Things I've learned - Transitioning quick

If you aren't moving in a forward direction, then you are losing
time. A transition is not free time.

After locating and setting up my transition area I will walk to the
entrance, and sometimes all the way to the exit of the water, at the
coral. I then walk through it as if I was transitioning. I look for
visual clues to locate my spot. I have also been known to bring
little orange flags (That you can find at the hardware store), but I
haven't had a bike position that's been so hard to find that I felt I
needed them. I run through my bike transition in my head to make sure
that all of my gear is properly laid out. I then walk to where I will
exit and repeat the walk through and mental task into the run.

I may be a little paranoid, but after this walk-through things have
gone really smooth during my races.

Make sure I have my goggles, cap (Wetsuit if I'm using one) and have
removed any unneeded items (shoes, shirt, etc) and head to the water.
If I'm wearing a wetsuit, I may pack some gels on me. I've also seen
people wear their race number under their wetsuit.

Exit the water, remove cap and goggles, (SKIP - if you don't have a
wetsuit) pull down the zipper on the wetsuit as I'm SPRINTING to your
bike. Remove both arms from the wetsuit. Get to my transition area,
throw my goggles onto the towel and just remove my feet from the legs
(Make sure you practice this before the race. Also if you put Body
Glide on your legs, this goes a lot easier.) (END OF SKIP) Rudy Project glasses
on, Rudy Project Syton helmet on, then grab my bike and go. Remember if you get on your
bike without your helmet strapped, it's a disqualification. Put my
shoes on while I'm moving.

End the bike, take my shoes off before I get off the bike, pedal
barefoot, and then dismount in the dismount area. As I run back to my
spot I unstrap my Garmin GPS, so that I can use it for running. Once
I get back to my spot and rack my bike I remove my helmet. Sometimes
I take my glasses off and sometimes I don't depending on the weather.
I slip my feet into my shoes. Before I leave the transition area I
grab my race number and Honey Stinger hat to put on while I'm moving.

Any questions? Hope this helps.

I wish I could of read a step by step account like this before my first race.

Things I've Learned - Setting up your transition area

Setting up a transition area can almost be considered an art and a
science. The goal is to spend the least amount of time there, but
have everything available to you that you might need or are required
to have.

There may be ways to tweak my transition area, but after examining
the pros transition areas when I raced at St. Anthony's and racing
for two years, I think I have a pretty good system for the Olympic
and Sprint races. I am always willing to change if if there is
something that might make me faster.

In reality there are only a few things that you NEED in your
transition area. A bike, helmet, running shoes and race number.
Anything beyond this is just to make your race more comfortable, but
it may slow you down.

The first thing I do after finding my spot is to rack my bike. I then
lay down a towel in front of it. I used to use a bucket to wash my
feet. Unless I was running through sand it really didn't do much
because I would continue running in my bare feet before I mounted my
bike.

My shoes are clipped onto my bike and I usually use rubberbands to
keep them from dragging on the ground.

I place my Rudy Project Syton helmet upside down and rest it on my
aero bars. I make sure that it's in a position so I can just flip it
onto my head and buckle it. I rest my Rudy Project Horus glasses with
the glasses facing into the helmet.

I check to make sure that my Garmin Forerunner is set for triathlon
mode. It sits on my bike. I already prefilled my water bottles.

My race number is attached to the bike seat post. I think this is the
most out of the way spot. It's also where I've seen the pros put
their numbers.

On my towel I put my running shoes down. I put some body glide on the outside
of them and also on some spots in them where I've been known to get
blisters. I flip the tongue up and make sure there is a good opening.
I have used three different type of quick lace shoelaces and have yet
to find one that I like better than the others, but I would
definitely recommend these. I lay my race number attached to a race
belt and a Honey Stinger hat above the shoes.

A couple extra things that I put in my transition area. I leave an
extra towel to wipe something off if need be. A few extra Honey Stinger
gel packets, in case I drop some on the bike. Water Bottles
with Gatorade and Water. I usually have an extra pair of shoes in a
backpack nearby (Just in case). I read a story about a pro who showed
up at his transition area to find his shoes missing. I'm not sure if
it would be within the rules to reach into my backpack though.

My next post will be a quick one on the actual transition

Things I've learned - Make a list!

When you have to get up at 4am to go to a race your brain is not functioning and you are bound to forget something. After the first year of racing I made a list of everything that I might need at a race and at what point I can pack those things. I just go down this list and put a mark by anything that's packed.

This also allows me to sleep better the night before, without worrying if I forgot something.

As the years go on, I have started to find that there are a lot of things that I REALLY don't need and there are still a few things that I will add to the list. One example is you don't want a wetsuit laying on the seat of your car, so bring a plastic bag.

