Thought I'd start this thread as I don't want to foul up and confuse other posts.
I have a million questions, but my latest on another thread was regarding transition. I have never been to a triathlon, didn't know any triathletes personally before November last year, and whilst it might seem obvious to the initiated, and I could easily watch a you-tube video on the subject, my question on another thread threw up some very good extra advice for me regarding sprints.
Morning before
What do I need to do on the morning of Outlaw? What happens in Transition? ie how and when do I rack my bike beforehand? What do I take in there?
Transition Bag requirements
Specifically what should I have in my bag (s)? Are there two bags, T1 and T2? Do they live together and everything gets changed beside my bike or do I rack my bike and run to a separate changing area to use one of my two bags (I've seen pics of coat hooks with bags hanging). Does an assistant guide me to my bike and/or bags or do I run around like a headless chicken trying to remember (like every car park I go in).
Extra Bag
What nutrition/other stuff should I need to consider? Does this go in a 3rd bag and where does this bag live.? Do I need anything specific to leave at the feed stations or should I go it alone? I am not in need of any medication or the like, but should I have real food set aside. I think I'll be able to munch real food on the bike, but will have very little appetite when I start running, when I resort to forcing gels .
Apologies in advance if that all seems overwhelming. I tried to group the amswers into three sections to make it easier to understand. Morning before, transition requirements and extra requirements.
Comments
Day before, rack bike and leave T1 and T2 bags, you can also leave a special needs bag to grab at some point on the ride but this is pure choice. In you T bags you will pack the world and use hardly any of it.
There are people to help you out of your wet suit but no there is no butler or valet parking to take you to your bike but it's quite easy to remember
They provide the bags, there not next to your bike, there in a changing tent on a numbered hook.
Carry everything you need on the bike, they hand out gels but i missed them everytime.
The run stations are like mobile cafe's with everything there for you.
In short.....RELAX and enjoy it
Thanks guys, can you tell it's my night off?
220? Off for a nosey.
I'll pack everything including the kitchen sink into my car and see what I can or can't get away with on the day. Anal or what?
First thought should always be BEER
Repeat after me ...
Transition was, IMO, the only poorly organised part of Outlaw last year - two bags the same colour, with slightly different coloured printing on them to distinguish between T1 & T2 bags, both on the same hook on a rack where by the time all hooks were full it was nigh on impossible to be sure that you were pulling the right bag out from the mass of plastic. And that was with far fewer competitors than this year. Hopefully the increase in numbers will prompt some re-thinking such as only having T1 bags in the tent and have marshalls put the T2 bags in once we've all left on our bikes. There's plenty of time to do it properly.
Apart from that it's mostly straightforward. Out of the swim, wetsuit off, into transition tent, faff for a while, out of there handing your bag to a marshall, go find your bike. on return someone will take your bike from you, you go into the tent again, more faffing then out onto the run.
As someone else said, it's absolutely vital that you take the entire contents of your wardrobe, garage and larder with you. Not only does it keep your mind off the actual race by giving you plenty to faff around with on the saturday, but it's also the only way to be 100% certain that you won't need any of it on race day.
As far as I remember there was a very well stocked bar and somewhere that sold chips ... what else do you need
Once you start doing the long stuff, make a note of the things that you used, stuff that you thought you wanted and stuff that you had forgotten ... these all go in your transition bags! Apart from the special needs ones you will get everything back at the end, I cant speak for Outlaw but in an IM the extra bag is stuff that you will never see again!
Things I like to keep in T2 (bike to run) will include clean socks which can be just the perk for tired feet, spare sunglasses in case of a mishap on the bike and some wetwipes .. a few home comforts that are there if you need them .. then again I spend an age in transition
You will probably get a ream of stuff with the race info about what goes where and what access you can have to stuff on race morning as there may be some restrictions
There is a Sprint Tri guide on the PSOF website that Rosey wrote, it is geared towards Sprints but there is some valuable transition info in there as well
When you rack your bike you just need to know how to rock the short combats and compression socks look and play tshirt trumps and you are good to go
one thing about transition - don't try and use anything like a balloon, piece of ribbon, talc on the floor, etc method to ID where your bike is - it will get removed. just have a good recce beforehand and make a mental map of a) where your rack is, b) what number you are (loads forget!), c) landmarks like trees (although none at Outlaw T), signs, fencing etc - that should help you find your bike quickly with the race befuddled mind
one final thing - tears and panic attacks are allowed
So for example bike man will be towel, helmet, glasses, gloves, bum cream, sun screen, socks and shoes with arm warmers, gels, bars, pump or whatever chucked in T1 bag and so on. It means that when you open it in race befuddled mind state, you know that everything in the bag has to go on.
