[Closed] Tell me about triathlons...

Get a Tri-Suit. Basically an all in one suitable for warm water swimming that also has a bit of padding for the bike but not too much that you can't run comfortably.

IME, some people waste an inordinate amount of time in transition.

Brick sessions. Transitioning from a bike to running feels weird. Practice it. A lot.

there's nothing funnier than watching runnerists jump, sodden, and with bambi-on-ice legs, on to their bike, look down to see they left it in small sprocket and mash the chain across the cassette/chainwheel, ripping the mech off and collapse on the floor in a pile of gibber just at the exit of transition. It makes watching Mrs S* compete bearable.

* GB Age Group triathlonist.

Get a Tri-Suit. Basically an all in one suitable for warm water swimming that also has a bit of padding for the bike but not too much that you can’t run comfortably.

This, but dont go mad on your first event.

IME, some people waste an inordinate amount of time in transition.

Its the 4th discipline innit. At the very least it's worth coming up with a plan for how to layout your kit to get to it all in the right order. Also, depending on the length of the cycle it might make sense just to ride in your running shoes to avoid a second shoe swap.

I assume I just use my own bike set up as I prefer?

Should be fine, but be wary of drafting rules (likely no drafting allowed). You may also have to be very careful not to touch your bike until your helmet is on.

equally theres nothing funnier than watching the cyclist whos just barrelled past you as your spinning down getting your legs ready to run coming into transition get off his bike - start running(their feet going in horizontal circles no less) and go into a cramp spasm and fall to the floor just outside transition.

They're good fun and very, very friendly in my experience. You can take it as seriously or not as you wish.

A tri-suit is great, but many won't have them. My first one I swam in cycling shorts and threw on a top at transition, though admittedly once I bought a tri-suit it was much better. I used old road shoes with velcro closure which sped that up, elastic laces are also good in your running shoes.

Accept you'll be smashed in the swim, natural swimmers are wonderful to watch and will put serious time into you in the pool. Thankfully, everyone has a weak skill so you may well catch them!

Brick sessions as above are good too, weird, but good to do.

Some beginners triathlons are not timed for the transition from swim to bike. So you could dry off and get changed properly if you want.

Accept you’ll be smashed in the swim, natural swimmers are wonderful to watch and will put serious time into you in the pool. Thankfully, everyone has a weak skill so you may well catch them!

Yeah that is pretty much what I expect to happen - I am happy running (I am running the GNR again in 2020 so will have plenty of running miles completed by early August anyway) and of course the cycling bit should be straight-forward for me.

If you're just looking to complete then there is no need to get anything special. A tri suit will save you some time in transition rather than change from nut-huggers to bike kit, and then from bike kit to running shorts, but if you're looking more at just finishing then why not change into something more comfortable.
Transition is a weird place where time moves at a different pace to the rest of the world, once the adrenaline is buzzing after getting out of the swim you'll find putting socks on is so long winded and has somehow cost you 5 minutes.
Beware - they end up being addictive and you discover muscle aches you never knew existed.

What distance is it? Novice or Sprint i assume?

What distance is it? Novice or Sprint i assume?

Sprint

https://www.uktriathlon.co.uk/events/york-triathlon

In that case be prepared to go off too hard in the swim..... then go off too hard in the cycle trying to make up for it 😀

At grass-roots tri's I've seen both ends of the spectrum in transition; those who dash in and out, pausing only to grab their helmet and shoes, and those who fully dry off and get changed under their towel. Where you fit on that spectrum is entirely down to you and what you hope to achieve. It's a good idea to think about how you'll lay out your kit so it's most readily accessible for each transition.

Bike-wise, a normal road bike will be fine, but it's worth getting a set of clip-on tri-bars to be extra aero. Again, I've seen both ends of the spectrum, from full aero framed £x,000 TT machines, to £50 from Tesco MTBs.

If you're not a fish-like swimmer, don't knock yourself out on the swim, I find it better to back off a little on that and have more oomph left for the bike and run which suit me more. My first tri I was dead after the swim and spoilt my ride cos I wasted the first 5mins trying to get my breath back! (EDIT: What mashr said 😀 )

I'd just start off with some tri-shorts rather than a full suit (DHB ones from Wiggle are fine). Cheaper, and you can add on a top if you like the sport. Just pop a cycle top or t-shirt on in T1.

