What's next? Preparing to race Triathlons

By Andrew Stokes

So you’re thinking of becoming a triathlete or perhaps you’ve just finished you first triathlon? Maybe you went to an event and saw one of the shiny titanium, wind-slicing speed machines and thought, I want that. Or maybe you just want an excuse to wear form-fitting lycra in public?

No matter, welcome to the multi-sports lifestyle.  The question is what’s next? This short article will give you some tips and some helpful links to get you out there and mixing it with the best of them. It’s not intended to be a complete guide, there are whole books devoted to that (and I’ll give some suggested reading at the end) but should get you started nicely. I’ve divided the piece into 4 sections: planning, gear, training and racing.

As always, a caveat. Before starting any type of training program or strenuous physical activity, especially if you’ve been inactive for awhile or have any sort of medical condition, please consult you’re doctor and heed their advice.

Planning

“Good plans shape good decisions.  That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.” - Lester R Bittel

If you changed nothing else in your training, having a plan would improve your performance drastically. Why then doesn’t everybody do it? Well for a start, a lot of people consider it dead-time – time which could be spent out on the road or in the pool. The fact is if you sit down, ideally at the end of the season, and actually do some analysis you will quickly see what went right or wrong with your season and identify areas to address for the future.

Here are a few things to review in developing your triathlon plan (Oh, and write these down and put it where you’ll see it and refer to it):

• How much time can I commit to training per week
• How many races do I anticipate doing
• What are my strengths & weaknesses both within each discipline and across disciplines
• What are my goals
• How can I achieve my goals

A few words on each of the above.

Time commitment
Each of us has multiple commitments – job, family, school etc. You will need to assess how much time you can take to devote to training. This assessment must be realistic. If you’ve never done much activity or only a couple of hours a week, suddenly jumping into a 10 hour per week training schedule is unlikely to be successful.

Races
You should identify the races you want to do for the season. This should include identifying one or two “A” races – races where you are aiming to perform at your peak, and a few “B” races which aim to test any one of a number of things such as strategy, preparedness and so on.

Strengths & Weaknesses
Everybody loves to train their strengths but the only way to really improve is to train your weaknesses (or limiters). So you need to figure out what these are. A starting point is to look across the disciplines. So you might be a strong swimmer but a poor cyclist and an OK runner. This is going to influence your training plan as you should work more on cycling, then running and perhaps less on the swimming. From here you should look at the components of each sport. For example, you might fly up the hills on the bike but suck-wind on the flats. Again this will help you develop your training plan.

Goals
Goals need to be both specific and reasonable. A goal such as “I’m going to win my age-group at Wildflower” is an example of a poor goal as it depends on too many external factors such as how the competition performs on the day. A goal such as “I want to go sub-2 hours 30 minutes at an Olympic distance” (one of my goals for 2006 race season) is much better as it is specific, hopefully reasonable and allows you to then break-down the elements into specific performance targets.

Achieving Goals
To achieve your goals takes hard work but if you’ve gone through the strength and weaknesses analysis it will be easier to perform. Here is an example from my plan:

• prepare a training schedule and consistently stick to it
• use a training log to record workouts & races
• focus on improving technique (I have a section in my plan on technique priorities which arises from defining my limiters)
• develop a better nutrition strategy

As I said, take an hour or so to develop your overall plan, write it down and refer to it regularly through the season. It will help focus your efforts when your training feels like it’s not going well.

Gear

“A bad workman blames his tools” – various

We’d all be faster if we had Lance’s bike right? Well maybe, but you could give me his bike and put Lance on a chopper and he’d still kick my butt. Still there is a benefit to at least having the right tools. Here’s a rundown on what you’ll need for each sport.

The Swim

• swimsuit! Guys, no baggy swim trunks. They cause drag and slow you down. You'll need close-fitting trunks of your preference - jammers or traditional Speedo briefs are best.
• googles that fit
• swimcap
• wetsuit

That’s it, simple – now get in the pool.

The Bike

• bike! Duh. Go to a good shop that specializes in road or triathlon bikes. Test a few and get properly fitted. Paradigm Bikes in San Anselmo is great – http://www.gravywheels.net/
• helmet – no helmet, no race!
• bike shoes – help transmit power to the pedals more effectively
• cycle computer – go basic but get one with cadence
• tools, spares, pump

The Run

• running shoes. Go to a good shop and have them analyze your gait. Take an old pair with you. Fleet Feet across from Paradigm do a great job – http://www.fleetfeetsananselmo.com/
• no-tie laces
• race number belt

Clothes

Unfortunately, nudity will result in an instant DQ, so you have to wear something. There are a bunch of great manufacturers out there that make tri-specific clothing and it’s worthwhile checking them out. For general training, a T-shirt and shorts are fine for the run, bike shorts for the bike and so on. In a race you do not want to be changing in and out of clothes anymore than you absolutely have to so go for something that can be worn under the wetsuit.

