I did not expect to get the “Tri Itch” after my 1st sprint tri a month ago, but I did. I’ve always loved running, but honestly don’t love the anxiety, nerves, and competition that come along with races. I definitely got more nervous before this race than I did for my first one since I signed up ahead of time and had more time to think about it. But the way these sprint triathlons have had staggered start times and with it being a multisport event, for some reason it takes the pressure off me a little, and I am able to just go out there, have fun, and give it my best. This Sprint Triathlon, the Greenville Tri, was a 400m swim, 15 mile bike, and 5K run.
I will say, one of the biggest things for me is to not be intimidated. It is easy when you stroll up to a race to be overwhelmed by the super expensive bikes, the fancy gear, and athletes performing their fancy warm-ups. You may feel like you don’t belong (like I totally did), but I try my best to zone that out, and remind myself that right now, I am doing this for fun and to challenge myself with something new!
Being new to this sport, I have already learned a lot. I am NO pro. But these are just some great tips I have learned from the 2 tris I have done this Summer. Learning from my experience and from those who have given advice and helped me and encouraged me along the way. And this may be a good reminder to me next season!
Tri Tips for Beginners
- Train for your least favorite category. This can go for any training of any practice or sport. For me, it’s the bike.
- Get yourself familiar with the course. I wasn’t able to go out and ride the bike course or run the run course, but I DID go to the Westside Aquatic Center to swim a few laps in the 50m pool, and it made me feel much more comfortable the day of the race.
- Practice your transitions. Literally, place your stuff out on the front porch and practice getting out of your bike gear and into your running gear. Also,practice going from one sport to the next, so that your muscles learn to adapt better to this transition physically and mentally. My transition times were terrible, so definitely need to focus on that more for next race!
- Don’t be scared to ask for help. TRULY…I’m not the best at this, hence, why I basically didn’t train, because I didn’t feel too comfortable doing training rides on my own. Then, I reached out to a friend who is a tri BEAST (seriously, she is amazing and SO above my level, but open and warm enough for me to feel comfortable going to her) She was nice enough to take me on a ride and help me learn my bike and how to use her to my advantage during the race. I felt SO much more confident and strong on the bike this race compared to last race, and I owe it all to her! With that being said, if you don’t truly understand your gears and when to use them, etc…ask someone! It will be worth it!
- Feel cool and confident in what you are wearing. I have always found this to be true in all areas of my life. It sounds cheesy and I may have totally been a poser wearing my Hincapie gear, but I FELT good and confident…and slightly more official than when I wore my bike shorts with a sports bra last race.
On Race Day
Make a checklist:
TO BRING:
- Swim: shorts/swim suit, goggles, towel, swim cap
- Bike: your bike, helmet, gloves, cycle shoes & socks, water bottle, nutrition, tool kit
- Run: running shoes, race belt, hat, training watch
- Bring a dry change of clothes!
TO DO:
- Wake up early & eat familiar foods HOURS before race time.
- Stop drinking 2 hours prior to start (but drink PLENTY the night before)
- Get to the race course early to set up and warm up
- warm up: if you have time, try to warm up a little bit in each category, and throw in some dynamic stretching
- Organize your space with gear in the order that you will use it.
- Make goals, even if they are small. They could by time goals or simple mental/physical goals.
Goals for my next race…whenever that may be:
- Decreased transition times (which I need to practice!)
- Increased strokes per breath on the swim.
- On the podium for my age group.
- More focused training. Swim, bike, and run at least 1x/week.
- Swim faster, bike faster, and run faster. As simple as that.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Again, I am clearly an amateur, but we all are once and its nice to have accountability and support.
HAPPY MONDAY!!
