My cousin texted me in August to say she wanted to do her first triathlon in October and she had a million and one questions! I think sometimes we forget how intimidating this sport can be, so I (tried to) put together a comprehensive guide for getting ready for your first triathlon! First things first…get your gear together Gear Must Haves: (1) Tri kit (or something tight fitting) - I really love the Coeur kits! The chamois (padding piece) is fairly thin and doesn’t chafe. Their tops fit really well too; they don’t ride up around your waist when you run which is awesome. These kits are actually made for women with hips! If you aren’t ready to spring for a full on triathlon kit you can also just wear the shorts and put on a t-shirt for the bike and run. Or do what I did for my first few races and wear a pair of tiny volleyball spandex and a tshirt ;) Anything tight fighting and quick drying will do great. [Sidenote: Some people say the Couer kits run small. According to the size chart I am on the lower side of a size small which is the size I normally order and it fits me perfectly. So if you are at the higher end on the measurements consider sizing up.] Pre race nutrition – If you are currently doing 10k races or half marathons then whatever you eat before those races will work for a sprint triathlon! Make sure you bring a throw away water bottle for before the race; sometimes you might have to sit around for about 30 minutes to an hour (depending on the race) between the time transition closes and your swim starts. It’s always a good idea to sip on some water. You don’t want to start the race dehydrated. (2) Goggles – I love the aqua sphere kaiman “lady” goggle, they don’t leave goggle marks on my face and they only start to fog up when they get too old. I hate the name, but they fit oh so perfectly! (3) Swim cap – you’ll need one for training, they will give you a swim cap to wear on race day when you pick up your packet, but hopefully you’ll be swimming prior to race day! So pick yourself up a cap. They look strange, but they will protect your hair from the chlorine and from getting tangled up while you swim. Also, hair tip…always get your hair wet before getting in the water and put a little conditioner on as well. This will prevent some of the pool chemicals from soaking into your hair while you practice! (4) Training Swim Suit – You will want a suit that stays in place when you push off the wall. Some people prefer one pieces, I really like the Calavera Triton bikini. (5) Flip flops – (or sneakers) you will want to have a pair of shoes to wear for before the swim. If you have a spectator at the race you can hand them your shoes before you start the swim, if you don’t have any spectators then you can just bring some cheap Target flip flops and throw them away before the race starts. You also have the option of walking around barefoot, but keep in mind that sometimes you are walking on gravel, and other times on grass with sticker burrs. Protect your feet! (6) Small towel – Honestly, I don’t dry off in T1, but it is never a bad idea to have a towel to quickly dry off your feet and anything else. Some people like to dry off their entire bodies, and some don’t dry off at all! (7) Bike – an entry-level road bike would be great, even a used one. But a hybrid bike works too! For my very first triathlon I borrowed a hybrid bike from my friends Mom and it worked perfectly. For the next 2 triathlons I had my own hybrid bike. And for the year after that I had a used Felt road bike that I bought from a teammate. It wasn’t until I had been in the sport for about 1.5 years that I got a triathlon bike, and even then I bought that used from another teammate. This sport doesn’t have to be extremely expensive, and one thing to ALWAYS remember. Money does not buy speed. Consistency and motivation are almost always the answer. (8) Helmet – a NEW helmet…not one that has been sitting in your garage for a few years! Having been in a few bike crashes (one of which was head on with a brick wall around the age of 9) I can tell you that not wearing your helmet, or having an older, weak helmet is a terrible decision. Keep yourself safe. I have seen people walk away from a crash with nothing but a few scratches a sore neck, but their helmet split apart almost into 2 pieces! It can seriously save your life! (9) Sunglasses – to protect your eyes from the wind and any debris that might be on the road, these don’t have to be expensive. I used cheap sunglasses from Charming Charlie’s for about 2 years. As long as they are comfortable on your face then they are the right decision. (10) Flat kit – 2 levers, 1 spare tire and 1 CO2, I learned how to change a tire by watching YouTube videos…it can be intimidating but it’s pretty easy! (11) Water bottle cage – you don’t want to do this whole ride without any water! A Camelpak would work too. Just know that it is difficult to carry the bottle on your body while you are cycling. It will have to be