• About
    • Meet Joel
    • The IMPOSSIBLE Shirt
  • Speaking
  • Giving

IMPOSSIBLE ®

Push Your Limits | Do Something Impossible

  • Home
  • Impossible List™
  • Blog
    • Archives
  • Gear
  • Apps
    • Running + Fitness Calculators
    • Move Well – Mobility Exercises
    • Cold Shower Therapy
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • 777
You are here: Home / Fitness / How To Sign Up For Your First Triathlon

How To Sign Up For Your First Triathlon

March 29, 2011 By Joel Runyon 41 Comments

CyclistI want you to sign up for a triathlon today.

It’s spring time, the sun is starting to come out and you can finally emerge from the cave you’ve been hibernating in for the last 6 months. It’s time to dust off that that bike, grab those goggles and dig out that running gear. Let’s sign you up for a triathlon. It’s quick, painless, and takes less than 10 minutes. Let’s go!

1. Commit

Commit. The first major step that most people forget. Commit to running finishing dominating a triathlon. Once you’ve decided internally that you’re going to do a race, you’re already 51% of the way there.

Do it now. Get up, go to the bathroom, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself “I’m going to run a triathlon.” Seriously. Get up, go do that, and then come back here when you’re done. I’m not going anywhere.

2. Sign up

Back? Good. Now quick, before you change your mind, go to www.trifind.com.Triathlon USA

Click on a state within driving distance on the big map of the United States to find races nearby (if you’re not in the US, www.trimapper.com has a listing too, although I haven’t used it myself).

Find a short distance race to sign up for (either a Sprint or Super Sprint triathlon). While the actual race distances vary with each location, a typical sprint race is 750m swim, 20k bike, and a 5k run. In American that’s a .5 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. A super-sprint is just a little shorter than this. You can read more about triathlon distance here.

Sign up and pay the registration fee immediately. According to a completely unscientific poll conducted by me, you’re 87% less likely to back out of something when your hard earned cash in on the line. Bottom line: when you realize that you’re going to pay for a race, whether you chicken out or not, you tend to at least show up and get the t-shirt you’re promised.

Bonus Tip: Pick a flat course if you can. Hills suck. Don’t try to be a hero. Your goal here is to survive your first race, not train for the Tour De France.

3. Just Do It

All signed up? You’ve probably got a bunch of thoughts running through your head.

Could you drown? Yes (but not likely)

Could your bike tires blow out? Yes (but less likely)

Will you probably not be able to walk, much less run once you get off your bike? Yes (actually, this is very likely)

Do it anyways.

If you’re worried you’re not going to be ready for your race, let me reassure you: You won’t be.

I put off running my first triathlon for so many reasons, but mostly because I didn’t think I was “ready.” And…spoiler alert..I never was ready. You’re never actually ready until you get your spandex covered butt in the water and start swimming.

  • You might get kicked in the face.
  • Your timing chip might get ripped off.
  • Your shoes might get caught in your bicycle pedals.

A ton of things could go wrong (and some things definitely will go wrong), but when you cross that finish line, all that stuff suddenly matters a lot less and is replaced by the fact that more than anything, you finished.

I know not everyone reading has the desire to do a triathlon and that’s totally cool. But, I also know some of you are holding back because you don’t think you could do it. Here’s my .02: If you really have no desire to do a triathlon, it’s your life and that’s fine, but if you choose not to race in one, choose not to race because you really don’t want to, not because you’re scared you might fail.

Want to sign up for your first triathlon but don’t know what to do next? Impossible TRI is a 3 month training program designed to get you across that finish line.

[photo credit]

Tweet
Pin
Share
0 Shares

Filed Under: Fitness, The Impossible Tagged With: first triathlon, how to signup for a triathlon, just do it, Sprint Triathlon, triathlon signup, triathlon worst fears

About Joel Runyon

I started IMPOSSIBLE to push myself to try to live a life worth writing about by pushing my limits, living an adventure & telling a great story by doing the impossible. You can get free updates in your inbox via your new favorite newsletter, free fitness training tutorials, and see all my businesses at Impossible X and our philanthropic efforts at Impossible.org

Comments

  1. Dagmar says

    March 29, 2011 at 4:57 am

    Done!

    I decided about a month ago that I wanted to do a triathlon BEFORE unsubscribing from this life of “supposed to”. Which is the plan from June 1st.

