Ok so this was helpful
Posted by: FatBomber
Equipment:
This is about as vague as it gets. What do you need? Not much, really. Things that I have found to be useful:
1) Wetsuit. Worth every penny. Makes you faster. Swimming takes less effort. Allows you to get in open water for training when it is cold.
2) A BIKE YOU ARE COMFORTABLE ON. Now what I didn't say was a kickass race bike or a dedicated tri-bike. For a newbie, it is important that you be comfortable. Happy riders ride faster. After you know what you like, then make that substantial investment into a bike. If at that point you get a racer or a tri, enjoy!
3) Race belt. I don't like wearing my number for the whole race or pinning anything to my clothes, so I have a race belt. You can pick them up at most running stores for $5-$10. Easy on and off.
4) Speed laces. They take a bit of getting used to, but they are great and you will never worry about undone laces on the run. (Helps in T2 as well.)
5) HRM. My personal tachometer. I have found this tool to be useful in measuring how hard I am pushing myself. I have a bad habit of going too hard and then falling apart in the run. My HRM has helped me out dramatically by telling me to slow it down a bit and I have since posted personal bests in my last two events.
Transitions:
IMHO, there is no one way to do transitions. After doing some eleven triathlons now, I am still tweaking things, but it is that constant improvement that drives us to do what we do. Things I have done this year to speed me up in transition.
1) Don't dry off. Takes time and you'll drip dry on the bike for the most part.
2) Wear your race clothes under the wetsuit. Nothing more difficult than pulling a dry jersey onto a wet body.
3) Simplify. If you can do it while riding or running through T1 or T2, do it on the move. Tape gels and powerbars to your bike and eat while riding. (The same goes for the run, except carry the gel with you.)
4) Socks. I have gone both ways on this. I rather like wearing a pair of socks on the bike and run, so I take the time to put them on. What I have done this year to speed up the process is to have a small hand towel handy to dry my feet off before putting on the socks. I also have started dumping talcum powder in the socks to make them an easier on with damp feet. Talcum in the shoes works well too.
5) Organization. Practice your transitions or be prepared for a long one the first time. Learn how you approach the transition and plan accordingly. Rarely will you see two athlete's transition areas identical. See how others do this and then modify it for you.
Swimming:
Practice.
Practice.
Practice.
If you can find a local tri club, you may be able to find a class that works for you. Otherwise...
Practice.
Never trust a limping dog or the tears of a woman.