My first triatholon, I need help.?

Question

I'm 15 and I'm going to compete in my first (youth) triatholon and I have a couple questions for anyone who knows about or has been in a triatholon. First of all, the race I'm doing is a 400m swim, 7 mile bike, and a 2 mile run. What are the transactions in between each like, do I change clothes after I swim, is it still part of the race? What should I wear for each? And what kind of bike do you recommend (I need to buy one)? Any additional information would be great, thanks.

Answer 1

I think swiming, then bike, then run is immediatly one after another. I'd suggest some tight shorts, and a wifebeater(tank top), or maybe a tight fitting silk shirt which can help you glide in the water, and is light and ideal for running.

Answer 2

Hi! First off, correct spelling is "triathlon" (although that mistake is one a lot of folks make). And the short periods between swim and bike, and between bike and run, are called "transitions." And they *do* count against your time, so you want to hurry through them!

Although there *are* specialized triathlon bikes that allow, and even require, you to stay in a low, flat-back, streamlined or "aero" (short for aerodynamically-efficient) position, it's far better to train on a so-called "road bike" (like the Tour de France riders use almost every day) with drop handlebars.

You can get *some* of the aero advantages of a triathlon bike from Profile Jammer GT bars:

http://www.profile-design.com/products/a...

which are installed onto your stock handlebars.

You've got to go to the best local bike shop in your area and get your bike properly fitted to you. Don't cut corners here.

It's important to be comfortable while you train, so you've gotta get cycling shorts, which have an integral pad to cushion your butt. You can race in a triathlon-specific suit which is essentially a swimsuit with a smaller version of that pad. Most ambitious triathletes race in these, so they don't change their clothes mid-race and thus lose time.

Finally you'll want to buy Yankz elastic laces and put them on your running shoes. That will save you substanial time in T2 (the second, or bike-to-run, transition).

Good luck, and write if you have further questions!