Preparing for my first triathlon


This Sunday I will be taking part in my first triathlon. The prospect is quite daunting. I only started running at the beginning of June. This was before I even thought of doing a triathlon. I can now run for a total of 30 mins continuously.

I was persuaded into entering the triathlon just two months before the event.

I’m a poor swimmer and haven’t swum lengths of any kind since I learned to swim as a kid. I had no technique of any kind and furiously bashed about in the water to get from one side to the other. After being introduced to a swimming coach at a local triathlon team I have now had 6 coached swim sessions and can swim the required 250m in one go. I’m still not a good swimmer but I know what to do technically even if I’m not all that coordinated.

As you can guess the bike bike isn’t a problem for me and should be the easiest part of the race.

Other than the swim, the only area of concern for this event is the transitions. For those that don’t know about triathlons, the transitions are the bit where you swap from swim to bike and bike to run. I’m quite a clumsy person and I’m sure I’ll get in a faff for fall over trying to get my shoes on. Hopefully, by preparing well for the day I can organise myself so everything goes smoothly in the transition area.

With the help of two colleagues that have done the event before, and are doing it again this year, I’ve been given all the info I need.

Below is a simple list of what I’ll be taking on the day;

During the event
Swimming shorts
Compression vest
Goggles
Towel
Bike
Helmet
Sunglasses
Puncture repair kit in saddle bag
SPD shoes
Number belt
Safety pins
Running Shoes

Before/after event
Tools
Pump
Money
Towel
Water
Food

I’ll let you know how I get on after the event and whether or not I have the craving to do more triathlons! Wish me luck.

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