Advice for Final Week of Training Please

Pretty exciting, isn't it! You'll have fun.

The hay is in the barn as far as fitness goes. You'll want to trim your workout durations but include a few race intensity efforts.

Practice your transition setup and execution. Simple and organized is the way to go.

Since you're doing a beach start, practice some sighting drills in your swims this week.

Make a checklist of everything you need for race day. It wouldn't be fun to forget something like a helmet or goggles in the morning rush to get to the race.

Good luck! You'll learn a lot just by doing it and watching others.

When race day rolls around remember to have fun!

Hydration and nutrition is important race day AND days leading up to a race.
Leading up to the race, don't over eat, don't under eat. Eat as you normally would.
Stay hydrated throughout the days before. Don't go into race day dehydrated.

Race day, depending on how long you think you will be on course, eat a good breakfast 2ish hours before the race. For a sprint, you shouldn't need that much nutrition other than a good breakfast. MAYBE a sports gel before swim start. Stay hydrated through the race with sports drink and water. Key will be to stay cool if you get enough water to keep wetting yourself down at aid stations or ice. Keep the core temp down if you can.

I made a video for nutrition that scratches the surface.
https://youtu.be/ZpLVtkz3tJU

For training, keep the volume down and intensity at race effort. Don't do a bunch of slow long workouts that will require recovery. Take a day off two days before. Maybe a brisk 1 to 2 mile run the day before to keep the legs awake.

I also did a post on what I wish I knew when I started, 14 years ago.
http://www.triathlontrainingdaddy.com/2018/04/what-do-i-wish-i-knew...

Enjoy!

Yah...echoing what others said.

Have some fun. Anticipate with excitement......not anxiety.

If you're the obsessive type, let your flag fly.
Take a picture of your list on your phone and all the stuff in a pile next to it. So when you pull over on the way to the race, you only need to look at the picture on your phone, instead of actually opening up your bag to quadruple check that you've remembered to bring the spare kitchen sink, in case the first one stops working. I'm convinced that this is part of the fun for some of us.

Meet someone. I just saw the person who 'found' me at my first race wandering around transition the day before the race at packet pickup and recognized that I was a complete newb and showed me a few things and made my race....and ongoing tri experience better. That was 5 or 6 years ago. I see her at races, but just saw her at the gym....she'd come from her regular gym to workout with a friend. Just a treat when you keep running into someone like that.

Think about your finishing move as you cross the line. Hands raised? Fist pump? Nonchalant crossing like you've done it a million times? There's always the summersalt or the finish line kiss....but those always seemed excessive for me. I did the arms raised for my first one and then reverted to a simple fist clench, half pump. But, don't decide on it now. Go with what you feel in the last mile.

Do your best to get some actual work done at work instead of surfing BT and race reports from your race. But, also, surf BT and race reports.

Meh, nutrition. Just eat what breakfasts work for you. Mine's off brand chocolate toasted oats. Hydration? Drink when you're thirsty. You'll be fine with whatever you do when you're working out. But do whatever you do working out. Don't plan on trying something different.

Color coordinate whatever you're wearing that day. It's a great excuse to go buy some new socks that match the color trim on your tri shorts. It's scientifically proven you will go faster if you color match. Well, not scientifically, because I don't even play a scientist on TV.

Think about how fun it is to swim in the ocean instead of a pool. That way, any anxiety that can creep in about open water swimming is put aside. I'd love to do swims in the ocean. And that's with an irrational fear of sharks, to the point my head's on a swivel in an Olympic sized pool.

Welcome to the fun!

Oh yeah. Totally what Mcfuzz said about running after riding if you haven't done that yet.

Your legs feel simultaneously like they're made of lead, yet filled with helium.

I found that doing something the day before the race worked better than doing nothing. I'm not suggesting going out and killing yourself, but a nice little tune up with a few hard efforts works best for me. I usually take the day before that off though. The rest of the week. . . do some workouts but nothing that will leave you with heavy legs the day of the race. You should be bouncing off the walls by Thursday/Friday.

What did I wish I knew? Take the time to look at transition and know where you'll be coming in and out and where your spot is in relation to those points. Nothing worse then coming into transition and not remembering where your bike is at or coming in from the bike and not knowing where your shoes are. Take the first couple minutes of the swim slow. . . let yourself work up to it. You won't win the race in the first two minutes but if you start breathing hard and your in open water and not used to that. . . the panic can set in.

LOL! This made my day, as I am totally guilty of doing this!

This is so amazing! It’s like y’all are inside my head. Thank you so much for the tips and encouragement! I probably would have run myself ragged with workouts this week without this info. I’ve done a few bricks the last week or so and started working on transitions this week. Also did a full distance swim without stopping every 10 strokes (yay!)
Now the countdown is the hardest part.
I’ll be back to let y’all know how it goes??

Definitely share how it goes.
The countdown never goes away. If it does...yer doing it wrong and not having any fun.
There may be times when that countdown period gets shorter and shorter....but then you start eyeing new things. Different distances. Different intended results (whether they are against others, or just yourself). And it goes right back up again.

I have yet to hear someone ever say "I did a triathlon once. It was meh."
I mean, I suppose it happens. I just never hear anyone say that. I doubt it happens much for someone who prepares for it. I've heard a few athletes (often runners) who've told me they did a half IM and were kind of bummed with their run and would just stick with running. Well duh. It's 3 events. And you have to prepare for doing 3 events in one and you have to re-evaluate your anticipated performance based on that.