Africa Triathlon

Triathlon can be a daunting sport to take up. With three disciplines comes three times as much excitement, but also triple the room for error. Minimize your pre-race jitters by following these three simple steps before heading out to conquer your first triathlon course.

1. Know the course and race distances. If at all possible train or visit the race course prior to the event. Make a point of knowing where the bike mount and dismount lines and the finish line. You can always push harder if you know the end is in sight!

2. Arrive early at the race site. There is already enough stress before an event without having to hurry and rush. Get the race packet, your body marked and set up the transition area with plenty of wiggle room so all you have to focus on is kicking ass. Make sure your area is free of clutter and your bike is in the proper gear. After all, there’s nothing worse than crunching your legs out of gear after a tough swim. On that note, now where your bike is located because all the bikes look the same after a swim, especially when trying to peel off a slimy wetsuit.

3. Check and recheck your equipment. It sounds like common sense but shockingly nearly 30 percent of the bike tires are low or the chain is off in transition. Take extra swim goggles, a clear water bottle so that you can quickly see how much fluid you have left and warm clothes for after the race or swim warm up. Bring a pump, snacks and water or sports drink. Lastly, take extra safety pins and your race belt because you are going to want everyone to know who’s crossing the finish line after you kill your first race.