My Love/Hate Relationship with Beginner Triathlete

Yesterday, I posted my second article in a series designed to help The Wife and several of my friends as they dive (pun intended) into the world of multisport.  I put quite a bit of effort into it.  Well, as much effort as one can expect from someone who has a full-time job, trains for triathlons and is a bit of a lazy-ass to begin with. 

Now, fast-forward to this morning when I hopped onto http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/ to find any updates on the local forum and check on any new articles.  Well, what do you think I found?  A wonderful write-up entitled "What a triathlon beginner needs to get started: The Swim".

Dang it.

Don't get me wrong.  The article is great.  It's comprehensive, includes advice for both men and women and even has some products that I omitted - I mean really, no newbie is going to want to use Swedish Goggles.  They also include some purchases, such as wetsuits and racing gear that I'll be covering later on.  So, if you're new to the sport and are still looking to get yourself set up for a swim, do yourself a favor and check out their article. 

HOWEVER, I would still recommend that you check back with me over the next couple of days.  Why?  Well, mostly to keep from injuring my fragile little ego.  But I'll do my best to give you things that Beginner Triathlete might miss.  Sure, there's likely to be some overlap between their advice and what I have to say.  But I'll try to keep my focus on the budget-minded folks who still aren't sure if they'll want to keep training after their first race.  For example: can you compete in your first tri using that 10-year old WalMart bike hanging in your garage?  Absolutely.  Will you WANT to?  Ehhhh.....