by: Andreas Dieberger

 Before I say anything here I want to point out, that I'm very much a beginner in triathlon myself. I've actually done only 2 triathlons, 2 duathlons, and a couple of running races in my first year. But that gives me enough of a newbie perspective that I remember those things I often wondered about, but couldn't figure out from my books or from web pages I read. So here is a collection of these questions (as far as I found answers to them). I'll post more of these 'lessons' as I think of them (and learn them myself)

All of these are personal lessons and observations. If you disagree with something I say here, or if you think I got something terribly wrong, send me email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and teach me something new.

• About CO2 cartridges (to quickly inflate a bike tire)
• Triathlon distances (and a few useful measures)
• What if I need to use the restroom on the bike / run leg?
• Drafting
• Wetsuits
• Heart Rate Monitors
• Do I need a special Triathlon bike?
• Wheel size on bikes: 650c vs. 700c
• Gadgets I found really useful
• How to drink out of a paper cup while running
• Socks
• HRM, Time Chips and goggles in combination with a wetsuit
• Don't save money at the wrong places
• Watch those nipples...

About CO2 cartridges (to quickly inflate a bike tire)

First of all: they are great. BUT, don't throw away your trusty bicycle pump. First, these cartridges cost money, they cause waste and so forth. Also it's hard to "top off" a tire with one of these. But the real reason is that bicycle tubes don't seem to hold CO2 as well as plain air. Depending on the type of tube you'll have a flat tire again after a few hours! I spent half an hour trying to find the problem with my tube till somebody told me about this. The tube was fine. It's just that CO2 leaks through the material of the tube much faster than air does. Therefore, when you get home, you might want to re-inflate the tire with a regular bike pump (that is, with air).

Addendum: It's weird but a few weeks after I wrote this I inflated a tire with a CO2 cartridge and it did NOT lose any pressure. It seems the effect has to do with the tube material: If I remember correctly, then the tube that did lose pressure was a light-weight butyl tube. The other one was a regular bike tube (which weighs about twice as much and probably is made of a different material)

Triathlon distances (and a few useful measures)

There are a couple of standard tri distances, but races seem to often vary the distances a bit.

Sprint 0.75 km swim, 22km bike ride, 5km run
Olympic 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run
Half-Ironman 1.2 miles swim, 56 miles bike, 13.1 miles run
Ironman 2.4 miles swim, 112 miles bike, 26.2 miles run (yes, that's a marathon)

1 km = 1000 meters = 0.62 miles
1 mile = 1600 meters (1.6 km)
For most practical purposes, 1m = 1 yard (to be exact: 1m = 1.094 yards).
An "olympic size" pool is really 50 meters long, but most pools that I hear described as "olympic size" are 25 meters or yards.
A running track typically is 400 meters long. Do 4 laps for one mile.

What if I need to use the restroom on the bike / run leg?

That was one question I was seriously concerned about as I do have a weak bladder. After all, it's very important to drink enough. So don't neglect hydration just because of this issue! In a sprint distance tri you might not have to cope with this, but in longer races you probably will have to. So what's the solution?
1) find a bush! If you are reading a page for Tri beginners you probably are not about to win a race anyway and can spare the 1-2 minutes. If the bush is not an option, here is what I *heard* happens at bike races, like the Tour de France: Men sit forward, open up the leg of their bike pants a bit and well... you can imagine. I'm not sure what women are supposed to do. Of course this is not mentioned in any of the triathlon books I've read. But I've heard it from several people so far, so I guess it's true. I've never actually witnessed this, but it does make sense. On the lighter side: if you have somebody illegally drafting off you and you cannot shake them off -- here is a serious weapon for you. If you are hesitatant to use this weapon, just remember: if somebody is illegally drafting off you, you both can get disqualified. (see also next question).

Drafting

It's an issue mostly on the bike leg. Most US races don't allow drafting. I heard that drafting was legal during the Olympics in 2000. I see it this way: a triathlon is a time trial - you against the clock. Drafting doesn't fit into this scheme. From what I heard, both people involved in drafting (on the bike) can get disqualified. Note the "on the bike" part, because it's also possible (and perfectly legal) to draft in the swim (much slower speeds, but then, much thicker medium to move through).

Wetsuits

Do you need one? Well, it depends on where the race is. If it's in a pool, or a warm lake, then probably not. If it's a race in the ocean off North California: probably yes. If you are new to this sport, you may try to avoid that expense at first and pick a 'warm water race' for starters (I did). That said: a wetsuit offers more than just warmth: it gives especially weak swimmers a (some people say unfair) advantage: floatation in your legs (which tend to sink). It squeezes in your belly and other body parts that are out of shape ;). And it increases the circumference of your arms, essentially making them larger paddles. Outside of the price there are a few disadvantages to them. The major one is: it's hard to get out of a wet suit (= it will costs you in transition time in T1).

