Fresh Like Lettuce - Triathlon Race Week Tips

I recently wrote some tips for my good friend Katie who is looking after a team of new triathletes. Katie and Laura wrote this book Tricurious and they now have a team of Tricurious peeps racing at the AJ Bell London Triathlon.

If you are new to triathlon these things might help you feel more relaxed in the lead up to the race.

I hope you find them helpful :)

What to do:

1. This should be a light training week so try not to fill your free time with lots of other activities. Remember, come race day you want to feel “Fresh Like Lettuce”!
2. Get an extra 20-30 minutes sleep each night, if possible. Sleep is the best recovery product on the market and it’s free.
3. Write a list at the start of the week of everything you need for race day and try to have most of your kit ready a couple of days before the race
4. Make sure all your gear is in excellent condition early in the week so you have time to get replacements or repairs sorted, if necessary. For example, if it’s clunking or clicking, get your bike in for a quick service; check your wetsuit for slight tears; make sure you have an emergency spare pair of goggles.
5. Ensure you are sipping water regularly (especially if it’s a really hot week).
6. Review your training diary for the best sessions/experiences you have had in training, print them off and read them daily as positive reinforcement of all you have achieved.
7. Write down a few things to remember in each discipline and read them throughout this week (for example, keep your shoulders relaxed and head up while running). A couple per discipline is enough and you can then use these to focus on during your race.
8. Try to spend no more than 30 minutes a day actually thinking or faffing about the race. Try to keep it out of your mind the rest of the time.
9. Reduce training intensity and volume and have a rest day 2 days out. The day before your race, you could go for a 30 minute bike ride (to make sure everything is working) and include 3-5 x 30 second hard efforts, or go for a 15-20 minute run. The reason we generally don’t rest completely the day before a race is so that the body doesn’t start to go into recovery mode. A short, easy spin or run will remind your body that tomorrow is race day and help you to avoid feeling sluggish!
10. If you have been having massages in training, have a massage this week (with someone who has massaged you before); remember to let them know your race is this weekend.
11. Compression gear hasn’t yet been conclusively proven to improve performance or recovery but it can certainly help your legs feel much better. If you have some, wear it after your training sessions this week.
12. Plan your pre-race meal for the night before: ideally some carbohydrate and some protein with not too much veg. This meal needs to be easily digestible so it does not cause you issues in the morning. Some of my pre-race favourites are pizza, pasta with tomato sauce and a little cheese, or rice with chicken and a little veg. Plan an easily digestible breakfast, something you’re used to having, for race morning, and a light lunch if you’re in a later wave!
13. Work out the logistics in advance, there are road closures around Excel so ensure you know exactly where you are going, and leave lots of time to get to the venue. Ideally, you should arrive at transition 90 minutes before your race start time.
14. Remind yourself why you wanted to do this race. It’s natural to feel nervous (everyone does), so focus on achievement rather than times and position.
15. If you do feel very nervous, remind yourself that, on race day, you are going to do your best. There can be no regrets or disappointments when you do your best and you will enjoy the race a lot more

What Not to Do:

1. Don’t think that more training this week will make you fitter, it won’t and it’s too late. Extra training in this week can simply cause more fatigue and leave you feeling anything other than fresh like lettuce!
2. Don’t rest completely though: your body needs stimulation to prevent it going into recovery mode and making you feel sluggish.
3. Don’t buy new kit this week, or at the expo, and wear it in the race (if you haven’t trained in it first). Feel free to buy kit at the expo but then wear it when you return to training.
4. Don’t forget to account for the weather. You might need an extra layer if it is extremely cold or wet on the bike and, equally, you will need some sunscreen if it’s boiling hot!
5. Don’t get caught up in the times or training other people tell you they are doing. Focus on executing the best race you possibly can and enjoying it – racing is the fun bit!
6. Don’t try new foods or drinks in the 3 days leading up to the race – you don’t want one dodgy meal to spoil your race.
7. Don’t panic if you don’t sleep well the night before a race – very few people do! Ensuring you sleep well in the days prior to race day will be sufficient.
8. Don’t hesitate to ask an experienced friend, mentor or coach for help if you have concerns or issues this week. They are there to help you to be as calm as possible.