attached to your bike or jersey. I have a friend who tried to put his water bottle in the pocket of his board shorts during the bike portion of this first race...and of course it just kept falling out of his shorts with every other pedal stroke! (He still placed within his age group, so I guess that proves there is no right to do anything in this sport!) (12) Running shoes – I think this is self-explanatory! And if you want to invest in nicer running socks I highly recommend the Balega hidden comfort sock, I wore these for my Ironman and had zero blisters after the race! (13) Race Belt – You can’t swim with your race bib on, so you either need a race belt to put on before the run or you can pin the bib to a shirt that you wear on the bike/run. You only need the bib for the run, but you can wear it on the bike if that makes you more comfortable. Pre Race & Race Day: You will most likely have to pick up your packet a day or two before the race, it should have a running bib, a swim cap, a timing chip to wear around your left ankle, and some stickers to put on your bike and helmet. Some races allow you to pick up your packet the day of the race, but I think its good to pick it up before so you can set everything out and visualize. Some races will require that you drop off your bike at the transition area the day before the race, so you’ll want to put all the necessary stickers on your bike and then you’ll hang it from the bike rack by the seat. If they don’t require you to drop off your bike beforehand then you will just bring it the day of and set everything up at that time. For your transition area you’ll set everything up to the right of your front wheel, unless someone says to do something else this is the typical place to put your things. You will want to unlace your shoes and open them up so they are easy to put on after the swim. You should try to keep everything as compact as possible. And always try to hook your helmet onto your bike rather than putting it on the ground. It takes up much less space this way! Below is a photo a compact and polite transition area (with helmet on my bike): and an example of a not so great transition area, basically you want to take up the least amount of space possible! Always be aware of your neighbors :) You will want to read the Athlete Guide to get an idea of when transition opens and closes, once transition has closed you cannot go back in to move your things and if you forgot something then you will have to find a way to do without that item! Leaving transition can be a little nerve-wracking. Before you leave make sure you pay attention to where you’ll be entering the transition area after the swim, and where you will be leaving with your bike. There are typically 2 or 3 little entrances and exits. You will just want to know where your bike is relative to these locations. Some people like to count bike racks or they just remember something special about the spot (like if there is a tree right next to it or something else significant). I like to visualize everything. Imagine yourself running into transition after the swim, putting on your socks (if using for them for the ride), shoes, helmet and sunglasses and then taking your bike out to the mount line (The mount line is a line outside of transition that you will have to walk your bike across and then you can get on and start riding, there will be volunteers yelling at everyone to make sure they do it right!) and then imagine yourself bringing your bike back in and getting ready for you run. Take off your helmet, put on your running hat, remove your cycling shoes and put on your running socks and running shoes. If you are using a race belt for your bib then don’t forget to put this on as well! Once your visualization and taking note of the entrances and exits is complete you will leave transition, and don’t forget your swim cap and goggles! During the Race: For the swim portion, just remember to keep moving forward. Even if you have to breast stroke and keep your head above water for the entire thing, just don’t stop! For the bike try to stay toward the right side of the road unless you are passing someone, remember it is always polite to call out an “on your left” when you pass people! When you start running after the bike your legs will feel weird. Just try to lift up your knees,. When your legs feel heavy you might not be picking your feet up as much and you don't want to accidentally trip! If you have a hard time breathing when you start the run, try to concentrate on a deep breath in and a deep breath out. Don’t look at how fast you are going, just get your heart rate and breathing under control. Post race – CELEBRATE! And bring an extra pair of clothes to change into, so you don’t have to walk around in wet sweaty clothes so you can properly enjoy the post race food! And make sure to enjoy the post race company :)
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LPCoach & Team - Austin T3 (Whitley Atkins) & Team Nuun |