As you get more into the sport you can expand your equipment list as your budget dictates. Pretty much everything above is essential, most other things are optional. You can spend as little or as much as you want just like most sports.

Training

“You have no control over what the other guy does. You only have control over what you do.” - A J Kitt

Let me state from the outset that I’m not a qualified coach so what follows (like the rest of this article actually) is just my thoughts and opinions:

• if you can afford it – get a coach! A good coach will assess your capabilities & skills and tailor your workout accordingly. A coach can also provide valuable technique advice and feedback. If you would like a coach and can’t afford it, consider a group program like Team In Training www.teamintraining.org who will provide coaching in return for fundraising.
• Join a club – Tri Club Marin obviously (www.triclubmarin.org). Clubs will provide group workouts and possibly coaching sessions included in the membership or for a small additional cost. Check out our calendar to see workouts and events.
• Get a workout plan – there are many options on the internet, try www.beginnertriathlete.com or www.trinewbies.com for free programs. Remember these are generic so you’ll need to adjust to your own skill level and limiters
• Record your workouts – use either paper-based or on-line. Google and see what you find. Beginner Triathlete (see website above) offers a free on-line logbook which works great
• Consistency is more important that just about anything else except technique.
• If you miss a workout don’t freak. Equally don’t try to double-up to make up for the missed workout – this can lead to overtraining
• Get a heart rate monitor and learn how to use it – you only need a fairly basic model
• Listen to your body – if you’re tired, sore, whatever, use that information and take a break. If any soreness or pain persists for more than a few days see your quack (doctor)
• Don’t forget to practice transitions – this is the equivalent of free speed and is easily obtainable
• Don’t focus on the length of the workout or how many miles you’ve done, focus on the quality and intensity
• Practice racing conditions including nutrition during training
• Have fun at all times J

Racing

Now you’re ready to go, you’ve done all your training and it’s almost race day but before you tip up you need to prepare (yes more preparation!). Some suggestions:

2 weeks pre-race:
 - check directions to event & estimated travel time, find out about parking or other event peculiarities
 - get bike serviced and ride it to make sure everything works OK!
 - if you haven’t been to race site, go visit & ride/run at least part of the course. Swim too if you can
 - check long-range forecast
- practice transition (if you haven’t already done so in regular training)
 
1 week pre-race
-         check forecast again
-         check websites for any updates
-         review course maps if available
-         taper (of course!!!)
-         review your goals/strategies
-         review race rules esp. drafting
-         start visualizing the race
 
2 days pre-race
 - lay out your gear according to your checklist
- check websites for any updates
 
Night before
-         pack gear & check off all items
-         check websites for any updates
-         check bike – brakes, tires, lube
-         check forecast
-         set alarm clock!
-         Go to bed early
-         Eat normally
 
Race Day
-         eat per your nutrition plan – don’t try anything new
-         pack up the car if applicable & drive to race site
-         set up your transition area in orderly fashion (like you did in practice!)
-         pump tires, give bike a quick visual check – brakes, chain etc.
-         set HRM if using
-         get race packet & numbered
-         check out transition area – know where the in & out areas are
-         attend pre-race briefing
-         warm-up, relax, stretch some
-         race & kick butt

Well that’s pretty much it for an intro. Remember the key to all this is fun. If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing it gets old really quick.

Resources:

Triathlon in 4 Hours a Week, Eric Harr
Triathlete’s Training Bible, Joe Friel
Going Long, Joe Friel & Gordon Bryn
Triathlete magazine
Inside Triathlon magazine

www.triclubmarin.org
http://www.gravywheels.net/
http://www.fleetfeetsananselmo.com/
www.beginnertriathlete.com
www.mapmyrun.com
www.slowtwitch.com
http://www.coachgordo.com/gtips/index.html
http://www.trifuel.com/

There are plenty of resources out there especially on the internet. Take some time, do some reading and educate yourself. Like TV informercials, things that seem too good to be true probably are. There are no quick fixes but a little time, a little patience & effort will pay big dividends.