7) Equipment
Next, consider the gear you need. Races have
a mandatory gear list (on their website) which
is the place to start. Ontop of that, think about
the climate and the length of the race (in longer
races comfort is more important). Test your race
clothing and equipment in training so you don’t
get any nasty surprises on race day. Also practice eating your race food in training too so you
know it is palatable, portable and easy to eat
on the go.
4) Training Plan
Now you know who you’re racing with and what
the event involves so it’s time to start training.
Communicate with your race partner about the
team’s goals very clearly before you begin. If
you find out later you have different goals, it can
be very frustrating. There’s nothing like training your guts out to find your team mate hasn’t
trained all year – or exhausting yourself in the first
hour of the race trying to maintain their frenetic
pace!
If you can train together, all the better. Following a well-structured training plan will give you
maximum benefit for your training time. Include
a mix of all disciplines plus strength and mobility
training to achieve your best performance and
minimise the risk of injury.
5) What to wear
Wear something you can use for the whole race.
There are quite a few transitions so don’t waste
time changing clothes at each one. I suggest a
merino or synthetic t-shirt (not cotton), bike pants
and a hat. Use bike pants with thin padding as
they may get wet in the kayak - nobody wants to
feel like they’re running around in a wet nappy
all day! If you live in a colder climate, you may
also need a jumper or leggings. Depending on
the length of the race, it may be quicker to wear
running shoes even while riding (ie no cleats) because of the time you save in transitions.
6) Food
Lots! The most common mistake is to get carried away with the race and find hours into it that
your food is still in your pockets and you’ve hit
a wall. Try to remember to eat a small amount
frequently, around every half hour, even if it’s just
a dried fig or two. Fat and protein are difficult to
digest when you’re exercising, so carbohydrate
rich foods are the way to go. Try muesli bars, bananas, energy bars or dried fruit (don’t go overboard with this or your team mate won’t want to
walk behind you!).
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8) Navigation
A lot of people worry about navigation if they
have not had much experience. But there’s
only one way to improve, and that’s to practice
- so just get in there and give it a go. The navigation in shorter events is not that difficult. As a
guide, if you can read a street map, you will be
fine. If you aren’t confident, just take your time
and consult your team mate. Other teams on
course are also (usually) very willing to help if
you are stuck. Even if you take a wrong turn, it
just gives you a good story!
9) Final preparation
Go through your gear list and pack everything
the night before. Don’t forget to check your
bike is working properly, especially if you have to
dismantle it to get it in the car. I took off on the
bike in one race, only to find my team mate’s
brakes were stuck on and he could hardly
pedal! I wasn’t very impressed at having to do
mid race repairs.
10) Race Day
It’s the big day and it’s time to put your preparation into action. In your first race, finishing is
already a big achievement. Take your time,
particularly in navigation - going fast is no help if
it’s in the wrong direction! Soak up the beautiful natural surroundings, the feeling of being fit,
and spending time in the great outdoors with a
bunch of like-minded people. After all, you’ve
earned it!