For a sprint, I wouldn't bother with socks, though I think it's worth a couple of seconds to dry off your feet before the bike. There's also a reason why many triathletes use elastic laces in heir running shoes. I forgot how to tie shoelaces in my first tri - lesson learned.

Good luck - it's a nice friendly sport.

I’d just start off with some tri-shorts rather than a full suit (DHB ones from Wiggle are fine). Cheaper, and you can add on a top if you like the sport. Just pop a cycle top or t-shirt on in T1.

Why do you have to pop a top on - can't you just bare chest the whole thing like a warrior? A lot more aero for the bike than a T-shirt flapping around.

Go and watch a few local tris through the summer, just to see how it all works.

The chop in a pool swim can be alarming if you aren't ready for it.

Get used to riding and running without socks. Or time yourself putting socks on as soon as you get out of the shower. The get used to riding and running without socks.

Tri suit is good but not essential, but again try pulling a jersey on when you are wet.

Get a race belt. It's a belt that you fasten your number to. Number needs to be on the back for the bike and front for the run. Just spin the belt round in transition.

PS its addictive.

There’s a noticeable distance from the pool to the transition and then to the cycle circuit at York.
Running in bare feet for 100-200 metres on a rabbit holed grass bank, then say 100m run pushing a bike in whatever shoes you’re cycling in.
You have been warned.

Yeah, tri-shorts would be the cheapest option for a first event.
Maybe buy some elastic laces as well.

If you want to be a proper triathlete you will need to take great pleasure in spending £££ on kit.

You will need:
TT bike
Tri-suit
Tri specific shoes with velcro fastening which you pre-attach to the bike (I think they also do some trick with an elastic band)
A race belt
etc
etc

In my limited experience, you will find that there are a lot of people doing it for fun, there will be plenty of breast stroke swimmers and a few mountain bikes.

Mick

No nudity in transition...

Why do you have to pop a top on – can’t you just bare chest the whole thing like a warrior? A lot more aero for the bike than a T-shirt flapping around.

It's a thought 🙂
But sadly against the rules

Get a race belt. It’s a belt that you fasten your number to. Number needs to be on the back for the bike and front for the run. Just spin the belt round in transition.

Forgot about this - ask a triathlete, they'll likely have a spare. Often given away at races.

I take a hole punch to races - much easier than trying to spear a hole with a pencil

They are addictive, even though I've not done one for a couple of years, am injured, it's £60, and I live in London - just seeing this thread has me almost signing up

I did a couple of sprint tri's last year and have signed on for another couple this year, and a 1/4 iron man (which is pretty much the same as an Olympic tri distance ish...).

First one, Skipton, I did in tri shorts and faffed around trying to get socks on and tie laces in transition. I also took a towel to the pool and tried to dry off on the run, didn't really work....

second one, Holmfirth, I had a Decathlon tri suit, i didn't bother with socks and had elasticated laces. Much quicker transitions.

Both were done on my Planet X London Road and using velcro only strap xc spd shoes. This year I have a new road bike and am aiming to improve my running and swimming. They're great fun, especially if you'r doing them with a few mates.

Edit: Race belt is essential, the ones I have done have pre holed the numbers so easy to fit on the belt. Mine cost a few quid from Tredz. They also have little elasticated bits to hold a couple of gels.

Think the Decathlon tri suits are on sale at the moment as well.

You will need:
TT bike
Tri-suit
Tri specific shoes with velcro fastening which you pre-attach to the bike (I think they also do some trick with an elastic band)
A race belt
etc
etc

Don't forget expensive wetsuit for when you get addicted and decide to try an aquathon or just want to try an open water event.

And you'll need a posh transition bag to put it all in

Also remember to add time for analysing the results against competitors, finding that number who over took you in the last 100m and speculating on where you'd finished if you were only 1 minute here or there faster.

They're great fun, get your name down then worry about the other stuff 🙂

And you’ll need a posh transition bag to put it all in

Thats going on my birthday list....

They're ideal if you enjoy faff, which triathlon is replete with.

They're also ideal if you enjoy collecting gear, now you have three sports to collect for.