I also am a Boy Scout, I live by the motto to "Be Prepared" and if it can go wrong it will, so I tend to try and bring extras of EVERYTHING that would prevent me from competing in a race due to equipment failure. Most of the time this stuff just stays in the car, but it's good to know it's there.

I also have created lists for different situations. One situation is when there will be an overnight stay before the triathlon. Here's my list.....

Things to pack the night/day(s) before the race
FOR THE SWIM
2 pairs of goggles
towels - 2 large, Chamois, 1 small
bucket for water to dip feet
extra swim suit
WETSUIT
Body Glide (Or pam)

plastic garbage bags (To put the suit in after the race)

FOR THE BIKE

pump up tire
check to make sure seat is tight
check to make sure aerobars are tight (bring screw)
extra cleats

Rudy Project Syton aero helmet

Rudy Project Zuma helmet (In case something happens to my aero helmet)

Rudy Project Zyon glasses

Bike
bike shoes
3 extra tubes

(Bring repair kit)

tire pump
cycle gloves
lock
bike lights (Rear and front)

rubberbands (To attach shoes to the bike)

cold weather bag (Leg warmers, arm warmers, gloves, hat)

FOR THE RUN
3 pairs of race socks
number belt
extra running shirt
2 pairs of shoes
hat

GENERAL/OTHER/PRE-POST RACE

headlamp (It's dark when you get to most races)

scissors (Never know what you might need to cut)

tape, gaffer tape

Change of clothes - shorts, underwear, socks, shoes, shirt, sandals (For after the race)

extra Honeystinger energy bars/Gels

Honeystinger Honeystinger Bars

extra bananas
GPS - Forerunner
GPS - Ique
Heart Rate Band (Bring +1)

Orange flag (To mark where your bike is at a big race)

MP3 player
cell phone
rain jacket
sweatshirt
first aid kit
race info
Camera - Both cameras, extra batteries, cards, both lenses
video camera
Sharpie
pins for race number
pen and paper


NIGHT BEFORE/Day Before -
Put bike on Car, Check air pressure, cover seat and gears, strap down, flip pedal up, bungie cords, protection over brake
take pack and lock off of bike
Charge IPOD
Charge GPS
Pack gear into bag
5 water bottles. 2 with gatorade, 1 gallon of water
Two water bottles with Gatorade
Put in fridge

Change wedding ring (I bought a cheap ring that I am not worried about coming off my finger during the middle of a race or other excercise)

DAY OF (SET OUT NIGHT BEFORE)
tri shorts
tri jersey
Put on Sunscreen, lip balm

Eat powerbar/cereal (Up to one hour before)

Banana
go to bathroom
get bottles out of fridge
grab garmin
cell phone
emergency cash/wallet, license, USAT license, credit card
Sweat pants

Leave at 5:20am (I always set the time, so I don't have to think about it)

Hope this helps!

Things that worked - Garmin Forerunner 301

I've used the Garmin Forerunner 301 GPS almost every time I run or bike
for two years now. It tells me accurately how fast I'm going, how far
I've gone, how to get back home if I get lost, it let's you set-up
training programs like intervals, and soooo much more.

I even race with it. It's great to know your pace on the run, so you don't burn yourself out.

This wasn't my first Garmin. I used a Garmin Ique for my car a few
years before I got this one. I was so impressed that I knew I
couldn't go wrong with GPS.

Combined with the FIRST program, this little device gave me a lot of
motivation. Seeing instant results of how you are doing, without
having to do do the math of minutes per mile, is a huge inspiration.

My biggest complaint is that I have had to send it back to the
company because the heart rate monitor stopped working. I bought a
second one to hold me over until the first one came back. The second
one got lost, and now the first one's heart rate monitor has stopped
working again.

Even without a heart rate monitor, it is one of the best purchases I
have ever made and I definitely plan to continue upgrading.

Things I learned - FIRST run Training

This isn't exactly new. I used this last season, but it helped me drop my first year run time down from a 8:30/mile in my first sprint triathlon to a 7:06/mile for a 5k at the end of the season.

The Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training has training programs for a 5k through a full marathon. First you find your tempo pace, and then you plug that into each program. You then have a 12-16 week run training program, with run training only 3 days a week. That's right 3 days a week.

http://www.furman.edu/first/

Things I Learned - Goggles don't last forever, ways to make them last

* New goggles make the fog go away

Your swim goggles won't last forever. They start to loose their coating and fog up easier. They also get scratched up.

A way to keep them from scratching though is to keep the case that they came in (My Speedo goggles came in a plastic case) and always put them back in the case when you are done. This will keep them from moving around your bag and getting scratched.

12.2.08 @Triatheletemag: Put a few drops of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo in each goggle lens. Rinse them until there is just a slight film left. No fog = "No More Fears."

