,,go the wetsuit but see if u can get a lend first

Yabbie

Sorry if I was not clear.

There are 2 triathlons on the day; the enticer and the sprint (750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run) which is the same distance as Kurnell. However this triathlon is swum on flat water, not in Botany Bay and therefore it may be a better introduction.

The website is http://www.pantherstriclub.com.au/Templates/events.html.

Apologies also as I got the date wrong, it is on the 5th March, not the 6th. Obviuosly my run at striders today was not the only thing that was a bit slow!!!!

Cheers

Pipe

Thanks Pipe ;)

Do you think I really need a wetsuit for a first triathlon?

And I know it might be a silly question, but would a surfing wetsuit be better than no wetsuit at all?

Thanks!

P.S. I went to the pool this morning to see if I could swim 750m. I did... and now I just found out that the pool is actually 50m, not 25 meter long... (you are not the only one to be slow today, Pipe!) so it means that I actually swam 1.5k. A bit of a relief!

Yabbie

I dont use a wetsuit but I am told that it substantially assists in swimming buoyancy when one is worn.

Warm water (>23degrees) sometimes means that suits are not worn under race rules.

Others may be able to opine on the surfing wetsuit better than me, but I dont think it would help as you need full shoulder rotation for swimming and your surf suit may be too tight.

Cheers

Pipe

Tri or swim suites are very tight. A surf suite would keep you warm and bouyant but won't be as good to swim in Due to the surface and densities and so one.

For Age Group competitors 1500m swim wetsuite are forbidden at water temps above 24Deg and are mandatory below 14Deg with a maximum swim time of 1hr 10mins

yabbie if u are looking to race as hard as u can and am looking to save time and get the best possible result ,,go the wetsuit ,,rember to pratice taking it off in a hurry ,,use baby oil and undo zipp at back as soon as u stand up and start running toward bike

however if u are looking to have a go and see wat happens go the surf suit ,i hate seeing people spending more money than they need to ,,dont like it and lose out all round

me thinks go the surf suit but do some proper swims in that ,,
if u can swim 1500 in a pool u are well on the way but start off easy and enjoy the journey cause once u are start doing them u will get hooked :D :D :D

Thanks guys.
I think I will give a go to the Sprint triathlon in Canberra on 4 March. The swim is 500m and I am assuming that it will be quite flat... Probably won't need a wetsuit for that one?
If anyone has done that course before (not sure if it is the first year or not), please let me know ;)

yabbie.....

I have just done my 3rd ever triathlon in Portarlington and now, yes, I am hooked! I come from a fairly strong running background and first time found it VERY hard to run off the bike (and coming out of the swim too!).

I don't have a wetsuit however the water has been fairly warm in the Bay here in Melbourne. I just wear regular swimmers (boyleg pants and long swimmer top - have it tight however as it reduces drag in the water) and I wear this for the swim, bike and run.

Also, don't bother with socks! i did the first time and it took me an extra 2 mins - also because i had regular laces to do up !

Don't worry that you are not a strong swimmer - I am NOT and come out in the middle of the pack or worse (like last time). I did however pass 44 women in my age catergory in the bike and run and ended up in 2nd place and 3rd place this last time ! You are at an advantage if you are a runner, so they say. But don't expect to run your 'normal' running-only-event pace.

I do suggest the shorter tris at first...I just did 300m/10kms/3kms and found this open water swim of 300m enough for the moment until I get develop a better technique in the water and more experience.

Have fun.......I bet you will get hooked ! it is a great sport and a nice change and challenge from running.

hope to hear how it all goes !!!!

Hi Yabbie - sorry it's taken me a while to get around to this thread. Hopefully you've been keeping an eye on Donwunder Runner's other thread regarding advice for the 1500m swim she's considering - all good advice in there for you, as well as all the advice above in this thread.

One thing I thought I should mention is to not under-estimate the race distances in the bike and run legs. I know you say you're confident with completing those distances - but completing them at the same time in a tri format is a different story. You probably won't be too tired to ride as well as you can after the swim (even if you struggle), but if you haven't tried running off the bike before, it would be a good idea to start now in training.

As D.Runner mentioned, running off the bike will come as a huge surprise to even the strongest runners the first time they try. I've seen many fast cyclists & runners simply fall to pieces after attempting just a 2km run after a bike leg. Believe me, if it's your first race and you take it seriously, a 5km run at the end of a tri will feel like a marathon.

Hello minersrun,
Thank you for taking time to respond.
I appreciate the advice.
When I said I was not too concerned about the bike and run leg, I meant that compared to the swim, these legs should be "easier"... but I don't expect it to be very easy, since I have only recently got my road bike... and I have not been training "specifically" for a triathlon up until this month. But I still want to give it a go, see if I like it, and hopefully I will want to do more of it. I have done runs after bike rides before I do understand what you mean. It always takes me a while before I feel like my legs can really run. Do you also practice the transition between the swim and the bike?
What is your take on wetsuit for Canberra?
Thanks a lot!

