Thursday 16 June 2011

Planning for the day

It's more than just a swim, bike & run, you have to plan carefully.  When I did the Olympic distance 2 years ago I forgot my orthotics for my shoes and 1 week after the run ended up at the physio.  So here is my checklist:
Swim: wetsuit. trisuit, goggles, swim cap, contact lenses, heart rate monitor, watch.
Bike: towel, bike, track pump, 2 bottles, isotonic drink, 3 energy bars, 3 gels, tribelt,gloves, helmet, gillet, light waterproof top, cycling top and shorts, sun glasses, socks, shoes, orthotics, arm warmers, bar bag, spare inner tube, bum cream, tool kit.
Run: gel belt, tri belt, 2 gels, running shoes, baseball cap, socks, orthotics.
After race: Compression tights & top, tracksuit, socks.
As you can see it takes a bit of planning and when you come out the water dissy and staggering you are up against the clock and you are trying to remember what you need to do.  The same applies when you get off the bike and all you can think about is how your legs are going to cope with the change and how much you have left in the tank.
It is the challenge that makes it worthwhile and as this is the start of my charity raising that will keep me going.  I'll provide a full report on Monday.