    So I signed up for a triathlon on May 29th!

    It’ll be more or less the last thing I do here in Copenhagen, Denmark. Three days later I’m off to Portland 🙂

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      March 29, 2011 at 5:09 am

      BOOM! Well done sir. I’m assuming you’re in portland for the Summit pertaining to World Domination? 🙂

      Reply
      • Dagmar says

        March 29, 2011 at 5:27 pm

        That would be Ma’am 😉

        And as for Portland, well… yes and no. I didn’t get a ticket to the WDS. But I figured Portland is the place to be that weekend, even if I can’t go to the sessions and talks. There’ll still be lots of inspiration and awesomeness going round!

        Reply
        • Dagmar says

          March 29, 2011 at 5:36 pm

          I sent you an email earlier today btw…

          Reply
          • Joel Runyon says

            March 30, 2011 at 1:17 am

            Got it!

        • Joel Runyon says

          March 30, 2011 at 1:17 am

          Yikes! Sorry 🙂 and yes, Portland will be a blast regardless of the sessions. Hope to see you there!

          Reply
        • Noirin says

          May 2, 2011 at 3:07 pm

          I can’t make it to Portland in time, so if you’re still looking for a WDS ticket, drop me a mail on [email protected] 🙂

          Reply
  2. Justin Hamlin says

    March 29, 2011 at 7:12 am

    And to think, I guess Nike had it right all along.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      March 29, 2011 at 11:38 am

      Dang trademarks.

      Reply
  3. Alan says

    March 29, 2011 at 11:33 am

    Hey! The first trifind link has an extra period at the end of it. Heads up!

    Scouting some triathlons out now..

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      March 29, 2011 at 11:38 am

      Got it. Triathlon in Oregon this June? #food4thought

      Reply
      • Alan says

        March 29, 2011 at 9:57 pm

        Yea, as long as we work skydiving into the course. Giddy up.

        Reply
        • Joel Runyon says

          March 30, 2011 at 1:20 am

          How bout we parachute into the water and start swimming? Best idea ever! #quadathlon

          Reply
  4. Kaari Busick says

    March 29, 2011 at 12:35 pm

    Triathlons are FUN! I volunteered as swim support for the Danskin women’s triathlon and swam alongside women to make sure they made it to the end, which was a hell of a lot of fun. Helping people accomplish something they’re not sure they can do is empowering.

    The first time I finished a triathlon I felt invincible. I crashed on the bike course (if it’s wet out, don’t let your tires hit the painted lines on the road or you will go down) and still made it to the finish line.

    This post reminded me I want to volunteer for swim support again this year. Thanks Joel!

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      March 29, 2011 at 3:54 pm

      That’s cool Kaari. Not sure if I could sign up or not to volunteer, because I’d just want to race the whole time! :). Good to hear you’re helping people do the impossible!

      Reply
      • Kaari Busick says

        March 29, 2011 at 11:01 pm

        It was volunteering at the finish line that got me to do my first triathlon. That same year I worked the finish line for the Seattle marathon. It is a whole different category of amazing to stand there and watch people complete an impossible thing they weren’t sure they could do, it was so inspiring!

        I’m still working on running a half marathon, but ever since the books were done I’ve pretty much felt done with triathlons. I love them, but I don’t own a bike anymore. I have new impossible things to do.

        Reply
        • Joel Runyon says

          March 30, 2011 at 1:22 am

          Can’t wait to go see you do them :)!

          Reply
  5. Kurt Swann says

    March 29, 2011 at 2:05 pm

    Joel,

    Good reminder for lots of things in life . . . commit, sign up, and then . . . Nike slogan!

    Kurt

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      March 29, 2011 at 3:52 pm

      Now you just gotta sign up 😉

      Reply
  6. 101 Things to Do Before You Die says

    March 29, 2011 at 7:48 pm

    Sorry, I can’t swim…although it’s on my list to learn. BUT I took this approach last year running my first marathon, training for 7 months, having never run more than a single mile at a time before. I just signed up and made it happen!

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      March 30, 2011 at 1:19 am

      But your avatar has you in the water with a dolphin! Something here seems a little… Wait for it…fishy :).

      Reply
  7. Mark Powers says

    March 29, 2011 at 11:20 pm

    Done. I literally just registered for the Sprint distance in the Portland Triathlon- August 21st! Guess I need to learn how to swim now, eh?!