For everyone else, there's time trials / park runs / etc.

🙂

i have done a few in my time -i bought a number belt this year - and even then thats only because ill be doing long distance stuff where ill want to change my layers through out.

its far from essential.

All the ones ive done have been fine with the number on the back for both if you dont have a belt - and ive been happy to leave it there as properly pinned it flaps around less than if its on a belt.

Backpack (although proper triathlete would never choose the budget option):

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BAPXTB/planet-x-transition-backpack

On a serious note, for a swimming coach I would look at Total Immersion or Swim Smooth.

British Triathlon seem to have adopted Swim Smooth.

No nudity in transition…

A friend was fined a minute for infraction of this rule at our local tri, (though still made podium as a Tri newbie. The bugger). I was going to say something similar happened to me a fair way back in the field (5th >50 the two times I did it). When I dropped the towel the woman marshalling transition almost had a stroke. But she wasn't quite quick enough.

I managed to pick up a cheapo trisuit off amazon for the first one I did. If you are a size small then I may even have something for you if you want. I echo everything everyone else has said. Dont worry too much about loads of kit on your first one but if you enjoy them then you amass a fair few extra things!

They are a lot of fun and very inclusive, you really get all sorts doing them which is great!

Also new to the sport here, just entered the Ben Nevis Braveheart IM70.3 in September. Anyone got any experience of this or indeed any 70.3?

its not an IM 70.3 - and thats a good thing. It shares only the distance. - youd know it was an IM because your wallet would be entirely empty.

Learn to run down hill.. its not the climb that will have you its the descent.

I've done quite a few, from Olympic to IM distance... All bar one in Spain, but the rules are international so there shouldn't be any major differences. And the first thing to bear in mind are the rules, there are a few they're very strict about:

1. You'll need some kind of ID to get your race bib (and possibly to drop your bike off). This is to stop people pinching your bike.

2. While you're in the transition area and touching the bike you should have your helmet on and fastened. This generally includes even when you're dropping the bike off. (Before the race the judges will moan at you, during the race you could easily get DQd).

3. Somewhere in the transition area you'll have a place to leave your bike kit (helmet, shoes, sunnies) and running kit. It'll probably just be a washing basket under your bike, but it could be a plastic bag or two hanging up in a separate area near the bike paddock. It'll be very obvious when you get there. You're not allowed to leave anything (other than the bike) out of the bags/basket. The easiest thing to wear is a tri suit, but failing that some tri shorts are fine for swimming, and you can just put on a top when you finish the swim. As mentioned public nudity is generally not allowed (at least in events shorter than IM distance).

4. There's a get on/get off line at the exit and entry of the transition area, you can only be on your bike outside the transition area.

5. Drafting - depending on the race you may or may not be allowed to draft (wheelsuck) on the bike. If it's allowed your bike can have tri bars; if not only normal road or mtb bike handlbars are allowed. If it's a no drafting event you have to stay at least 12m behind the rider ahead of you, and if you're overtaken you have to drop back to 12m once they're past. Judges will be riding around the circuit on mopeds checking, if they decide you're drafting you'll get a warning / told to stop for 5min in the penalty box.

6. You need to be wearing your bib number on the run, and facing forward. It used to be obligatory on the bike too but they changed the rules. A tri belt is a great idea as you can just clip it on before the run and it won't be bothering you on the bike.

There are loads of other rules, but they're the ones I found important / weird when starting.

Not an expert in any way, but did a couple of Bike/Sup/Runs (paddle-board instead of swimming and MTB instead of road bike) which were good fun.
However first one I did, didn't realise the transitions were timed and strolled about, changed my top (cause it was raining so wanted a fresh one for the road) ate a banana, got myself sorted for the next stage etc.
Then saw the results and realised if I'd taken as long in transition as everyone else I'd have finished Top 5!!

Accept you’ll be smashed in the swim, natural swimmers are wonderful to watch and will put serious time into you in the pool. Thankfully, everyone has a weak skill so you may well catch them!

Very true, but swimming doesn't account for a third of the time spent doing the triathlon. It seems to be more a way of spreading the field out initially. I would guess from the few I've done (and a proper triathlete may correct me on this) that the swim/bike/run split is something like 20/45/35 maybe?

