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This section of the website will focus on triathlon / duathlon racing, setups, equipment, and tips. With this link constantly changing and evolving as we recieve members own personal imput and then compile all of it to then load it for all to read and use.
If you have any imput & answers to the below question, feel free to email them to
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or post them on the team forum so we can post your comments. Remember everyone has their own ways to train, race, setups, quotes etc and we want to compile those for all to read and use. If you have pics that better explain your vision, again send them to the email above.
SWIM
- Goggles ( w / 1 spare )
- Padded Racing shorts - men
- Padded one piece singlet - women
- Body Glide
- Wetsuit
- Anti - fog for goggles
- Plastic bag
- | SWIM TIPS
* always take some time in the morning after you have set your transition up and before the crowds arrive if at all
possible and walk out to the swim start and get a good visual OR take a swim out and find a few reference points
on the your swim out and back. Use these reference points for sighting during the swim. I can be a tree, kids
play set, building, balloon or something you can sight off.
* The plastic bag - put your foot in the bag, wrap tightly, slip foot through wetsuit leg, unwrap the bag and do the
same for your other foot and and in seconds your wetsuit is on. Remember to roll wetsuit up around the ankles
and apply Body Glide for fast easy removal
* If you are not a front of the pack swimmer it is usually best to get to the very back of the wave start OR go to
the far side of the buoys. You can also wait about 10-15 seconds after the start of your wave and then begin
your swim. This helps to eliminating any interference with other swimmers in your wave start.
- If you do start in the very back of your wave, REMEMBER to swim about 20 yards off the buoys to avoid any
contact with the fast swimmers in the wave start behind you. Give the fast swimmers the inside lane that is
close to the buoys. More than likely the fast swimmers will take the buoy line.
* When you are close to the exit of the swim in about knee deep water, move to either side of the exit area and
unzip your wetsuit, get both of your arms free of the wetsuit, then pull the wetsuit at the stomach area and let it
fill with water. Do this quickly. Then while in waist deep water try to proceed andremove the wetsuit from your
legs. Once you have completed the removal of the wetsuit, quickly exit the water and run to T1.
- By removing the wetsuit with water inside, this helps in a speedy removal of the wetsuit. If you exit the water
and depending how far you have to run to T1, by the time you get to your bike all the water that was in and
around your legs is now almost gone. The wetsuit sticks to your legs like glue and you could end up fighting
your removal of your wetsuit and losing valuable time. It works, but you need to practice it.
- Always try this technique during your swim training to perfect the quick removal in the water.
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BIKE
- Bike
- Helmet
- Bike Shoes
- Socks
- Race belt
- Singlet
- Sunglasses
- Jet Stream or water bottle
- Spare tire seat bag w / two tubes, two CO2 cartridges, tire levers
- Pump
- | BIKE TIPS
* Make sure yout bike is race ready. Clean chain, cables are in good condition, tires are in good condition, both
your brakes are in working order. There is nothing worse than to have a cable break, tire flat or your chain snap
during the bike ride. At most races except for IRONMAN there is no race support on the bike. If they do come
by it will be to load your bike and take you back to the transition area. Your race is over.
* Always put your helmet on first, and then buckle it. If you are caught or seen with the helmet buckle unsnapped
there is a very good chance you willbe DQ'ed from the race.
* If you are going to participate in a multisport race, it is your responsibility to read and know the rules of the sport.
Download the rules, read them carefully and your day of racing will go alot smoother and penalty free.
A few RULES to race by.........
- always pass on the left
- ride on or close to the white line so bikers can pass you on your left side
- when passing another biker, yell "on your left"
- once you pass a biker, move back into the right side of the lane (white line)
- if you are passed it is your responsibility to drop back out of the draft zone
- do not ride in the middle to far left of the lane, you will be pentalized for BLOCKING or POSITION
- if you are being passed by another biker, you can increase your speed without being pentalized until the
other bikers front wheel passes your front wheel, at that time you must drop back out of the drafting zone
before repassing.
- DO NOT cross the centerline of the road
- Do not throw your GU wrappers, Energy bar wrappers or water bottles off your bike or your person
* Try to pump your tires at your car once you arrive. There are usually plenty of pumps around the transition area
and someone will usually let you borrow theirs. Also, this keeps you from dragging a pump to the transition area
and also adding more equipment to your spot in the transition.
* Remember to count the racks, visually mark your rack with a sign post or tree, some put up a balloon, even use
sidewalk chaulk with arrows pointing. Figure out what is best for you and when you exit the swim, you can
easily find your bike. There is nothing worse than to run past your bike and then start frantically looking for your
lost bike.
