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5O RACE TIPS

TOP 50

RACE TIPS

H

ere followssuggestions andlessons that Ive

gleaned enroute frombeing a sinking age-grouper tothree-time World IronmanChampion. I dont profess tohave all the answers but I hopethat some of these tri tit-bitswill be useful as you preparefor your next start line.

Before we go through my trichecklist, a word of warning:dont try anything new duringyour A race(s). Therell besuggestions in this article thatare new to you whether its

nutrition, wearing earplugs orlubing techniques. The key isthat you practise, practise andthen practise again in trainingor during B races.

So, without further ado,here are my top 50 tips forrace-day success

RACE WEEK

1Surf the event website. Studythe course maps and takenote of any steep descents,

climbs, corners and aid station

locations (and what food anddrink they offer so you can factor

this into your nutrition plan).

Look at wave start and cut-off

times, and the times of the

CHRISSIE

WELLINGTONS

anything new in race week;there are a lot of freebie foodsamples at race expos dont

be tempted to try them!

5Watch the weather forecastto ensure you have thenecessary clothes and kit

[see Peak for London on p74 for

a list of the equipment youll

need Ed]. Check your

equipment to ensure you havent

forgotten anything and make

sure that everything is in working

order. Lay your kit out in

separate piles for each of the

three disciplines and pack your

bag(s) including preparing/

mixing your nutrition the daybefore the race.

6If your chamois in yourrace shorts is thinner thanthe chamois in your cycletraining shorts, you shouldadjust the saddle height by afew millimetres to compensatefor the difference.

7Engage in a race courserecce if you can. Check whereyoull come in from the swim

(swim in), where youll leave

transition on the bike (bike outand mount line), where youll bike

in (and dismount line) and where

youll run out. If theres time, walk

through it to get your bearings.

Youve clocked up the training miles but what happens whenyou reach race week? Who better to tell you than the three-time

Ironman World Champion, Chrissie Wellington?

athlete briefing and registration.

Seek advice and insights from

athletes whove done the race

before. If youre driving to thevenue, plan your route and pick a

place to park (taking road

closures into account).

2Know the race rules. Youdont want to risk gettingpenalised or even disqualifiedand having to explain theDNF to work colleagues/teammates/the police. If

youre unsure, speak to therace director or head referee.

3

Massages are great, but not

the day before a race asthey can leave you feeling

sluggish. I always have a gentle

rub down on the penultimate

day. Shave/pluck/clip/wax and

make sure you clip your toenails.

4Dont overhydrate orovereat. I cut down onfibre and spicy or rich foodsthree days out to reduce thelikelihood of GI distress. I stickto plain foods, with a lower GIindex, such as white rice, breadand pasta. Retaining the same

calorific intake, coupled withthe reduction in training,should ensure your glycogenstores are full but notoverflowing. Avoid eating&

Delly

carr,

ric

hc

ruise

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easy gear, and ensure thehandlebars face you on exitfrom the swim so you can steerstraight out of transition.

15If you wear bike shoes,sprinkle talc insideand loosen the straps beforea) placing them next to your

bike, b) clipping them into your

pedals or c) attaching them to

the bike with elastic bands to

keep them upright when

running to the mount line.

16Secure spares toyour bike. Its importantto ensure that the valve on

your spare inner tube ortubular fits the wheels.This may mean you need anextender if the valve is shorter

than the depth of the rim.Reset your bike computer.

17Place a small towel next toyour bike, and put your

run shoes on top. Make sure that

the tongue and laces are open

and, if you use them like I do, put

one sock in each shoe. I also

sprinkle talc inside my run shoes

(and socks) to help soak up

water and prevent blisters.

18Secure your bottles,gels, bars and so on tothe bike. I use a front-mountingaerobar bottle for water, whichonly ever has 3in of water inbecause any more affects thebikes weight and handling.

19Put your unbuckledhelmet upside down onyour handle/aerobars on the

side of the bike that youll arrive

at after the swim. Make sure the

lenses of your sunglasses are

clean, and then put them insideyour helmet with the arms open.

Place your number belt (if youre

wearing one) upside down on

top with the clasp open.

8Visualise the race in yourmind. Have a mental, aswell as a physical, plan to dealwith the inevitable ups anddowns to give yourself thepeace of mind that you cancope with the unexpected.

RACEMORNING

9Set two alarms a gentlesound rather than a blaringbuzzer for an early-morning

wake-up call. Have a shower to

wake you, and your body, up.

10Deep breathing andself-massage will helprelax muscles and ease tension.Think positive thoughts andmake positive statements from

the moment you wake. This isYOUR day and youve done allyou can to prepare for it.

