I was asked to write this blog for XTERRA Island to help first timers getting ready the week before their race. I'm happy to oblige and give some pointers from the trial and errors that I have encountered along the way. If you are traveling a long distance to a race, try to get there at least a week prior in order to acclimate to the new location and adjust to the time change. This is something I try to do as often as I can. Another suggestion for race week is if you're going to do any long training sessions, do it earlier in the week. This will give your body time to recover before the race. It is also a good idea to pre-ride bike course, especially for an off road triathlon. This is probably one of the most important tips I can give to a new triathlete. If the course is long and you do not want to tax your body or have time, you can always break it down into sorter sections to ride/run during the week. It is important to know the course route, what the terrain is like, where the important shift changes are and what obstacles you might find in technical sections. Generally, if I can't ride a technical section during my pre ride, I likely will get off my bike and run it. When you preview the run course, it is good to assess where you can push yourself and where you may need to slow down. Every run course is different and one of my favorite is the Guam course. For this course it's important to preview the run especially if you' ve never run down waterfalls. Its a little difficult to try and figure it out on race day! In regards to the swim portion of the race, I try to swim a few times during the week. This can be done in a pool or an open water swim, such as the ocean.
So let me leave you with an example of my preparation This week for Xterra Saipan. I took a off day Monday due to racing Tagaman on Sunday and I pushed my body pretty hard. If haven't race the previous weekend, Thursday is usually a good day to take as a rest day. On Tuesday, I rode the whole bike course with pro triathlete Ben Allen. It was a great opportunity for me to learn from him and he promised he'd take it easy. Then on Wednesday I ran the majority of the course (all the off road section) which I followed with an open water swim. As for my plan on Thursday, I will probably ride half the course to relook at some of the trickier sections. The day before the race which in this instance is Friday, I always keep things light. I will typically do a 30 minute bike (easy spin), 15 minute run and a 15 minute swim earlier in the day. Then I try to stay off my feet and out of the heat as much as I can. During this time you can think about your goals or setting some realistic goals for the race. It's important to remember to have fun and enjoy the day. Happy trails!
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