“I’ve been training & racing in triathlons since 2013.  Most recently I raced Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz.  Over the years I’ve learned that getting ready for a triathlon is so much more than just doing the swim, bike & run training.  There are lots of little things to prep for like…

• What to eat
• How much to eat
• When to drink
• How much to drink
• What to wear for various weather conditions
• How to develop (and remember) a race strategy
• How to change a flat tire
• How to put a dropped bike chain back on
• How to sight well in open water
• How to stay organized

Each year I get a bit better at all aspects of triathlon training & racing.  To help me stay on track I’ve come up with all sorts of little tips & tricks.  Maybe you’ll find a few of these helpful too!

Tip #1:  Don’t Overcomplicate Things

Think through & practice what you’re going to do multiple times.  Each time you practice look for things you can eliminate in order to simplify the process.  By doing so you’ll figure out a streamlined system that works best for you!

Tip #2:  Create Packing & Check Lists

I have very robust packing & check lists…for each part of the race day.  Having detailed lists makes packing for a race so much easier because you don’t have to remember each & every little thing.  I even go one step further & pack each of my bags (transition, special needs, etc).  You might still panic at some point, but at least you know you that if it’s on the list, you brought it!

Here are all of my lists:

• Day Before Workout Gear List – Coach Michelle always has me do a short ‘tune-up’ workout in each sport the day before race day.  This list has all equipment that I’ll need to complete these workouts.
• Transition Bag List(s) – There can be multiple transition bags (T1 swim-to-bike bag & T2 bike-to-run bag).  I list what goes into each one.
• Special Needs Bags Lists – In full Ironman races you will get your Special Needs bags halfway during the bike & run.  I list what I’ll need in each bag – extra clothes, extra food, CO2 cartridges, sunscreen.
• Morning List – I always get to the race venue EARLY to set up.  It can be dark & cold…so I like to make sure to have appropriate pre-race clothing.  I list out exactly what I’ll wear in the morning (make sure to check the race venue weather report!).
• T1 Checklist in Ziplock Bag – There are lots of little things that need to be done when setting up the bike transition.  And…it’s early in the morning…and I have race jitters…so my brain may not work great!  This checklist makes it easy to remember to do things like check the tire pressure, secure the bike computer, secure food & water, make sure the gear is correct for exiting transition, etc.  Last year at IM California the weather was crappy – it was raining & super windy so all I was thinking about was staying upright & dry.  The checklist was so helpful because when I headed to the swim, I knew my bike was all ready to go!  Why the Ziplock bag?  In case it’s raining!
• Post-Race List – This list details what I’ll need after the race (again, check race venue weather report).  Things like…
  • Warm clothing
  • Recovery drink
  • New shoes

And finally, if I’m out & about & I remember an item that needs to be included, I write it down.  That way I won’t forget to add it to the appropriate list when I get home.

 

Tip #3 – Strategies for a Successful Bike

The bike portion of a triathlon is usually the longest.  So, it makes sense to think through & strategize ways to ensure that it is as successful as possible.  Here are few tips that have helped me:

• Duct Tape on Nutrition Bottle – To ensure adequate liquid nutrition, I make duct tape lines on my bottle based on how many ounces I need to drink per hour.  This way I know that, as long as I drink from one duct tape line to the next, I’m getting in my calories!
• Fueling Schedule – Fueling during a race is so important, but it’s strangely easy to forget when random things happen.  I experienced this firsthand in Santa Cruz last year when I dropped my bike chain early on & completely forgot to eat for the rest of the bike ride.  Not a great plan!

During training rides, I eat or drink calories every 15 min…so you’d think that it would be easy to remember…especially if your bike computer beeps at you every 15 min!  Well, sometimes your brain doesn’t work that logically & you completely forget what you are supposed to do or what you are supposed to eat or drink.  I now have my eating schedule taped with clear duct tape (in case it rains) to my bike.  Yes, I know I have to do something every 15 min, but the paper tells me what to do at the 15, 30, 45 & top of the hour mark.  Since I have several different foods (sports gels, Honey Stinger waffles, Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars) that I rotate through, the paper also makes it much easier to remember what I need to eat.

• Pace Chart – In a race you can easily start to worry about things you really shouldn’t be worried about.  To ease my mind, I tape a pace chart to my bike…especially for full Ironmans.  This way I know that if my average pace is 15 mph it will take me 7 hrs & 28 min to complete the 112 miles.  This is especially handy if you are nervous about cut-off times (Ironman races have cut-off times for each of the sections).  Also, make sure to test out your pace charts both for placement on the bike (to make sure you can see & read it) & for accuracy in your calculations!

• Cut-Off Times – To make sure I don’t miss the bike cut-offs, I have the various cut-off times taped right in front of me.  This helps keep me calm & ensures that I don’t confuse myself because my tired brain forgot the times.  For example, the Mile 56 cutoff time is 2:05PM & the entire bike course closes at 6:00PM.

 

Tip #4 – Strategies for a Successful Run

• Hydration Schedule – If you choose to bring your own water, tape your fueling schedule on the water bottle.  I do bring my own hydration, but since I use a 4:1 run:walk method (04 min of run to 01 min of walk), I just make sure to drink EVERY time I have a walk break.  With this system I don’t need a reminder to drink.
• Nutrition Schedule – Like the bike I have set times when I eat a gel.  But I can’t always remember the schedule.  To make sure I remember to eat at the appropriate time, I have my nutrition schedule taped to my water bottle (see pic below).  I use this same system in training too because I find I am easily confused when the workouts are longer than 2.5 hrs!

I will say that, for me, the run fueling schedule is not as important as the bike fueling schedule.  This is because I walk through & eat at ALL aid stations…regardless.  But, despite this, having the schedule in front of me does give me peace of mind.

• Pace Chart – In a race I also attach a pace chart to my water bottle so I can easily see how long it will take me to finish based on my average pace.  Some might argue that it’s a good distraction to do the math while out there running.  But I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn’t trust my math…and that would just make me more frustrated.  On race day it just has to be easy!
• Cut-Off Times – I also have the run cut-offs attached to my water bottle.  That way I know exactly what the clock time cut-offs are…no guesswork.  For example, the Mile 13 cut-off is 9:20PM & Mile 20 cut-off is 11:08PM.

And finally, the last thing I have is a little note with Coach Michelle’s suggestions for the race!  😉

For me, the keys to a successful race are to be organized, organized & more organized.  The less I have to remember, the better…because my brain isn’t as clear when I’m nervous, anxious, cold and/or tired.  All these little strategies help keep me calm & focused on one thing – moving forward!  Happy racing!”