Race-day Checklist

How many times have you arrived at your transition space and realized you forgot something? Even the most seasoned triathlete forgets something important now and again.

Having a race-day checklist not only helps you alleviate forgetting things, but it will also help you focus and calm your pre-race nerves. Assuming you had a good night's rest and ate a healthy pre-race meal, the next step is to take all of your race gear and check it off as you put it inside your race bag. We've come up with one that works well for us. You may find you may not need everyting on this list, or you may want to add to it. Either way, a great way to start your race is calm and relaxed knowing you haven't left anything behind!

Download the MS Excel Version of the Race Checklist here (32K)
Downlod the PDF version of the Race Checklist here (45K)

Some items on this list may require explanation. Why do you need BodyGlide for example? Here are some explanations:

BodyGlide—A great way to avoid chafing from your wetsuit or other clothing. Rub around neck, under arms and around cycling/tri short leg band. Also helpful to rub on wrists and ankles to help slide wetsuit on.

Towel—Very useful to mark your transition area (if you use a specific color you will more easily see where your area is when in either T1 or T2). Also a great way to wipe off muddy feet or a soft place to sit while changing shoes.

Race Belt—not a must-have, but a definite nice to have! Race belts clip around your waist and you hang your race number from the snaps or other fasteners that are on the belt. Wearing a race number is typically required for the bike and the run. Generally speaking, a race number is worn on the back during the bike and on the front during the run. A race belt allows you to not have to worry about changing your top or moving your race number. All you need to do is spin your race belt around and voila!

Tri-top/Tri-Shorts—Tri tops and tri shorts are a great way to shorten your transition times. You can wear both under your wetsuit, for the bike ride and also for the run so you do not need to change or add clothing for each leg of your race. Tri shorts are similar to cycling shorts but they have a thin chamois that dries quickly, so you don't feel like you are wearing a diaper during the bike or the run. Of course if you're part of the FreshAirSports Team, you'll be wearing the F.A.S.T. gear!

Socks and gloves—Optional? Well, competitive athletes often go without socks on both the bike and the run and without cycling gloves on the bike to save valuable time in transition. If comfort is important and you're not looking for a podium finish, take the 10 seconds to put on socks, especially for Olympic or greater distances. Same goes for cycling gloves. It's a personal preference, but it's more comfortable and if you happen to fall, your hands will thank you.

Nutrition in Transition—Nice that it rhymes! Having a gel or energy bar and a water bottle with your fluid-replacement drink of choice in transition will help keep you fueled for the next leg of your race.

The Bag—Remember, you're heading to transition with your bike, helmet, two pair of shoes (cycling and running), wetsuit and a bunch of other stuff. If you have a good bag that will help keep you organized, you will be less frenzied getting into your transition space. We like the Speedo Performance Backpacks and the various models Triathlonbags.