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Training Tips & Tricks
Your first triathlon season is full of exciting challenges, each race giving you a little more experience and knowledge of what to expect and insight into the addiction of achieving the perfect race. It doesn't hurt to begin your season and triathlon career with some helpful hints and tips and tricks to establish your successful first race. We'll cover the following topics:
Pre Race Tips and Tricks Swim Equipment Cycle Check List Run Buying equipment Transition Transition Set up Post Race Pre Race Tips and Tricks
Have your bike checked over to ensure it is in good working order
Don't change your bike positioning too close to an event
Make sure you have practiced over the distance
Ease off your training the week before the race to approximately %50 of your normal training. Don't take the week off just shorten and sharpen up your sessions. Do lots of stretching and keep up your fluids and have lots of rest.
Practice getting on and off your bike in a safe environment
Practice putting your running shoes on and taking your wet suit off
Have a good sleep 2 nights prior to your first race, this will ensure you still feel good if you are nervous or sleepless the night before
Eat a good meal at lunch-time the day before to top up your carbohydrate stores, have a good dinner but nothing too heavy, eat a breakfast you are used to on race day. Something you would normally eat before you train.
Use some visualization to see your self going through the race and completing your transitions and the 3 legs, really enjoying it, even the hard bits.
Practice breathing to both sides in the swim so if it is rough on the day you can breath to the calm side.
Go through the transition area before the race and know where the entries and exits are for the swim, bike and run. If you are not sure, ask before the race begins.Equipment
Check List
Make a list of all the equipment you will need on race day and pack it the day before. Lay out your gear the night before as you are likely to be nervous and tired
Use a bright towel so it stands out in the transition area (where you rack your bike) this will make it easy to find your bike.
Elastic laces in your runners make it much quicker to slip your shoes on
In Melbourne wetsuits are extremely helpful, they protect you from the cold water and also make you more buoyant in the swim
Baby oil is great for getting wet suit off
Goggles Water Bottle Wetsuit Helmet
Bathers and race singletSun glasses Vaseline Runners with elastic laces
Spare swim capSpare runners to warm up in (others in transition) Race numbers if you already have them Hat (with mesh to let the air through if poss.) Sun screen
Pump Bright towel Baby powder Baby oil Warm clothes for after the event, Your Bike Toilet paper (toilets seem to run out on race days)
Bike shoes (if you use them),Buying equipment
There are many makes, models, brands, etc. It is always good to assess where you want to go in the sport and for your first couple of races borrow so you can try out equipment, which will save you buying it until you know what suits you best. It is always good to get together with a squad or training group as they can share lots of experience, trials and knowledge of various brands of equipment. It is also a good idea to seek some professional advice.Transition Set up
Place your bike in transition area in your designated rack
Look around you to find a point of reference or count the number of racks leading in from the swim so you know exactly where your bike is.
Place Bright towel next to your bike on the right hand side.
Place your running shoes on the towel ready to slip on. Put a little Vaseline inside your shoes on any points that your feet may rub so you don't get blisters, and a little on the tongue so you can easily slip them on. Placing some baby powder in your runners also makes them slip on easy
Put your bike shoes on your towel in front of your runners if you haven't practiced getting them on while you are riding, otherwise if you use toe clips or shoes already attached to your bike make sure your pedals are at 9 and 3 o'clock. This way your shoe are level and won't drag on the ground.
Put Vaseline on the sides of your bike seat to reduce chafing
Make sure your bike is in an easy gear to make your take-off easy.Swim
Fear is common amongst those competing in their first triathlon; it lessens as you practice and realise that you can do the distance. There are many lifeguards out there on boats and boards watching your every move. If by any chance you get into trouble just raise your hand. It is important to practice in open water, however, don't swim alone, always, with a friend or group. Swim squads are a great place to start.
Check the swim course map at the registration area. Check the first and last 50-100m of the swim, looking for rocks, steps, gutters or sand banks, and where the waves are breaking. Whilst in the water sight a flag or tree or building that is in line with last buoy and the finishing shoot, so you can swim at it when you turn the last buoy.
Use a plastic bag over your feet to get your wet suit on it makes it easier to slide on, pull the bag out once it's on.
Place Vaseline on your lower leg and lower arms inside and outside your wetsuit to allow it to slide off easily, some people use conditioner. Applying Vaseline around your shoulders make it easier to move your arms around.
Place your self at the front of the pack if you are a fast swimmer, however, if you are a fairly weak swimmer just go towards the back of the pack for an uninterrupted swim.
Run or walk out as far as you can lift your feet above the water. Once the water level reaches your waist, it is time to use porpoising or dolphin diving to take you further out.
Use high elbows when you begin to swim to get over the waves or rough water.
Breath to the front every 3 or so strokes and sight a buoy or landmark to assure you are on the right track negotiating the swim. You don't want to swim any more than you have to.
If you can swim close to some one who is a little faster than you it will allow you to gain an advantage in their draft.
Don't kick too hard unless it is a bit of a sprint to get onto the back of someone's draft, you need to save your legs for the bike and run.
