After several months of training and sacrifice, race week finally arrives. How do you usually feel? Can you handle the emotions associated with the most important and challenging competitions of the season well?
Especially when it comes to a race as long as an Ironman, the planning started at least a year in advance. On the one hand comes the long-awaited day. But on the other hand you’re gambling all your preparation in one fell swoop. Are you ready to handle physical and psychological stress?
Tension begins to rise as early as a few days before. The last few days the training load drops. You miss that feeling of well-being that the most intense workouts give you. But you have to get used to it. The most important thing is to rest, eat properly and sleep at night. No point in continuing to tire. It is not more or less training that alters months of preparation. Rest and muscle freshness, on the other hand, can make a difference. Be sure to follow a proper dietary protocol. If the race involves travel, prepare all those foods you are used to eating the day before and the morning of the race. Do not leave such important aspects to chance. Make a check list with all the things you need in the race and in the days leading up to it. Update it frequently and after each race as soon as you notice something is missing. Also a small detail.
The trip
When the race is held far from home, try to go a few days in advance to study the routes. First thing I recommend doing carefully is the choice of hotel/apartment. To avoid unnecessary stress and transfers on race day, look for support near the starting area. You will save stress and wasted time both on race day and in the days leading up to it. Sometimes they cost a little more but you make it back in time, travel, parking etc. I assure you that the opportunity to have support until just before the race is priceless.
The second point is about local knowledge. Ideal to scout the routes. Before an ironman you can go and see the bike course by breaking it down into two times and focusing on the most treacherous and challenging spots. When the route is multilap it becomes even easier because there are even fewer miles to cover. Try to understand the usual weather conditions: temperatures throughout the day, wind direction, asphalt quality, and any other aspects that may be relevant. On the other hand, if you arrive close to the race, do the same scouting as the car race. An alternative is to take advantage of the support of the organization, which often offers guided tours of the bike route especially if it is not bikeable without road closures.
It is important, when you arrive early, to arrange everything you need for the race as soon as possible without waiting until the last day when you only have to think about resting. So get your bike ready and check everything. Tightening of bolts, pressure and quality of tires/tubes. Too many times I see entire bottle cages or other appendages come off in races just because the screws were not checked for months. Lubricates chain, crankset and sprocket pack, charges the electronic gearbox battery. In Ironman races you can go and pick up your race pack even three days before. Take advantage of this so that you can prepare in advance everything you may need for the race. Study well different outfits to use in Based on the expected climate and temperature. Don’t be caught unprepared.
Along with your bib you will find three colored race bags:
- The WHITE bag where you can put the clothes you wore before the race and anything else you may need after the finish line.
- The BLUE bag where you need to put everything you will need in the transition from swimming to biking.
- The RED bag with the necessities for the final run.
Remember that these bags have to be prepared and handed in the day before the race, and in many events you can’t get your hands on them again until transition time. Check and double-check the contents well. Other than your bags, you have no other way to get the materials you need on race day. As I told you when in doubt always put two clothing choices in each bag. In the course of my personal experience, I have seen the weather change dramatically and suddenly. Don’t risk rain, heat or cold to jeopardize your outcome. Preparation of the material is the first step toward a successful competition.
In some competitions the organizers provide you with two more envelopes: the Special Needs. One orange and one black. These may contain supplements, clothing, or anything else you may need during your bike session and your running session. You hand them in the morning of the race and find them at a specific point on the bike and then run course well indicated by the organization.
Make sure everything is in the race pack and what the arrangements are for delivering the chip if it is not already inside the race pack. So many times it is handed over to you at the time the bike is delivered to the changing area.
Race Briefing
On the Thursday or Friday before the race go to the race briefing. This is very important because any changes from the original program are communicated and, most importantly, they will explain to you how the change zone works and the dynamics of the two transitions. Study the schedule well. Already for the day before the race, it is important to be well aware of the specific times and places to drop off the bike and the two bags. In some races it is simple and straightforward. In others it is more complicated especially when T1 and T2 are different. Analyze well the entry and exit paths in each transition. The location of your bike and envelopes. What seems easy to you today on race day caught up in the heat and fatigue becomes very difficult. A changing area can hold up to 3,000 bicycles. If you do not know your way in and out well, you risk wasting valuable time unnecessarily. Get as much information as possible. On these occasions they provide initial estimates of the weather forecast. Air and water temperatures and the expected weather on race day (hot, cold, windy, etc.). If you anticipate all eventualities, you will not waste time handling them on race day.
(Main image credits: expressiovisual on DepositPhotos.com)