    Grrr, Runyon . . . what the frick am I doing?

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      March 30, 2011 at 1:23 am

      YOU’RE DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE! You should totally drag shogle into doing this with you 🙂 Well done.

      Reply
  8. Meg says

    March 31, 2011 at 1:40 pm

    This information is super helpful. I have never done a triathlon but I am signed up to do the Rock N Roll 1/2 marathon in San Diego this June. I do have completing a triathalon on my “Bits of Love List”-

    http://onelovemeg.com/2011/03/25/bits-of-love-time-to-fill-the-heart/

    My biggest fear is the bike portion. Although, I take spin classes and can ride a bike. I am not a serious rider. I don’t know all the tricks. BUT I am going to do it and I going to refer back to this post to help motivate me. I will sign up for one as soon as the 1/2 is over. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      April 1, 2011 at 3:54 pm

      Awesome Meg! The bike part isn’t as bad as it sounds. The big thing is to stay to the right & out of the way of the super-comepetitive cyclists. I did my first tri on a mountain bike (terrible idea), but I finished. Let me know how the half marathon goes!

      Reply
  9. Jermaine Lane says

    April 2, 2011 at 7:29 pm

    Okay, so I need to: 1. heal from major surgery (kidney transplant in the house!) 2. learn how to swim, 3. buy, borrow, or steal a bike. You know, I actually want to do a triathlon. I had never seriously thought about it until reading your blog. I’m going to find one Joel, and it’s gonna be on and crackin!

    Do you know of any “swimming hacks” online I could check out?

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      April 3, 2011 at 12:18 am

      I borrowed the bike for my first race & you can usually fool people into think you know how to swim for a sprint tri. Can’t speak to the kidney recovery though (get better!).

      Good luck on your race. Let me know which one you do. As for swimming, a lot of people talk about Total Immersion, but I haven’t tried it myself. You might want to check it out!

      Reply
      • Jermaine Lane says

        April 3, 2011 at 4:51 pm

        Thanks Joel for the tip about Total Immersion. I checked it out and it looked interesting, esp. the videos. I will have to check with my nephrologist (my kidney doc) to see how long it will take before I am fully recovered (they initially said a year), then sign up before then and spankin’ do the dang thing!

        Reply
        • Joel Runyon says

          April 3, 2011 at 5:14 pm

          Awesome! Get it done and let me know how it goes.

          Reply
  10. Brett A. says

    April 7, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    I just signed up for my first Triathlon! Thanks for the motivation. Because of this article I am going to be completing a 1/2 Ironman on Sept. 25th in Augusta, GA. I Can’t wait! I don’t even know how to swim, at least I have a cycling and running background. I am pumped to the point I got goose bumps just filling out the application. Thanks again Joel and keep up the good work.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      April 8, 2011 at 12:17 pm

      WOOT. Nice Brett. It’s going to be a challenge, but you’ll do great. Don’t be afraid to take it slow, try a few shorter races and have fun!

      Reply
      • Brett A. says

        September 27, 2011 at 9:57 am

        Just to follow up Joel, I had a blast it was my first tri and first half-ironman. I told some people this after the race and they thought I was crazy…maybe I am. I set a goal to complete it in under 6hrs and I smashed it, 5:29:06. What a cool feeling! Thanks again for the motivation to make the impossible become a reality.

        Reply
        • Joel Runyon says

          September 30, 2011 at 2:29 am

          Sick. Well done sir. You’ve set the bar high. Now to make that happen myself!

          Reply
  11. Souzapalooza says

    April 15, 2011 at 7:37 pm

    I just found your site the other day and I love it! I feel truly inspired when I read it (and not in a unicorns floating on clouds sort of way; more of a if you don’t get your sh*t together, your going to get your @$$ kicked sort of way). Reading this post makes me feel great because I recently decided to run a 1/2 Marathon (and I don’t really run) but I am taking on the challenge. I’m just going to do it. Like you said. (plus i have 23 weeks to train so I should be in better shape by then!!) Thanks for the kick in the @$$… er, I mean, motivation!

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      April 19, 2011 at 4:35 pm

      Thanks Christine! I definitely prefer the second type of inspiration as compared to the unicorn type :).

