User guide to aquathons

HardyEustace

Galway Triathlon Club are having an Aquathon Festival this year. Details are on the A/R/T Events thread. We're hoping to cater for all levels with both a sprint and a long distance race. For someone who has not raced yet, the process can seem a little over whelming so I've drawn up a quick user guide. I though it might be helpful to those starting out to post it here.

What to do before the race?
Before the race you will register, for this you will need your entry details AND your TI identification card or TI one-day-race licence.

Please make sure that you have read through all the pre-race information provided to you.

You should have a small box (no cardboard, a wet wetsuit will be going into the box mid race!) which should contain your running shoes, socks (if wearing socks), and a small towel to dry your feet, some people like to have a small bottle of water to rinse their feet with as well. A mouthful of water can help if you’ve swallowed a lot of sea! You will be given a label which correlates to your race number to stick on your box. Places in transition will be designated with a label identifying your race number, place your container in the relevant spot.

Two or three euro that can be very well spent, are two or three euro spent on a cheap pair of flip-flops to complete that pre-race look (in case being sheathed in black neoprene wasn’t enough). Your lovely runners will be in transition and there’s still a lot of distance between transition and the start. So remember to have a pair of cheap flip flops that you can shuffle over to the start in and then collect later.

Please remember to put sunscreen on. The boiled lobster look is not a good one and you will be exposed to the elements whilst racing.

Please remember to have put your name on your wet suit. It’s very easy to mix up wet suits and you want to make sure that if there is a mix up that you can easily identify your one.
(Could you identify the missing wet suit - erm, black neophrene, two arms, two legs. Any distinguishing features (from the 400 other wet suits)? - erm, no).

Check to see where the entrance and exit points for the swim are. Check that you can figure out how to get to the box containing your runners in transition, for example, count the number of rows to where your box is. It may seem very obvious but in the excitement of race day it’s easy to forget and it’s not unusual to see a few headless chickens racing around transition frantically looking for their stuff.

On registration you will receive your race number, a swimming hat and a timing chip. The hat will correspond to the wave or start of your relevant group. You can wear another swim hat under this hat for warmth if the day is chilly but the outermost hat must be the “race” hat you receive at registration. If you’re starting in a group that has different coloured hats to you, then it’s definitely time to wonder “hmmmm, am I in the right group or are all other 199 people very early for their wave”.

When you receive your race number and timing chip then either put them in a very safe place or, even better, put them on straight away. That way they can’t be forgotten (apart from moments of pre-race terror when you think you’ve forgotten both and then realise that your race number is already pinned on and your timing chip is around your ankle, don’t laugh, it happens!).

What about my race number?
The race numbers are designed to withstand the water. What most people do is have their race number on underneath their wet suit. Either have a race belt that the race number is attached to or simply pin your number to your top underneath your wet suit.

The race number should be displayed on your front. You will not be allowed to leave transition without having your race number properly displayed and remember, that clock will still be ticking if you need to organise your race number.

What about my timing chip?
The timing chip should be placed securely around your ankle. It will be on a velcro strap that can be fastened tightly. As you progress through the race, you will pass over timing mats that will capture your times at various stages. It’s very interesting to see how quick your swim was, how quickly you went through transition, how well the run went. Just after you have passed through the finish line, there will be someone there to collect the timing chip from you. If you have managed to pass through the finish area with the chip still attached to your ankle, please don’t bring it home as a memento. Alert one of the stewards and they will be able to return the timing chip to it’s rightful home.

Before you start the race, it’s a good idea to get in the water. Have a small swim to check that your goggles are fitted correctly and to warm up a little. Check that you know exactly where you need to go and where the buoys that mark out the course are.

In distance terms this is a relatively short race so the most important thing is consistency. Eat the same breakfast, wear the same clothes you train in, try and get a good nights sleep. There is absolutely no need to carb load or start horsing pasta into you the night before, at best you run the risk of indigestion. Don’t try anything new! No super-duper new food in shiny packages that could upset your stomach, no lovely new shiny runners that you suddenly discover rub your ankles raw, no lovely new shorts that have a label that is intent on embedding itself into your hip.

Everything that you do on race day, be it runners, the distance, the disciplines - make sure that you’ve tried it out before so that you can ensure a comfortable, safe and fun race.
During the swim
During the swim, don’t forget to check that you’re going in the right direction. Do not depend on the people around you to get the direction right. They could doing exactly the same thing! There are plenty of resources that will show you how to sight(as it’s called) during a swim. It’s a very important thing to do. There’s absolutely no point being the fastest swimmer in the race if you’re headed towards the Clare hills while everyone else is 100m from the beach.
What is Transition?
Transition is the term used to describe the change over between the individual segments of the Aquathon and occurs between the swim and run in an aquathon.
What do I do in Transition?
After you have completed your swim, you will go to your designated spot in transition, here you will take off your wet-suit, place it in your box, rinse the sand off your feet, if you so desire and if you have a small bottle of water there, dry your feet, put on your shoes and socks (if wearing socks) and exit transition. Some people put a small amount of talcum powder in their shoes and socks to make them easier to put on.

