So I may do a triathlon...

A couple questions:

1) Has anyone done one before, if so, what was it like?
2) What kind? I'm looking at Sprint or Super Sprint
3) Anyone have a training program?
4) Did you buy a bike? I don't have one, and I'd prefer not to spend $1000.

Thanks TWar

need blazindave

i can't help for much with this, but i've recently been through the rigors of buying a bike.

and my advice is to check ebay or your areas craiglist listings. when i was shopping i saw quite a few aluminum frame marins (good starter/fixer-upper) in the 200-300 range--which is practically free for an aluminum road bike.

need blazindave

Is that a person or a brand of bike?

it's a person here who is MIA now.

I did an adventure Tri. It was a 2 mile kayak a 7 mile run and a 28 mile bike or something like that.

Spring Tri's are really fun in my opinion. Practice your transition between each event. That can save you 3-4 minutes if you do it right.

As far as training, I just concentrate on two events. If the swim is first, just get through it and then hammer in the ride and run, or vice-versa.

You didn't give much information where your current athletic ability is...are you just thinking about it? Can you run 10 sub 6 minutes miles? Can you barely bike 5 miles? Can you swim like a dolphin? It would be nice to know where you are to give any kind of advice.

Buying a bike won't be bad. buy a regular road bike from trek or cannondale and add some aero bars if you are seriously money concerned. You could come out with a mediocre tri bike for under 800 (that's everything, helmet, pedals, shoes, aero bar, blhablahahl).

yea...more info plz.

I did an adventure Tri. It was a 2 mile kayak a 7 mile run and a 28 mile bike or something like that.

Spring Tri's are really fun in my opinion. Practice your transition between each event. That can save you 3-4 minutes if you do it right.

As far as training, I just concentrate on two events. If the swim is first, just get through it and then hammer in the ride and run, or vice-versa.

You didn't give much information where your current athletic ability is...are you just thinking about it? Can you run 10 sub 6 minutes miles? Can you barely bike 5 miles? Can you swim like a dolphin? It would be nice to know where you are to give any kind of advice.

Buying a bike won't be bad. buy a regular road bike from trek or cannondale and add some aero bars if you are seriously money concerned. You could come out with a mediocre tri bike for under 800 (that's everything, helmet, pedals, shoes, aero bar, blhablahahl).

yea...more info plz.

Cool man, thanks for the reply

So I swam for 10 years between the ages of 5 and 15, but have only done it a couple times a year since then. I"m currently 21 years old.

I'd say I'm pretty athletic. I play football once a week and soccer twice a week (both 40-60 minute games), and I weight lift 5 times a week. I'm 6'1 170-175 (depending on the day).

I am, however, somewhat more out of running shape than I thought. I ran two miles yesterday and it took me 16 minutes, although that was on a treadmill. I haven't biked recreationally in almost 4 years.

I'd do a triathlon if I could actually swim for a long distance. I sink so badly that endurance swimming is a real bitch for me

sounds like you just need to take swim lessons

Uhhhh no fuckface... been swimming as long as I can remember. I have no problem swimming, but when my natural buoyancy is constantly pulling me under, I have trouble staying afloat.

i wasnt trying to be a dick

being negative in the water sucks

but if you get someone to help you with technique you should be fine regardless of how negative you are

I guess all those swim lessons I took growing up didn't do a thing.

your natural buoyancy is lower than other people's?

obviously not if you think that having "trouble staying afloat" has more to do with being negative than it does with being a poor swimmer

When I try to float, I sink. It's that simple.

lol

OH geeze I'm out of shape, this is going to be hard

I do the odd triathlon here and there ;)

Pretty much, what ever training you do as a raw beginner is going to benefit and improve you. At the start it is all about swimming, riding and running a whole lot. Do what ever but the more the merrier. If you decide to stick with it, the process behind training properly is quite simple but takes a bit of discipline to do correctly. It all depends on what sort of distance triathlon you want to do now and in the future. Good on you for having a go though.

re : swimming, if you sink when you try and float, you are normal. Taking swimming lessons does not mean you have good technique. Swimming is ALL about technique. Strength is a tiny tiny part of it and flotation matters not the faster you go forward in the water.

I have a question for the biking part of a triathlon can you use a mountain bike?

Yeah. For sure. Triathlon has a bad habit of being all about the bling and people buy shit they don't need. You can ride what ever you want. For a first taste type race, you wont be the only dude on a Mountain Bike.