30 Tips for Your First Triathlon

As you all know, I’ve spent the past few months training for my first triathlon, the Geneva International Triathlon. Saturday at 8:20am I will zip up my wetsuit and enter the water with hundreds of other triathletes, ready to conquer the 500m swim, 20km bike and 5k run. Tonight, as I begin to organize my gear and get pumped, I am keeping in mind the many tips and tricks I’ve received from friends over the past few weeks.

Without the support of so many of you, this triathlon never would have happened. You have made me feel confident, answered my many random questions, motivated me through your amazing pictures, and supported me! THANK YOU!

Triathlon Tips

In order to help others on their own triathlon journey, this post is a round up of the tips and tricks from experienced athletes.

Meghan from Little Girl in the Big World

-My biggest tip would be that the most important leg of the race is the run. Don’t blow your doors off in the bike only to get off and find that you have nothing left for the run. That’s where you’ll pass or be passed.

-As far as tricks, put your race number on a triathlon belt and put it under your running shoes. When you put your running shoes on you’ll see the belt and can grab it and put it on as you’re running out of transition.

-On the bike, make sure you’re in an easy gear when you setup your bike in transition. It’ll be easier to get started when you get to the mount line and you won’t end up having to grind too hard to get going.

Mollie from PT Mollie

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-Rack bike in a low gear! Racking bike in a low gear makes it much easier to start pedaling. It gives your body a chance to switch disciplines without the shock of having to work really hard initially.

-Mark shoelaces so you know how tight to tie them!

-Exhale lots during the swim if you feel like you can’t catch your breath!

Charlie from The Runner Beans

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Fuel on the bike when you’re less likely to cramp- and try not to fuel just before you transition so you’re body doesn’t have to do too much at once!

Theodora from Preppy Runner

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My best advice would be to take as much time as you need to get into the water for the swim. You don’t need to run up to the front. Let people pass you, and then start swimming once you’re ready and comfortable.

Victoria from Obligatory Tri Blog

-Study the course maps and elevation profiles well in advance of the event so that you know what you will be up against on race day. A hilly bike course? Potentially muddy or even technical trails on the run course? This can help you focus your training on the aspect of the race that will be most challenging to you, and can inform you of specific gear you might need, such as a different cassette on your bike or more stable shoes for the run.

-Even better than studying the course maps: swim/bike/run parts of the course in advance, if possible. Swimming the course may be specifically disallowed because of legal restrictions around lakes and rivers, but bike and run courses are often on open roads that lend themselves to several previews if you live near the course. Knowing when you will have to shift gears on your bike, when you’re battling a false flat, and when you might expect a headwind are helpful on race day.

-Keep transition simple. Bring only what you need for the race, as the less cluttered your transition area is, the easier it will be to ensure you have gathered and donned all your gear between the swim and bike and bike and run. Simplicity also means faster transitions, which means that the finish line comes faster!

-No need to be intimidated by the other racers with the $10k+ bikes and fancy gear – everybody has to cover the same course, and each of them was a first-time triathlete at one point.

-A final word of wisdom: I’ve never heard a triathlete say "Wow, I wish I hadn’t put on so much body glide before the race."

Emily from I Live in Yellow

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-Lube up before the swim. I put a layer of Aquaphor Healing Ointment under the foot, arm and neck openings of my wetsuit to avoid chafing. Come to think of it, I had Aquaphor in my gear bag for each leg of the race to prevent and treat blisters, chafing, and other skin issues.

-Get in that water. Whether its the day before or while you’re waiting for your wave start on race morning, definitely spend some time in the water where you’ll be swimming. Whether you swim around or just blow bubbles, if nothing else it’ll ease your mind about the dreaded open water swim. Helped calm the nerves for sure.

-Practice catching water bottles on the bike. Sounds silly, but at my first race they handed out full water bottles on the side of the road that you had to catch, and that you could put in your water cages. I had never done this before, and was really timid for the first couple water stations and know that I slowed down significantly and was nervous about teetering over. Wish I would have practiced it in training.

-Over pack your food for the bike. You’d rather have more than not enough!

