Your first triathlon presentation for work
Hey EN!
I work for campus recreation at WSU (go cougs!!) and we are partnering with our local hospital's physical therapy office to put together a triathlon training series this spring. It will be a couple of days’ worth of workshops (strength training, swim clinic, bike fitting, shoe selection, nutrition, etc...) then roll into our self-directed triathlon event (full IM distance completed on your own over three weeks).
Anyway, I have been blessed with the task of creating a presentation on "what to expect for your first triathlon" and thought I would see if you guys had any thoughts I could add to it. The basic direction will be picking a race, preparing/training for it, what to expect on race day, if I knew then what I know now, etc... I am obviously not an expert so I am not going to be prescribing any training plans (and I will cite as much as I can!!!); I was only given this topic since I am the resident triathete in our department. 
So...what I am hoping you guys might be able to help with is your story, or "how you got into triathlon and what you would tell a friend that was asking you how they get into it too". I saved some of the discussion from last year's women's thread (I think that's where it was) about top 10 reasons for triathlon, so I have a little bit of direction, but wanted to ask the entire Nation some ideas.
I know overall it is pretty vague, but any ideas/resources you might have to contribute would be really appreciated!! Thank you in advance for your help!!
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If I had to do it over again - I wouldn't have killed myself on the 800M swim, especially having been a collegiate swimmer.
If someone suggests a May 1 triathlon in Colorado be skeptical, you might wake up excited to a foggy, rainy 38 degree day and have so much fun you sign up for the fall race because it's got to be better and then wake up to a 28 degree day. Hmmm.............maybe better to tell them to take up an indoor sport where all your friends won't think your a crazy idiot instead!
So checklists, I think that's a really good tip for newbies.
The other item I'd mention is a quick review of the basic rules. It's amazing to me how many first timers have no clue of the very basic rules of triathlon (like not drafting, blocking, etc).
Finally, the other thing as a newbie to triathlon that took me a while to learn was the whole wave start thing. Especially since my AG tends to always be put at the END of the waves. I wish someone had told me NOT to go stand at the start watching all the waves for an hour before my wave was scheduled. It only served to make me colder (cause I wasn't wearing throw away shoes) and freaked me out- made me more nervous watching each group go. Once I learned to go find a quiet place to relax- away from the start), and to have some throw-away cloths to keep warm during that time, all was good.
Also, if you don't know how to swim... take a lesson. I tried to teach myself for a year and still had a horrible first experiece that involved swimming from life guard to life guard to catch my breath. I made more improvements in 1 private lesson then 3 months on my own.
I started based off of a bet/challenge from a buddy. The race date was 6 months away and a popular first timers type event so how hard could it be?? Right?? I survived. Also, the one thing I saw at the race (but thankfully was not me!!) was some guy hauling ass out of T2 and running with his bike helmet on. It made me laugh...
As noted, I would have practiced T1. Had all the gear for the bike already on under so the wet suit comes off and all I have to do is put on shoes, gloves, helmet and sunglasses. Food already in my bento box. Doing a wardrobe change wet in T1 was a disaster.
And I wish someone would have taught me about transition set-up and told me to ditch the huge beach towel with 27 gels, a PB&J and 3 bottles of Cyto on it. All for a sprint. DOH!
I suggest to people that it would be good for them to volunteer at a tri before their own race, and push to be in the transition area - that way you can see what people are doing, how they lay out their transition area, etc.
Second, study the course description! My first race since back in college I was KILLING it!!! Cruising in on the bike with T2 in my sights, thinking "WOW, I'm crushinig it!!!" Then the helpful volunteer waved me to the left and shouted - "OK, Lap 2 is this way!"
The bike course is TWO LAPS??!?!!?! I was "crushing it" - but not the course, the "it" that was being crushed was my ego!!
Third, emphasize that no new stuff gets tried out on race day. I was at a local sprint last year, and had to pull one young lady to the side and whisper in her ear: "You're going to want to turn your wetsuit around" She gives me the deer in headlights look. I observe to her that she'll notice that everyone else has the zipper in the BACK.
Mike