Race Ready Tips

Getting ready for your race starts with good preparation. The following are some things to consider that will help you with your preparation for your upcoming events.

Make sure you have any memberships you might need to register for your race and that they are current.

USAT Membership: https://member.usatriathlon.org/login

Some Gear Recommendations

Pedals:

- Shimano

- Look

- Speedplay

Triathlon Bike Shoe Recommendations:

- Shimano

- Fizik

-Lake

-Specialized

Full-sleeve Wetsuit Recommendations:
(Race morning always bring a wetsuit)

- Synergy

- ROKA

- Zoot

- Blue70

Bike Bag Recommendations:
(For Airline Travel)

- EVOC

- Sci-Con

Bike Helmets:

- Specialized

- Rudy Project

-Giro

Run shoes:

- Go into a local run shop and have them fit you for training and racing shoes that work well for your feet. You can add elastic laces to any race flats.

Race Registration

Be sure you register for the race as soon as you know you will be competing. Races fill up, so it’s important to get your name on the start list.

RACE DAY

- Arrive ~2 hours before race start (wearing race suit under warm-up clothes, or bike kit)

- Continue to fuel/hydrate a bit while you organize

- Check in to transition when it opens

Setting up your Transition Area:

- Bike in the proper gearing (Big ring in the front, second from easiest gear in the back)

- Shoes clipped in, attached with rubber bands

- Helmet resting on the bike, unclipped

- Sunglasses “in the helmet”

- Nutrition taped on top tube

- Waterbottles in cages (bottles on bike)

- Race flats in front of bike or racked in run bag (put baby powder in shoes to help in putting them on and preventing blisters)

- Bike computer turned on, started, and on auto pause

- Take notes of where your bike rack is in transition so you can find it easily during the race.

After you’ve set up transition

- Check out transition flow (Swim --> T1. T1 --> mount line. Dismount line. Practice running to your bike and putting on your helmet.)

- Run Warm up ( have an extra pair of runners to do your run warm up that are not your race shoes)

*Bike warm up further details if you chose a bike warm up

- If you are allowed on course, do your warm up on the course

- If you are not allowed on the bike course, you will have to do your bike warm up elsewhere (by the hotel, down a different street, or earlier before you arrive at the venue).

- If you have access to a bike trainer, you can do your warm up on it.

After Warm Up

- Hydrate and take a gel or some nutrition

- Get ready for swim warm up (plan more time for this if it’s a wetsuit swim, or if you plan on warming up in your wetsuit.

- Swim warm up 3-4min with a couple starts

Race Time

- After warm up, head to the athletes area, take another gel or some water/electrolytes or your choice of nutrition.

- Line up

- Have fun.