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Congratulations on making a commitment to
yourself to take part in the Physiomed Women’s Triathlon and
Duathlon Series. You will probably feel nervous before the event
and no doubt you will have a number of questions which need
answering. What do I need to take with me? How early should I
get there?
Visualization:
Sit down somewhere quiet, and imagine
yourself on the day – try and make it as real as your
imagination allows – everything from how your breathing feels,
to the sun shining! It’s not only top athletes that benefit from
visualization – it will help you calm your nerves, and may even
help you think of things you might have otherwise forgotten.
Visualisation is a trick that you can use at any stage – 6 weeks
or 10 minutes before the event. It is also something useful for
any potential stress situation, such as an important meeting or
a function or an exam etc.
Pre event registration:
You will need to register before the event – even if you have
pre-entered. For your convenience we have spread this over
three days (Thurs, Fri or Sat before each event) and it is at
Fleet Cycles. At registration you will get a number to
wear on your front which will have your wave
start and category on the back plus some goodies and any final instructions for Sunday.
Saturday before each event:
Get your gear sorted out on Saturday evening before bed (use
your check list).
Pin your number to the front of the top that you will be wearing
on the run, so it can be seen when you cross the finish line,
this ensures your finish time is recorded correctly. Enjoy a
dinner loaded with carbohydrates, relax, visualise and try to
get an early night!
On the day of the event:
Aim to get up in plenty of time on Sunday morning, eat your
normal breakfast (do not try anything different) around 1 - 2
hours before the event starts.
Transition opens at 6am – it’s a good
idea to get there by 7am – beat the crowd! The transition area
will have plenty of bike stands and you can put your bike
anywhere you want. Hang your bike by the seat on the bike stands.
Thee will also be a place for bikes with their own stands. Place your helmet, gloves sunglasses etc by your bike. It helps
to have something like a bright coloured towel at the front of
your bike to help you find it when you come into transition from the swim
or first run. Take the time to get a bearing on where you put your bike as it
seems like a sea of bikes when you come into transition. Be
considerate of others by not shifting any bikes already racked
or taking up too much room. Check each of the swim, run and bike entry and exit signs so
you know where you are going. Make sure you have been to the
toilet, there may be a queue. This is a good time to eat some
more food.
Put some sunscreen on now – even if it does not seem too sunny –
otherwise you might forget, or be out on the bike later on when
it starts to get hot. Also now it will have a chance to soak in
before you get wet.
7.30am: there will be an event brief followed by a warm up. It
is advisable to do a short warm up of your own before this –
have a light jog/walk for 5 minutes, then do some stretches. The
event briefing is compulsory for everyone and will cover some
very important information, such as the course, safety
information, and how things will run. Once the briefing is over,
you will have around 15 minutes to get yourself to either the
pool or duathlon start.
8.00am: There will be event officials there in charge of
starting the event – they will call the group of numbers for
people in each swim or duathlon wave (same as the wave you got
at registration). For the swimmers, when it’s your wave start,
get into the pool – there will be about 10 people per wave. If
you are unsure in the water, hang back slightly, a few seconds
at the start will not make a big difference. You will swim up
one lane (this will be three lanes in width so there will be
enough room, around a marker, down the next, etc - when you have
finished, get out and walk or jog to your bike.
When you get to your bike, dry your feet, put your shoes (and
socks if you are wearing them) on, and any jacket or thermal top
you might want to wear. Put your helmet on, and do it up before
you remove your bike from the stands. It is advisable to wear
sunglasses. Run your bike out of transition – do not get on your
bike until the marshal tells you. Remember to make sure your
bike is in a low (easy) gear to start off!
While you are out on the bike, be very careful, and stay alert.
There is no road closure, and you do not have any special
privileges or right of way because you are in the event.
Marshals will direct you (you must obey all their instructions),
and assist wherever possible, but they are not
legally allowed to stop the traffic. Be careful and slow down
when approaching the turn around at half way. Drink some water
or fluid while on the bike, even if it is a cold or wet day.
Over the last 500m or so of the bike ride, stand up on your
pedals, and give your legs and back a bit of a stretch – it
definitely makes getting off the bike easier!
When you arrive back at the transition area, get off your bike
where the marshals tell you, but leave your helmet on and done
up. You must rack your bike in the same place you got it from,
and then you may take your helmet off. Exit transition where
indicated, and head out onto the run/walk.
When you get onto the run, don’t head off too quickly – your
legs might be feeling a bit wobbly from the bike. The run/walk
is not on public roads; however you may need to be aware of
other path users, and any entrances that you pass.
When you have finished the run you will feel hot but it is
important to drink, eat and put on some warm clothes so your
body does not cool too quickly. Keep walking around for a
few minutes and then do some stretches before you sit down.
Your body will thank you for it the next day.
When the final cyclist has come through transition
and onto the run, you are able to remove your bike and other gear from the
transition area, (or better still, send someone else to do it!).
Make sure you lock it in your car, or on a bike stand
somewhere else – please don’t lock it to the transition bike
stands!
For you and your supporters there will be a coffee van at
transition and hot food available for
purchase along with some great event day specials at our
sponsors sites.
We like to finish the day with a picnic afterwards, so get your
supporters to pack a picnic the night before, and bring it along
and join us.
Prize giving will be around 20 minutes after everyone has
finished the course. There are fantastic spot prizes and placing
prizes in every category.
Enjoy your day!!
Barbara |
