So many newbie questions, i think i've become a triathlon bore

So i have begun my training for my first triathlon, it's just a super sprint in a few weeks as a taster then train properly through the winter and hit the ground running in the spring. All i have done is talk about it since signing up, have i turned into triathlon bore, is this normal will i get bored of it cos i know my friends and family are! 

I have so many questions so i will keep asking them here so please be patient with me and rightly assume i am a complete numpty with no idea.

Training wise, should i do one thing each day really well, to the limit and then next day move onto a different discipline with one rest day a week. Or should i do lots of brick sessions? With the super sprint the distances are short enough that i can do all 3 sessions in one hour, or over the space of a day do twice race distance or more in each discipline. But i know as i move up distances this won't be possible so should i start now with better individual training? 

Also do you recomend joining a club i have found one in my area but like running club my attendence will be sporadic due to work commitments so is it worth it?

Thanks 

Have a look at this, its a newbie guide to spring triathlons which may answer some of your questions.

http://www.pirateshipoffools.co.uk/?p=467

What training are you used to?  if youve only been running twice a week youll get injured if you suddenly start doing 6 days of high tempo per week. 

If youre already quite fit id suggest a mixing the training up so that youre doing days concentrating on different disciplines and intensities, intervals,, also some brick sessions to help your run to bike transition. 

As its your first tri you want to aim to enjoy it rather than break yourseld doing x time, there will be lots of opportunities to set PB's once youve got the hang of it.

I currently do 3 runs a week a couple of around 3 miles and one LSR of up to 10 miles, i also do a gym session probably twice a week with a bit of cv as warm up. I cycle on the turbo of an evening if i get bored so not regularily and no more than about 10 miles. Swimming i have not done in years so that needs to be added in and some proper structure brought into what i am currently doing. 

I need to keep a fair bit of emphasis on running as i am doing the great south run (10 miles) in Oct so don't want to jeopardise that and need to up the cycling as i am signed up for the Tour of wessex next year but i figure that can be part of my IM training if i get that hooked on triathlons.

Did a 15 mile cycle on Sunday with the OH around a nice route he knows and followed that up with a quick 1.5 mile run for my first brick session, i didn't find that to bad, jelly legs will take some getting used to though. How often should you do this? if i'm just running 1.5 should i do it after every cycle or should i do it once a week and make it worth it and run further.

See i told you i have no idea, i generally just wing it when training for things but not sure longer distance triathlons will be forgiving on this sort of approach.

Why not? the pirate mantra is "swim a bit, run a bit, bike a lot".

Well i can swim a bit, run a bit and as long as being on the turbo can count as alot i think i can do it.

Liz, which bit of the Tour of Wessex have you signed up for? All 3 days or individual days?

Oh god no not all three days!! not even one long day just the 68 miler, the OH has signed up for that with me and the monday 100 odd miles as well. Depending on how the training is going i may do the same and enter the Monday aswell but i won't do that for a month or two incase training goes horribly wrong.

Liz, Tri training is a little bit like run training, similarly to running you should aim to have a mix of sessions (intervals, LSR, tempo, steady, easy) for each discipline geared towards your target distance.

You obviously cant do 5 sessions a week of swim, bike and run so its about finding a mix that gives the best value, you also get the most results from concentrating on your weakest discipline.  

With GSR soon approaching:

Run:  3 runs a week as you are now
Swimming:  Get some lessons, 1 lesson a week and 2 30-45 min technique focussed swims
Bike:  1 turbo/spin class (tempo session), 1 60 minute outdoor ride keeping steady pace and 1 LSR ride starting at say 90 mins and building up over the next 6 months to 5-6 hours.

If the above is a lot to fit in, leave the LSR ride and after the GSR alternate LSR between run and bike each week.

Bricks, worth doing once every week or two, i.e. straight after one of your rides go for a 15-30 min easy run.

Split your sessions up accross the week however suits you e.g.

Mon - Rest
Tu - swim & run
Wed - bike
Thu - swim & run
Fri - bike
Sat - swim
Sun - LSR (bike or run)

Well i have found out a couple of people at running club are in the local tri club as well  so gonna catch up with them on tuesday and hopefully join a swim session later in the week. 

It's all coming together!

Final details email was in my inbox yesterday, it answered alot of my questions. 2 weeks today i will be doing my first triathlon, hopefully i am ready. 

Swimming- i'm ok, can cover the distance and have actually moved wave times as i was better than i intially thought.

Cycling - Only 10km and cover more than that regularily.

Running - I am training for the Great South Run so running has been taking priority, i have been doing brick sessions atleast twice a week to get used to jelly legs.

Transitions- who knows!!!!!

Fingers crossed i love every secound and then the hard work starts. Winter training so i can compete in longer distance triathlons throughout next year. Who knows maybe oneday an IM.

glad that you have most of the answers you need..try and just relax and enjoy the experience..........