Is this your first Triathlon?

 

I'm thrilled your considering this triathlon. You'll probably become addicted. Don't be intimated by the distances. Most short or sprint triathlons are 500 yard swims, 12 to 17 miles of biking and finish with a 3.1 mile run. I know it sounds like a lot! A triathlon is not something to attempt without preparation and training, however you don't need to be a world class athlete for this race. You can either train and compete in this triathlon on your own or you can get together with two others and race as a team with each one competing in one leg of the event! That way you can just train in your specialty and still compete. Check out the "Looking for a Team" button under the entry fees link.

The highest percantage of competitors usually consist of those who only race 1 or 3 times a year with the remaining competitors being first timers or "newbies". Some folks I've spoken to have been concerned about the level of competition they will encounter in this race. There will be some very competitve athletes and they'll comprise a small percentage of the total competitors.
The good news is that you are only competing against those in your gender, in your age group. And since this is a time trail start each competitor will start about 5 seconds apart. You won't be dunked or trampled at the beginning of the swim as could happen in a "mass" start. Additionally if your 500 meter swim time is 15 minutes or longer, you can elect to swim in the pool instead of the lake.

Open Water Practice Swims:
There will be two open water practice swims at Sloans Lake. The swim dates and times are Wed June 25 at 6:30pm and Sun June 29at 1:00pm. These are the only dates and times to practice an open water swim at Sloans Lake. ATHLETES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SWIM ON THE COURSE AT SLOANS LAKE OTHER THEN THESE DATES & TIMES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SHOW UP ON ANY OTHER DAY OR TIME TO SWIM THE COURSE. THE LIFEGUARDS WILL NOT ALLOW YOU ON THE SWIM COURSE. Water temp will be probably be around 68 degrees, so I strongly recommend a wetsuit. You can even ride the bike course if you wish afterward, but remember to follow all traffic signals as the roads will be open to traffic.

There will also be a 1 hour Transition practice session starting at 2pm on Sun. 6/29/8 after the open water practice swim. Conducting this session is Derick Page, a level 1 USAT coach. Derick will discuss transition techniques such as bike mounting, bike dismounting, setting up your transition area, equipment and race strategies. Bring your bike and helmet if you wish to practice some of the "tricks of the trade" with Derick. This is a free session and will be held in the parking lot that will be the Transition area for the triathlon. This is the parking lot just west and to the south of the new Community House in Lions Park.

If this is your first triathlon and you'l like to know what to expect and how to prepare for race day, there will be a short(30-45 minutes) meeting/demo on Saturday 7/5/08 at 4:15pm. We'll meet near the transition area. Don't need to bring anything, unless you want to take a few notes. Be there to get a few tips and to ease your race day jitters!!!