Triathlon Race Week Guidelines

It’s Race Week! Time to taper, rest and visualize your race. Here are some Key Tips as you go through race week.

General
1) Hydration: Starting Monday spend the week hydrating. Everywhere you go race week, you should have a bottle of water or fluid with you.

2) Nutrition: Thursday or Friday carbo load. Have at least one meal with lots of carbohydrates/ pastas and protein.

3) Rest: Try to get as much rest/sleep as you can this week. People often think the rest the night before the race is the key but it’s actually one day before. Friday night’s rest (Sunday race) is the key to the race. Try to get 7-8 hours of rest that night. You will feel great on Saturday and it will compensate for the anxiety/excitement that may keep you up on Saturday night.

4) The Day Before: Relax, enjoy yourself and take it easy. Pick up your race packet, do a little shopping (get a race belt to hold your race bib), then drive the bike course. You want to familiarize yourself with the course. If possible drive the run course as well.

5) Volunteers: No race could take place without the volunteers. They are a small army of dedicated people who give up there weekend so you could have the best race possible. While you are home resting up for the big event they are out there setting it all up. And after you’ve cross the finish line and gone home with wonderful memories of the race, they stay behind well into the night putting things away and cleaning up. To really show your appreciation for all their hard work, just make their job easier. So whenever you see a volunteer say THANK YOU, have patience, follow their directions, and most importantly DON’T LITTER on the race course/transition area.

Pre-Race
6) Setup: After picking up your race packet lay out all your race gear on a towel the way you plan to do it on race day in the transition area. Then take everything off the towel and place it in the bag you are taking to the race. Place the bag and its contents in front of the door (that way you can't walk out without it in the morning). When setting up, use your race day checlist (see the attached Triathlon Race Day Checklist, remember it has way more stuff than you will need for your race so just use what applies).

7) Visualization: Picture the race in your mind’s eye the way you want it to happen. Planning and positive thinking are key components to a successful race. Visualize the race from start to finish with as much detail as possible from setting up your transition, swim start, T1,riding your bike, T2, pacing the run and crossing the finish line for your photo.


Race Day
8) Race Morning: Put on your race chip. Put on your race chip. Eat your regular pre Sunday morning training meal, get dressed and walk out the door. Grab the bag that’s sitting at the door blocking your exit (all your stuff is in there). If you haven't already PUT ON YOUR CHIP!

9) Transition: Get there early but not too early. It’s not the day after Thanksgiving sale, so there is no need to arrive an hour before transition even opens just to stare at the security guard and wonderful volunteers. Get body marked, put sunscreen on after marking, check your bike (make sure the tires are full, brakes work etc).Lay out your towel and set up the transition area the same way you did the night before. Remember one side bike stuff and the other side run gear.

10) Race Start: When the gun goes off just RELAX. You've swum, rode and run the distance many times over in practice. Most importantly, just enjoy the experience.

11) Race Swim: When your wave is called head to the start line, position yourself in the group depending on your swimming ability (stay in the middle/back of the pack off to one side if you’re slower, or middle/front if you’re faster). After about 5-10 minutes (100-200 meters) your swim wave will thin out. Move from the outside corner and start swimming closer to the buoy. If for some reason you decide to, roll over into sweet spot until you are ready to continue your full stroke. When the swim is coming to an end fight the temptation to sprint pass the swimmer in front of you. The last thing you want to do is ruin a great swim by rushing the last 100 meters and feeling exhausted when you get out of the water.

12) Race Bike: When you come out of transition 1 start off in a smaller gear with faster cadence (spinning). Spin for the first 10 minutes of the bike ride, your legs need a little time to get adjusted (they will thank you now and you will thank them later). At this point drop the Hammer, ride like the wind and say “passing on your left” to as many people as you can. The last 2-3 miles of the ride is not for catching the person in front of you, it’s for preparing yourself for the run. So start spinning in a smaller gear with faster cadence which will simulate your run cadence.

13) Race Run: Take your time in transition 2. At this point you are already warmed up so you feel free to give it all you’ve got. However, take the first 5 minutes a bit easy just to see how your legs feel before you go all out. Remember to Relax, Lean & Lift. Relax your body so there is no tension, lean from your ankles not your waist and lift your heels high enough to clear your opposite ankles. When you hear the crowd cheering or see the finish line give it all you have and sprint for the finish line. Smile for your finish line photo (Don’t get caught looking at your watch to stop the timer. They’ve spent lots of money to track your race splits and finish time).

Post Race
14) The day after the race be sure to run easy for about 20 minutes. It sounds crazy but it will help speed up your recovery and make you feel even better the following day.

15) Race Report: You are now a triathlete and everyone wants to hear all about the experience. Take some time the week after the race (while the experience is fresh in your mind) and write it all down. Share the report with your family, friends and co-workers because they’re all inspired with what you’ve accomplished and are dying to know just how you did it.

CONGRATULATIONS You Are A TRIATHLETE!