Update after a few races with a wetsuit: I'm not a particularly fast swimmer. When I do a 1200 meter swim in the pool with and without wetsuit there is a 4 minute time difference. And it takes me about 40 seconds to get out of the suit. That's pretty much a no-brainer, I would say.

Another update: I learnt a cool trick recently: put bodyglide on the heels of your feet -- it makes it MUCH easier to take the wetsuit off!

See also this note .

Heart Rate Monitors

Do you need one? At first, I thought: no. But I got convinced that they are very useful training tools -- especially if you try to train according to a real training plan. And they do tell you when you are about to overtrain, so you know when it's time to take an extra rest day. Some people claim they listen to their body well enough so they don't need a HRM (I was one of these, but now I wear a HRM too, when I train)
It seems that the documentation of ALL of them is totally brain dead. No, you are not an idiot that you cannot figure out how to use it! The documentation really DOES suck. You will very likely need additional info materials to use the HRM.
Two books I know about are: Sally Edwards: "The Heartrate monitor book" and Burke: "Precision Heartrate training". I've read the first one. The writing is not especially good, but at least I learned to use the HRM. I've only glanced through the other one so I cannot really say much about that one. For training methods: I learnt a lot from B. Sleamaker, R. Browning: "Serious Training for Endurance Athletes". I also heard good things about G. Bernhardt: "Training plans for Multisport Athletes". And of course there is Friel: "The Triathlete's training bible". All good books. But you won't need all of these. Get one good training book and one about the use of a HRM and you should do fine. (but of course as we are all shop-crazy triathletes we'll want to have them ALL on our shelf, right?)
About the HRM. A simple one will do at first. Having three target zones is a useful feature. Another useful feature is lap memory (for example to compare how your HR changes mile after mile after mile on a run). If you want to go fancy, get one that downloads to your computer. If you plan to race, you might consider getting one that has a "coded transmitter". Otherwise you will get interference from the HRMs of other athletes around you (which will mess up your measurements).
When I bought my HRM, I followed the recommendation that "the ones with the chest strap are the better ones". There may have been progress on HRMs that don't need a chest transmitter in the meantime. But I'm quite happy with mine. In case you wonder, I have a Polar Protrainer XT.

Do I need a special Triathlon bike?

If you are a beginner, definitely no. I've seen people race on mountain bikes. It might be a good idea to put slick tires on that mountain bike, though.
What's the reason that people spend so much money for the lightest, fastest, coolest bike? Look at distances in a triathlon and estimate how long it will take you to finish each of the three legs. The bike leg typically makes up more than half of the race (time wise). So if you can get a gadget that speeds you up 10% for one of your three legs... which leg would you choose? 10% of a 10 minute swim would be 1 minute saved. 10% of a 25 minute run = 2.5 minutes, 10% of a 60 minute bike leg = 6 minutes. The choice is clear.
There is another reason: time trial bikes are built slightly different than normal road bikes. For example the seat stem is a bit more vertical, which moves the saddle forward. This helps you transition from the bike to the run. Typically the start of the run is difficult in a triathlon (your legs feel like rubber and/or tend to cramp). The forward seat position shifts the work on the bike to slightly different muscles, which supposedly helps a bit.
Aerobars: very useful, but properly learn how to use them! It took me a long time to get really comfortable on them. If you adjust them with a slightly upwards angle, you will be a less aerodynamic, but it will make it a lot easier to control the bike. Once you feel really comfortable on them, adjust them to be horizontal.
Spending $300 for a (insert your favorite bike part) that weighs 100 grams less: A colleague of mine (bicyclist) put it this way: it's cheaper to lose 1-2 pounds yourself. (Just don't overdo it! You are racing and there is an ideal weight for your body).
If you want spend some money for lightweight bike parts: the most important thing seems to be to reduce the rotating mass (and improve aerodynamics). That's why smaller wheels seem to be better than larger ones. That's why light (and aerodynamic) wheels are good. But one of the cheapest ways to speed up your bike is to get narrower, lighter racing tires (and lighter tubes), and to inflate them to 120 psi or even higher. Of course, simply maintaining, cleaning, lubricating your bike helps a lot too :) Most important though: make sure your bike fits you and your saddle etc. is adjusted right. That may gain you more than all those titanium / carbon parts together.

