Brand New Wannabe

Welcome to the site. You're definitely in the right place. Plenty of advice from people in very different backgrounds to try and help you out or steer you in the right direction to find it. What specifically were you looking for? Buying a bike? Doctoring up what you have? What kind of bike is it? How long is the Graniteman tri and over what type of terrain (i.e. flat road, offroad, hills, flats, etc.).

Sharon

where is the tri?
do you mean the granite ledges triathlon or is something different ? ( just thinking that the graniteman tri sound very new hampshireish - which is where I am!

Welcome to our world of triathlons and triathletes. Everyone here hopefully also has the goal of encouragement and will help each other meet their respective goals. From Sprints to Ironman goals, we are all in it together.

Hello and welcome! and i would not be calling yourself a wannabe!! if you are making the commitment to train and plan a race.... sounds like the real thing to me! ;-) Jack.

You are in the right place! Welcome to the forum. Let us know what questions you have!

I agree w/ Jack, Welcome.

First, go to a pool where there is a swim club and ask any of the members to help you with basic swimming strokes. Learn to swim at a pace that will not leave you breathless at the end of the swimming leg so that you will not start your cycling leg gasping for air.

Since this is your first triathlon, you won't need a top of the line triathlon bike. Just make sure that whatever bike you choose to the tri with is set up properly for you. Ask your local bike shop guy to help you out there. To make the bike leg easier on you, remove any extra stuff from the bike such as locks, paniers, bike stand, etc; this is no so much for lightness as it is to make your bike more aerodynamic. And, if you have knobby tires, replace them with smallest slik tires that will fit your wheel; this will reduce the friction on the road and allow you to go marginally faster. Learn to adopt a good cadence and use your gears. Again, pace yourself so that you will not start your run leg with your heart in your throat.

Thanks for the responses! The Graniteman is (I think..told you I'm new at this!) a sprint or shortened tri- it is in Wolfeboro,NH mid to late August-this year is the 23rd - I've watched it "more than a few" times and have decided it's time to stop saying "some day".It is a race to benefit a local scholarship in memory of a 27 yr old resue team member who died in an avalanche while trying to rescue two teenagers lost in a blizzard on Mt Washington, back in 1982. The swim is 3/4 miles on lake Winnepasaukee, 15 mile hilly bike ride, then 4.3 mile run than starts uphill.It's not a huge race so there's not a huge pack of Olympic qualifiers to get in the way of iIdon't think !!!The distances seem (individually !) do able...As far as my bike questions- I'm willing to invest in a new bike- but obviously don't need anything high end- but having only ridden around town having no gear sense (as in shifting them and using them eficiently etc)or experience riding with others at speed- this is the part that I feel like I'm totally clueless !Anyway, I appreciate any & all advice you can send my way. isis

Thanks for the specific re: bike especially!

The only way you can get used to riding with others at speed is to practice it. See if there is a bike club in your area. Most bike shops participate in a bike club and could give you info on that as well as a new bike (if you really need it. You might want to participate in a small race with the bike you have before making an investment). Make sure you go with a group that travels approximately your speed. Ask a lot of questions before you start out such as distance of the ride, bike etiquette (sp?) in a group, etc.

Sharon

Welcome to the site Isis, everybody here has been great to me and very helpful.  I'm a beginner at this too, and it's keeping me very motivated.  Graniteman sounds like a great race, my wife and I backpack in the White mts every year and hope to not need the rescue services...but we're glad they're there.

There is a tri in NH on that date it’s the Timberman – and I’ve signed up for it!! Got a lot of training to do before I get there but it looks like a good series and who knows - I may sign up for another depending on how training is going!

The link is www.timbermantri.com. (thanks Ellen!!)

I think this is the one you refer to – if not can you put up the link so I can have a look. I’m close enough to the lakes that I can actually get there and do the course before hand to get the feel of it!

Thanks

mike


Edited by mikenhe 2004-01-30 5:31 AM

you're welcome Mike! I think I'm doing a TimeOut! race that weekend or I'd make the trip to NH. I'll have to recheck my calender.

that reminds me, have you checked the TimeOut! site? there are 3 sprint races on the Cape and they are relatively flat, compared to NH anyhow. We do have some small hills but they're definately not mountains. There is also a race in VT (oly distance) and a sprint in Sharon, MA.

http://www.timeoutproductions.com/




Edited by TriMom217 2004-01-31 3:55 AM

You say that you do not know how to use gear...hhhhhmmmm....that would pose a problem in the cycling leg, especially on a hilly course. You must to learn to spin those front gears and let you cogs do the work just like in a car with a manual transmission. I agree with Snikpos that you should find a local bike club and seek all the information you can from members. Most club members love to share information with other riders so you can gather a lot of information there. And, as most members usually have a few bikes at their disposal, you might even be able to borrow one of their "old" ones. Don't be turned off by that as most avid cyclists' "old" bikes are usually race quality bikes that are five to ten years old. Also, there is bound to be at least one member who is a triathlet so you could quite possibly form a patnership there. (oh, and by the way, although an aerodynamic bike is better in a triathlon, for a hilly course, a lighter bike is best!)

If you should need any specific information on bikes or cycling, send me a personal mesage and I will be happy to respond in any way I can.

Edited by Machiavelo 2004-01-31 6:35 AM

The Granite Man I'm talking about is in Wolfeboro- they don't have a link up yet- it's usually the same day or close to the Tmberman I think. Unlike the Timberman- it doen't have the longer tri- just the sprint. The Timberman I'm pretty sure is at Ellacoya, the Granite Man starts at Carry beach. it's limited to around 300 entrants I think - not sure when opens up..? Did find time postings thru Google.(trifind I think)

triMom- Have you done this June race- do you have any further detail ? Is it a sprint ?ty

Welcome and you have come to the right place. I have a standard speech - all of us here at Beginnertriathlete are way more than wannabes - some of us will take more time than others - but here - we're "gonnabes!" mark it down - a wannabe is someone who might - a gonnabe is someone who come hell or high water is going to make it happen! Let us know when it happens!

Wannabe.......gonnabe
beginner........finisher!!!

Hi Isis,

I am also going to do the tinbermantri in Gilford. Let me know what othe rinfo you find on the granite one. I am at the lake a lot in the summer. I figured it will be a good place for my first race because I know the water is nice there.

Good luck.

All the best,
Stacey
PS I used to love ISis when I was a kid.