[SeaCliff]

I'm still on the edge about doing a triathlon one day, it's the swim part that's holding me back. But I gotta say, if it's going to happen, a lot of it will be because of the great resources on this site I found (see link below) - and a couple of you that are encouraging me quietly in the background (you know who you are!!)

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/

[theusername]

that's funny SC. the thing that turns me off of triathlons are the running and biking portions. (i kind of hate both, at least in terms of training.) for me the swim portion would be the easiest, especially if aided by the extra buoyancy of a wetsuit in open water.

i remember joining a bunch of triathletes in LA for an open water training session. 2 mile run down the beach, 2 mile swim back up. i was soooo slow on the run, but kept really good pace on the swim portion, despite the fact they were all wearing wetsuits and i had just a regular swimsuit and cap.

[seacow]

Thats a great site SC.  I used it last year to do my first olympic tri.  Training was definitely a time commitment but it was a great accomplishment.  If you have any questions let me know.  I'd be happy to help. 

[Shacky]

funny, i swim and run 40 minutes each regularly so i'm not so worried about those.  it's the biking i have to work on.  ....and the transition from bike to run. 

[theusername]

funny, i swim and run 40 minutes each regularly so i'm not so worried about those.  it's the biking i have to work on.  ....and the transition from bike to run. 

well considering the swim portion of even the "olympic" distance is just a little over a mile it's really not that hard for even a half-competent swimmer to complete.

oops... i think this is supposed to be a thread about being stoked on triathlons, but i guess i just think it's funny that people find the swim portion so daunting. running and biking (especially the distance running) puts more strain on the joints and consists of much longer distances relatively.

just looking at the distances it seems that any reasonably fit person could finish a sprint distance tri without much training and most fit and healthy people could complete the olympic distance with a little preparation, but when i look at the long course and above i can't imagine running or biking the distances cited. i can however easily swim anything listed. and i'd call myself just normal fit and healthy.

[snaggletooth]

SC - go for it!
 
as an aside, at an elite or semi-elite level, runners do not make good swimmers. runners tend to sink. i think that's what makes triathalons such an amazing endeavor - you're always going to have a weaker portion, but you just train through it. might not be what you were built for, but you get the form right and you're halfway there.
 
after my running career ended, i thought biking might be a cool substitute, but never got into it. good bikes are SOOOO expensive. and whereas an hour or two of running is a decent amount of mileage, you need to bike a lot longer to really "train." and learning the whole protocol - i don't really know the rules of the road.
 
anyway, it's a time commitment, but think how good you will feel!! if you need a running partner to motivate you around the hood, me and the dogs will gladly join in.
 
 

[Looseness]

a certain friend of mine has me considering it. While I am competitive, I realize my limitations and would just like to not finish last. There's NO way I'm dropping thousands on a bike. I'm halfassedly keeping my eyes out for a decent road bike to start riding to work with. That would probably be the extent of my bicycle training, just riding to various places for transportation. No freaky toe clips, shoes and tights.

Little Nasty, Jboe and me got trapped by a triathalon in NJ onetime and got to watch a lotta bike riders go by. We saw a lot of folks with decidedly NON-hightech outfits and  bicycles. I'd be the guy on the Huffy bike with skateboard helmet and surf shorts on.....represent! That's IF I decide to really do it.

[surfplusart]

noooo.... a decent bike is a thing of beauty. and just flies! i did a sprint triathlon ages ago on a no-name clunky mountain bike, completely antithesis to the notion of sprint. following that experience of getting passed up by everyone, i joined the cycling club at school and bought a good road bike (there's the entry level bike, i got one up from that, and still love this bike.) at my first circuit race (short loops, where proper turning is critical to not lose speed), in which i did horribly!, my dad came to watch and after that wrote me a check for what i paid for the bike... he said he was proud of my effort ha! anyway, anyone will tell you toe clips are cool, for pedal efficiency... and think about it, makes the biking part all the more quicker smooth and pleasant. yes any entry level road bike would do just fine. huffy YUCK. (think huffy=nsp... eww)

[snaggletooth]

yeah, biking without clips is VERY inefficient. you can't pull up at all (obviously)

[jscottk]

Bikes = Craigslist..
You can get a decent entry level roadbike for $600 and change.
Give or take..
Do some research in what manufactures you like and what frame size you take.

You just have to be diligent about it and ready to pounce when the proper size and price comes up..

[Mims]

Triathlon Shmiathlon, the Tough Guy Challenge is where it's at. Running through mud, frozen rivers, under barbed wire, thru tunnels, jumping over fire, climbing ropes, and electric shocks.

I really wish I was making all that up:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/02/tough_guy_challenge_2010.html
http://www.toughguy.co.uk

[Looseness]

Bikes = Craigslist..
You can get a decent entry level roadbike for $600 and change.
Give or take..
Do some research in what manufactures you like and what frame size you take.

You just have to be diligent about it and ready to pounce when the proper size and price comes up..

oh jeez.... something else to geek out on and spend the money i don't even have this year for a trip to anywhere. this is going to have to be below entry level.

ok by toeclips do we mean old school ones where i can slip whatever I'm wearing in there? or having to buy shoes that work with a clip system?

[seacow]

Shoes with clip system make a huge difference.  If you only interested in a sprint you can get away with the cages.  Bikes are confusing, they call shoes with a clip system "clipless" for whatever reason. 

If you going to be riding 20+ miles at a time training I think its worth it to get shoes with clips.  You can find good deals on the sites like Bonktown (same as whiskey but for bikes)

Beware tho, a lot of road bikers tend to be type A spandex loving assholes.   

[SeaCliff]

Sigh. Now there's something I hadn't considered - those silly biking outfits.

Spandex. blech.

There's a lot of things I'll do, spandex ain't one of 'em.

[Looseness]

Sigh. Now there's something I hadn't considered - those silly biking outfits.

Spandex. blech.

There's a lot of things I'll do, spandex ain't one of 'em.

what about a speedo for the swim? you have NO idea how much drag surf trunks have until you try and swim even a few hundred yards with them on. Well I guess if you never wore a speedo you wouldn't know how much easier you had it and would just think you really sucked at swimming. Hey if it's good enough for Mark Cunningham and Michael Phelps it's good enough for me and i have felt the ridiculous difference in DRAG betwen the two. You don't have to wear a Euro marble sack, they have long ones now that look like bicycle shorts. Wup, i guess that's pretty much spandex so i guess you'll be dragging ass....