Calling all Tri Geeks!: Virtual Expo

2011 Tri Gear Expo: www.trigearexpo.com

Every triathlete is a "junkie" for technology and the "latest and greatest" triathlon items. Here is an opportunity for multi-sport athletes to see what is headed to the market for 2012 in a one stop shopping format. The best thing about this opportunity is its free! Triathletes spend thousands of dollars a year on items that make us more aero, fuel us, help endurance and become the best athletes we can be, why not check it all out in one place..virtually. I know the one drawback is that you cannot touch the items, which I love to do especially being a taller athletes, but this is an opportunity to see items from distributors that may not be able to attend race expos.

The event runs from November 25, 2011- December 2, 2011.

So whether you are shopping for yourself or your favorite triathlete this is a great opportunity to check out the 2012 gear.

Julie's First Tri: Lake Meridian, WA

Ok, Dan you were right: I'm already thinking about the next race. Is it too early to say I am addicted? I am sitting here, anxiously waiting results of my race...

While I outwardly spoke out that my goal for my first triathlon (sprint at Lake Meridian, WA) was to finish the race. Quietly I knew this wasn't enough I wanted a good showing; its the competitor in me. So I was thrilled when things went smoothly...like not getting a flat tire and no digestive issues. Thanks for getting me prepared for this. Also a big thanks to my friends Schuyler and Tara for showing me the ropes and doing the race with me.

I was a little concerned about how I was going to perform after only an hour's nights rest. The night before a race I can never seem to sleep...we will need to cover this as a topic later on! Luckily the previous night I had slept well. Breakfast consisted of a pb&j, banana, and a Gatorade Prime. Everything stayed down (as opposed to the day of my first half marathon.)

I definitely was pretty intimidated when we arrived at the race and started to set up transition. People have some fancy bikes and some pretty techy gear. I didn't let it get to me thought, I mean my goal was to just finish, right?

This tri started with a deep water start, and with the temperature of the water at 74 degrees (warmer than the air) it was a pretty comfortable and calming pre-start. Of course once everyone started, I definitely felt the "washing machine" effect and at one point just stopped cause there was no where to go. One swimming for about 5 minutes I was able to find my own space and get in the groove. Reviewing the race, the swimming was actually my favorite leg! I think I definitely entered "the zone."

I was definitely worried last night about not being fully prepared for the bike. I had really only been on that particular bike twice! Also, I was doing this race without the proper equipment to change a tire. I was just hoping that I wouldn't have to stop racing if a tire went flat. Phew! Another thing I learned was to take the bike for a little spin after taking it out of the car. When I first jumped on the bike, my gears were not catching and I almost thought I was going to have to get off the bike. I think I should have just double checked everything before I put it on the rack! Another topic we will have to discuss in the future is rules of drafting and passing. While this triathlon was not super strict, for future races it would be nice to know to avoid penalty.

The run was definitely the worst leg. Although going in I was thinking that this would be my strong part, I was not prepared for the tightness and jelly feeling (how contradictory) that I was going to feel. The first mile was definitely the worst as it felt like I was running on new legs. As I continued to run I could feel my legs loosening up a little more which allowed me to increase my stride. I think in my continued training I want to practice more bike/run bricks to help tackle this feeling.

Overall, this was an awesome experience! The weather was ideal and French toast was served for athletes...uh, awesome! I will post my times when they are made available. Really stoked to see how I did...especially when I had no expectations for how fast I would be going in. Will keep you posted.

Race Week: Triathlon Gear

Its the final day before the race. I just started packing and organizing my gear. This is the last time I have a chance to pick up any new gear that I may need tomorrow.

Bike : Cannondale (I have no idea what model it is. My friend Schuyler, another Ironman, was not satisfied with me not knowing). I am pretty psyched to have this bike. I have officially been out swimming more than I have biked, so I still have a ton to learn about bikes. Just having it is awesome to me. Thanks Bree Sherry!

Dan: Rack your bike by the seat post on the bar. Make sure to alternate your bike from the person(s) next to you to allow you to easily get your bike off the rack. You want your handle bars to be alternating from people next to you. If you get there early enough, try and take the spot closest to the end so that you do not need to between the racks to get to your gear. I have a very high seat post so I always make sure to test my spot on the rack and make sure that I can take my bike off the rack and roll it under the bar. Make sure you pump up your tires the morning of the race. ( I pump them up the night before as well that way you can check them in the morning and to see you lost any air over night which may lead you to realize you have a small puncture in your tire. There will be bike mechanics on site the morning of the race so if you do not have a bike pump they will be able to do that for you.

Bike pump: Blackburn Airtower I just purchased this pump and have yet to use it. I will be testing it out later tonight and will be sure to pump up my tires one last time in the morning.

Helmet: Bell Venture After seeing what types of helmets are out there, I know this helmet is more of a casual recreational helmet. Maybe an upgrade in the future.

Water bottle - I bought a water bottle last week and didn't realize till now that it doesn't fit into the water cages. Der!

Dan: One water bottle should suffice for a sprint distance race. You may want to think about putting G2 in there as opposed to water if you feel you may need some additional calories during the race.

