I talked a little bit about what a triathlon is last week, so I though I would continue my “Tri 101” series by talking about what you need. There is a ton of gear out there, but for your first few races you need to have certain things covered 100%.

What to wear? This is a question I had before my first race too, and finally I think I can give some pretty good choices.

Swimsuit (I suggest a sports bra underneath) + Shorts (for the bike and run) + optional shirt (for bike and run) – This was what I wore for my first race without the shirt.
One Piece Trisuit – There are a lot of benefits to wearing a one piece trisuit. The first being no need to change and they are made to fit skin tight for swimming.
Two Piece Trisuit – The main advantage of the two-piece over the one piece is that you can take off the bottoms if you have to use the port-a-potty in a longer race. Some also come with built in sports bras.

Do I need a fancy bike with bike shoes? No. I raced on a rental bike wearing running shoes for my first race. I do suggest a road bike, not a mountain bike, especially if you are doing anything over a sprint. Road bikes are much faster, and you can train on whatever you have then rent one for the day of the race. Honestly, make sure you are committed to the sport before investing in the bike and the shoes. This way you can also do it gradually. I went from rental bike, to road bike, to road bike with shoes and nice pedals, to my carbon tri bike, and then I also finally after over a year upgraded to a nicer helmet than my original helmet from Academy. If you are sticking to it, you have plenty of time for upgrades.

What gear to I absolutely need? There are some things required, and some things I think you should absolutely never race without.

Something to wear – As I talked about above.
A bike – See the above on that one.
Running shoes + socks – Depending on your level of racing and your gear, you may be wearing these for the bike and run, which is perfectly ok.
Something to hold your race number – Races will usually supply pins, which you probably don’t want to put through your tri suit, or deal with in transition, so I suggest investing in a race belt early on. Saves time and your gear.
Swim cap – For open water this will be provided by the race, but for a pool swim you need to have your own.
Goggles – I highly suggest spending over $20 on a nice pair, like my Speedo Vanquisher 2.0’s that I’ve used forever.
Water bottle – This goes on your bike, and you will drink from it. Trust me, no matter how you feel, drink something. I use electrolytes in one, water in another.

Do I need a wetsuit? Yes or no. This is a personal choice. If you are not comfortable in open water and it is cold enough for one, you may be more comfortable with the extra buoyancy and warmth. I don’t like wearing one very much, but I do own one, which I got because, although I am a strong swimmer, I am not comfortable in open water very much, so I wore it for my first Olympic. If you wear a wetsuit put Bodlyglide on your neck for chafing and you will thank me.

What optional gear is there? When you think you have enough gear, there is always something else.

GPS Watch
Heart rate monitor
Power Meter
Cadence and speed sensors
Aero helmet
Race wheels
Shoes + pedals
Compression socks

There is so much I could never list it all.

This is going to be the first post in an updated version of a series I ran on my old blog called “Tri 101”. The goal is to create a set of simplified resources to assist individuals who have signed up for or are considering signing up for their first triathlon. I am going to utilize the information I previously shared as well as things I have learned in more recent years to provide a free resource for people who are just starting out.

You signed up for a triathlon. A lot of people will ask you why you are paying to go do up to 17 hours of cardio depending on your race distance, and everyone has their own reason. A lot of triathletes come from a single or double sport background, or sometimes even no athletic background, so there is a wide variety of people getting involved in this quickly growing sport. This means you are not the only one who is probably looking for guidance on getting started.

Now what do you do? The first thing to do is figure out your plan. Are you going to be like me and not really train much because you think you’re just that good? Go for it. Are you going to follow a training plan or find some form of consistent training? Go for it. Just make sure you know whether/how much you are going to train, and plan out all of the gear you are going to need.

When deciding what your plan is, know what you are getting yourself into. Below is a breakdown of the distances. If you aren’t much of a swimmer you are going to want to be in the pool for a little bit before attempting an Olympic. It is all about being realistic about where you are and what you are attempting to do. If you don’t have a ton of time to train and are really strong in a single discipline, maybe spend more time on the other two and do just enough to maintain your strength in the third, or if you are new to all three, prioritize where you think you can make the most gains in the time you have available.

You also need to keep in mind that there is more to doing a triathlon than just doing three sports. Maybe you can accomplish the three distances on their own, but you have to consider what it is going to be like to do them all together. This is especially important when it comes to running off the bike, where your legs will feel like jell-o the first time you try it. No matter what distance you’re racing, at least a couple brick workouts leading up to it is going to help a lot with that, because while transitions may be easier to learn, getting a feel for going from swimming to standing immediately or from biking to running does require some training to adjust.

My next post in this series is going to be all about the gear you need as you prepare for your first race.