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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
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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
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