Before you TRI

Are you thinking of doing a triathlon this year? Here are a list of things you should know before doing a triathlon

• Know what a transition area is. Hint: It's like your very own little locker room for all your gear. It's where you will spend your time after the swim and after the bike. YouTube can be your best friend when learning all about the art of triathlon transitions. I spent many hours early in my tri training watching and learning from YouTube videos. It can also be quite entertaining and educate you on what not to do during transitions. 

• Practice taking your wetsuit off when it's wet! A wet wetsuit is hard to get off sometimes. And know that TRIslide can be your best friend (except on tile don't spray it while standing on tile you will forever slip on it in your house). Don't forget to lube your ankles (and wrists if it has sleeves) really well, it makes it easier to remove your wetsuit after the swim.
  

• Get outside and ride an actual bike. Sure I am a huge advocate of taking indoor cycling classes and think they are a phenomenal training tool but alone they won't prepare you well enough for the bike portion of a triathlon. You must get a feel for the road, shifting, braking, turning and pedal speed. You also need to experience what it's like to spend hours on your own bike saddle, not the seat of spin bikes.
  
   

• No need to worry about what bike you will ride for your first tri. If you sign up for a sprint distance or even a mini sprint you will see beach cruisers, mountain bikes and road bikes out there. Trust me I see it all the time. I love seeing those types of bikes because it probably means it is the person's first triathlon and more power to them for getting out there and doing it!

• Know what gear you'll need for your first triathlon. This post will help you: Beginner Triathlon Checklist

• Practice brick workouts. Bricks are training sessions consisting of two or more disciplines during the same workout. For example a brick workout would be to bike for 45 minutes and follow it with a 20 minute run. The goal of a brick session is to simulate how your legs will feel during a race. 

• Latch on to a friend or relative who knows a lot about triathlons. Pick their brain constantly! Most triathletes are just dying to give you their advice. Take them up on it. Experienced triathletes are a wealth of free, useful information and no question is too crazy. Even: "do you pee on the bike?" Only if you are a pro. 
  

• Test out ALL new gear prior to the race. If you end up buying triathlon shorts or a top be sure and train a couple times in them. You never know how they might feel come race day. A good thing to remember is: if you buy it- try it.

• Know your bike. Bribe the hubby or someone who knows a thing about bikes to give you a quick lesson on bike maintenance. Practice changing a tire on your bike over and over and then practice it again! Know what to do if your chain falls off and how to put it back on. These things could be major race killers if you didn't know what to do. Yes you'll be flustered and spewing out F-bombs during the race but after a few seconds you can calm down and figure out what you need to do to get back up and riding. 
  

• Allow a decent amount of time to train for a triathlon. 12 weeks is generally enough time to fully prepare. Follow a training plan and stick to it. There are so many good free sprint training plans with a quick Google search. 

Most of all...HAVE FUN!