      Congrats on signing up for your 1/2 marathon & good luck! I’m not much of a runner either and it’s totally doable. You’ll dominate. Let me know how you do!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. An Impromptu Workout and Cartwheel Show | Marla Sarris says:
    March 30, 2011 at 5:27 am

    […] my second 5K run with my little sister in the Chicago Girls On the Run in June and after reading Joel Runyon’s post this morning I’m ready to pull the trigger on signing up for a triathlon, so I have my work […]

    Reply
  2. April Challenge Announced « The Minimoilist says:
    April 2, 2011 at 9:10 am

    […] read Joel’s post on How To Sign Up For Your First Triathlon and I felt that this was a challenge that I could get on board with.  To begin with I thought no […]

    Reply
  3. Climb A Mountain, Tell No One | Blog Of Impossible Things | Blog Of Impossible Things says:
    April 12, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    […] can run a 5k, jump out of a plane, go bungee jumping, run your first race, learn to juggle, help someone out, learn to play an instrument, or face a lifelong fear. The […]

    Reply
  4. The Free Ultimate Minimalist Resource Guide (and a fond farewell.) | Minimalist Adventures says:
    April 29, 2011 at 9:47 pm

    […] Entertainment Kill your television. Really. Kill your television. Watch sheep. Have fun! Do something impossible. Run a triathlon. […]

    Reply
  5. An Impromptu Workout and Cartwheel Show / Marla Sarris says:
    February 18, 2012 at 1:16 am

    […] my second 5K run with my little sister in the Chicago Girls On the Run in June and after reading Joel Runyon’s post this morning I’m ready to pull the trigger on signing up for a triathlon, so I have my work […]

    Reply
  6. The Ultimate Beginners Guide To Triathlons | Expert Enough says:
    April 30, 2012 at 10:30 am

    […] you want to sign up for your first triathlon, it’s pretty […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

the-impossible-shirt

Hi, I'm Joel Runyon


I created IMPOSSIBLE to help people push their limits by taking on impossible challenges and living a good story.

Follow @joelrunyon

My I recently finished running 7 ultra marathons on 7 continents and raised nearly $200k for Pencils of Promise. Read more about my story here.

Subscribe & Listen To The Podcast

How To Start A Blog Walkthrough

how-to-start-a-blog-guide
impossible abs

no-excuse-workout

cold-shower-therapy

The 777 Project

777-project

THE IMPOSSIBLE FAMILY

  • IMPOSSIBLE • Blog + HQ
  • IMPOSSIBLE Fitness • Tutorials & Training
  • IMPOSSIBLE Podcast • Podcast
  • IMPOSSIBLE X • Businesses
  • IMPOSSIBLE.org • Giving
  • IMPOSSIBLE Gear • Apparel + Supplements

"How To" Guides

  • How To Start A Blog: The Definitive Guide
  • How To Start A Podcast: The Definitive Guide

Looking For Something?

About The Impossible Shirt

IMPOSSIBLE®

  • Impossible X®
  • Impossible.org
  • Impossible Gear™
  • Impossible Fitness ®
  • Impossible Nutrition ®

RECENT

  • If you’re lacking vision, try asking this question…
  • Creative Debt
  • Type 2 Fun
  • Sunday Sermon 1/52: Life is Short
  • I asked ChatGPT to help me come up with some ideas for my Impossible List for next year. Here’s what it came up with:

Inspiration

  • An Unexpected Ass Kicking
  • How Bad Do You Want It?
  • The Iron & The Soul
  • The Only 2 Real Excuses Why People Refuse To Take Cold Showers

We Built a School! (2012)

impossible-pop-school

And We Built 7 More! (2017)

777-project

| Copyright © 2023 | Built on Genesis & Hosted By BlueHost | Affiliate Disclosure | An Impossible X Company

IMPOSSIBLE®, the IMPOSSIBLE® logo, IMPOSSIBLE HQ®, IMPOSSIBLE X®, IMPOSSIBLE Nutrition®, and IMPOSSIBLE Fitness® are registered Trademarks of IMPOSSIBLE X LLC.

The IMPOSSIBLE List™, Push Your Limits™, and Cold Shower Therapy™ are trademarks of IMPOSSIBLE X LLC.

Join Our Newsletter!

Stay up to date with our newest podcasts, latest deals and special offers! We announce new content every week so be sure to stay in touch.