-Pick one hairstyle. The last thing I wanted to do was worry about my (long) hair during the race and in transition. I settled on a low braided ponytail – it was easy to tuck into my swimcap, under my bike helmet and under my visor for the run.

-Celebrate each leg being done. It was my first tri too, and I was intimidated by doing all three sports together and the duration of time. I decided to segment it out into three sections (sounds obvious, but hear me out). I got out of the water, and celebrated being 1/3 of the way done. Went into the bike and focused on that and (3.5 hrs later… zz) celebrated (like crazy!) when that was over. I was 2/3 of the way done! As a fellow runner-turned-trinewbie, I knew this is where I felt most comfortable. Breaking the race into those three portions really helped me mentally, instead of looking at it holistically, really helped to keep me posted and not get overwhelmed. And celebrate each part along the way. Certainly helped to pass the time too!

Emily, friend who has done multiple triathlons including St. Anthonys in Florida

-Don’t over pack for transtiions!

-Walk through transitions ahead of time.

-Start at the back of the pack in the swim if that’s your weak thing so you don’t get trampled/freak out. In addition, if you can move towards the outside then you’ll only have swimmers on one side of you which can help minimize panic.

Leigh, friend who has done multiple triathlons including NYC

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-  Everyone says this, but it’s true – practice the bike-run portion…your legs need to know what that feels like! I personally was so ready to run after getting off the bike, but definitely a wobbly feeling until you get the hang of it.

– Do a trial mini tri before the event so you can test out your gear and make sure it all works and is comfortable.

– If you like Gu’s, one easy way to access them is to tape them on the frame bar of your bike across the top and then when you want it just tear it right off, easy!

– I think my advice for your first one is to just go at a comfortable pace on the bike so you’re not totally done before the run.

– If you’re clipping in, get used to running in bike shoes and mounting on the fly. If you need to stop to clip in (I did), make sure you do that to the side of the bike exit area and not in the middle where people who are moving will run into you.

– On the bike – especially if it is hilly, spend time getting used to gear shifts and how to use them efficiently so that you don’t expend energy unnecessarily!

Michael, friend who has done multiple HIM including August 70.3

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-Bring pants. It is cold in the am. Trust me you will appreciate.

-Bring an extra pair of goggles.

-Go into the water before the race starts – you don’t want cold water shock

-Take your time on the bike mount. Don’t cause an accident at the mount line !!

-If you need to take a breather for 2 seconds during T2, do it. Get your hat on, sunglasses, etc. don’t feel stressed.

-It’s okay to walk a bit during the run. Only walk the water stations though!!

Hillary, friend who has completed multiple triathlons

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-A little bit of Vaseline on the cuffs of the wetsuit makes taking it off much easier!

-Having a bandana or something loosely tied onto the seat of your bike makes it easier to spot when you’re running in from transition

Did these triathletes forget anything? What’s your biggest tip?

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Homemade Greek Dressing Recipe

Homemade dressings are the easiest way to make a salad that much better. When I tell people that I make my own dressing they often ask how hard it is and if they too can do it. I quickly assure them that it is not only easy but it also uses ingredients that many people already have in their pantry or refrigerator.  Trust me, after a little bit of trial and error, you’ll hardly ever buy bottled dressings.

Now, I have to give credit to Thomas Keller for this, in particular, Bouchon, one of my all-time favorite cookbooks.

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Mr. Keller, of course, has many other cookbooks with incredible recipes.  However, Bouchon continues to be one of my go-to references as, despite sounding amazing, most of the recipes in Under Pressure (his sous vide cookbook) and the French Laundry Cookbook are so complicated that I’ve only ever attempted one or two of them.

The “House Vinaigrette” recipe from Bouchon has effectively inspired every salad dressing that I’ve ever made, and the key is the process of emulsification. Emulsions are VERY important in cooking. Many simple ingredients or finished products are emulsions though you might not even know it. Examples include milk, coffee, mayonnaise, and butter. Anything that is custard based or part of the hollandaise family is also an emulsion. What is an emulsion you ask? “Emulsion” is a term that describes the chemical process of suspending one liquid in another liquid when the two are usually immiscible (unable to be mixed) Think of oil and vinegar.  When you put the two in a bottle and shake, they mix but within a matter of minutes, you will have a layer of oil floating on a layer of vinegar. Again, that is because, oil is not soluble in vinegar. To change this, you need what we refer to as an emulsifier to stabilize the mixture. In the case of a vinaigrette, we use mustard. However, egg yolks are also a common emulsifier. Soy lecithin is another emulsifier which I have read about; however for now, that, along with xanthan gum, and other ingredients used in molecular gastronomy aren’t yet in my pantry.

