Sprint Triathlon for beginners
Swimming. Biking. Running. How DO you get ready for your first sprint triathlon? I have listed the gear needed from the three basics to the 'nice to have' pieces to race your first sprint triathlon.
Triathlon Gear
The nice thing about all three of these sports is that you really only need “one” piece of equipment for each discipline.
DAM Tri NC, October 2019
Must have equipment:
Swimsuit / Goggles
Bike / Helmet
Running Shoes
Other equipment that's nice to have but not required:
Waterproof Watch
Shirt or Bike Jersey
Socks
Towel
Hat and or Sunglasses
Water Bottle
Nutrition
Race Belt
Swim Cap (most races provide these, but having an extra never hurts)
Post Race Food & Clothes
My experience
My first triathlon I wore bike shorts (spandex shorts with padding on the bum) and a sports bra with a pair of cheap goggles from Dicks Sporting Goods. It worked perfectly for the swim!
The swim can be out of a pool or open water (river / lake / ocean). It would be a good idea to check what kind of water your race will be in so you can train in it. If you have not swam before it would be a good idea to get some lessons.
Athletes ride Hybrid bikes, Mountain bikes, Time Trial (TT) bikes, Road Bikes, and Tri Bikes. Literally whatever you have will work!
I borrowed my friend's dad's bike until I could buy my own road bike.
From the swim - bike transition I'll throw on a tank top (or a bike jersey for longer races that will already have pockets stuffed with nutrition), grab my race belt with my number, and put on a pair of socks (I am prone to blisters).
I like to have at least one water bottle with 1/2 Gatorade - 1/2 Water. You never know how you're going to feel on race day with weather and other events that are out of your control.
I like to run with a ball cap and shoes with magnets on the laces or Boa laces.
The hat keeps my hair out of my face, soaks up sweat and residual water from the swim. I have found that instead of tying my shoes, using magnets or boa lacing make it easy to slip the shoes on and off.
No need to be fancy, whatever you have will get the job done.
Transition / Equipment Set Up
The transition pit is where all your gear will be stored while you're out being a bada$$. There will be a rack for your bike and a small space for your gear directly underneath the bike.
Sometimes you will have a number, this will relate to the rack section. If there are no numbers, look for a space along the outsides of the rack so you can quickly find your gear.
Having the gear laid out before the race will make it easier to grab and go during the race.
My go-to transition set up.
Practice your transitions.
Do everything like you are in the race. Practicing transitions at least once a week or during Brick workouts will boost your confidence and keep things smooth. (A Brick is training two modalities back to back ex: swim to run or bike to run)
The transitions don’t have to be in race order. If you can brick in race order you will get a better idea of what your body will feel like on race day. Sometimes the pool schedule or life doesn’t work out the way you want and that's OK.
Go for a long bike ride and transition into the run. The first mile will be rough as you shake out and get into a comfortable pace as quickly as possible. Time your transitions and evaluate what works best for you.
PIT TIP
You'll want to set everything out so it's easy to grab, that can include separating socks. If there is a safe space to park your gear, set it up as if it were race day. If you’re worried about someone walking off with your gear, make the gear easy to get to in the car.
Getting a fast transition time will depend on how quickly you can recover and move on.
When to Brick / Nutrition
You’ll want to start brick workouts at least 8 weeks before race day. Keep them short to begin with.
Sprint triathlons are short, therefore liquid nutrition is best. During training make sure to fuel yourself well before and after!
What to Expect on Race Day
You've worked hard to be here, this is it!
Plan to get to the race at least one hour before to park and get set up.
What to do once you’ve parked you’ll want to find your bearings:
Where is the check in table
If you haven’t already, pick up your goodie bag, number / stickers / safety pins
find out your start time
get sharpied with your numbers (if applicable, every race is different)
Where are the bathrooms (for those nervous tinkles).
Where is the transition pit
Getting to the transition pit early is important. Sometimes the bike racks will have sections matching your race number, other times they don’t. You don't want to get stuck in the middle of the bike rack, all the way in the back corner. Find a space on the end of the rack and set up your gear right next to or underneath your bike.
Warm up. Get the some jitters out, get warm, and stay warm.
Pay attention to the announcements and don't miss your start group!
Afterwards its nice to have a clean change of clothes and some post race nutrition (chocolate milk is my favorite).
Happy racing! I am so excited for you! If this helped you comment below and let me know how your race went! Or comment below with any burning questions that are lingering in your noodle.
