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Things I learned from my first TRI
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 2004-09-29 2:53 PM |
Veteran  218  Indianapolis, IN |  Subject: Things I learned from my first TRISwim: 1) In a mass start that starts off the shore, be in front if you a halfway decent swimmer. I got stuck in back of a lot of slower people and probably lost some time just trying to find an open lane. Being a couteous person, I let them by instead of taking the initiative to just fly by them or elbow anyone like what was being done to me. 2) Wear tinted goggles if the sun is out. I could not see the buoys since the sun was in my eyes for the biggest part of the swim, I spent a lot of time looking to see where the buoy was. Also know the course and how the buoys sit along the shore line so if you can't see them , you can still judge or be close. Bike: 1) If someone is slower than you or putzing with their equipment, pass them and dont worry that they may pass you later on the hill or something. Wasted time by slowing my pace instead of passing slower people. 2) Make someone take the initiative to pass you. Dont slow down just because they seem like they want to pass. This is a race!!! 3) Dont let someone elses pace determine yours. Run: 1) Dont look at the run as a negative if it is not your strongsuit, look at it as a challenge and remember that this is a race, not some Sunday jog through the park. I really let myself down here since I was so worried that I might not finish, that I let that determine my pace and probably left some out on the race course. It wont happen again. 2) Target someone and try your best to keep up with them!!! Transitions: 1) As my wife said, this isn't the prom. Get going. Take a breath and relax long enough to do the transitions as you had practiced them. 2) Wet feet and bike socks do not like each other and will fight to not have to go by each other. Dry your feet if you can before attempting this union. These are just some of the little things I learned from my first TRI and I hope that I can improve on them. Jeff |
| 2004-09-29 3:16 PM in reply to: #67809 |
Veteran 276 manitoba, canada | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI Thanks for sharing!! This is exactly why I joined bt, to get the kind of practical, unscientific advice/information etc you just can't get from a book!! Sharing our trial and error stories is a big help. (Not that I have any yet |
| 2004-09-29 3:33 PM in reply to: #67809 |
Master 2233 Mechanicsburg, PA | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI If the disco ball helps you locate your transition area, I say bring it! Just don't expect the race director to have an extension cord available for the "spinny motor thingy." What I learned was that if people are blocking, you need to tell them - loudly if need be. Don't assume that everyone has read the rule book. Also, if you volunteer to help park people, don't be surprised if you see the worst in people when you tell them to park 100 yards from the check-in desk. Surprisingly, those are some of the same people that will cheer you on later. Me: If you could follow those people and park over there sir, that would be great. Sir: So you mean to tell me that by getting here early, I have to park farther away and the latecommers get the close spots? Me: Sir, I'm just asking you to park where the race director has asked me to ask people to park. Besides, I can't imagine you'll do very well in this race if you are incapable of walking you and your bike 100 yards from the parking area to the check-in desk. Sir: Humph... Later on, he cheered me on out on the bike and running course. Funny how a little ATP will change someone's mood... -Frank |
| 2004-09-29 3:47 PM in reply to: #67809 |
Expert 1152 wrightsville beach, North Carolina | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI excellent advice!! Wish I had heard it before my first tri. |
| 2004-09-29 5:09 PM in reply to: #67809 |
| Veteran 175 Albury, Oz | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI Yes it is good advice. Also if you haven't practiced getting your foot out of your cycle shoe in a seamless and always repeatable fashion you will a. cramp like you never have before and b. most likely flick the shoe off so it goes bouncing into the thickest snake laden bushes 250 metres from the transition area. Dx |
| 2004-09-29 5:50 PM in reply to: #67863 |
| Seattle, WA | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI To ease the sock-wet feet union, put baby powder in your socks (advice courtesy of Jasmine's mom). To get the shirt on your wet body, roll up the shirt inside out so you can just roll it on rather than struggle to pull it down. I definitely agree with not letting others determine your pace. Pass when you can pass. For cold weather, wear a wrist band to wipe off your snot while on the bike course; much more absorbant than your shirt. yoshi |
| 2004-09-29 6:52 PM in reply to: #67809 |
Veteran 213 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI 1) Don't wear a speedo for the swim unless you intend to wear only a speedo for the whole race. I figured I could just pull my bike shorts up over my speedo and everything would be fine. Well that part was fine but half way through the bike I was extremely uncomfortable! That also leads to the other lesson I learned. 2) Don't do anything different on race day (although given I always swim in a speedo I was kind of screwed on that one). I guess I should have thought ahead. 3) Make a mental note of where you parked your bike and what entrance you will be coming in and where the exit is. When I entered the transition area I was quite confused and it took me a little while to find my bike. Thankfully, the race was well organized so once I took a couple deep breathes I was able to figure out what was going on. 4) Make sure that your timing chip is securely attached to your ankle and is sufficiently high up your leg so as to avoid the nasty sore I got when the timing chip was rubbing up and down on my achilles for the entire run. Thankfully, the pain in my ankle kept my mind off of all of the other parts of my body that hurt.  In retrospect, I should have stopped and adjusted the timing chip. 5) Get the massage afterwards it they are offered. I did and I can't imagine what I would have felt like if I hadn't. Note: I already signed up for another tri so despite all of the comments above it was a lot of fun. So relax, have fun and make sure to smile at and/or thank as many volunteers as possible! Mike |