* Once you have set your bike on the rack for the final bike check, depending on the course you should have your
gears set for a quick and fast spin out of the transition area.
* Once you know you are about one mile from the bike finish, shift to an easier gear ( high cadence) to flush out
lactate acid buildup and also to loosen your legs for the upcoming run
* Most race do not close off the roads for the race so it is the responsibility of the particiapnts to follow the rules
of the road. Always be alert during the bike portion of the race. As you approach an intersection or crossroad,
always look both ways several times before you proceed on. If traffic is on the road, you have to ride very
carefully and do not try to sneak in between cars to get a better position.
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RUN
- Running shoes
- Socks
- Race belt
- Singlet
- Race belt
- Sunglasses
- | RUN TIPS
* During the first mile of the run, try to run with quick fast foot turnover ( small / short strides) and your breathing
under control. You will get of fthe bike and your legs will feel very very heavy. Hence, the fast cadence on the
last mile of the bike. This helps you in that first mile of the run.
* When you finish the race, grab a water, cool yourself down, light stretches, share your race day stories with your
friends and family, no more than 10:00 minutes for all this. The go run for 1-2 miles at a very slow pace to help
in your recovery. It works. Even though you may feel tired and spent from pushing so hard, get that 1-2 mile run
in to help speed recovery. Later that day and the next day your body will be thanking you for that cool down run.
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TRANSITION TIPS
* Get to the transition early to ensure yourself a good transition spot if the racks are not pre-assigned
* Try to not bring in a large pale full of water to rinse ypur feet off. The transition is already crowded with bikes,
participants and their transiton equipment and having a big pale of water is another obstacle that can hinder or be
a safety issue. If you have to rinse your feet off, use a towel and a water bottle. This will give you much more
room in and around your transition area and also not interfere with another particiapnt
* Remember....the longer you stay in the transition area the more you add to your finishing time
* Lay your helmet facing upward, unbuckled on your aerobars. Also, lay your sunglasses inside your helmet. This
will help in a faster transition.
* Experiment in training with your bike shoes already clipped on the bike. You can exit the transition faster with
them clipped in but you may struggle with getting your foot in place.
* Once you pass the transition mount line, pull over to the side and get your shoes clipped in. If you stop in the
middle of the transition exit, you may get yelled at or someone could crash because of you blocking the transition
exit
* Always rack your bike in the exact spot you had at the start of the race. Do not come into the transition and rack
anywhere. That person now has to do the same thing etc, and that will get yourself a racking penalty.
* Have an extra towel and a change of clothes for after the race
*
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Misc
* USAT membership card
* Copy of your race registration
* Drivers License
* Change of clothes
* Recovery drink for after the race
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| Inspirational Quotes for Racing
* Never Quit
* Pain is Temporary, Pride is Forever
* If it was easy everyone would be doing it
* If you believe in yourself, have dedication and pride and never quit - you will always be a winner. The price of
victory is high, but so are the rewards
* If you finish the race your legs hurt for a week, if you quit the race your head hurts forever
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IRONMAN
This information box will probably get very large as we try to offer you as many tips as possible if you are thinking OR actually racing an IRONMAN race here soon. IRONMAN racing is an totally different approach to training and racing since it is a pretty long workout on race day. So we will do our very best to list the tips that could make you have a great day at IRONMAN.
| SWIM TIPS
* As described in the above swim tips, you may want to seed yourself in the back or off to one side to avoid
swimming in a large mass of wetsuits. That means a between 1500 to 2500 swimmers in a mass start. The swim
start is the most exciting part of the race with such a large start.
* remember, if you know how to draft other swimmers.......do it. If not, learn to draft other swimmers. Think
about this, upwards of 2500 swimmers going the same direction can have a huge pull in the water and you need
to find that pull and take advantage of it. You will save alot of energy by drafting.
* you can swim inside the buoys but you must swim around the outside of the buoys on each turn OR risk getting
yourself a DQ. Always check and read the rules before each race. The turns can and most likely will be very
crowded and conjested. Think about swimming a bit wide to avoid being caught in the pack on the turns.
* when you are swimming, you think about relaxing, nice strokes, kick, breath, rotate, sight and think about
swimming and swimming only.
* once you turn the last buoy and you see your exit ahead, start thinking about your transition and wetsuit removal.
Once out of the water you get your arms free and pull your wetsuit down to your waist. You run up to a wetsuit
stripper, make eye contact, point, run right up to that volunteer and fall on your butt and stick your legs in the air.
In one quick pull your wetsuit is off.