11Eat your breakfast around2.5hrs before your racestart time. Consume low fibre,

simple (low GI) carbs, with a small

amount of fat and protein. I have

hot rice cereal, made with water,

with nut butter and honey stirred

in. Sip water and have a cup of tea

or coffee if youre used to it.

12

Put your race kit (and

watch) on, and overdress as the early morningscan be cold (you can alwaysremove layers). Put your timingchip on your left ankle toprevent it getting caught in thechainring. Secure the Velcrowith a safety pin, and lube thearea with Vaseline to preventchafing. Ladies (or gents) withlong hair, make sure yourponytail is at the nape of yourneck so you can put your bikehelmet on easily. Have yourheadtorch to hand as early

mornings can be dark.

13Leave plenty of time toget to the race start toavoid a last-minute rush. Take

into account traffic jams and

queues. A short walk can help

wake your mind and body.

TRANSITION14When you rack yourbike, look for a landmarkthatll help you locate it afterthe swim. Pump your tyres up

first so that youve more timeto sort out any unforeseenproblems taking your owntrack/foot pump is always agood idea. Put the bike in an

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20Make sure you leavetime to get into yourwetsuit. Liberally applylubricant (non-oil based to stopit destroying the neoprene) toareas prone to chafing and alsoon your ankles to make wetsuitremoval easier. I always cut aninch off the legs of my wetsuitto make it easier to get it off.Use a rubber glove or plasticbag to apply lube, as itll prevent

your hands from getting oily(which affects the catch in theswim). Pull your wetsuit highinto your crotch and bend overto make sure there are noruffles around the waist.

21Buy some cheap,throwaway slippers/flipflops to wear down to the swim

start. This helps avoid cold feet(literally) and prevents any cuts

on sharp objects. Have two

pairs of swim goggles at hand

one for bright sunlight and one

for dull days. That way you also

have a spare pair in case, say,

the strap breaks.

22Wearing two swim capsand silicon earplugscan help make the water seemless cold (peeing in yourwetsuit is also a good idea).

23Focus on yourself anddont watch what othersare doing. Yes, the bike next toyou might be more bling than

your antique Penny Farthing, but

its the engine that counts. Now

isnt the time for tri perving

save it for after the race! Close

your eyes, relax, breathe and

accept that nerves are normal!

SWIM

24Warm up 15-25minsbefore the start. Iusually get in the water 15minsbefore the gun goes off and do10mins warm-up (with somespeed pick-ups) and then5mins on the start line,creating a space for myself. Idont run before a triathlonstart, as I want the blood to bein my arms not my legs. But, if

you do decide to run, makesure you have time for a shortwarm-up swim, too.

25Weaker swimmersshould start at the sideof the pack or towards the back.Try and scull on your belly,

making wide circles with your

arms and legs to establish a

space of water for yourself.

youre following feet youll stillneed to look up and sight toremain on course. This is whereit helps to have pre-selectednavigation landmarks.

29Kick your legs hardercoming into T1 toprepare your legs for the short

run and the bike leg. Mentally

rehearse the first transition

before you finish the swim.

T1

30Immediately removeyour goggles and swimcap, and then take your wetsuitoff to the waist. Remove oneleg and then step on theunoccupied wetsuit leg toremove the other. Dont panic if

you cant get your suit offimmediately. Relax, breatheand try again sit down if youhave to (but dont get in the

way of other athletes).

31Put your sunglasses onfirst, then the helmet.This way theyll be under the

26Be prepared to sprintin the first 200-400m.Ordinarily I breathe every twostrokes but in this first 400msprint I keep my head downmore and breathe everyfour-to-six (but donthyperventilate!). This canalso help prevent gogglesgetting knocked off. If yourgoggles do come off, dont

panic. Just roll on your backor tread water, put yourgoggles back in positionand continue swimming.

27There can be trafficjams at the turningbuoys so weaker swimmers

should stay on the outside of

the turn and then work in as

you pass the buoy. Youll be

less frustrated and wont need

to break your stroke.

28Most swimmers will be

in a pack. Try to sit onthe feet, or even at the waist, ofanother swimmer to get theirdraft and reduce your ownenergy expenditure. Even if

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5O RACE TIPS

helmet straps and wont get

knocked off when you pull

your helmet off in T2. Put your

number belt on with the

number on your back.

32

Wheel your bike bythe saddle, not the

handlebars, so the pedals dontbash your legs en route to themount line. Remember, dont

jump on your trusty steed untilyou get to the mount line!