Wheel size on bikes: 650c vs. 700c

Wheel size seems to be a basis for religious wars... Are smaller (650c) wheels better than taller ones? (700c). Unless you are a world-class bicyclist the difference is probably minor, speed wise. But there are other, subtle differences: as the 700c wheel is larger, it will roll a bit smoother over rough road. Therefore a 700c wheel tends to be a little more comfortable. Of course, as it is larger it tends to be a bit heavier. The difference in wind resistance between the two wheel sizes is probably insignificant.
However there is one difference we should know from our physics lectures back in school: large top vs. small top: You have a rotating mass with the most of the mass on the rim. Which means that for the larger wheel you'll have to put a little bit more energy into it to get it spinning fast. But once it is spinning fast, this 'stored' energy can help you keep going at a high speed. Sooo.. if you really want to think about it this way: if you have a lot of hills to got (up, down, up, down), the smaller wheel could be a bit better. If you are going on a flat course, the larger wheel could be a bit better. But the effect is very minor, I'd say.
Essentially, smaller wheel sizes were introduced so it's easier to design bike frames for shorter people. So if you are a tall person, consider the 700c wheels, if you are a bit shorter, look at the 650c's. Often the decision might be made for you anyway, because small frame sizes might simply not be available with 700c wheels.

Gadgets I found really useful

Triathletes seem to be like jugglers. When they see a new toy they just HAVE to have it. Especially when it might shave unbelievable 10 grams off their bike's weight. Weight saving gadgets tend to be expensive though and -- I believe -- that if you are not a super-duper racer you won't notice that much of a difference anyway. But there are a few gadgets that I found pretty useful to have, and these are actually fairly inexpensive.

Race number belt: an elastic strap to mount your race number. It beats fiddling with safety pins (which might destroy your favorite race jersey). Out of the water, put the belt on and you are on your way. Can be used to carry other stuff (energy gels etc.)

Water bottle belt: I like to drink often but I don't like to run with a bottle in my hands. You can also keep energy gels and your keys in there! But here is the real secret about them: you can skip the melee at that aid station when you carry your own water. It also allows you to have your favorite sports drink in your bottle and not whatever the race provides.

Lace Locks: Can't beat the utility of these for that price (in the range of $1 to $2 for a pair). Imagine not having to tie your shoe laces. Just one quick zipping motion and you are off. If both your bike and run shoes have laces, this might be a minute saved for one dollar. That's as much as you would might save from swimming 10% faster (see above) Not bad, huh?

CO2 tire inflater: Imagine you have a flat on your bike leg. Imagine you have a magical pump that can inflate your tire in -- say -- 5 seconds. Need I say more? One problem: because of the weight you probaby won't carry more than 2 CO2 cartridges. What if you have 3 flats?
Simple: bad luck. Race over. You are required to carry all items you need for a repair on your bike -- you cannot accept outside help during the race!
So it's end of the race, unless: a) you have tires that can be ridden flat b) the last flat happens in bike-pushing distance from T2 c) you have a spare pump. I found a CO2 inflater that is also a small pump -- just in case. Of course it weighs about 10x as much as the CO2 inflater thingy by itself (not counting the CO2 cartridge). See also my lesson about CO2 inflaters .

Gel bottle: This is a new addition to this list. I'm one of these people who like to use energy gels even in shorter races. The problem with the gels is that they come in packages of 100 calories. So when you want some gel you have to use up the entire gel pack at once (or throw half of the stuff away). The solution is a small squeeze bottle with a nozzle like a water bottle. You carry it in a gel holster or velcro it to your bike. Before the race you fill 2-3 gels into one of these and then you can take as little gel at a time as you like.
But why? you might ask? When you take an entire -- say -- Clif Shot or CarbBoom (those happen to be the two brands I like most) at once you get a shot of 100 calories. Then you take another one half an hour later. The carbo hydrates of these gels get into your blood stream quite rapidly and this half hour or more rhythm creates a "sugar roller coaster" effect. When you take much smaller sips of gel more frequently, you reduce this effect.
So far I do only short course and for such short distances one does not really need any gel in the first place. However, the gel keeps me going easier, I found. Since I use the bottle, though, I use only half as much gel on my races with the same "keep me going" effect.
Another advantage of the gel bottle: it helps you avoid sticky 'gel fingers'!

How to drink out of a paper cup while running

It's so obvious, I feel embarrassed somebody had to tell me that one. But there is a trick to it. When you run up to the aid station make eye contact with the volunteer handing you the cup. Grab for it from the top -- don't try to grab it sideways. Right when you have the cup, squeeze the top together a bit. That gives you an oblong opening. Water won't splash out of that easily. Drink from one end of that opening. I found I can run full speed without spilling any water.