Things I learned - Duck dive when you start

When I was really young and living in California we went to the
Hawaiian Islands often. The waves were big there. The only way to
get out in the ocean to body surf the waves back in, or body board on them, was to dive
under them right before they crash down.

In a lake swim there may not be waves, but diving into the water can
give you an advantage. If you try to run through the water, you are
going to meet a ton of resistance. If you try to swim through the
water, you are going to find a pack of people ahead of you.

The best method is one that I learned by watching the pros in a few
races (And had learned long ago from a surfer heading out to the waves in the ocean). You dive, stand-up, then dive again and repeat until you can't
stand. This is where it's really important that your goggles are on
tight.

When I started this late in the season, I would find myself in a good
position. Now only if I could swim straight to keep that position!

Things I learned - Tighten your goggles before a race

* tighten your goggles before a race!

Early in the season I was running into a problem that I didn't remember having the previous year, my goggles would slide off early into the swim. I had bought a new pair of goggles of the 2008 season. They felt just right when I trained in the pool and if I tightened them any it started to become painful.

I started asking around for solutions, and Karen McLarty gave me the answer (Thanks!). She said to just tighten my goggles before a race. She also showed me the proper way to wear them (although I'm still bad about this) You wear them on the top back of your head and not over your ears like glasses.

The race is quick, unlike long days of training in the pool, so being tight isn't as much of an issue. This is also important to help with the next thing I learned....

Things I learned - Heat WILL slow you down, even if you train for it!

* Florida heat can REALLY affect your training, even if you are acclimated to it. This mainly applies to running.

The beginning of my season, early March and April, was great. In sprints I was PRing on my runs faster than a 5k that I ran in November. Then came the Florida summer. I just thought I had been overtraining when my run times started to drop drastically.

I thought it might be attributed to a poor training routine (And I'm sure this didn't help). Then I did some research and came across an article stating that your run can drop as much as 10% in the heat of the summer. This described me exactly. There is a similar article in the NY Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/health/nutrition/03Best.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Just to back up my theory. I was out in California, and I ran 10 miles easily. I was struggling to run 6 miles in Florida, even with hydrating well.

When I figured this out late in the season. I started training on the treadmill, which helped, but due to some life situations I didn't get to really expand on this.

After learning this I plan to do more training early in the mornings or head to the treadmill at the gym. If I do end up going out in the heat, I am going to stick to workouts I know I can finish while fatigued and not get on myself for not accomplishing goals in the heat.

There are also some pointers on training in the heat at http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/Keep_Your_Cool__10_Ways_to_Beat_the_Heat.htm

Things I learned - Watch out where you peak

* Plan your races accordingly and give yourself some rest in between major races.

I think that I peaked too soon and once I fell off my high I started to drag through the rest of the season. I tried hard to hold onto what I had left.

My first race was good. My two Olympic distance races in March were decent. My races after the Olympics were awesome! By early June I was starting to see my times falling, even after I gave myself rest. I was feeling burned out in my run (Which also had to do with the heat) and I found it hard to train when I wasn't reaching goals I set.

I also need to figure out a way to give myself more rest in the middle of the season and really plan out my season for a few peaks and breaks. I Also am going to start my main training a little bit later this next season.

Things I learned - Leave your shoes on your bike

* Leave your bike shoes on the bike

All last season I thought that there were advantages to putting your bike shoes on while you were not moving. I didn't think that you lost that much time and that running with shoes on through rough dirt would make up for it. It also gave me a chance to clean any sand off my feet before I put my shoes on.

I've learned now that every second you are moving forward, even if it's not very fast because you are putting shoes on, you are still moving in a forward direction. This also applies to when you are getting off the bike. If you have to spend time messing with your shoes while you are not moving, you are wasting precious seconds.

Also I haven't had that many problems with dirt in my shoes. I think the worst was during a beach race and it wasn't that bad.

The biggest reason that I waited so long in my season to do this is that I had to get new shoes, ones that would not interfere with the operation of my bike. In time gained this one has been huge. There were more than a few races that I was behind someone coming out of the water and then never saw them again after I got on the bike.

The differences between triathlon bike shoes and regular bike shoes is that the velcro opens in the opposite direction and most tri shoes only have one strap.

Things I've Learned - Use a Wetsuit when allowed

* If the water is within wetsuit legal temperature and you are competing for a place in the race, use a wetsuit.

Wetsuits are great equalizers, it makes the ok swimmers just as buoyant as some of the great swimmers.

In the first race of the season, I was clobbered in the swim by those people wearing wetsuits. The buoyancy of a wetsuit can give you a huge advantage. The minutes you gain in the swim can easily make up for the time it takes to remove the wetsuit. Yes I did say minutes, even in a sprint distance race.

-I borrowed a Quintana Roo sleeveless wetsuit, but I would recommend a full suit for the extra bit of added boyancy (Thanks again Scott!!)