Gear & Transition 101
Training & Nutrition
Do's & Don'ts

Gear and Transition 101

So you're thinking about tri'ing triathlon and you're wondering what you'll need to get started. Here's a list of a few things you'll might want to have on your list.

General:

* Driver’s License (or some picture ID)

* USAT License (if you have one)
* Race Number

Swim:

* Goggles (bring a spare pair)
* Wetsuit (if allowed)
* Swim cap
* Lube (body glide, Pam, etc.)

Bike:

* Bike with *2* waterbottle cages
* Helmet
* Shoes
* Plastic Waterbottles (NOT glass)
* Gels, Energy Drink
* Gloves

Run:

* Running shoes (lace locks or elastic laces are great)
* Race belt
* Running cap/hat
* Socks
* Gels, Energy Drink

Transition Area:

* Sunscreen (waterproof) and chap stick
* Water bottles
* Watch
* Heart rate monitor
* Gels,  Power Bars and the like for during the race
* Bring your own sports drink mix! (you may not like what they have out there)
* Stuff to change tires (tubes, levers, CO2)
* Pump, tools for your bike, including lube, rag, wrench set
* Towels
* Ibuprofin
* Extra socks

Other Stuff:

* Bag to use for “race bag”, carrying gear down to transition area while riding a bike – one that is big enough to put your wet suit in!!!
* Sunglasses (bring a spare pair) with multiple lenses
* Bike lock
* Permanent Marker
* Electrical tape/duct tape, plastic bags
* Warm clothes
* Safety pins

Training & Nutrition

What should I eat? When should I eat? How often should I eat? Surely these are just a few of the questions most triathletes have asked over the course of their training. While there is an abundance of resource material on the internet, here are a few basics.

Eat Breakfast. Getting off to a good start in the morning can help reduce cravings for high fat snacks later in the day.

Snack Smart. Eating snacks that contain both carbohydrates and protein can help your blood glucose levels to remain stable for training. Distributing your caloric intake over the course of the entire day can also help keep you from overeating.

Eat Enough. It's not enough to stay hydrated. During long workouts, an athlete needs about 400 calories per hour to maintain high energy levels and prevent "bonking." Avoid energy bars that are full of processed sugars and do not depend solely on gels which are designed for a quick energy boost.

Do's and Don'ts

Don’t gauge training intensity purely by feel. There is not an athlete alive who can tell you with complete accuracy what their heart rate is during training. And the heart rate is a window into what is happening with our physiology during exercise. At low heart rates we burn fat. At high heart rates we burn carbohydrates. At low heart rates we develop the aerobic system, which is essential for an endurance athlete to perform well. At high heart rates, if done too frequently over too long a period of time we will burn out, get injured and lose motivation for training.

Do use a heart rate monitor to determine your speed during workouts. Divide your year up so that the first 3/4 of your training time before the big race is devoted strictly to aerobic training. Then during the final 1/4 of the time before your big event, add in one or two days/week of speed work. Both of these forms of training are essential to reach your ultimate goal, but the balance has to be correct.

Don’t forgo strength training because it sounds like it’s for muscle heads. Any endurance athlete can benefit from a weight program. And anyone who is over about 33-35 years old should consider strength training to be most important workout you do during the week.

Do use that gym membership you have for this. Two days/week is all you need. Do an overall full body workout each session with a maximum of 12 exercises. 4-12 weeks of strength training will add the speed you need for shorter races and the muscle endurance you need for Ironman races.

Don’t forget to pay attention to your food intake both during meals and during training.  Endurance athletes need more protein than body builders. Studies have shown this. So don’t forget to have some of this in each meal. Endurance athletes also have a huge demand for good oils, such as cold pressed olive oil and the cold water fish oils (omega 3 oils). These can be found in salmon as well as beans and walnuts. Endurance athletes are trying to build their aerobic systems. Simple sugars shut off your fat burning aerobic system. So best as you can, avoid anything that is made with simple sugar during your meals.

Do tune into your body and what it is telling you to eat each meal. Some days you will need more carbohydrate than others. Some meals you body may be calling out for protein. Tune in, listen, and then act on what you hear. If you keep hearing that you need some cake, you’re listening to the wrong voice. The longer you eat healthy foods, the better you will become at being your own expert on what you need to eat.

Also, do use your long training sessions to try out race foods and the amounts you will need. There is nothing like the real world to experiment with what works for you. Every food product designed for racing has amazing claims on how it will help you during your race. But take it from someone who has found most of these claims are incorrect that you avoid a lot of unpleasant surprises by trying your race day nutrition over and over in your workouts. Try to choose conditions that will be the same as what you will encounter during your main race to test the goods out. What works in cold climates may not work in hot climates, and visa versa.

By Mark Allen for Ironmanlive.com on Thu, Mar 13th 2003 (11:21 AM).