| 2004-09-29 7:58 PM in reply to: #67809 |
Expert 717 Utah | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI Thank you for sharing your observations. This is info. I need before my first tri. |
| 2004-09-29 9:45 PM in reply to: #67809 |
Expert 1836 Lafayette, CO | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI Practice setting up your T1 before race day. Lay out everything on a towel the way that YOU want it. (I place bike things closest to the bike, run things farther away. Water bottles hold the towel in place, one marked W [water], one marked C [carb drink].) Bring two towels, one for the ground, and one for your feet. If you're using a wetsuit, practice taking it off quickly before the race. Buy a can of Pam and use it. Liberally. Trust me on this one. Or, trust Stacers, infosteward, bootygirl and coredump... Once you get your T1 set on race day, head towards the entrance from the swim. Stop at 100 feet or so, and look back for your spot. Repeat this every 50 to 100 feet so you know exactly where your stuff is. Walk back to your spot. Do this several times if you need to. Become obsessive-compulsive. Double check the person giving your packet, make sure it's the RIGHT number. Double check the person marking your race number on you. Make sure your bike is in the right gear before racking it. Double-check yourself. Pack everything the night before, then unpack it to make sure you have everything you want, repack. Put on your goggles before you put your swim cap on. It may look funny, but if you get smacked in the head, your goggles won't get messed up as easily. If you're not sure if you want water at an aid station, take it anyway. Pour it on yourself if you don't want/need to drink any. Also, when grabbing the cup, pinch the top to form a little spout. It's easier to pour into your mouth this way. There will always be things that you have no control over at any race, but it is possible to minimize those things. The race is actually a piece of cake, it's all those little things above, and in the previous posts, that can lead to a mental meltdown. |
| 2004-09-29 9:55 PM in reply to: #67809 |
Extreme Veteran 572 Seattle, WA | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI My big lesson learned was... There is a difference between pain and discomfort...you can swim/bike/run through discomfort, but you should stop immediately for pain. Learn the difference. I got through my first tri by realizing that I was having a huge amount of discomfort in my ankles, but it wasn't pain. Oh, and warmup on the swim. It will save you from having a hard first 200 y. |
| 2004-09-30 1:59 AM in reply to: #67809 |
| Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI Learn to fix a flat tire |
| 2004-09-30 12:14 PM in reply to: #67809 |
| Veteran 240 Denver | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI "2) Wear tinted goggles if the sun is out. I could not see the buoys since the sun was in my eyes for the biggest part of the swim, I spent a lot of time looking to see where the buoy was. Also know the course and how the buoys sit along the shore line so if you can't see them , you can still judge or be close. " I really like that idea. The two tris I've done this year, the sun was a real issue during the swim. I will be picking up tinted goggles for next year. Plus they make you look really cool. |
| 2004-09-30 12:26 PM in reply to: #67809 |
Master 1927 Chicago | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI Points on the transitions: Use a marker - I always put my red towel over my bike. I never lose my bike in the Transition area because of it. Also, diddo on lay out your transition stuff before hand. I pack my on top of my seond towel in my bag. That way I just plop it onto the ground at race time. Warm up swim is good especially if it's cold. I did a warm up swim for the first time last week and it worked wonders for me. Also swim to the outside if you are a fast swimmer but not as fast as the front runners. Swimming to the outside always increases my time because I don't get caught up in the pack. Tinted goggles are a great idea for sun. PAM ROCKS. At my third tri my transition time was EIGHT freakin' minutes because I couldn't get my darn wetsuit off. My next tri, it was barely three because I had my suit off before I even got out of the water. My suit just slipped off because of the Pam. Thanks Joe! Drive or mock-tri the course. Driving the bike course is a must for me because I tend to get antsy after about 20 min. Want to know how close I am to finishing. If I drive the course before hand or even ride the course before I find I get geared up to work more and work better because I don't have to worry about where I'm going. Time yourself. This really helped to push me to my best time ever in a sprint tri. I had goals set and when I got off the bike I knew exactly how many minutes I had on the run to meet my goal. So I speeded up my pace so that I could meet it. It really kept me going out on the course. I was constantly looking at my watch going, OK girl you've got only 20 min to finish up. Hurry up." |
| 2004-09-30 12:33 PM in reply to: #67809 |
Expert 743 Olney, MD | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI Satchmo...I agree 100% about starting at the front in the swim. My slow start probably cost me a couple minutes. But I don't regret starting slower to get a feel for this thing as a first timer. Get to race 30 minutes before you think you NEED to be there! I didn't realize we'd have to walk the entire swim course to get there so I was rushing to get bodyglide and wetsuit on before the start. I forgot bodyglide on my neck and I had some exposed Velcro. OUCH! |
| 2004-09-30 2:40 PM in reply to: #67809 |
| 56 | Subject: RE: Things I learned from my first TRI Guard your transition area setup. I set up my spot and had it perfect when literally during the last 15 minutes or so people started trying to cram their bikes and setups right on top of mine. I got there very early to set up since it was my first one and secured a nice spot but it really stinks that people don't have regard for your stuff. Really uncool. Luckily I had people with me spactating and all this happened during my last bathroom call, thank goodness my friends told these people to leave my stuff alone or it would have been trashed, they just moved a few bikes over and messed up some other poor triathletes stuff that was meticuliously laid out. I never even thought about something like this so just be prepared. Jen |
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