I say that the simple vinaigrette is the inspiration for all my dressings because each one effectively starts with this recipe.  However, I would note that acids and oils can be interchanged.  This recipe uses red wine vinegar and canola oil.  However, I often use white wine vinegar to give it a more subtle flavor.  Substitute half the vinegar for lime juice, add some cumin and chili powder, and you immediately have Mexican vinaigrette.  Substitute the canola oil for nice EVOO, add a few shallots, roasted garlic, oregano, and swap some of the vinegar for some lemon juice, and you have an amazing Greek dressing. Substitute rice wine vinegar, peanut oil, miso paste for the mustard, and you get an incredible Asian style dressing.  The combinations are endless, and the point is that these are all very simple.

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Below is a recipe for my Greek dressing which is a variation on Thomas Keller’s “House Vinaigrette.”  I used it to dress the Greek Salad we brought to the lakeside barbecue we had with friends last night. The dressing and salad was a huge hit and a few of our friends asked me to share the recipe!

Homemade Greek Salad Dressing

Homemade Greek Dressing Ingredients

Ingredients
Four cloves of garlic
Two tablespoons Dijon mustard
Two tablespoons red wine vinegar
Two tablespoons lemon juice
1/2  cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
 

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Smash three of the garlic cloves, drizzle on some olive oil, and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.  Mince the raw clove and smash together with the roasted garlic (if you’re ambitious do this in a mortar and pestle and grind until smooth). Set aside.

Combine the olive oil and vegetable oil and set aside.  Combine the mustard, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.  Then begin slowly adding the oil while whisking.  The oil should begin to incorporate into the mixture.  As it gets thicker, you can add the oil more quickly.  Finally, add the oregano and salt and pepper.

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Geneva Triathlon Training– Pleased

This evening I traded in my running shoes for spa flip flops in honor of my upcoming vacation and a triathlon training treat! My feet haven’t enjoyed a pedicure since May so tonight’s treatment was definitely needed!

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Last week wasn’t perfect as I missed my speed workout but overall I am still pleased with my training. This week is the triathlon so come Monday 100% of my focus will be on the Berlin Marathon! But, until then, I have 5 days of triathlon training and a mini taper between me and the triathlon on Saturday.

Monday: I did a much needed 5 mile tempo run after work. There is nothing better than a sweaty run after a long conference which includes sitting in a dark room all day! I kept an average pace of 9:14 which considering the humidity means this training is working!

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Tuesday: The Tuesday night 90 minute power yoga class never gets old and regardless the focus of the class, each one leaves me limber and thankful for investing the time. Last week wasn’t the best week for inversions or balances but I was able to go deeper than normal in my twists and chair pose.

Wednesday: Rest day

Thursday: I squeezed in a 15 minute yoga for runners session in addition to 10 minutes of arms & abs at home while watching Friends season 4.

Friday: My 14 mile long run wasn’t perfect but I finished feeling strong and was pleased with my average pace of 9:55. I learned a lot this week including the fact that I need to bring more water or plan my route along water fountains.

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Saturday: Does walking more than 7 miles around Paris count?

Sunday: Triathlon training has helped me fall back in love with physical activity in a whole new way. Last year after a morning of travel I would come home and relax on the couch all evening. Yesterday, while I was looking forward to more Friends episodes, the thing I wanted to do first was bike and swim. Who am I? I did a reverse brick workout including biking & swimming. I rode 17 miles by myself before open water swim practice. Our practice was cut short due to weather but I still squeezed in around 1200 meters freestyle including a few sighting and triathlon simulations! I couldn’t stop smiling after this workout!

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Your turn – What are your tips for first time triathletes? I’m going to do a post dedicated to this topic later in the week! This home girl appreciates & needs any and every tip she can get!

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