So.. thinking of signing up.. sprint length Tri...Houston

http://www.onurleft.com/Onurmark_Productions/GATEWAY_TO_THE_ BAY_SPRINT_COURSE_DESCRIPTION.html


So I'm thinking of signing up for this.. but scared to death..

What do I need to know?
what do I need to have prepared?

Fitness wise, I'm pretty sure I can handle it by April...

But will I need a road bike? I have Scott mountain bikes now...
any other tips for a first timer?
anyone else doing it?

Lots of first timers do sprint tris with mountain bikes. So you absolutely don't *need* a road bike. But you will be faster on one.

I think the other thing you need to do is some open water swimming. It's just not like in the pool and lots of first timers don't do one and then freak out when they get into the water at the race. Having some experience can help with that especially if the water is cold. (As it always is in the Bay but especially around April.)

The other thing is to practice transitions. There are a bunch of You Tube videos that show some tips for transitions. Some of them get a bit technical .. I still don't do the flying mount with my shoes already on the bike .. but I've picked up lots of good little tips from them.

I think they mentioned something about diff tires on my Scott... that could make them a lil faster.... thattaway I don't have to get a brand new bike til I decide if I like this stuff or not ;)

The open water swimming kinda scares me...

Thank you for all your tips :)

Yeah, you can put a tire on that is smooth in the middle and knobby on the sides so it goes on the road and also off-road.

It looks like your swim is in the marina which wouldn't be too bad. The Bay is COLD and it can be choppy. But there are companies that run open water swim clinics up there to get you ready.


I'm going to do this one:

http://www.vineman.com/showdown.htm

as my first tri this season, a little warm-up to get me ready for the big show: Wildflower Long Course. I like that it's at 4pm instead of first thing in the morning.

go for it!  sprint tri's are awesome, and totally addictive.  i agree, you don't need a ton of gear, but if you use a mountain bike, you will probably find you will be looking for a road bike soon after the race (if you enjoy the race of course)....  good luck!

Do it!!!!!!

They are great, it's a nice way to get exposure into the sport.
Even if you don't like it, there is a good chance you might find one of the 3 disciplines that you do like.

What do you need.
Bike (any bike will do)  We have a kids division locally and a 4 y/o girl rode it on her bike with training wheels last year.  It was so damn cute.
shoes
swim goggles
If it is really cold in the water you might want to consider renting a wetsuit for the day.
Helmet (required in every race I have seen)
water bottle (however I have had some sprint races that were over before the need to drink ever really arose)

Try to get yourself a couple open water swims before hand if you can.  Try to alleviate any of the fears you have.

Do a couple brick workouts.  That's where you ride the bike then hop off and run.  If you haven't done it for any length of time, the sensation that your legs aren't working right is a weird feeling and it take some getting used to.
So ride the distance you will ride in the race, then get off the bike and go for a little run.


Finally.
Take a deep breath and enjoy the race.  You will do great.  You will find tha 99% of the people are super helpful and friendly.  I haven't had a triathlon yet where I haven't enjoyed the other racers or the people putting on the event.

Good luck and have fun.

Scott

Thanks so much! Since I decided I want to do it.. it's all I've been thinking about non stop.. so THANK YOU for all the advice.. It is greatly, greatly, greatly appreciated :) 

I'm gonna focus on my running for the next month, month and a half... get my pacing, timing where I want it to be.. then do the thingy you called brick running... then sometime in  March, shoot for some open water swimming...

Thanks for the laundry list of what I need to.. I have a pretty badass bike that I love.. My Scott.. we ride them everywhere.. but I think I just need to change the tires to more road friendly ones... while I'm doing the sprint lengths...

again, thank you so much!