BIKE TIPS
* Have all your bike clothing inside your transiton bag for any and all conditions, unless you are 100% confident
that the weather report leading up to the race is going to be correct. 2006 IRONMAN Wisconsin had perfect
weather conditions leading into the race and on race morning is was rain, wind, cold and 50 degrees. You should
get this bag back after the race.
* SPECIAL needs bag - what nutrition are you using on race day. Have all of your nutrition in this bag. Think about
getting a small insulated lunch bag and adding a few containers of frozen blue ice. Total cost about $5.00. Put
your drinks that are already mixed in this lunch bag. If you are picking up new bottles of nutrition at mile 56 that
cold drink could make a huge difference in your second half on the bike race. If you anticipate a very hot day
ahead, think about freezing your morning bottles and also your special needs bottles. Most hotels will let you put
your bottles in their freezer. What you eat on the bike could come into play 2 hours into your run.
RUN TIPS
* Try rolling you socks down to where you have only a small pocket left in the toe area. Take a large scoop of
vasoline and pack it down into the toe area of your socks. Gently roll the socks up just a little bit. Stick your
socks into your running shoes. When you put your socks on for the run, your toes will be covered in vasoline. It
feels a bit weird and gross but one you start running the vasoline spreads around your entire foot which keeps
you from getting blisters and a possible hot foot. Remember, you have 26.2 miles of running ahead of you.
* SPECIAL needs bag - put in your bag a light jacket, possibly an old jacket you may not ever see again. If you
need it during the run, you will have it. If you do not want to wear it and forget or do not reclain your special
needs bag, well those bags are usually hard to find after the race. In this bag you can put extra socks, shoes,
and jacket etc for the race. Special needs bags are usually stationed at the 13 mile mark of the run.
TRANSITION TIPS
* Unless you are in contention to win your age group, consider changing your race clothes in transition. That small
bit of comfort with clean race clothes on can be a real mental and physical pickup. It may only last a short time,
but that time might be enough to get back in the game and in the race. In the 2006 IRONMAN Wisconsin, we
had rain, wind and about 50 degree temperatures all day and through the night. That short time in transition with
warm clean clothes was a great feeling.
MISC TIPS
* Take time about 1 month from race start and have your bike chain, and cables replaced by a qualified mechanic to
look over your bike to make sure it is ready to go. Yeah, you spend and extra $100.00, but you have already
spent thousands of dollars through the year for this race. By doing this before hand, your bike is ready to go and
you even have some time to ride with your newly updated bike. Just ask some IRONMAN participants if they
have had a bad day on race day. Everyone has. Again, control what you can control......... and this you can.
* About 1-2 weeks from the race think about making a list / leger for everyday of those two weeks. In those
specific days, write down what you need to be doing. Drinking, vitamins, nutrition, protein day, stretching,
massages, workouts, contacts to be made etc. By having it down on paper and with you all the time, there is no
chance of forgetting anything. Remember, race week is hetic in itself, you are racing IRONMAN, you get caught
up in all the hype and the next thing you know......you are out of your rythem and comfort zone.
* When you are in the swim DO NOT think about the bike or run at any time. Think swim only. When you get on
the bike, you think about your biking only. Spin, spin, drink, nutrition and reflect back on your swim if you wish.
You will have planty of time to think about your swim on the bike, trust me. Once you start the run, you think
about run and closing out with a strong finish. Conclusion : avoid thinking ahead about the other portions of the
race. This can cause you to start pulling back way too early.
* Control what you can control and let everything else go.
Conclusion : You can not control a flat tire, broke chain, snapped cable, wind, rain etc. SO why worry about it.
Control your technique, nutrition, and hydration.
* the race starts at mile 80 of the bike
* Think about setting your watch to beep every 5:00 / 7:00 / 10:00 etc., to remind you to drink. Base your timing on
the weather, hot or cold. By having your annoying watch always beeping, you will stay hydrated.
* As you close in for the finish look around and behind you. Try to time your finish where it is all you and not four
other athletes flying in for the finish. This is your finishers picture you will recieve and there is nothing worse
than to have someone else sneak in behind you and take your picture away. Also, do not do it to someone else.
Just a rude gesture on such a long day of racing. What is a few seconds going to matter......unless you are
taking the win.
* the day after your IRONMAN race, get up and go eat, eat, eat, and eat some more, then eat and eat. You will be
amazed at he food you can consume. You will have a large appetite. Make sure it is mixture of protein, carbs, fat.
Yeah you raced, but do not pack on 10-20 pounds in the week after the race on junk food.
" FINISH THE RACE AND BRAG FOR LIFE "
" IF YOU HAVE TO ASK WHY, YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND "
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- TRANSITION SETUPS ( jpg pics will be used for this visual )
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