So, I thoroughly enjoyed both the mock tri and the Blue Lake Tri (I did the run portion only) this past weekend. I am trying to select my first Sprint Triathlon. Can anyone provide input on the below events for a newbie?

Hagg Lake - July 12th - Sprint Distance - I hear it's really hilly on the bike course...is this troublesome for the first timer?
Luna All Women's August 2nd @ Blue Lake - A venue I am already familiar with since I was just there this last weekend
Mid Summer - August 3rd - Blue Lake - Olympic or Sprint Distance

So, I could do Hagg Lake Sprint distance but I'm not certain about the hills. I'm wondering if I should do the Luna All Women's as my first. Plus it's a course I'm more familiar with since I was there this last weekend. However, it's a little farther out than I was planning for my first triathlon. The other option I was considering is Hagg Lake for my first Sprint and then do the Mid Summer Olympic Distance or if I'm not ready yet or the Sprint at Hagg doesn't go as well as expected I could choose to do the Sprint Distance at Luna (they don't have an olympic) or Mid Summer (and yes I realize that was a BAD run on sentence!).

I guess that brings up another question. Did most of you do several Sprint Distance before moving up to Olympic Distance? Or did you do one Sprint and then your next was an Olympic?

Sorry for all the questions. My mind is rambling and trying to figure this all out. Thanks for any input! As you can see, I'm excited for my first!

Marion

Marion,
When I was young(er), they didn't have Sprints... It was sink or swim back then. I remember coming home and wanting to do nothing more than shower, change and lie on the couch. My how times have changed. Now I gotta come home and mow the yard, wash the car, blah, blah, blah...!

Here's a suggestion:
The Luna is a fabulous event for two reasons...
1. It's and all women's race which means the testosterone level is extremely low and the ladies really seem to enjoy themselves when that element is missing.
2. Mostly likely Melissa and I will be volunteering again this year. We had a really fun time last year watching Julie and April race it, as well as a number of other P-Fitters.

From there, you could move up to Scoggins Valley (Hagg Lake with a different name) 4 weeks later, and do another Sprint on a tougher course, or the full-meal-deal Olympic event. From there, unless you go up to Black Diamond, Aluminum Man or Grand Columbian for Olympics, the other Sprints would be Black Diamond, Kirkland or Danskin in Seattle. The season tends to wind down after that.

Doug

Marion,
I am no expert but I have done the sprint at Blue Lake 3 times and the MidSummer Olympic once. Personally, I hate the course, but it's close and seems to fit into my schedule so I do it. I haven't done Hagg Lake (as badly as I want to) because it never fits into my schedule.

So my reason for not liking the course is mainly for the biking. If you like a flat ride it's great. I like hills. My legs get too sore sitting in one position for 40 minutes (sprint) or longer for the olympic. But the year that I did the sprint in June and then the olympic in August, I did a lot of flat-ride training so I could be better prepared. And I was. But I still prefer hills.

Also, when I did the mid-summer olympic, I didn't feel like I had that much support on the course or that many spectators (was that a good thing or a bad thing? I don't know...) I think more people were out for the Luna All-Women's and I wish I had been there for that one. Oh, and no porta-potties on the run course, which I desperately needed!

So I think it really depends on you and your training, what type of course you prefer, etc. And if you feel up to doing the Olympic, GO FOR IT! I am doing one in two weeks and I know I'm not as trained as I should be so for this one I'm in it for the fun of it. I'll be happy to finish!

I hope this helps...
DeDe

oh yeah, my husband has done only one tri - and it was a half-ironman. yes he's nuts, but it was what he wanted to do. It wasn't pretty but he did it so I wouldn't worry about how many sprints you've done or not done before you do the oly!

Thanks so much for the response! I think I am going to plan on the Luna All Women's Triathlon as my first Sprint and then maybe Scoggins (I need to check and see if I'm in town) after that. But then again, you never know what I might do on a whim. But that's my plan.

I really appreciate the input. It all helped!

As for hills, I do prefer hills vs. flat, but for my first I'm thinking flat is a good thing. I'm also not super comfortable with the gearing on my bike. I'm not sure why I can never figure out if I neet to move the level up or down and on which side to do what I want it to. I'm a pretty bright woman on most days, but this seems to perplex me anytime I'm out riding hills. I always seem to be in the wrong gear and never seem to know exactly how to get where I want to be. It's a fluke if I do, or more than likely! I'm sure I'll figure it all out with some more seat time.

Marion

Hey Marion! Congrats on Blue Lake!

Don't let the hills scare you away from Hagg Lake. I did it as my first tri and loved it. Luna All Women's is a great event and the flat course is nice but it was boring compared to the great scenery at Hagg Lake. Either way, you're going to do great!

Sharon