Learning from race-day blunders is key to removing the chance of repetition. Sam Hume is one of Australia's best age-group triathletes and he's highlighted the five commonest mistakes he sees and how to avoid them.
1. Incorrect pacing
Getting one’s pacing right on race day is probably the most important issue for the age-group athlete
that will make or break their day. Far too many age-groupers, and for
that matter many professional athletes, push too hard in the swim and
bike and end up running well below their potential simply because they
run out of gas. While pre-race and race-day nutrition
will allow you to maximise the amount of energy available, in reality,
spreading your effort (and hence energy expenditure) evenly across the
three disciplines is the surest way to get across the line in the
quickest possible time.
Why then do many athletes tear off the start line or out of T1 like a
bull at a gate? A rush of adrenaline, a perceived need to maximise the
gains in one’s strongest leg or minimise the losses in one’s weakest
leg, or an over-estimation of one’s ability are all possible
explanations. See the box for some logical pacing concepts to ensure the
correct mindset for race day.
2. Carrying too much gear on the bike
Don’t buy a super-light bike and then load it up with multiple
water bottles, fancy tyre inflation devices or other nice, but not
essential gear. If Macca strips the handlebar tape off his IM bike, why
do age-groupers think it is all right to carry 1.2-to-1.8kg of fluid at
the start of the bike? In most longer distance events, the aid stations
come up more frequently than you could drink 600-millitres. Why carry
more than one bottle? I know occasionally bottles are dropped or
athletes want special mixtures not available at aid stations, and
therefore want extra capacity, but you need to consider the relative
costs and benefits. Look up the details of your upcoming race and find
out what is served and when well ahead of time.
3. Using unfamiliar equipment
We all do it and we know we shouldn’t. Wetsuits, goggles, bikes, wheels, race nutritional, shoes and Triathlon suits used on race day without being adequately tried first. The
consequences? Necks, armpits, groins and feet rubbed red raw. Coming off
your bike out of T1 or a sharp corner. Gastric distress or a massive
bonk. Try it before you race with it. Enough said!
4. Overdoing the nutrition
Think of your gut as a filter that absorbs less the faster you go. For example, say you drink a standard sports drink while running.
You cannot move much of the carbohydrate out of your upper
gastrointestinal tract (e.g. gut) and into your blood stream if you are
running flat out because your body preferentially diverts blood flow
away from your gut to your working muscles. So you derive little benefit
from the ingested carbohydrate until you slow down enough that your
body sends some blood back to your gut.
Also, the more carbohydrate you put in your gut (think both volume
and concentration) the more blood flow to the gut you need to absorb it.
So if you run at a moderately hard pace, you may be able to absorb a
sports drink (with its moderate amount of carbohydrate) but not a soft
drink (with a high amount). Of course you could dilute the soft drink by
also drinking some water, which is why we drink water after taking a
gel.
Use this filter concept to work out what you should do on race day.
Too many age group athletes take a ‘more is better’ approach, however,
more calories ingested does not equal more energy entering the
bloodstream if you cannot absorb it. Ingest less when you are
temporarily working hard (hills, out of transition, headwinds) moderate
carbohydrates when you are working steadily (flats) and more
concentrated carbohydrates when working less hard (long descent,
tailwinds, walking).
5. Warm-up
A few arm swings and a short swim is not enough of a warm up for anything less than an Ironman. Age-groupers
should understand what is an appropriate warm-up for the distance they
are racing. I wrote about this topic two issues ago and think it is
poorly done by many age-groupers. A short run, arm swings and gentle
stretching, a swim with some efforts and a good look at the start line,
first buoy and swim finish are all critical. Some effort but potentially
a big payoff and therefore well worth it.
article courtesy of triathlonmag.com.au