BIKE

33Wait until youve settledinto a rhythm (say, afterthe first km) before you take on

any nutrition/hydration. Slow

down for aid stations and watch

for other cyclists.

34Begin and finish thebike in a lower gearthan you plan to race in. Usethe hills, corners and aidstations to sit up and/or getout of the saddle. This variationin position will help you torecruit different muscles,and prevent fatigue anddiscomfort. Race at YOURpace. Dont worry about whatothers are doing, but DO obeythe drafting rules!

T235Increase your cadencein the last 500m. Loosenthe strap on your bike shoes

about 100m from T2 and slip

your feet out. Dismount

barefoot, so you can run swiftly

back to transition. Dont unclip

your helmet until youve

racked your bike.

36Put on socks, shoes,hat/visor and fuel belt(if youre wearing one). Rotate

your number belt so thenumber faces forwards. Takea few deep breaths.

RUN

37Ignore your legs theyllundoubtedly feel woodenand wobbly. This wont last, and

within a kilometre youll settle

into your stride and shake off

any biking discomfort. I try to

maintain a shorter stride length,

keep my shoulders down, lift my

hips and look forwards.

38Constantly checkyourself. Relax yourshoulders, face, neck, armsand hands. Tension in these

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areas manifests itself astightness throughout thebody. I hold my gels in myhands to stop me clenchingmy fists. Maintain a constantbreathing rate (the same istrue on the bike). And smile!

39Remember to enjoyevery moment of thefinish chute and celebrate

when you cross the line. The

timing chip records your time,

so look up, smile and let the

race photographer get a snap

shot for you to treasure!

NUTRITION

40If the race has aspecial needs facility,use it! Have spare food/drinkjust in case you lose a bottleon the bike or you need morenutrition than you anticipated.

41In half and full iron-distance races, I takeon one gramme of carbs per kilo

of body weight per hour. The

carbs are a mix of sugars

(glucose and fructose to

increase glycogen absorption).

In an Ironman, I have two

bottles (430 calories in each)

on the bike, plus two gels and

a chocolate bar. I make myfirst drinks bottle slightly

less concentrated than the

second, to make it more

palatable early in the race

(especially if Ive swallowed

some open water!). Following

the formula above, I have one

gel every 25mins washed

down with water on the run.

42Know the electrolyte(including salt) valuesin your food and drinks.Unless youre a very heavy

sweater you probably dontneed to top this up withtablets. Take care withcaffeine tablets as they cancause GI distress (I speakfrom experience!).

43Use the water, ice andsponges at aid stationsto help cool your body on a hot

day. These can also be shoved

down your race top, under

your hat or down your shorts.

I sometimes hold ice cubes in

my hands. (Speed) walking

through the aid stations is agood strategy if youre getting

tired, and to ensure you get

the nutrition/hydration that

you need.

friends, persuade them to come

and cheer you on, make

banners, wear team t-shirts and

generally behave in such a way

that would get them arrested

under normal circumstances.And dedicate each of the last

few kms to these people or any

causes you care about.

POST-RACE

48Put flip-flops in yourpost-race bag, or givethem to a friend to pass to youat the finish line. Theyreheaven for sore, hot andblistered feet!

49

Replace fluid and then

re-fuel as soon as youcan after the race. Listen to your

body and if it says Eat pizza,

then you should obey those

commands! Do some gentle

exercise, walking or light

swimming. Wear good-quality

compression wear and try to

keep your feet elevated for

15mins twice a day.

50Use a good body scrubto remove any racenumbers or temporary tattoos(unless you want to keep them

for bragging rights!). Now wearyour finishers medal to work/the pub/in bed, indulge in what

you fancy and truly celebratewhat youve achieved! 220

44Respect the raceorganisers andvolunteers, and dont throwany rubbish on the course.Save it for the aid stations!

PSYCHOLOGY

45Only use positive wordsand affirmations. Have amantra and a couple of special

songs/poems to repeat. I write

my mantra on my water bottle

and wristband to give me a

boost. Draw heavily on positive

images family, friends,

holidays, past races, a plate of

chips and recall times when

youve struggled and overcome

hurdles or hurt. This will give

you the confidence that you canovercome dark times and come

out the other side.

46Break the race up intosmaller, moremanageable segments. Ialways think of the marathonas 4 x 10km with a little bitmore. You might even thinkabout just getting to the nextaid station, or lamppost, orPortaloo, and from theresetting another landmark goal.Stay in the moment and dont

think too far ahead.

47Draw on the energy fromspectators. If you thriveon support from family and