No matter how prepared you are on race day for your Ironman triathlon, there are a few important issues you should know about that will help you have a smoother, happier race with fewer "surprises". So in no particular order, here are six things you may not know about Ironman triathlon.

When you start a race, your goal is to get to the finish line. For some, the goal is to finish comfortably, for others it's to get to the finish line first. Simply getting to the finish line is but one of the many goals we can set for ourselves. Goals challenge us to see how high we can go and to do things we perhaps didn't know were possible. Setting goals for ourselves is the way we stay motivated to train in the tough times, in bad weather, and when there are no races in the immediate future. Goals make bring your dreams to reality.

Sleep is a cornerstone in training. Sleep accelerates the recovery process of our body, readying us physically and mentally for the challenges of a new day of working, training or competing.

Sleep can be divided in two types:
- NREM (non-rapid eye movement) which is subdivided in 4 stages according to the degree of consciousness degree
- REM which is when the dream process happens. Usually the REM type occurs as the four-stage NREM cycle begins.

Mark had the fastest swim at the 2007 Ironman World Championship in 49:50 and swam 46:11 at the 2008 Subaru Ironman Canada. He has been wearing XTERRA WETSUITS since 2007.

1. Buy new goggles (same model you normally use) and swim in them once or twice prior to the race.

2. Spit is the best, most perfect anti-fog product EVER, it's also readily available on race morning.

Jarrett Pflieger writes: So you signed up for your first triathlon in 2010; that is a great first step. Now it is time to put in the work. The first thing you need to do is accept you will not have a perfect race, or set any course records your first time out. Too many athletes go into their first few races with their hopes set too high, which creates excessive nerves and a bitter feeling when they don’t live up to their own lofty expectations.