Triathlon tips and tricks

So Triathlon season is upon us and my first big tri is rapidly approaching.

Ironman Muncie 70.3 is this Saturday July 8th. I've met some new people who are new to triathlon or new to 70.3 distance triathlon. So I thought I'd offer some of my thoughts on how to be successful in this crazy endurance sport. I want to ask those who have completed a 70.3 to offer their tips or tricks in the comment section. I was told to keep ears open, listen to advice, then pick out what works for me and not stress about the rest. I will complete this post in the way I'll complete this weekend. I am using this post as a pre-plan for me in hopes to help others. Whether you're running Muncie, Ohio 70.3 or any other long distance tri, I hope you find a little help here.

#1. Only stress over what you CAN CONTROL. You can't change the weather forecast or the water temp. (although don't think we haven't thought of dumping large amounts of ice into the swim water an hour before they take the temp)  Always take your wetsuit with you in case the race is wetsuit legal. If its not, you may decide to use it anyway and start in the last wave. Its your call. But don't check the forecast every 10 minutes the last 5 days before the race. The day before will give you a good idea, but it could change. Just be prepared to ride your bike in the rain, slow down a little, or have a hat/visor for full on sunshine on the run. Be flexible with the weather.

#2 Have addresses ready at hand of where you go to pick up your packet, transition areas (which may be the same as packet pick up) hotel address and maybe restaurant ideas for pre-race. 

#3  Make a list of all items needed and check it off as packed and loaded into your car. If it doesn't feel like you're moving out, you're probably forgetting something. I start my list with swim, then bike, then run, then nutrition. Then change of clothes. If you use something specific in training like Infinit in your bottles, take that. If you plan on using on course nutrition, make sure you slow down to not miss it while biking or running.

#4  If you use a watch or something that needs charged, like bike gear shifters, charge them up and take power cord with you. Just in case you need to charge something up over night. 

#5  Volunteers are amazing. THANK them! In the events I've been in, Muncie, Ohio, and Louisville, The volunteers will yell at you as you're coming in what you want. Yell back water or gatorade, or 1 of each! They will have what you want ready when you reach them. Then THANK them! These people keep us hydrated and motivated all day long. Some aid stations will have fruit, bananas or orange slices. Some will have candy. Coke or Red Bull is usually a staple. Whatever you choose, LOOK into the cup before you drink it. There is a small possibility you picked up the wrong cup or a bee decided to go for a swim in your drink. And if you drink that bee, it could be bad. Luckily, I spit the one bee out that actually made it in my mouth. Yes, it happens. Learn from me, LOOK in the cup before you drink. Try and stick to what you have trained with. If you haven't trained with coke, maybe save that for later if you start to feel energy crashing. The rush of caffeine helps pick you up but can mess with your stomach. Its a delicate decision.

#6  Your stomach. This crazy sport of exercising for hours on end can wreck a body. Hopefully you've been training to teach the body this is your "new normal" now and exercising for 3-5 hours is just what we do. If you read that last sentence and thought "what is he talking about?", I refer you to Cesar's Creek training with 40 minute swim, 2-4 hour bike followed by 15-30 minute run. The long training days is what teaches the body how to handle this. These training days are where you practice what nutrition works for you. I know when to use a Gu gel on the bike and run. I use mile markers. I also make sure I have Stinger waffles on me. You may get hungry. Use what you've trained with first! If you get hungry maybe try a banana or orange. But be prepared for the stomach to possibly start to hurt. Hydrate and walk it out, or slow your pace. Mental toughness may come into play here. Sometimes you gotta suck it up buttercup!

