lpress

Folks,

In an earlier post, I asked you for tips before my first triathlon. I got some helpful feedback, which I will summarize here for the benefit of future triathlon newbies. I asked four questions:

I have an old road bike with pretty old 700x25 tires. A puncture would ruin the race -- should I get new tires for the race?

This was divided -- some people said to switch to kevlar-belted tires, others said to stick with the old ones as long as they did not have any cracks or bare threads. I ran out of time, so stuck with my old tires. I also got a pump with a pressure gauge, so they were properly inflated. When these wear out, I will replace them with kevlar-belted tires. The only specific recommendation was for Michelin Pro 2 Race tires -- any other favorite models?

I took along spare tube and tire tools just in case. I figured that would let me finish regardless. I lucked out, and did not need them. I only saw one person get a flat.

Any tips on tapering off my training the week before the race?

You all suggested easing off during the last week, which I did. Some suggested light workouts with sprints the last two days, and one person suggested total rest. I did not sprint, but took an ocean swim two days before the race (I'd never swum with a wet suit, and wanted to get used to it). The day before the race I rode the bike course at moderate speed just to get familiar with it. Someone also suggested getting extra sleep for a couple of days before the tri, but I am a poor sleeper, so couldn't. I felt well rested and ready the day of the race.

Any warm up tips for the day of the race?

Many suggested getting in the water before the start and a lot of stretching and swinging my arms around. Several people recommended a bit of race-speed swimming and sprinting before the start. One person suggested a strenuous warm up -- that might be a better strategy for a younger person than an older one. I did a little jogging, and, since my jog speed is my race speed :-), figured that was good enough. It also seemed like the swim would be a good warm up for the bike.

Do I need to eat and drink during a short race like this?

You all seemed to agree that drinking was more important than eating, and I took your advice. I drank water before the race, and drank a bottle of Vitamin Water during the swim-bike transition. I figured to drink at water tables during the run, but that was awkward, so next year I will drink something during both transitions. The Vitamin Water tasted great, and the wide mouth bottle was fast for chugging. I also took a couple of electrolyte capsules they gave us. I think I will eat an energy bar or something (cookies?) during the race next year. I am not sure, but that might have helped a bit during the run.

Several people suggested a light breakfast one-two hours before the race, and that was very good advice. When I did my test swim two days before the race, I had just eaten lunch. It felt much better to swim on a somewhat empty stomach!

There were other tips as well. A couple people warned against too much drinking because of having to pee. One person suggested a nose clip for the swim -- highly recommended. Now, if someone would invent "mouth goggles" to deflect the sea water away from your mouth -- what a grungy taste -- I would be a happy camper. You advised not using a heart monitor or watch during the race -- take it easy. A couple of folks warned about jostling and collisions at the start of the swim, but I kind of liked that -- it felt like swimming with a bunch of seals or being in a school of fish, and I knew I was on course without looking.

You all were unanimous on one thing -- having a good time and not pushing too hard. I did both. My time was just over 1 hour 23 minutes, three minutes behind my age group winner. Next year I will try to break one hour 20 minutes.

Thanks for the tips!

Larry

uclamutt

Congrats, Larry! What race did you do? Malibu?

lpress

No, Carpinteria.

Lar

cyclochica

Thank you for consolidating all the information you received. As a tri newbie training for her first race, this was a huge help. Books are great references, but being able to get someone's first time impressions is priceless. Congrats on your finish and thanks for inspiring me to keep up my training.

CC