As we are in Kona Hawaii for our 2nd annual “racecation” for Lavaman Olympic distance triathlon on March 29th, I have the opportunity to observe athletes prepare for their first or tenth triathlon as well as coach my athletes. The few days before a hot weather triathlon is always a challenge…especially when you love to enjoy the sunshine and the beach.
Here are a few tips for race week of Lavaman (or another Olympic distance) triathlon… fueling will be a little different for a half or full Ironman is a little different especially in Hawaii!
Taper week:
1. If the race is on Sunday, we usually take Wednesday and Friday as “REST” days. The day before the race, I usually have my athletes do a mini swim, bike and run with pick-ups.
2. Race week workouts are a brick workouts ideally on the course. This is the time to practice your transitions so get your gear ready before you start the swim. Preparation and organization is key to a stress free transition which contributes to having a happy race day. Another benefit of doing a practice race session is to make sure your equipment is working smoothly and a good time to do a gear check.
3. Hydrate and eat real food! Hydrate throughout the day as you are going to be in the sun more often on the days leading up to the triathlon in Hawaii. I often add a NUUN tablet into my water and keep drinking ice water throughout the day as I love to be outside as much as possible. Just because you are on vacation, that doesn’t mean you have a hall pass to eat processed junk food, alcohol and overindulge. I prefer to stay in a condo where I can prepare my own meals and avoid eating cooked food in a restaurant.
4. Stay in the shade or out of the sun the day before the race. After our morning pre-race swim, bike and run the day before the race, I tell my clients to stay out of the sun and rest up.
5. Sleep well each night leading up to the race as your body recovers and rebuilds while you sleep. I ask my clients to sleep 7-9 hours of sleep each night and in bed by 10pm. As you are on vacation, you may stay up later and sleep in but if you are doing a triathlon that starts around 7am, then continue being up by then each morning. I find myself more tired in the evenings from full days and I am an early riser. On vacation, I don’t use an alarm as I have to wake up at a certain time every day at home then I catch up on sleep that my body has needed.
6. Foam rolling! I love to use my foam roller and “stick” the days leading up to a race as well as get “ART” a few times on my areas that need a little attention! I want to be less “sticky” and move smoothly on race day.
7. Race day pre-race fueling: If you have been eating and training everyday to become a fat burning machine or rather “metabolically efficient” athlete then you may prefer consuming “Bullet Proof Coffee” or using UCAN before your race plus supplements as you have used in training. We use Hammer Nutrition/E-Caps supplements for endurance events. A shorter triathlon as Lavaman (Olympic distance), I will use UCAN pre-race as well as some coffee at the condo. Since I will be racing at a higher heart rate (tempo/anaerobic) as compared to an aerobic pace in an Ironman, I will take gel blocks towards the end of the bike to prepare for the run. and drink cold water (add ice in the morning to my bottles) with hydration mix as NUUN. On the run I will run with my own handheld water bottle as I need to hydrate more in a hot weather race as Lavaman. I often use NUUN or OSMO hydration on the run and add ice if on the course.
8. Race day pacing: I have my clients pick up the pace on the turnaround of the swim, bike and then the run. Lavaman is a tricky run as the last two plus miles are on lava rocks and sand so it is more challenging to run at your set race pace. In the swim, try to find “fast feet” that you can draft off of from behind or the side. On the bike, keep your distance so you don’t get a penalty but set goals for the people you want to pass that are ahead of you almost like a game! Do the same on the run, see athletes ahead of you and try to catch them then pick another person. Setting goals help get you to the finish line faster…and with a smile on your face!
Post race you want to keep moving and in a hot weather place as Kona…jump in the ocean to cool off! After you drink some cold water at the finish line, then go watch the other athletes finish the race and cheer loudly! Team work!
Always thank all of the volunteers and race crew as organizing and managing a triathlon takes a lot of work and a lot of volunteers! Thank you to Gerry Rott of Lavaman Triathlon for continuing to organize this fun race every year!
Make sure you add Lavaman on your race list next year and join our training team… it is a fun annual spring race and vacation to be apart of each year.
Coach Debbie Potts