But if it's just your first one then just enjoy it, don't go mad buying kit, think of the swim simply as a way of limiting your losses............and smash them on the bike!!!

And finally – any recommendations for swimming lessons in Harrogate? (I can swim but my technique is shocking – my 10 yr olds are much quicker than me) 🙂

I'll ask, I know someone who did classes for this a few years back, they were based at Granby* if I recall.

*It's still called Granby despite the sign.

Did a few (three figures) over 23 years. I really enjoyed the early years when I took the mudguards off my work bike to race on. It seemed like an adventure, and perhaps was. Starting the swim at Embrunman in the dark with just a flashing light to follow, riding through a hail storm and seeing a guy have his bike swept away in the torrent, getting a shock in the water in a thunderstorm, X-C skiing on a piste cut into the the downhill course at Les Menuires, racing at minus a lot celcius on another WC Winter triathlon, swimming in the Adour (and not getting ill), getting cheered on by enthusiastic Spanish crowds.

Over the years it got more and more professional, and it was obvious more and more people were on the sauce (and a lot more than were testing positive). I found a new enthusiasm when I got to 40 and again at 50 but called it a day at 55. I found it hard to relate to the new hipster recruits; some are utter dicks in the pool so I gave up swimming in club sessions and as it's the swim sessions that hold triathlon clubs together I just drifted away.

IF the sport was what it is today when I first started I think I'd have taken one look and said "not for me". That said, if you can find a cool club and don't take it too seriously there's no doubt still fun to be had.

I’ll ask, I know someone who did classes for this a few years back, they were based at Granby* if I recall.

Granby didn't have a pool did it? (It's been demolished and replaced with Harrogate High). I thought the only schools with pools are Harrogate Ladies College and Ashville?

But thank you - any recommendation you can give would be good 🙂

Granby didn’t have a pool did it?

It did, though given the reputation of the students I imagine it was used for drowning kittens as often as swimming.

https://swimming.org/poolfinder/search?page=2&per_page=3&location=Harrogate&latitude=53.99212&longitude=-1.541812&filter%5Bopen%5D=true

Still there by the looks.

It did, though given the reputation of the students I imagine it was used for drowning kittens as often as swimming.

I had no idea! Weird though as I have been all over the district with my two sporty 10 yr olds doing all sorts of competitions, classes, courses etc and have never come across it.

This all sound like a really good way to spoil a good ride, run or swim by introducing a load of faff and gear bullshit into all of them?

This all sound like a really good way to spoil a good ride, run or swim by introducing a load of faff and gear bullshit into all of them?

You've never ridden with other people before have you?

You’ve never ridden with other people before have you?

He said he wasn't into triathlons.

So chances are he has ridden with other people and probably even outsjde-outside of races

Sorry, trying to be funny, I was suggesting

introducing a load of faff and gear bullshit into all of them?

Sounds very much like a group mtb ride.

I wasn't there to see it as I was up the road but a tale that caused much amusement at the time was a guy coming second from last out of the water then getting on a state-of-the-art triathlon bike (aerobars, carbon aero frame, disc wheels, bottles behind bum, aero lid, inverted seat post - all things rare at the time) then someone shouted something to the effect of "you need to spend your money on swimming lessons not your flash bike". Cruel but true.

If you can swim and you're at the right hand end of the normal distibution curve in terms of watts/kilo you'll finish well in a Decathlon wetsuit riding a racer bought on Gumtree for £100.

When I was road racing there were the occasional triathletes who turned up; they were great to sit behind until there was a corner...

I used to train with a road club, I'd turn up on a hack with mudguards and a sachs super 7 hub gear and still drop them all if the climb was longer than a few minutes. One of them who was "bien chargé" found this annyoing and tried to drop me on a descent, running out of road and exploring the undergrowth in the local woodland. I did a few road races and was eventually accepted as one of the gang, I knew I wasn't quick enough in a sprint to win anything and was happy to work for any mates that were in with a chance.

Thezre are as many shit bike handlers in a roadie peloton as in a triathlon. Not so many in an MTB race though.

