Feeling Trisexual? What you Need for your First Triathlon

I'm not much of a triathlete, even though it's how I got into cycling I haven't done one in about two years. There's a local race in a few weeks that I've considered signing up for.

I must admit, right now there's a couple of things holding me back... and even though it's nothing major, I'm just getting a bit nervous about having to put a bento box on my bike (not to mention one of these). Luckily, the race won't be long enough for either of those.

All joking aside, even though I consider myself a roadie (and need to live by these rules) Triathlons can be fun and a great way to cross-train. The fact that they're looked down upon by my fellow roadies is kind of a head-scratcher. Aside from all of the gizmos and gadgets, triathletes aren't so bad after all.

So if you're thinking about doing your first triathlon, here's the cliff notes version of the whole process... just remember it's not as bad as it sounds:

1. Pick a distance: Triathlon is any event in which you swim, bike, and run. A lot of people assume Triathlon = Ironman, which is not the case... there's lots of different distances but most races will be one of the following: Sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman and Ironman. If you've never done a triathlon, you're most likely going to start off with a Sprint or something similar to it.
2. Train: You probably know this part, however if all you've ever done is watch people dot it on TV, you're probably thinking "oh that's not so bad" (Unless you've watched NBC's over-dramatic Telecast of IM Hawaii). My point is that even the short distance triathlons require training. So do yourself a favor and don't waste your $60-$100 to get pulled out of the water. Check out Ontri or Slowtwitch as they're great resources.
   
3. Gear Up: For a newbie, showing up to a race might be a bit intimidating as local Age Groupers (fast or not) will have some of the coolest shit the pro's don't even have. You don't need most of that. These are the must-have's: Goggles, a triathlon top & short (or suit), a bike, helmet, running shoes, a number belt, and body-glide (very important).
4. Have Fun: If this is your first race, the probability that you're not going to win is high, so just go out there and have a good time. This will be the only way to get a feel for how it all works... you can practice all you want, however race day is race day, you'll see what I mean.

If you're thinking to yourself that can't be as easy as what I just described, you're kind of right. It wouldn't be called exercise if it was easy... and more people would be doing it. However, this is a good starting point.

Make sure you use your LBS (Local Bike Shop) as a resource, especially if there's a Triathlon specific shop in your area. Find a local triathlon club or coach and get in touch, they're usually willing to help you through the process. Don't ever feel like you're asking a dumb question, there's a lot of unknowns to someone who's new to the sport and people will understand. If you're not much of a people person, it is 2010 and everything is at your fingertips online, so check out some of the resources I mentioned above and knock yourself out!

Good luck!