The Tri Newbie Chronicles: Before The Race!

Hi everyone! My time as a tri newbie is coming to an end very soon because my first triathlon is THIS SUNDAY! I have no idea where the last 2 months went, but I guess I’m ready for race day! Well, almost. This is the time in my training where I am putting together all of the last minute parts that I need before I do my first tri. What’s on my list?

Plan for bib pickup and bike drop: My tri recommends picking up my bib during the week to give me time to put my bib stickers on my bike, helmet, bib belt, and bike stand. I also have to go to the race site on Saturday to drop off my bike and all of my T1 gear the night before the race. In order to prepare for this, I’ve got to make a list of everything that I need for the swim and T1 and have it prepped before Saturday! Here is my list so far:

Tri kit
2 swim caps
2 pairs of goggles
Small towel
Bright beach towel
Large bucket (for storing all of my gear in T1 overnight)
Bike rack
Water bottle
Sport Beans
Helmet
Bib belt and bib
Socks
Sneakers
Bike gloves
Bike
Jacket

Mentally run through the race: This is a long event with many different steps, so I need to mentally run through each part of the race one by one. This will help me make sure I’m not forgetting anything, and will hopefully help me calm down and realize that I’m totally prepared for this! My tri actually put together an infographic for race day to help me with this step, check to see if your tri has this information listed on their website or Facebook page.

Make a guide for race day: Because there are so many things to keep in mind for race day, I’m putting all of that information down in one place. This will include my on-deck time for the pool, the time I need to get there, where to park, estimated finishing times, and a plan for after the race is over. I’ll have this handy for my husband, who is going to be the only calm and collected person that day and will need this information! If I have to figure out where we parked after my race we’ll never get out of the parking lot 🙂 I also plan on signing up for Chronotrack so my husband can get live updates on where I am on the course. The course is not spectator friendly at all, so he’ll need that information if he wants to catch me crossing the finish line.

Relax: This is my one and only first triathlon, and I want to make sure I enjoy this process! I’m going to take some time this weekend to relax and try to have fun every step of the way. I know I’ve done everything I can at this point, and now my only job is to make sure I make it to race day with all of my gear and with a positive attitude. When I cross that finish line, I’ll finally be a triathlete!