Wetsuit: Rented Xterra sleeveless You can read more coverage here.

Goggles: Aqua Sphere Kaiman I just purchased these goggles the other day. What an upgrade from my last pair! They look huge on my face though.

Clothes: I still haven't fully figured out what I am going to wear. I do not have a tri outfit. I was looking at some shorts the other day and haven't decided whether I will splurge or not (haven't seen any less than $55 at retail.) Maybe I could get by with these spandex shorts and a bra. I am going to check some more out today.

Dan: Who needs it? - Try and have as much of what you are going to wear throughout the race on before the race starts. It will make your transitions faster and keep you from struggling to put on clothes while your body is wet.

Socks: When I ran my first half marathon, I did purchase running socks. Hello comfort. That was a great purchase. While putting down $9 or so for a pair of socks seems crazy to me, it was worth it.

Dan: Put these on before the bike (might consider bringing a towel to wipe off feet before putting them on)

Sneakers: Nike Pegasus I have put many miles on these shoes and will need a new pair soon...but not today.

Nutrition: GU and Shotbloks I am not sure I will need these or not, but will pack just in case.

To add:

Towel
Spare bike tire
CO2 cartridge

Dan: Race belt - to affix race number to. Have to have your number on the front part of your body during the run. (some races make you wear your number on your bike during the bike so this is where a race belt come in handy. You can flip it to your back on the bike and turn it to the front for the run.

Have I forgotten anything??

Race Week: Wetsuit Rental from XTerra

Green Lake, Seattle WA

I can float! Hello buoyancy.

My rental wetsuit from Xterra came in the mail the other day and I have been anxious to take it out for a spin. As you mentioned here, I knew it was also important to try out an open water swim.
Renting the wetsuit from Xterra was really easy and financially was the best decision. For $49 they will send you either a long sleeve or sleeveless wetsuit, ship it for free, and will send it out 10 days in advance of your race. If you choose to purchase a wetsuit from Xterra, you can then apply the $49 towards the price of the wetsuit.

Although they claim a 99% fit rate, this may be an exaggeration, or I just happen to fall in that 1% category. My wetsuit came in too large. I recommend if you fall towards the lower end of a weight group and it falls on the border between two sizes, go smaller.

Of course, since this is my first time ever wearing a wetsuit, I wanted instruction on how to actually put it on:


Swimming with the wetsuit got me pumped. It helped alleviate some of the anxiety I have been having about the swimming portion of the race. The buoyancy felt great. I also felt like I was swimming really fast! I kind of felt like a triathlete too, pretty bad ass.

Bike Week: Gear to Have

Julie: What kind of equipment do I need to be carrying on my bike?

Dan:
Your bike bag should include:

Spare tube- for road bike (700 x 23 ) - I use the presta valve that twist to open with a 60 mm stem for my tri bike (I have Reynolds strike wheels that have a deep wheel base) and 48mm stem for my road bike.

Image courtesy of: http://heartnsole.net/articles/bike-pictionary-bicycle-tubes-pg187.htm

Tire levers - These usually come in packs to two or three (really only need one). These will fit between the tires and the wheel. Slide the lever along the wheel while pulling away from the tire, this will release one side of the tire from the wheel which will allow you to access the tube.Image courtesy of: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-replace-a-flat-tire-on-a-road-bike/step3/Using-tire-levers-pry-tire-from-wheel/

CO2 Cartridge with valve-One the tube is inserted back into the tire and placed back on the wheel this is the fastest way to add pressure back to the tube. A 16G CO2 will inflate your tire to about 100-110 PSI and a 20G cartridge will inflate your tube to about 120-125 PSI. I ride either Verdestein or Schwalbe tires and since I inflate the verdestein to 130-240 PSI and the Schwalbe to 130 PSI. Most riders will inflate their tires to 120 PSI.

Skins- These are patches that will fit on the inside of the tire and can be used when you receive a small puncture in the tire.

I always carry an additional CO2 cartridge in case one blows before you can properly inflate your tire and I usually carry a second spare tube (when on a training ride) and if your tires are older (1000 plus miles) you may want to consider carrying a spare tire as well. On race day, I will not carry a bike bag on a shorter distance race, but a race that is an Olympic distance or longer I will carry one.

One thing I did not realize when I first started riding was you should inflate your tires each time you ride. You will lose some PSI on each ride and if not inflated every time you are not getting the maximum performance out of your tires and you will be working harder than others.

If you get a flat on your back tire, before loosening the skewer to take off the wheel, put the chain on the smallest ring in the back, it will make it easier to take the wheel off.

If you get a flat while training, take the time to find the puncture in the tube and match your tube to the tire and look for anything lodged in your tire on the inside and out. The worst thing that can happen is to replace the tube and have it punctured again due to not looking for the cause of the problem.

While on training rides, train with your phone in case anything happens and always ride with a friend or a ROAD ID.

Race Day: Learn From My Mistakes....

Now for some race advice from Dan!

Brick Workouts
While training for your first race, do some brick workouts. I love the bike/run brick. The hardest thing to do is know how your legs are going to feel after getting off the bike. It is a different sensation if you aren't prepared for it. Good runners can see a drastic dropoff in performance if they are not prepared. Your legs will feel like jelly and your body will ask you "you want me to do what now?"

