Triathlon Tips and Tricks

The VGraph KTC Triathlon  will take place on Sunday 15th July in Kilkenny Castle Park. This fantastic event is the first event for many who are new to Triathlons and promises to be an experience you will not forget.

You can sign up until Thursday 12th July by clicking here. 

If this is your first Triathlon here are some tips to help make this day even more enjoyable.

Your first Triathlon is full of great fun challenges. Have a read through some of our event tips and you should find some very good advice or answers to some of those nagging questions. The key thing to remember is to do this for your own enjoyment, so you may not get everything exactly right the first time. You have to start somewhere though and we are making it as easy as possible to get that start.

PRE RACE

• You will need a wet suit and goggles for the swim. A swim hat will be provided that will be coloured coded for your swim wave.
• You don’t have to have a ‘flash’ racing bike to enter a Triathlon. Use whatever you have or can borrow. A helmet is required and you must wear it when going into Transition with your bike to get set up.
• Have your bike checked by a cycle shop to ensure it is in a good and safe working order. Your bike will be checked on the day to ensure the brakes are working.
• Make sure you have practised over the distance.
• Ease off your training the week before the race to approximately 50% of your normal training. Don’t take the week off just shorten and sharpen up your sessions. Do lots of stretching and keep up your fluids and have lots of rest.
• Practice getting on and off your bike in a safe environment.
• Have a good sleep 2 nights prior to the Triathlon. This will ensure you still feel good if you are nervous or sleepless the night before.
• Eat a good meal at lunch-time the day before to top up your carbohydrate stores, have a good dinner but nothing too heavy and eat a breakfast you are used to on race day. Something you would normally eat before you train.
• Go through the transition area before the race and know where the entries and exits are for the bike and run. If you are not sure, ask before the race begins.
• Most people at Triathlon races are very friendly and will help you out with anything you need to know about the race on the day

EQUIPMENT

• Make a list of all the equipment you will need on race day and pack it the day before. Lay out your gear the night before so you are not rushing to get it ready on race morning.
• Elastic laces in your runners make it much quicker to slip your shoes if you are trying to save time during your transitions.

Checklist:

BUYING EQUIPMENT
There are many makes, models, brands, etc. It is always good to assess where you want to go in the sport and for your first couple of races borrow so you can try out equipment, which will save you buying it until you know what suits you best. It is always good to get together with a squad or training group as they can share lots of experience, trials and knowledge of various brands of equipment.

TRANSITION SET UP

(We are there if you need any help or have any questions –just ask)

• Place your bike in transition area on the racks provided.
• Look around you to find a point of reference or count the number of racks leading in from the run so you know exactly where your bike is.
• If you are using bike shoes, place them beside your bike on the side you will approach from.
• If you are confident you can put your cycle shoes on your bike.
• Practice changing from your running shoes to bike shoes.
• Make sure your bike is in an easy gear to make your take-off easy.

TRANSITION

• Stay calm during your transitions. Getting flustered won’t make transitions quicker. Sometimes gear gets moved and knocked or. If you stay calm you are much more likely to find it and have a smooth transition.
• A good transition takes a lot of practice and time to master. The more events you do the better you will get.
• Have fun during your first events and gain the experience.

SWIM

• Try and get into the water as early as you can to acclimatise to the temperature and get your breathing under control. It can be a shock to jump into cold water.
• If you are not a strong swimmer, stay at the back of the wave. Swim starts in Triathlons can be a bit of a scrum.
• Look up regularly to ensure you stay on course. In an open water swim, it is very easy to go off course.
• Towards the end of the swim, try to kick a bit more to get the blood flowing in the legs in preparation for the run up to Transition and the bike leg.

CYCLE

• Only take your bike off the rack once your helmet is fastened.
• Put on your shoes whether it is runners or bike shoes. Your bike should be in an easy gear, your pedals are flat so they won’t drag, run your bike out to the mount line and jump on.
• Change up to a more comfortable gear and maintain a rhythm. This is done by keeping your pedal strokes spinning 85 to 100 rpm (pretty quick pedal rotations, with not too much resistance. As you get around the course you want to keep your speed consistent.
• Drink some water.
• Keep your line – make sure you ride straight and try not to brake suddenly in case there is anyone too close to you.
• Maintain a safe and legal space between other competitors – no drafting.
• If it is windy just imagine cutting through the wind and change your bike gear to an easier one, so you can keep up your spinning speed. This is the same as if you ride up a hill.
• Tri bars are useful for the more experienced athlete as it will give you more aerodynamics.
• Take the corners carefully and keep your inside pedal up (away from the ground) as you go around the corner. Accelerate as you come out of the corner to maintain your pace.
• When approaching the finish of the cycle, slow down ready to dismount at the dismount line.
• Keep your helmet fastened until your bike is racked back where you began.
• Rack your bike where you first got it from, take off your helmet, put on your running shoes (if not already on), grab your cap and go.

RUN

• Do a few short fast steps to get the legs going, this may take a few minutes.
• You are now on the third and final leg and just have to maintain a nice steady pace to the finish.
• Keep your stride and breathing steady.
• Walk if you need to.
• Finally you see the finish line, steadily you can pick up your speed if you are feeling good or just maintain it if not.
• Congratulations you have completed your first Triathlon. Plenty more to come.

POST RACE

• Celebrate and congratulate yourself and your friends.
• You usually feel great at this stage and forget to stretch, cool down and refuel.
• It is very important to replenish your body with fluids and carbohydrates which will absorb quickly.
• Cool down and stretch is very important to ensure you can walk comfortably the next day. If you are lucky enough a massage is always great.