Pull your arm across your body a little more when going around the buoy it will get you around faster.
As soon as you are running or walking out of the swim undo your wetsuit and begin to pull it down to your waist, take off your cap and goggles, whilst looking for your bike and bright towel.
When you reach your bike pull your wetsuit down to your ankles and use your feet to pull it off your ankles whilst putting your helmet on.
To improve your open water swimming train in the bay at least once a week in your wetsuit and without it. Practice all aspects of the swim ins and outs, sprinting or surging, turning around the buoys, sighting skills-polo or every 4 to 8 strokes lifting head to breathe on that stroke. Swimming in straight lines, in packs side by side bumping each other, practice drafting behind and on the side of each other, breathing on both sides, deep water pack starts, dolphining, sprints up the beach etc.Cycle
Only take your bike off the rack once your helmet is fastened or you will be disqualified.
Put on your shoes whether it is runners or bike shoes. Your bike should be in an easy gear, your peddles are flat so they wont drag, run your bike out to the mount line and jump on. There are many ways of doing this but they need to be shown and practiced (contact Tri Alliance to come along to a workshop or transition session and have a practice).
Change up to a more comfortable gear and maintain a rhythm. This is done by keeping your peddle strokes spinning 85 to100 rpm (pretty quick peddle rotations, with not too much resistance. As you get around the course you want to keep your speed consistent. This is why spinning is important.
Drink plenty of water - this is essential especially in preparation for your run.
Keep your line - make sure you ride straight and try not to break suddenly in case there is anyone too close to you.
Maintain a safe and legal space between other competitors - No Drafting.
If it is windy just imaging cutting through the wind and change your bike gear to an easier one, so you can keep up your spinning speed. This is the same as if you ride up a hill.
Tri bars are useful for the more experienced triathlete as it will give you more aerodynamics.
Take the corners carefully and keep your inside peddle up (away from the ground) as you go around the corner. Accelerate as you come out of the corner to maintain your pace.
When coming to the end of your cycle you need to stretch out a little standing up while riding if confident, or most importantly spin a little faster will help loosen up the legs and reduce some of the burning feeling you might be feeling. You don't want to slow down until the last few hundred meters.
At the end of the cycle undo your shoes in the last 500 meters if you are wearing bike shoes that you will leave on the bike. It takes a lot of practice to put on and take off your shoes safely and at speed so assure you practice and stay calm don't attempt it in a race if you haven't done it before. Some tips when you do: undo Velcro straps one foot at a time, pull one foot out of the shoe and place it on top of the shoe, then the other foot. Make sure you are looking up so you can see where you are going. Ensure both feet are out of the shoes before you attempt your dismount. The dismount is complex and also needs to be practiced before doing it in a race. You need to be very careful and assure you slow down adequately whiles learning. Again a group transition session is very helpful to get tips and practice this.
Those wearing runners or bike shoes that haven't practiced taking off just slow down ready to dismount at the dismount line.
Keep your helmet fastened until your bike is racked back where you began.
Rack your bike, take off your helmet, put on your shoes if not already on, grab your hat and go.Run
Transition
Do a few short fast steps to get the legs going, this may take a few minutes. Grab a drink or two from the first drink station on the way out of transition and drink them calmly. Do this by squeezing the top of the cup to form a little opening to drink from. It's important to keep your fluids up. Once you get going you can build into a nice steady run or jog.
You are now on the third and final leg and just have to maintain a nice steady pace to the finish, if you are still feeling good you can include some surges and a steady build. Make sure you keep up your fluids.
If it is a hot day run in the shaded spots and pour some of your water over your head or body to keep you cool.
Like the swim drafting is legal so you can sit just behind another person running and gain an advantage from them blocking the wind.
Keep your strides long and your breathing steady.
Get your breathing into a rhythm as your feet hit the ground breath two or three steps in and two or three out depending on how you are feeling. This will help control your rhythm.
Finally you see the finish line steadily you can pick up your speed if you are feeling good or just maintain it if not.
Congratulations you have completed your first Triathlon. Plenty more to come.
Stay calm in your transition, there is no need to get flustered, some times gear gets moved and knocked or some one drops a wetsuit on it if you stay calm you are much more likely to find it and have a smooth transition.
A good transition takes a lot of practice and time to master, use the tips and tricks and practice, practice, practice.
Know where your bike is in relation to the number of bike racks from the start or from a sign or tree that stands out, and the number of bikes from the end of your rack.Post Race
Celebrate and congratulate
You usually feel great at this stage and forget to stretch, cool down and re fuel.
It is very important to re fuel your body with some carbohydrates which will absorb quickly, most races will provide sports drinks and fruit at the finish.
Cool down and stretch is very important to ensure you can walk comfortably the next day. And if you are lucky enough a massage is always great.
Try to keep up your fluids all day (hydrating fluids, water, juice etc). Beer and tea and coffee will dehydrate you further.
Good luck and look forward to seeing you racing very soon.
The Team at Tri- Alliance
info@tri-alliance.com.au