Open Water Swimming
Practice swimming in open water. Whether it be a lake swim or ocean swim, the feel is going to be different. Sighting will be more difficult and it will be good to acclimate yourself to the conditions before doing it on race day.

I bought a wetsuit last year and living in FL never really need it except for a few early season races and I didn't put my wetsuit on until the day of the race. My friend says to me you know you are going to be more buoyant in the water and some people say they get light headed. I acknowledged his point and walked into the water and floated for a few minutes. Came back in and the gun sounded a few minutes later. I swam about 100 meters into the swim and started to hyperventilate and began feeling dizzy. I had to stop and tread water for a few minutes to regain my bearings. For a few seconds I thought I was going to have to drop out of the race.

Goal Setting
Figure out your goals before the race. I always tell people the goal of your first race of each distance should be to FINISH. However long it takes, no matter what you go through (unless something unforseen happens) to cross that line. There is no better feeling than finishing a race! Don't set unrealistic goals, if you average 18 mph on the bike in training, don't tell yourself in the race you will do 20. Keep a log of your training so you know when and what you did. Don't be afraid to mix up your training to avoid monotony.

Know the Rules! Here are some basics....
a. your chip must be worn at all times
b. in a wave start make sure you start with your color coded wave or age group (sounds simple, but you'd be surprised)
c. keep the buoys to your left when swimming south to north and vice versa
d. You can use any swimming method you need to complete the swim (freestyle, backstroke, side stroke, doggie paddle)
e. you may rest on a lifeguard's surfboard but you may not advance your position while doing so
f. your swim time ends when you cross the mat, not when you get out of the water
g. you must wear a helmet AND HAVE IT STRAPPED before you leave T1 or you will be disqualified!
h. No outside music, no ipods, mp3's or radio device, the course will be open to traffic and safety is priority number 1!
i. ride on the right hand side of the road unless passing
j. you must stay 3 bike lengths behind the person in front of you (4 if you are racing WTC rules). If the official deems you are closer than that you will be penalized (drafting- 2 minutes)
k. if you are going to pass someone you must pass on the left and as a courtesy call "on you left" so the rider in front of you knows you are passing
l. you have 20 seconds to make your pass, otherwise you can be penalized for "blocking" (2 minute penalty)
m. your number on your bike must be visible from the left for the official to see
n. You must wear your race number during the run
o. your time officially stops when you cross the mat.
(there are other rules for different races, but thought I would cover the basics)

Get Organized
Get there early on your first race. I always like to get there early, make sure I get a good place on the bike rack (depending on the race- some races will number your place on the rack) lay out my essentials (shoes, socks, helmet, sunglasses etc) This will also give you time to go to the water and warm up, take your bike for a test ride or run to get the blood pumping. Most importantly, this will give you time to hit the porta potties as almost every triathlete experiences some form of "race jitters" and if you get there later, lines will be long. Coffee can help alleviate the this problem before you leave the house.

When a friend and I were doing Augusta 70.3 in 2009. It was a point to point swim and they had porta potties by T1. Well since everyone had to wait for the buses to take them to the start the lines were long at each stall. One gentleman came out and said this was has no toilet paper in it. So a guy in front of us turns around and reiterates that to the people behind. Nobody moves out of their respective spot in line. My friend turns to me and a few others in line and says, "I guess everyone just showed their cards".

Remember Your Goggles
Bring a spare pair of goggles. At a race this year, I was going to jump in the water quickly before the race started and a wave hit me and I lost my goggles in the ocean two minutes before the start of the race. I had to sprint back to transition and get my spare pair. Nothing like breathing heavy before the race starts.

Race Day Attire
Figure out what you are wearing for each leg of the race. If you are wearing a tri suit or tri shorts and top this is easy as you will wear that your whole race (unless you are doing a longer distance in which case you might want bicycle shorts for comfort). If you are putting bike shorts or a different top on in T1 - make sure to have a towel as putting on shorts or a shirt while wet can be disasterous. This will also help you if you are putting on socks and want to wipe off the sand or mud that can accumulate on your feet. Some races allow an individual to bring a small water bucket to wash their feet while in T1.

Race Your Own Race!
Your first race you are not racing against everyone else out there. You are racing against the course. Just like golfers cannot get caught up in what other golfers are doing on the course you cannot get caught up in what they are doing. Some may be better swimmers or more experienced bikers. Do not "spend your pennies" (thank you Craig Alexander for that) until you know you are close enough to the finish to do so.

Enjoy It!
Do not get so caught up in the race that you forget to enjoy it, appreciate the spectators (they are unlike any other and are great motivation) - I always acknowledge with a smile or wave. Try not to think of the pain you are in- there will be some along the way. Think of the food and drink across the line, always helps to know food awaits. Think of your medal and the fact that you are now a triathlete! ( and your life will now transition into eating, training and sleeping, HAHA)

10 minutes after the race, if you aren't dissecting your race, telling yourself you could have done better here or there I would be shocked! We all do it! Then you go home and sign up for race 2!