Alright due to all the great suggestions here I am competing in my first tri next Sunday (1 week away) in Waldo FL. It is Olympic distance and I am very excited except that it has been freezing here (for north Florida standards) and I am sure the lake is going to be very cold even in the wetsuit. Good news though is that the forecast for Sunday is a low of 48 high of near 70 and sunny =). I have a few questions below:
1) What would you suggest my training be like this week approaching the event? My ultimate goal is a 1/2 iron in May so this is more of a learning event and I am not looking to try to push my limits at this race. I can not afford an injury so if I get fatigued I plan to slow my pace even if that means walking.
2) The night before the event has a spaghetti dinner for competitors. Does this really do any good for the race the next day or can I skip out on the high white carbs that I normally limit in my diet.
3) Any suggestions for the first time racer that you think I should consider?
I would also like to thank everyone for the positive motivation this site provides. I am the fittest in my life and although I have a bit to go the suggestions to go for it several months ago has been the best suggestion ever. I am down to 190 lbs from over 260 and have found a sport I think I am going to love (already love training for it so the event should be the icing on the cake). Thank you so much and I will let you know how I do.
1) Even on race that I train
1) Even on race that I train through..I still take an easy week before a race. You don't need much of a taper for an Oly, but it sure feels good on race day to feel strong and rested. Just some light work outs, one a day. For an Oly I usually do Monday off, a light swim on Tuesday of race distance, short run on Wednesday of :30, Thursday an easy ride with some pickups with a short T run after...Friday off Saturday off.
2) I normally skip the night before pasta dinners but have a good meal around lunch time the day before then a snack in the evening.
3) Have fun! It's your first Tri! Race YOUR race and don't get pulled out by the folks around you. Enjoy the moment and keep your sense of humor...remember, anything can happen on race day!
Well done on the losing the amount of weight equal to a 6th or 7th grader!
Let us know how you do!
So excited for you! You'll
So excited for you! You'll never get another "first" tri. It is exhilarating. +1 on everything Anton said. Taper your training way back and take a day or two off. Really try and soak in the experience. You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future to race hard, so hard you can barely remember what you did in transition, oblivious of the sites you pass on the bike, etc... For the first one, just drink it all in. I hope you have a great experience. Post an RR afterwards for us.
Enjoy it! 1. I generally
Enjoy it!
1. I generally stick to shorter faster / form-focused workouts including a transition practice the week of a race. For a Sunday race, I take Friday off, and do a pre-race sort of bike or run (usually run) on Saturday. That is, warmup, 3x1 min pickup w/ 4 min easy in between, then cool down.
For any race, even ones I don't care about, I always push myself as hard as I can. It is good for you to train to push yourself as hard as you can on race day instead of making excuses to yourself that it is not your most important race. Do make sure to recover enough before you pick your training back up to avoid injury, but I suggest pushing yourself hard (it more enjoyable afterward if you know you did not leave anything on the table).
2. Doesn't really matter. Key rules: don't overeat, avoid excessive fat and fiber. As long as you do not eat too much, pasta is fine. If you will enjoy the social aspect of the dinner, go for it. If not, don't bother.
3. Just relax and enjoy. Smile for the cameras if there is a photographer. Watch and/or talk to other people. Afterward, think of three things that you did well and three things that you can do better in your next race... Have fun and tell us all about it!
Enjoy your first race - soak
Enjoy your first race - soak in the day, and have fun! I'm sure you'll be hooked and please make a posting in the "race report" folder and let us know how you did !!
Have a great time and
Have a great time and enjoy!!! Make sure to bring extra tubes and If you can put em in a bag with baby powder, it makes it a bit easier to change if need be. My first tri I popped two tubes!!!!!! Freaken terrible...you'll have a great time no matter what this will be fun and great memories for sure.