9 Tips for Nailing your First Triathlon
Written by Jim Levesque, Owner and Head Coach at Grit Endurance. Learn more about Jim’s background here!
The last few days before your first triathlon will usually be exciting, overwhelming, exhilarating, and nerve wracking, all wrapped up into one tinder box of emotions! Here are 9 tips to help you manage those emotions before the race as well as have a great first race experience! And for those of you who have already participated in a triathlon, these tips can still apply to you as well!
Remember why you are doing this in the first place. Your “why” should always be the foundation that you lean on when you feel nervous, unsure about things, or even when the race gets hard!
Plan out your race logistics ahead of time, which will make things more predictable and reduce anxiety. This could be anything from when you will pick up your packet and when you will wake up race morning, to what equipment you need to pack, to what you’ll have for breakfast, to what you’ll eat or drink during the race!
Don’t overeat the day before the race. This is a common mistake. Yes, you should eat good quality meals the day before your race that are high in carbohydrates, but many people eat far too much for dinner, which can disrupt sleep and lead to a sluggish feeling in the morning. Try eating a good-sized breakfast and lunch but keeping dinner on the lighter side!
Plan in extra time for race morning. The extra 15 minutes of sleep is nice, but the last thing you want to do is be stressed out about the amount of time you have to get ready. Depending on the race, it can often take longer than expected to get parked and over to the transition area to set up. And we all know how long those pesky porta potty lines can get!
Do a mental run through before the race of how you will handle the transitions. Count the rows from swim out to your bike and plan out where you’ll need to go for T1 and T2. It always looks a lot different during the race, so the mental run through can save a lot of time and energy!
Get in a good warmup before you start. The most stressful portion of a triathlon for beginners is usually the first 5 minutes of the swim. Be better prepared for it by getting in a 15–20-minute warmup to ensure you are ready to go. A good rule of thumb to know that you are fully warmed up is that you should be sweating!
Don’t start the race, or any individual segment for that matter, too fast. Pace yourself and monitor your effort. Stick to what you know you can sustain until you are in the later stages. This will ensure you finish strong!
Know your fueling, hydration and electrolyte strategy. Other than pacing, these are the primary keys to nailing your race day performance! If you aren’t sure where to start, reach out to us for more details on how to manage this!
Have fun! Remember to enjoy and savor the experience, you only get to do your first triathlon once!
If this information interests you and you aren’t sure where to start, please reach out, contact us here!