#7  Mental toughness. I remember showing up to my first Muncie 70.3 and seeing bikes and athletes that just looked more badass than at running races. I was in awe and didn't think I belonged. I was overwhelmed. I completed that race but learned there was a whole lot more to this than I had ever imagined. Don't get intimidated by someone with a aero helmet and fancy bike. I've learned some people try to buy all their speed and fail to train the engine, their own legs and heart. That being said, there are a lot of speed demons out there who will go kill this race. It won't be their first 70.3. If someone yells, "on your left!", move to the right as safely as you can. Do NOT be discouraged when the person who passes you has 68 on their leg indicating they are more than 2 decades older than you. Yes, this happens. Its just impressive. I figure they've just had more time to train than I've had. :) The mind may play games with you. It may tell you that you're tired or sore. It may say the swim is too long. Be prepared to fight that demon. Be prepared to say, "I just need to find my rhythm and make it to the next ....(buoy, street turn, light pole) then keep pushing forward. Have a motto, "Nice easy even effort" sang in my head over and over again tells my mind this isn't hard, its easy. I'm just moving with an even effort means the work load is separated evenly throughout the body and no part is worse than the others. Find your motto, fight the demon, and SMILE. When you smile, you tell the brain you're enjoying what is going on. Even if you're in pain, by smiling, it dampens the pain. The brain says were happy, it must not be that bad. Less stress, less pain, more energy moving forward. If you get in a bad spot, smile at it and let me know after your race how it worked for you.

#8  Other competitors. Don't be afraid to talk to other competitors. Before the race during or after. The triathlon community wants all to succeed. As long as you're covering the distance and not interfering with others, we all will cheer you along. Many athletes are nervous before the race. Its good to talk through it. You may be able to help someone chill out before the race starts. During the bike its cool to yell out to friends or others competitors nice job or good work. On the run, if you can find someone running about your pace, talk them up. Listen to their story, tell them your story, make a joke, if you can take your mind off your legs, you are winning. I've crushed 2-3 miles without realizing it because another athlete and I have kept each other from thinking how tired our legs are. If you happen to be part of a team, like RWB!!! Always give outran EAGLEUP! or EAGLEFIRE!! to other team members! It can perk you up while helping someone else.

#9  Goals. I've figured out that most of us are competitive in nature. We like to push ourselves. We have an idea of how fast we can go on each discipline. I like to be successful. It keeps me motivated to stay in the sport. So I set 3 goals in every major race. for example: goal 1- Finish the race, standing on my own 2 feet with no medical help needed. 70.3 miles is a LONG WAY. To be able to swim bike then run is incredible. We work our tails off to do it. So finishing a race of this distance is just impressive. No matter how fast I complete it in. Goal 2. Beat 6:12. Thats my Muncie course record. If I come in faster, I set a course PR. and course PR's usually mean I earned Dairy Queen that day. Goal 3. My "Pie in the sky everything went great and I finally run the entire run course without walking more than my intervals allow goal"  Beat 6 hours. I've beaten 6 hours on another 70.3 course but it was wetsuit legal and the run wasn't all that hot that day. Muncie's run has very little shade and is usually hot. My legs don't love running in the heat. I'm hoping this year that my run goes a little better than ever before. If it happens, great! If I beat 6 hours, I have earned Dairy Queen. If I don't beat 6, oh well. Life goes on and I focus on the next race. BUT I know I was successful because I hit at least one goal by finishing. If I come in officially at 6:01, I may get irritated with myself, I will complain about what I could've should've done different, but I will still get Dairy Queen later ;).

#10  Your family/friends/spectators. No matter what happens in your race, and you will tell as much as you can remember because its just so much fun!...THANK your family and friends for supporting you. We have to sacrifice time to train. We may miss out on family time or not get chores done as quick as we should (anyone wanting to mow my grass??) and we need to recognize those people who support us! If someone comes to your race just to cheer you on, they've given up their time to support you. They may get some beach time, but most of their time is spent waiting to see you in transition or a quick bike pass, or on the run. Seeing you finish your race may be great, but as Tom Petty says, "The waiting is the hardest part." So Thank your people!

Its late, there's a ton more I could say, but I think this list is a great start. At least this give athletes a few things to think about. Again, I encourage others to share their thoughts. If you have questions about any of the above, please ask! Someone else may be wondering the same thing. I love talking triathlons (thats no shocker) and I will answer any question about my previous experiences. My first Muncie I was way underprepared for the bike and it humbled me! Last year I rocked the bike but fell apart on the run. It's a learning experience. It's a ton of fun and just wild. I hope this helps at least one person in at least one way. When you get to your race.....CRUSH IT!!!