We have a pretty large group of local people doing Ironman Florida this year - and most of them are first timers. And if you've done an Ironman distance, you know about three weeks out how it feels. A ball of fing nerves.
Did I ride enough?
Did I swim enough?
Did I do enough bricks?
and it goes on and on.
And on top of it - you have to think about what to put in those damn bags!
Should I change clothes?
Should I bring arm warmers?
What if I forget something?
Well - that is what we talked about tonight. We decided to have a little Q&A session to help calm a few of those nerves. (And gave us a chance to drink some wine)
Our main topic was what to pack in those bags of goodness:
I won't go into to much detail and not go into the basics (because this blog post will go on forever) and I like to KEEP IS SIMPLE!
You will have enough going on that day!
T1
I actually kept on the same clothes throughout the entire race - but if you don't want to hop on you bike wet, feel free to strip down and change. T1 is like a locker room, don't be scared. Believe me, no one is looking or cares :)
If you throw on a dry jersey - think about putting your nutrition in your pockets before you turn in you bag so everything is already in its place.
Or put your nutrition (thats not already on your bike) into baggies. That way you can just throw it into your tri top and not have to worry if you forgot something.
Wet wipes (you never know). I don't trust port-a-potties having toilet paper.
TRISLIDE (or whatever cream you use)
Armwarmers, gloves, ear covers, etc (depending on the weather - duh)
Also, be sure to tell your volunteer (if you are lucky enough to have one) what you want them to help you with. Most likely they will take your bag and dump it. (that is why it's smart to keep everything in baggies) If you want them to help you put your socks on - ask them! That is why those awesome people are there!
Special Needs Bike
More TRISLIDE. 56 miles into the bike - you might need an extra spray for down there
Extra nutrition. You never know what might fall out of your pockets!
Extra water bottle.
Extra CO2 and tube (in case you have a flat in the first half of the ride)
Wet wipes - again, you never trust a port-a-pottie!
T2
Clean arm warmers, hat, shoes, yadda yadda...
Mouth wash - specially if all you eat on the bike are gels...ugh.
More TRISLIDE!
Wet wipes - this time to wipe off your face. We all know how grimy you can get on the bike and a clean face will help you feel just a bit better
Run Special Needs
Extra shoes and socks. You never know the conditions and those could be a life saver.
Something else that we did was have our family write notes. Don't read them until you really need that extra push - but a little note from your hubbs saying 'I love you' or your training partner saying 'get this sh*t done' will put a smile on your face!
If you have any other suggestions or questions, please let me know!
Last weekend was REV3 SC and it was awesome - race report tomorrow!