I've only raced in Canberra once - in October last year and I wore the wetsuit because of the distance, but the water temp was pretty good from memory. There's quite a few other Canberran triathletes here who could possibly answer this (Flashduck, CJ, strewth for example)

You're right about the swim-bike brick session - it's one of the most over-looked training sessions, and is very valuable. I rarely do them, instead relying on the fortnightly club races - however, I'm usually comfortable in the swim leg too (had a bit of a swimming background). If you've got the time to do them, and can work out the logistics of storing the bike somewhere safe while you're swimming, then certainly do them.

The bike-run brick is significantly the more important though - it's advisable to be doing this at least once a week, even if it's just a 5-10 minute run after an hour's ride.

Hi Yabbie. I've raced at both Kurnell and out at Penrith and for a first time tri, I'd recommend the Panthers Tri. The swim is in held in flat water so it's much like swimming in a giant pool. I've raced Kurnell a few times and the swim conditons can vary quite a bit - it can be quite choppy one day and flat the next. Most of the competitors at Kurnell wear wetsuits.

I am unsure about Canberra but if the swim is held in Lake Burley Griffin, it can get pretty murky....

As for any tips for the first time triathlete, I'd definitely recommend doing some cycle/run brick training. Running off the bike is a unique sensation and takes some getting used to. As for the swim, just line up behind the main bunch and follow their feet. Open water swimming is quite different to swimming in a pool as you'll need to be able to look up and check that you're heading in the right direction without losing your stroke. It definitely takes practice so I would recommend doing couple of open water swims as part of your swim training.

BEST OF LUCK!

Hi Yabbie,
I would do the race at Penrith, as opposed to Kurnell. The regatta centre where you swim have the lane markers for the rowers, which can make it a bit easier swimming on course. No need for a wetsuit, as I doubt you will be allowed, as water temp to high. Also I think it is a more accurate course in distance and a cheaper entry fee, if that makes a difference.
Good Luck!

Hi Yabbie, I did my first tri 3 weeks ago and loved it. It was 200m/10km/2km, in a pool & I came 3rd. I had a shocker in the swim, nerves got the better of me & had difficulty breathing & couldn't get my stroke right :angry: . Made a lot of ground on the ride. I found the run quite difficult off the bike, hips felt really tight and couldn't stretch out. Despite all that I had a great time! Did another one on Sunday 250m/15km/3km in open water. Freaked out in the swim again, couldn't even put my head under the water, had a great ride & felt fantastic on the run. I swim 2-3 x a week & can handle 2.5-3km not worries, its just the nerves on the race day that get me. I would recommend a few shorter ones first to get used to transition & see how you go stringing the 3 sports together. It is great fun but a great challenge. I raced in old dri-fit running tights & crop top but will be getting an Eyeline one piece tri-suit on the weekend for my next club meet in 2 weeks. At the open water tri I did on the weekend, everyone had a wet suit on, the distance was only 500m for the long course. Good luck, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Good luck with your training Yabbie! I have taken the leap in the last couple of months and done a couple of the mini-tris here in Melbourne. I am almost the complete opposite of Downunder runner in that I come from a background that is completely absent of any exercise at all, let alone racing in the 3 disciplines involved! –So my racing doesn’t involve either winning/placing or coming last – really “mid-field” boring in terms of glory LOL!– but heaps of fun nonetheless as well as being satisfying to track my personal improvements!

The thing that saved me at my first race was going to have a look around the day before to “get my head around everything” – work out where the start/ finish/ transition areas are. I thought that this would be the least of my worries, but it can be quite confusing. Also you can work out where your bike goes and get a “marker” for the next day so that you aren’t wandering aimlessly looking for your bike, both before the race and in the transition!
Don’t forget that you are allowed to draft in swimming – that doesn’t mean to say that you draft off the fastest person, it might mean having a bit of a rest behind any old person who happens to be in front of you. It makes quite a big difference and it gives you a chance to take a breather. Don’t forget that any time you save swimming in your wetsuit will be taken up getting the thing off. (An interesting feat to watch even seasoned athletes do sometimes!)
If you are doing the longer (compared to the intro races!) distance – Vaseline could come in handy for any potential chafing sites!! Elastic laces are a must! There is a website I think called www.tri-alliance.com.au/ that have lots of check lists and tips and tricks that could be handy about how to set up the transition area and stuff …And remember to breathe!! It sounds like you have the training under control and will do really well. Good luck and let us know how you go!

oh Jorex..........just reading your post about nerves getting the better of you in the swim makes me feel better!! I did the same thing on Sunday at Portarlington......i just sort of panicked going towards the first bouy...once I am swimming towards the shore I feel much better.

Minersrun ...where do you suggest slowish swimmers like us should start? I tried at the far side this time, but ended up swimming at least 50m more ! However, if I start in the middle (but not way up front) I get caught in the crowd with kicks etc at the bouy.

Yabbie....hope you have a great time...have you got those elastic shoe laces yet?

We cannot wait to see your race report !