Preparing triathletes for their target triathlon race is a process that can take from a few weeks to several months. The training process, during this period, requires the athletes to sacrifice personal time, as they must focus on training systematically, based on their training plan. That’s the only way to reach optimal physical condition on race day.
As you’ve guessed, in this article we’ll discuss what athletes should avoid before the race; so that their efforts don’t go out the window.
What you need to avoid, before a Triathlon race
Both coaches and athletes know that even the smallest change in their training routine can have big consequences on their performance, on race day. Hence, coaches, before a Triathlon race, advise your athletes not to, by all means:
1. Try new equipment
It’s crucial that the athlete finds the sports equipment that suits them best for the Triathlon race, during the preparation period. However, they may have to change something along the way (e.g., shoes) shortly before the race. In this case, the athlete needs to use the new equipment during training, as much as possible; just to be sure that it won’t cause any problems, like blisters, that would mess up the race for them.
2. Change eating habits
Coaches usually instruct their athletes to avoid eating different or new food, as they get closer to their goal Triathlon race. If the athlete wants to experiment with their nutrition — or try a new dietary plan — they better do it during the preparation; and, way before the race. Why? Because their body may not accept the new diet very well, possibly resulting in gastrointestinal issues, on the day of the race.
3. Wait for the night before, to get some rest
As it often happens, the night before the race, most athletes either can’t manage to sleep properly or can’t even sleep at all. This mainly happens due to the anxiety and alertness they feel for the big day. For this reason, coaches should make sure their athletes get enough sleep and rest at least 2-3 nights before the Triathlon race; so that, if the night before the race the athlete can’t sleep or rest, it won’t affect their performance much.
4. Prepare the sports equipment, at the last minute
Triathlon races are very demanding events, since they consist of three different sports. This means that the triathlete has to bring three times the equipment a cyclist would, for example, bring to a race. As a result, triathletes are in a hurry to organize all their equipment, often forgetting something, here and there. Other times, various problems occur with their equipment; and they can’t fix them, because there’s simply too much to do. That’s why triathletes need to arrange their sports equipment earlier; that is, when they’re calm and focused. In this way, they’ll be able to deal with any arising issue, without wasting valuable time.
5. Forget about good hydration
Typically, athletes gather at the race point earlier, to hand over their sports equipment in the transition zones. One can notice that they always have water bottles and electrolytes with them. Is this by chance? Of course not! Hence, remind your athletes to get well hydrated before the Triathlon race; and to not forget to have a drink of water whenever they can, during the race, too.
6. Perform a different warm-up routine before the Triathlon race
It’s also important for the triathlete to perform their usual warm-up routine, to avoid any unpleasant surprises during the race. Right before the event is certainly not the time for the triathlete to try a new workout. They may get injured or sore; and, if something like this happens, their performance will decrease. So, make sure your athletes remain steadfast in their routine, until the race.
Triathlon race day: Preparing for a good finish
The day of a Triathlon race is, perhaps, the most important day for a triathlete. Besides, for that specific day, the athlete made many sacrifices; and trained hard to get to the desired level of performance.
Nonetheless, following their coach’s instructions — and considering everything we mentioned in this article — they’ll certainly be able to prepare well for that special day. Not only that, but they’ll also be able to enjoy themselves and have a good finish, no matter the race results!