Do remember though, that while you’re in transition, the clock is ticking! The quicker you can get through transition, the quicker your overall race time. There’s nothing more disheartening then racing your little heart out in the swim only to lose valuable time in transition due to being ill-prepared.
Tips for transition
Some people can find the wet suit a little awkward to remove. The quicker you can remove the wet suit once you’re out of the water, the easier it will be to remove. A lot of people will unzip the wet suit and remove it as far as their waist (while running to transition) which eases the process.

Also available are water based lubricants such as body glide which help prevent chaffing of the wet suit and also help in the removal of the wet suit. These are applied around the neck (so your neck doesn’t chaff as you swim - you’ll be lifting your head to check you’re going in the right direct), wrists and ankles. They are available locally through some of our relevant sponsors.

Do remember though, you’re in a race situation. Stopping in the middle of a crowd of people who are all racing to transition is going to mean that you run the risk of causing an accident, calamitous to both your self and potentially to another innocent party. Just be smart and be aware. And once you’re in transition at your own designated spot, there will be room to remove your wetsuit, without taking anyone out!

Another way to make transition easier is to invest in a pair of lock laces, these are elasticated laces which mean that the shoes can be pulled on rather than having to tie up laces. They are available locally through some of our relevant sponsors.
What do I wear?
The best recourse is to wear your running clothes under your wet suit. For women, this will include wearing your sports bra as well. Make sure that the running clothes are made of lycra or other such light materials that will dry off quickly as you run. The last thing you want to do is hamper your efforts by trying to run in a heavy, sodden cotton t-shirt.

You do not need to invest in a tri suit. Just a running singlet and shorts will suffice. Make sure that you have worn them before. It’s very important not to wear lovely shiny new kit that will cut your feet to ribbons or carve lovely burns into your body because you haven’t tried them out before. Remember that you will be wet going into the run so it’s important to remove any labels and check for stitching that could chaff on wet skin.

Just remember guys (and girls too!!!) you must have your chest covered during the run, no matter how hot the day is! (Crossing fingers for good weather).

No nudity is allowed in transition, if you are going to change from a swim suit into running gear then make sure you’re adequately covered up.
After the race
After the race, make sure that you have a full set of warm dry clothes to change into. There will be some light refreshments available at the finish line. Don’t forget to collect your belongs from transition.
Anything else?
Enjoy the race, being adequately prepared means that you can do your best and feel that great sense of achievement in trying something different and achieving something that you may never have tried before. Encourage friends and family to come along and support you, there’s nothing like a familiar face and a couple of cheers to give you a much needed boost when energy levels are dropping a little and the finish line seems very far away.
How much training should I do?
How much training you need to do before your first triathlon depends on you. It depends on what level of fitness you are at in both disciplines and it depends on what your goals are -? Do you want to be competitive or just be able to finish the race?
Should I join a Triathlon Club?
If you can, join Galway triathlon club, where you can train with others and benefit from the advice of experienced triathletes and enjoy the comradeship it brings. We do a sea swim every Thursday from the end of May onwards in Salthill. This will be a tremendous help in terms of getting used to open water swimming and ensuring that you have a satisfactory and pleasant swim.

We also have several running sessions per week. Details are on our web-site
http://galwaytriathlonclub.com/

There is also a club aquathon series held in conjunction with Predator triathlon club. This is held in river, sea and lake venues so a great variety of locations for open water swimming can be experienced. It’s also a great opportunity to meet people both within your own club and from another local club.

Kit list
Pre-race
Sun screen
Check in
Triathlon Ireland Id card/ one day licence
box (to store your gear in transition)
in box
towel (to dry your feet)
runners
socks
small bottle of water(to rinse sand off your feet)
Wearing at race start
Wet-suit (make sure that your name is on your wet suit)
Cheap flip-flops to leave at the start so you’re not hopping across sharp stones or road
Goggles
Racing gear(underneath wet suit, including sports bra if one is needed on dry land)
Number(underneath wet suit, pinned to racing gear or on a race belt)
Timing chip (around the ankle)
Swim hat(given to you at registration)
after race
Change of clothes
Bit smile (all going well)