Triathlon Checklist

An article by Graham Park    1 Comment

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Many NZ triathletes have been training all winter for the ITU World Champs Beijing in September. Here is a pre-race checklist that covers just about everything that you will need for transitions, in addition to some tricks of the trade.It also is handy to use for any races you plan on doing from Sprint to Ironman – some rules may mean that bikes will be racked the night before race day and not allowed to do a warm up on them.Some will be on the morning / afternoon of race day.

Pre-Race

Pre-race preparation should start the day before your race. Using the checklist below, it is highly recommended that you layout all of the equipment, clothing, nutrition and anything else that you will need for the day. Once it’s all laid out, then you can check it off your list and start packing it up for the next morning. Ideally, you will have all of your bags packed and ready to go by the middle of the day so all you have to do is relax and eat dinner before going to sleep.

• Track Pants or Team shorts
• Warm up Top
• Beanie, but not likely in Beijing
• iPod – Im not too sure if its a good idea to have as you need to listen to the Race Information so don’t have it on full blast, loud enough to tune into Springsteen ” Born To Run ” Greatest Hits – but able to hear what is going down too
• Water Bottle (sports drink)
• Snack (granola bar, Powerbar, Cliff Bar etc…)
• Comfortable shoes/sandals
• Socks (throw away)
• Heart Rate monitor wrist watch – if using one
• Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap – if using one
• Transition bag
• Dry Clothing bag
• Time Chip with ankle strap

The key with the pre-race clothing is to be as comfortable and warm as possible. Track pants and a warm up top should be comfortable and will keep you warm. Some people prefer the beanie to keep their heads warm and the iPod should be loaded up with a mixture of calming musing and then a playlist with some motivational music for the last 10-15 minute before you start. You should have a water bottle that is filled with either a sports drink or water. Make sure you bring a snack, there is usually a lot of hurry up and wait in the morning. The dry clothing bag is something like a trash bag- you will put your pre-race sweats, iPod and all that other stuff in there before you race. When you get dressed in the morning, don’t forget to put your HR chest strap on, you can swim with it on. Last, but not least, put your timing chip and ankle strap on before you leave your hotel room or house- that way, it’s there and done.Note also some races have race briefing the day or evening prior or just hour or so before race start. Know the course and rules !!

Swim

For the swim, make sure you know where you are going to (start line) and what time you are supposed to be there. Make sure you are lubed up with either Body Glide and/or Suit Juice. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen – water based , not oil based as holds heat in !! Other good one to add is Insect Repellent

• Swim suit/ race suit
• Wet suit/ swim skin
• Towel(s) – not one from Hotel !!
• 2 goggles (1 clear/ 1 tinted)
• Goggle defogger
• Sunscreen
• Body Glide/Suit Juice
• Race Swim Cap

Bike

When you get to the transition area, make sure you setup your area immediately. Once that’s done, you will have plenty of time to relax and listen to the iPod. Make sure you lay out your area in an organized and systematic way so everything is where you need it. A good piece of advice is, put your helmet, upside down, on your aerobars or next to your bike if you don’t have aerobars. Then, put your sunglasses inside your helmet and then your race belt on top of that. If you are going to carry the spare tire kit(s) in the back pocket of your jersey, put that in the helmet too, along with whatever gels or bars you are going to carry. For Worlds best to tape food to top tube as will be a lot on the course so need to keep eyes focused on road ahead and not trying to open packets.

When you exit swim and head to the transition area from the swim,  start taking off your wetsuit , undo zip , roll down over hip bones,( I don’t think it will be a wetsuit swim as Beijing temps are in 30′s about this time)  all the time running to your BIKE. put your cycling shoes on and then stand up, BUT if you have practiced mounting your bike with shoes attached to bike peddles then.

From that point, you taking stuff out of your helmet and putting it where it needs to go. The gels, bars and spare tire kit goes into your back pocket. Best to tape spare to seat post or in a special type bag that bike shops sell that go on top tube. The race belt around our mid drift with the number on your back side, sun glasses on your head.

The last thing to grab is the helmet, which you NEED TO BUCKLE immediately. From there, grab your bike and head out of transition.If you have done transition training you will have it in a numbered order , 1 wetsuit off – 2 helmet on – 3 glasses on – 4 pick up bike – 5 run with bike to mounting zone – 6 mount bike – feet on top of bike shoes , ride clear of transition some 100 plus metres then one foot in shoe , then few more turns of peddles then keep motion going forward and then other foot in..then its “hammer time “.

• Bike
• Bike Shoes
• Sunglasses (clear or tinted)
• Helmet
• Race Belt
• Race Number
• Spare Tubes
• CO2 cartridge(s) w/ adapter
• Tire Lever(s)
• Bike Pump
• Water Bottles (filled)
• Nutrition (Gels, bars, etc…)
• Socks – if racing in them
• Baby Powder
• Sunscreen

Run

Once you get back into transition, rack your bike  Take off your helmet ONLY when bike is on rack ,then immediately replace it with your hat or visor. Then take off your cycling shoes if you have it down to a fine art shoes would have been still on bike and you have slipped your feet out while biking back to bike dismount some 300 plus metres prior to hitting the “dismount line “, put your socks on if racing in them ( probaly not for a short race ) then your running shoes. Remove and/or add what you need from your back pocket. From there, stand up, turn your race belt so the number is in the front and off you go.

• Running Shoes
• Socks
• Hat or Visor
• Run Nutrition (Fuel Belt, gels, water bottle, etc…)

Post race

When you’re done, it’s time to get comfortable and relax! Make sure you change back into your comfortable sandals and put on a dry top (if possible) and whatever else you find comfortable. Pack up your gear, support your NZ Team mates.

• T-shirt or NZ uniform top
• Shorts
• Money
• Recovery Drink
• Pre-Race sweat pants, warm up top and sandals

MOST important – when you have a chance, especially after finishing ,txt or  phone home as family and friends who arent at Worlds, they will be waiting to hear how you got on. Then you can hang out with other team mates..and start getting ready for the Race Party !!

There are lots of other sites that allow you to make up your own lists too:

• http://triathlon.racechecklist.com/
• http://sprint-triathlon.racechecklist.com/
• http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/Downloads/Race%20day%20checklist.pdf
• http://www.onetri.com/newsdesk_info.php?newsdeskPath=0&newsdesk_id=1

Kia Kaha

Be Strong

Coach G Force

Check out Graham’s triathlon coaching website TriCoachNZ for more advice or if you’re after a coach to help you go that extra mile