TRIATHLON TIPS: Race Day Checklist

After competing in Triathlon for almost eleven years now I have developed a recurring nightmare. It usually starts out with me rushing to the starting line of a big race. I just barely make it on time to hear the gun go off. I sprint into the water and swim like crazy. At this point the dream usually jumps to the first transition where I realize I forgot to put my bike on the racks. I run out of the transition area and get my bike out of my car. Somehow I make it out onto the bike course. Finally the dream jumps to transition number two where of course I realize I left my running shoes at home. I usually wake up just as I begin pounding out the run in my bare feet!

It is this dream and many similar “real life” situations that have caused me to create a detailed race day checklist. I hope the following description of my checklist, and how to create your own will help you avoid some race day anxiety. After all, don’t we have enough to worry about?

The first step in creating a race day checklist is visualizing your entire race day and making a detailed list of all the things you will need. The next step is to organize your list in a way that makes the best sense to you. Finally, you should add to your list the night after each race while the experience is still fresh in your mind.

Begin creating your race day checklist by imagining waking up on race morning. From this starting point, very carefully think through every detail of your day, clear up to the point when you drive away from the race after it is all over. As you think through the day, pay close attention to everything you need along the way. For example, at some point you will envision being on the bike. Imagine everything that you have at this point. You have your bike of course. What clothes are you wearing? Are you wearing socks? What about water bottles?
Do you have a race belt on? Where is your bike number? Try to be as detailed as possible, and continue this process as you visualize the entire day. Write down everything you think of as you go. Don’t worry about the order of what you write down yet. This is taken care of in the next step.

Once you have mentally gone through your race day to create a list of items, you probably will be surprised by its length. The first time I did this, I couldn’t believe how much “stuff” goes into a race. Consider this list your rough draft. If you were to use this rough draft to get ready for your next race, it would work, but you may go crazy in the process because the items are out of order. To avoid this, I suggest categorizing the list. Some example categories might be warm up, swim, bike, run, transitions, nutrition, and miscellaneous. Choose categories that work for you, and that will make your preparation as easy as possible. My personal checklist is below to give you some ideas.

Finally, after you have made your checklist, and you have put it to use, it is time to begin the never ending task of revision. Even after eleven years of racing, I still find new items to put on my list. I have found that the best time to make additions is the night after a race. At this point the race is still fresh in your mind and you will remember the things that you may have needed but didn’t have with you.

I can’t promise you won’t have nightmares about racing, but you can at least make the real thing less stressful. Visualize your race and make a list. Organize the list in your own way, and finally, revise your list as you gain more and more experience in your sport. Happy race day!

Warm up Clothes
Trainers
Socks
Sweats
Long Sleeve T-shirt
Hat
T-shirt
Gloves
Stocking Cap
Head Band
Tights
Arm Warmers
Change of Clothes
Spare bike shorts

Swim
____Goggles (2 pairs)
____Swim Cap
____Ear Plugs
____Speedo’s (2 Pair)
____Race Chip
____Wet Suit
____Non stick spray
____Sunscreen
____Anti-Fog
____Warm swim cap

Bike
____Bike
____Water bottles
____Bike shorts
____Jersey
____Helmet
____Race belt
____Sunglasses
____Extra tube
____Extra tire
____Tire derailer
____Bib and Bike numbers
____Bike shoes

Run
____Flats
____Water bottle holster
____Heart rate monitor
____Watch

Nutrition
____Recovery drink
____Energy gel
____Caffeine tablets
____Crackers
____Sports drink
____Sea Salt
____Anti-Gas tablets
____Salt tablets

Misc
____Wallet
____USAT card
____Towel
____Bike tools

Coach Howie’s Tip of the Month
One of the most important workouts in multisport is the brick. Basically, a brick is combining two or more sports into one workout. I highly recommend doing brick work at least once a week in training. As bike to run bricks increase in length, they can be very hard on the legs. One way to alleviate all of the pounding is to do what I call a broken brick. This means switching several times between sports. For example, instead of doing a 50 mile ride and then jumping off to run 10 miles, try riding 30 miles, running 6 miles, then jumping back on your bike for 20 miles, and finally, finishing with a 4 mile run.