so about that race in nine days.

so about that race in nine days.

• 9.27.2012

My race is next Sunday. That’s 9 days away. Why do these things always sneak up on me? It’s like I train, and train, and train and then BAM! out of now where, it’s race day.



Let’s not pretend like I’m some triathlon expert here, this is only my third race…and it’s just a sprint triathlon. But after two very different races, I think I’ve learned some pretty great things about preparing for race day.

> Start hydrating. Obviously you can’t hydrate your body in one day so I’ve found, that for me at least, I need to start thinking about how much water I’m drinking at least a week in advance. Especially when it’s hot hot hot.

> Figure out what I’m going to wear. I’ve still yet to find the perfect racing outfit but I’ll live. It’s not like I’m doing an Ironman or anything. For this race, I’m planning on wearing my Lululemon Velo Vixen Short in Black which I’ve already tested out in the water. I’ll probably wear my Blue Seventy tri tank as well.

> Decide if I’ll wear my hair in a ponytail or french braid. Ok, this is obviously ridiculous but I can’t STAND having my hair bothering me in a race. There’s no time to be fixing/worrying about your hair! And mine at that weird length where it’s just short enough to be a pain. So yea. Part of my routine is figuring out what the heck to do with my hair.

> Focus my training. This isn’t really something I think much about - I try to just follow whatever schedule my coach gives me. The best part of having a coach is not having to think!

> Mentally psych myself up. I’m still a newbie in the triathlon world so I still get nervous about “surviving” the race. I’m always slightly scared I’ll drown, pass out, crash, hyperventilate…you know, the really common stuff. Let’s all be realistic here, I’m not going to win. I’m probably not going to place (unless there are only 3 girls in my age group…) so I should really just be having run.

> Pick out some yummy gels. I like to try new ones all the time. Sometimes I get a chance to try them before a race, sometimes I don’t. I like to live on the edge.

Are there specific things you do to prepare for a race? Are some of them silly? Superstitions? Lucky hair ties? Weird things you eat for fuel? Share them with me! I’d love to hear all your tips and tricks!