I found it hard to relate to the new hipster recruits; some are utter dicks in the pool so I gave up swimming in club sessions and as it’s the swim sessions that hold triathlon clubs together I just drifted away.

I'm in a tri club and it's nothing like what you say - we use 3 lanes in the pool, with the slower guys in lane 1 and the fastest in lane 3... No dicks afaik.

As I said, find a cool club, you have, Mogrim. We had two lanes at best. I knew it was time to go when a normally calm old hand got so wound up with being hit with paddles that he grabbed the newbie culprit and held his head under water for long enough to cause distress then tried again to explain line etiquette. No change. The club president resigned, mainly over pool behaviour, one person required stitches to their face after being hit by a paddle in a stupid overtake.

It was the same in events, the swimming got more and more aggressive, especially at sprint and olympic distance races. You expect to get hit a few times in a swim but you don't expect people to deliberately push you under in their attempt to push through. We're pretty sure that one club member was deliberately brought down and seriously injured on the bike leg of a race. More amusing, another club member (and notorious cheat/drafter) got a full water bottle thrown at her by the rider she was drafting.

I've done a lot of triathlons and these incidents became more and more frequent.

GB Age Group triathlonist

Not dissing your missus but I think the whole GB age group thing is a bit of a con.

GB age group thing is a bit of a con.

There's a chap in work who parades around in his GB age group track top.

He "qualified" for a sprint in Oz !! ... lol

Other side of the world for a one hour and 20 minute event (yep, he's that good) .... berk.

I’d just start off with some tri-shorts rather than a full suit (DHB ones from Wiggle are fine). Cheaper, and you can add on a top if you like the sport. Just pop a cycle top or t-shirt on in T1.

Tri shorts worked fine for me for my first/only sprint tri, I just got out of the pool and jogged to the racking where my bike and gear was and chucked on some clothes and went out on the bike. Then returned to same spot on rack as thats where I left my stuff.

I used bin bags for my cycling and running clothes, one with my cycling top, socks and shoes in, another with my running top and shoes. Hindsight I wouldnt have put socks on, but it only took like 20 seconds!

When I left my bike in the rack I had already turned on my garmin so it would acquire GPS.

Swimming wise, I signed up thinking I could swim, one visit to the pool proved that granny break stroke or drowning man freestyle wouldnt cut 16 lengths, I watched a couple of youtube videos about breathing techniques for freestyle then visited the pool twice a week for the 5 weeks leading up to it, once I had cracked the breathing I then started building up the lengths so one visit I would do 4 x 2 lengths then next visit do 8 total, following week would be 6 x 2 and then 12 and so on. I actually did this till I swam a mile!

I can see where the GB Age group is a bit suspect, but as a national marker it is pretty good mainly because it is competitive - people genuinely want to fight for championship qualification.

GB are the only nation to always take a full team to the Euros (100s of athletes), the management even give lectures to other nation teams on how to build the interest within their country. It does mean that invariably GB make up over 60% of the top ten finishers in most age groups at the ETU championships. But to consistently qualify for the GB squad and then be competitive at the Euros or worlds takes a lot of training (Mrs S trains 6 times a week, races all year round in other events and has raced in GB Age group team at the last 5 or ETUs and the 2 ITUs that took place in continental Europe. She has to work two or three ETU qualifying triathlons (olympic standard distance, not sprint) into a season of competitions which might also include the UK champs (not usually an ETU or ITU qualifier) and in some years the ITU qualifier. And then come in top three in the vast majority of them in order to compete in the championships for the following year.

Yes qualifying for a GB age group sprint place at World champs on the other side of the planet is a lot easier - who the hell wants to fly for 50 hrs for a 1hr race? Its not competitive. But making the cut for the ETU standard distance is usually much harder.

The ITU was held at Lausanne this year. A very competitive race to get into and to compete in - the home of the Olympics, all the European nations having big squads and non-European nations having a big turn out too due to the higher profile of Lausanne/Switzerland than in other years.

The "Con" I suppose is in the cost of the kit, team hotel, bike shipping and travel. None of which is supported by GB Tri. Mrs S has been doing it long enough to know how to minimise costs, and we often arrange a family holiday around the European champs so we can drive her race bike out with us, and we can be flexible camping, rather than pay the huge premium of staying in the team hotel. Also, national kit up to 3 yrs old can be re-worn, but after that you have to get a newer design to stay current.

