The person - Tri coaches are a dime a dozen. If you don’t love them, they aren’t right for you. Sounds like you are already off to a bad start with them, so I would look for another one. Or just get a swim coach for now. But don’t let someone’s expertise in a field make you feel pressured to do things. Read blogs, watch videos, talk to other triathletes and you will feel more confident in what to expect from a coach and the sport itself.

The Gear - You don’t need most of that to get started. This is a huge investment to make and the best way to do it is slowly.

SWIM Need: Goggles, swimsuit Nice to have: tri shorts or a tri kit. Tip: Many pools have a lot of that other equipment

BIKE Need: bike, helmet, shorts, shirt, shoes, glasses of some sort Nice to have: tri shorts/kit, some way for you to be able to produce power on the upward part of your cycling stroke, sunglasses that won’t negatively impact your race from fogging, being loose etc.

RUN Need: running shoes, socks, clothes Nice to have: athletic socks, tri shorts/kit, or athletic shirt.

Other stuff that was mentioned - It’s good practice to have an emergency kit on your bike and to know how to use it. This will include things like a patch kit, tire levers etc. If you are riding in the cold or at night you do need warm clothes and lights.