Anyways… today’s post.. if you’re doing your first tri you may have Googled “first triathlon tips” or “triathlon tips.” I’m guessing the typical variety will come up- check out the course before the race, practice transitions, wear your race clothes for training, practice fueling, learn how to sight, etc. These are the more obvious things… here is a list of things that helped me that some people may not think of…. Some I thought of in advance, some I learned the hard way, and some are things I’ve picked up along the way.
2. Take your wetsuit off inside out to save time- unzip, pull sleeves off inside out and push down, step on to get all the way off.
3. Practice swimming in open water before race day- ok this is a pretty obvious tip but I have an amendment to it- practice swimming in the pool with your eyes closed to simulate not being able to see anything in the open water (not the whole time, but try a few laps).
5. Double knot your shoes- seems obvious but when you’re rushing out of transition you sometimes forget
6. Wear your ankle timing chip on your left foot- this keeps it from tangling with the equipment on the right
7. Stay to the far side of the markers and towards the back if you’re anxious of crowds during the swim- aka avoid the crowds… people swimming over you and on top of you sucks bad and is super scary if you are not a strong swimmer, just take the time to go a little bit further uninterrupted.
9. Train and complain with friends- I honestly don’t think I would’ve ever dared to enter the intimidating sport of triathlon if not for my friends, they served as awesome support systems and it was so much fun having that experience together (much love to LB and MG)!
10. Remind yourself that you’re not being paid to race- it’s okay to take your time and just enjoy the experience- it’s awesome!!!
If you have any tips for first timers (or in general) please share in the comments! Ever done a triathlon?! Any interest in trying one!?