Socks

... should you wear them or shouldn't you? It sounds like a silly question but it isn't. Every pro triathlete I've seen so far doesn't wear them in the race and the reason is quite clear: it takes time to put them on after the swim -- especially as you feet are wet. So it's a time issue, mostly. But it's not such an easy decision either, because socks help sometimes to not get blisters. I blister easily, so I typically wear socks even if it costs me 10 seconds in T1. I learned that you can prepare a sock so it rolls over your foot like a condom - sort of. That halfway works even if you have wet feet! I've tried not to use socks in training once. It was fine for the 16 mile bike ride and it felt OK on the first few miles of the run, but then, very suddenly it didn't feel OK any more at all. I had so many blisters for over a week that it actually impacted a race I had a week later. I learnt that lesson. So it really depends a lot on wheter you blister easily or not.

But there is more: The latest secret I found out is socks made of coolmax. Much better. Much fewer blisters. And now there are even socks that have two layers! It's not your skin rubbing agains something any more, but two layers of sock rubbing against each other.

And here is one more sock lesson I learnt: Don't use black ones when you wear a championship! At SJIT I almost got penalized for "not wearing a chip" because the race official checking me out from a motorcycle simply couldn't see the black chip on it's black band sitting on top of a black sock (imagine all this happening at 22mph during the race).

HRM, ChampionChip and goggles in combination with a wetsuit

My first race with a wetsuit was the UVAS Tri. It was also the first triathlon I did with championchip timing. Question: Where do you put the chip and how do you wear the watch of your heart rate monitor when you have a wetsuit on and need to get out of the suit *quickly*. My initial solution was to put both on top of the suit, quickly take them off, then take the wetsuit off and then put them back on. Needless to say: this is not the optimal solution ;)

In case you now think I'm a total idiot even suggesting this, factor this in: I need glasses to see where I'm running from the swim. So I cannot take off my prescription goggles till I reach the transition area. Therefore all the typical strategies of partly taking off the wetsuit during this run don't apply (or so I thought - see below).

I did think it might work to put the stuff under the suit, but I was worried that I would have an even harder time to take the suit off. And also I was worried that pulling the suit over the HRM might press one of the buttons and I'd lose my timing data. Well, I found out that these are not really issues - especially if you do the following: use body glide or another lubricant to lube the part of the wetsuit that will glide over the chip or the HRM (also apply it to your heels -- it makes it easier to slip out of the wetsuit then). Then it slides off much easier. Make sure you use the right kind of lube because some types destroy wetsuits.

Now about those goggles... First of all you need to know that it's better to wear the goggles under the swim cap! Somebody recently told me that this is how you recognize newbie triathletes: they have the goggles on top of the cap (I quickly put my cap over my goggles). The reason is that in an open water swim you frequently get kicked, boxed, hammered, pushed around etc. It's easy to have the goggles knocked off your face and to potentially lose them. Do you want this to happen in the middle of a lake? Probably not. Put the cap on after the goggles and there is a good chance that the goggles will stay attached to your head.

Now about the combination of goggles + wetsuit: I have a two piece wetsuit (a DeSoto T1, which I can really recommend, by the way) so the top comes off like a pullover. My worry was that taking off the top during the run to the transition area would just rip the goggles off my face and I would have no idea any more where I was running. It turned out that this didn't happen -- they didn't even shift. Of course it's also good to have the goggles under your cap in this situation.

Don't save money at the wrong places

I learnt this the hard way at a recent race. The place where I saved money was bicycle tubes. I wanted to try those extra light tubes, which cost more. Then I found some pretty good looking and very light tubes at a bike store on sale. I used them and they seemed to work pretty well. Only normally I put a bit less pressure into the tires than I do at a race. I had two flats in the next race, both with the inexpensive tubes. And when I looked at the tubes afterwards the holes appeared very much like they could have been caused by defects on the tubes. Or maybe those tubes had just sat in the store for too long? No telling.

Normally I would say: well I learnt that lesson and that's it. The problem was that I had only one spare tube with me at that race, so the tubes caused me to DNF (not finish) for the first time. I probably saved $2 per tube, but then, I lost the registration fee, half a day, I had all the hassle etc. etc. I don't think that's a good bargain.

Watch those nipples...

What I mean is: your own! And this is a tip for men! Long distance runners sometimes put a band-aid over their nipples, or they use a product called nip-guard, bag balm or body glide. During a long run, the fabric of the shirt or singlet rubs this sensitive spot so much that it becomes seriously unbearable. And not in a pleasing way -- it simply hurts. As I seldom run more than 10k I never had to cope with this problem before. Today though, I ran 8 miles and I wore a brand new, unworn, unwashed T-shirt. Big mistake: brand new fabric tends to be a bit rougher than fabric that has been washed a few times. After around 6 miles I noticed this strange sensation that I couldn't quite place. It felt a bit as if I had a chunk of ice near my chest. A while later it became quite bothersome but fortunately I reached home by then so I never reached the "painful" state. Sooo: lesson one: don't use brand new shirts on really long runs, or better use a coolmax singlet (they rub less), lesson two: maybe try a band-aid or something similar when you do experience this problem.