(PS Mrs S only ever wears GB kit at the championships where she is required to, as otherwise its like having a bullseye on your back when out training with the riffraff 😉 )

I really wish you hadn't started this thread. Now I want to do the York Triathlon. It's only 30 mins from home and looks amateur/friendly enough that I won't be trailing off the back.
I did the Stokesley duathlon about 6yrs ago 5km run - 35km bike - 5km run and enjoyed it despite coming about 3rd from last, nearly giving up in the 40mph headwinds on the bike and walking most of the second "run"! I think it was long enough ago that I've forgotten enough of it to want to try again.
My only issue with triathlon is that I've barely swum properly since having children. Being in a pool these days mainly consists of bobbing around in the shallow end getting cold while they all play.

I've just entered the Great North Run ballot. If I don't get in to that then York tri may become a serious consideration.

The “Con” I suppose is in the cost of the kit, team hotel, bike shipping and travel. None of which is supported by GB Tri.

That's because despite its name, the way some talk about it and the way it's marketed by British Triathlon it's absolutely nothing like being part of a national team or representing your country in any other sport.

Normally a place on a national team would suggest you're one of the best in the country at your age/distance but all the age group qualification requires (as I understand it) is to finish within a certain % (or is it placing?) of the winner in a chosen event.

Depending on age group, gender, distance and the qualifying event you choose qualification can be relatively hard or easy. My wife pretty much qualified by accident!

you dont need a tri suit or tri laces at all, yes its easier but for a first attempt at what i assume will be a sprint distance just go for it and get changed at transition to cycling kit, i did, didnt ruin me for life.

tips though... super bright towel on the floor of your area (if its not raining of course) so you can see where you are as you enter.

meticulously lay said kit onto your mat in preparation of arrival.

if its even vaguely wet plastic box with lid for your kit.

fill, and i mean literally fill, your road bike shoes and your trainers with talc so your feet slip in when wet.

in the last mile of the bike get into a really low gear and spin your legs, really spin them to loosen them up because when you start running you will not believe how badly your legs will not want to work.

long and short, dont overthink it, do it with what you have got, if you love it then buy kit.

to prove my opening point though, the club i'm in used to do an annual tri. one year a guy entered who upon completing the swim went into the showers, had a full soap and hair clean, did his hair under the drier, dressed, then mounted a gents upright complete with a picnic box on the back containing lunch. lets just say the medals were all presented by the time he finished. but he did it!

Decathlon. Get down there now.
Tri suit £13
Shoes £17
Chaff stick £4
Tri belt £8
and it's a great fun.

On my first Tri in open water (London docks) I used antibac gel all over my hands and then downed 330ml of coke (kills bugs) then wondered why I was unable to put my shoes on due to no grip with the gel. What a Wally.
My fave is the swim, just love the pump of the start and the getting a groove on,
My hate is the run.
That's why I am running the marathon this year...

Spin, no that's not entirely how qualification works.

You have to win or place 2nd or 3rd in one of the three qualifying races in the UK. i.e. be one of the best in the country for your age. A couple of places below those automatic qualification are on a performance (%) count back from the group winner. Generally the top 6 or 7 in the team are the best 6 or 7 in the country at that age grade. You very rarely see a winner of a qualifying race not take up their place in the European Championships.

As to competitiveness, last years ETU champs for Mrs S age grade, Team GB placed 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th in Europe (31 starters). In 2018 it was 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th in a weaker field because it was held in Estonia, a bit of a git of a place to get to for most Europeans.
Conversely in this year's worlds in Lausanne, GBR placed 4-7th (+more) behind two Americans and a Suisse in a field of 80+. That suggests that at least when compared to other nations the Brit selection process must be doing something right.

Mrs S did "unintentionally" qualify for the world duathlon championships last year by winning her group in an off-season, shitz'n'giggles qualifier the year before, but that's mainly because Duathlon is not a very competitive discipline. Standard Tri distance is the hardest to qualify for because it's the original Olympic discipline. Other less "prestigious" disciplines like Aquathlon, Aquabike, Duathlon (Long, Standard and sprint), Triathlon (Middle and Sprint) distance, Cross Triathlon etc all exist if you fancy an easier ticket!

