Basic gear for a triathlon.

I noticed the ‘how to’ post was getting some traffic so I thought I’d do some more 101 info for newbies and potentials.

You don’t need the fancy shmancy gear unless you are competing regularly and are concerned with your performance. I recently competed in Dallas with a girl who had never done a tri before. She didn’t have any of the kit and she came first in her age group! (Not mine!).

Things you will definitely need – a bike, helmet and shoes for running/cycling. You will want something you can swim comfortably in, goggles and then if you’re planning on wearing other items for the bike or run you will want to check that none of the items rub, stick, catch etc. This will only cause you misery by the end of the race otherwise.

You will need water and perhaps a sports drink as well for hydration. Other than that you can forget everything else until you’re sure. (I’d probably include sunglasses and a cap in my vitals but where I live in Texas it’s hot 11 months (ok, maybe 10) of the year – and by hot, I mean BLISTERING! It’s disgusting!)

For a step up from the basic, additional items that I would add:
Some sort of gu or energy blok – I personally love the 5 hour energy shots and cliff bloks depending on my race and distance. I also keep pickle juice (it’s very sharp) to hand because it REALLY helps with cramps. You can pick it up at Academy cheap or HEB (if you’re in TX).
I use some runner’s glide on my arms because I tend to get some chafing from the top I wear on my inner arms (see above).
A race number belt (although this could definitely be classed as fancy).

Anything beyond that and I feel like we are getting into proper regular competition mode.

BEAST mode (I mean give it your all competition mode).
A tri suit or top and shorts – see my links for ideas if you want to look at websites. If you have a USAT membership they have great member discounts on various websites.
Cleats and clips for your bike (road or tri).
Aero/tri bars.
A big bag to carry everything in.
A heart rate monitor and watch to record your data – I’ll talk about mine another time.

And that’s about as fancy as I’ve gotten for now – I see those super cool elite types out on the courses with their aero bars and alien style helmets, which let’s face it – makes them look pretty hardcore. They have the cool shoes which stay attached to the bike and they can dismount whilst still moving – I don’t think i’ll ever make it to that standard – I fall off without even moving (maybe that’s my problem). And then the running shoes you slip straight into,, you know the kind I mean, the 30 second transitioners… One day.. sigh!

Any key equipment you think you be on the vitals/basics list or even the BEAST mode list, drop me a line or a comment! 🙂