Subject: RE: What to do with 5+ hours before swim starts?Canderson - 2009-08-27 4:02 PM I'm doing the Chicago Triathlon this weekend for the first time, and just found out that I'm in one of the last waves. This means that if I go at 4:15 to set up my transition area, I'll have around 5 hours between setting up my gear and the swim start!
I've thought about sleeping on a bench somewhere (I could use my wetsuit as a pillow), but I wondered what everyone else would do with all that time? The transition area fills up QUICK, so I recommend being there early. There is not much room and (when I raced ) the racks were not individually numbered. Numbers were on the end of racks, but it was a free-for-all. I usually stayed until transition closed to "guard" my area because the latecomers will push in and try and take the good spots (like the end of the rack ). The first year I did it, I didn't think to bring a full change of clothes to wander around in. Big mistake that I corrected the next year. Don't forget a change of shoes if you wear your racing shoes to the site. It will be chilly, so a sweatshirt will help. It rained one year, that didn't help matters ![](https://beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/images/emoticons/smile.gif) After the race, make sure figure out how to get your swim start bag back. Its a long walk from the finish to transition to the swim start. If you can give your swim start bag to friends or family it will save you a long walk. Bring a headlamp or flashlight, its often too dark to read bike pumps. And don't forget toilet paper. They usually run out . . . When you go to get your bike out of transition, don't wait in line at the south end. Go around to the north end, they usually have it open and the line is much shorter. |