You have to win or place 2nd or 3rd in one of the three qualifying races in the UK

Just asked my wife and it was a % when she did it. There were no named qualifying races you just submitted a race and it had to meet certain criteria (numbers in group etc). This was long distance though and apparently that's different.

This was long distance though

qualifying places are issued in cornflake packets.

Obvs most of my comments above are in the context of standard Olympic Distance Tri.

Stoner, you are making it sound slighter harder than it can be. Emphasis on the can as some categories are pretty tough and highly prized. I know a lady in late middle age who qualified by beating the one other competitor in her category. The other lady was doing her first ever triathlon and had only progressed from breaststroke to crawl a few months before and was wearing a wetsuit for the first time on race day. My friend was slightly embarrassed but took the slot and loved the experience.

There was talk years ago of adding a time limit too - so you would have to be in the top 3 AND get an age group adjusted time of X hrs XX mins or better to qualify. Did that ever go through?

I qualified for standard and then later long distance (and also for the IM 70.3 worlds in Clearwater and full in Kona) and as said the ITU/ETU stuff was to be in the first whatever in a given race for standard and the long distance was just a submit a CV job.

there's obviously a lot of variation in the competition for places. Its daft that there are the same number of team slots for every age grade and for lots of different distances/disciplines.

The qualification policy for most of the team places is simply:

"To qualify athletes must;

Register their intent to qualify for the championship race by 5pm Friday prior to the qualifying event.

Complete the qualification race within 120% of the winner in their age group.

Be one of the first four finishers in the race who have registered their intent to qualify before the deadline.
- Athletes finishing in the first 4 places per age group but outside 120% of the winner of that age group will only be offered a place at the Team Manager’s discretion.

- Athletes finishing outside the first 4 places per age group but inside 120% of the winner of that age group may still be able to qualify with a Rolldown Place. Details of Rolldown Places can be found here. "

But that looks very different when you have 3 registered to qualify in the 75-80 AG Long distance Aquathlon.... compared to 40+ registrations attempting to qualify for the AG 35-40 Olympic distance Tri.

So yes, some qualifications are cornflake freebies, others are very competitive to get a top slot in.

I did it for a few years - everything from sprint to Ironman and even a couple of off road tris. To be honest, mountain biking is more fun.

It's good for overall fitness, but it's really a sport that's designed for people who have no family or are recently divorced; you can easily spend 20 hours a week training if you want to get anywhere in the longer distance races.

JP

Does it really matter how hard it is to qualify, convert? Jeez. I did loads of stuff before you had to qualify for anything, did that make it worthless? No, it was great fun being there. We, madame and I, found we'd qulified for the French olympic distance champs one year, so we did it. I qualified for the Winter triathlon world championships twice with a couple of reasonable results on world cup rounds (top ten). It was great being able to race with all the big names in the sport, it felt a bit sureal overtaking Olivier Marceau (world ITU champ and 7th Sydney Olympics) on the MTB leg of a Winter triathlon - I supsect it was the first time he'd ridden an MTB on snow in his life.

So don't worry about it, Stoner and Madame Stoner, you don't need to justify anything to anybody. Just enjoy the buzz of being part of the international triathon scene while you can. At least competing at a high level there's less a problem with the dicks I alluded to above.

I did my first couple of triathlons last year. Someone suggested tri shorts to me, but when I actually looked for some, they were all pretty expensive and I ended up getting a discounted trisuit for less. I suspect that trishorts are mostly quite good quality so tend to cost more.
Those decathlon suits are supposedly great even at full price, and wiggle often have their own brand with big reductions.

Oh, and if you want to avoid too much wobbling when trying to get going on the bike, you can always do what I did and put spds on - running out of T1 in mtb shoes was a lot easier than learning how to get feet into road shoes on the go.

Apologies but I have to jump on this BS, as soon as I spot it:

"330ml of coke (kills bugs)"

Please try and stop 'educating' people about this nonsense (and try a bit of critical thinking yourself):

https://www.peakendurancesport.com/endurance-injuries-and-health/triathlon-open-water-swimming-things-really-go-better-coke/