That's class, Dustboy. It probably evidences me as more of a freak than you that I find that kind of organisation and planning utterly nuts!
Did you think it was that bad, Dave? I found it pretty OK, and I'm useless. I was moving a lot slower than you though!
I remember that you had 3 bags, because you could also leave one with them for your after-race gear, which I stuffed full of.... stuff. Served me well. Also I remember being pleased to take a very warm puffa jacket on the day. At 05:00, hanging around with the rest of the zombies before the race, it's pretty chilly. And I remember a really nice jolly lady slathering me in suncream as I came out of T2, which was really welcome.
And the answer to the most important question you asked VT'd.... what do you need to do on the morning of the race? Make sure you get to the toilets before they're ruined... and definitely before the race starts!
I was bored on the train....
The idiots guide to the outlaw*
Pre race - Registration
You turn up on the Saturday and go and register. You get given a set of race numbers, and 3 bags, timing chip. You get a id band that does not come off until much later. Do not have this attached to the same arm as your watch!
T1 bag. Holds your swim to bike kit. Ie bike shoes, socks, (helmet) (bike shorts), ( bike top), arm warmers, gloves ifs using, gels that will be going in bike top pockets, pot of bum butter, sun tan lotion.....sun glasses, oh race number on a number belt
T2 Bag. holds bike to run kit
Run shoes, run socks, run gells/ salt tabs in small plastic zip lock bag to keep them together, cap/ hat - ie pirate buff!) etc, small tub of Vaseline, sun tan lotion
if its bad weather add clothing/ bike jacket/ run top and delete sun tan lotion
Post race bag- hand this in on the morning holding kit you arrive in, that you get back post race for you to change back into. Includes pirate tshirt or hoodie
A towel is good.....
Packing the above bags really does take 6 hrs by the time you pack/ unpack 6 times.
The bags are large, but not so large that you can take spare trainers..... The kitchen sink does not fit
Saturday - race brief. Go to it. The first one is exciting, they get less exciting over time
The will read out this entire post and also some useful information
Saturday - racking
Make sure your bike is sorted including bike / helmet number- then take it and t1 and t2 bags to the transition. You rack your bike in the numbered spot. Ideally let your tyres down a bit...Your helmet may be with the bike, maybe in t1 bag.
You will have access to your bike on the Sunday morning so you can add your bike bottles / gels / gloves/ arm warmers then.
You won't forget where your bike is, but to make sure imprint the row number/ location in your brain. Maybe walk tent to bike a few times.....
You hook your T1/t2 bags on a numbered spot in the busy change tent.
I have 1 bike bottle of energy drink, one of water/ nuun
I have a bento box (on the bike) holding 2-4 bits of solid food(I use malt loaf but sports bars are as good) and gels
I do 1 piece of solid food and 1-2 gels per hour. For me that's 4-5 bits of solid food, 7-10 gels. These go in a bento box, bike top pockets and I also use a container in a water bottle container behind the saddle.
Sort out kit :tri shorts, hr monitor strap, pirate tri top, swim kit, ie wetsuit, swim hat, goggles, bodyglide lube, spare goggles, timing chip
Sandles/tevas, dry kit for post race
pirate T shirt to look cool ? in
If its hot, apply p20 Sun lotion the night before so it soaks in
drink a small beer to settle the nerves, (its a muscle relaxant..??)
Sunday morning
Wake up
panic
Eat. I do porridge with banana, raisins and brown sugar, cup of coffee
Put kit on - + any dry kit for afterwards on top to keep warm
Gather nutrition( carrier bag) plus another bike bottle of dilute sports drink for the next hour
Take a spare inner tube along
go to the loo 3 times
Get to race
Panic
go to the loo
Go to bike and Put your bike bottles on, gels/ food in containers / bento box, hr monitor or garment on bike
Maybe attach arm warmers/ gloves/helmet,
Repair puncture, or just inflate tyres using pumps provided
P20 - apply morning dose
wet suit on, lube neck with body glide
hat , goggles, timing chip.... Hand dry clothes in and you are good to go
Queue for the loo
T1
Get out.... Run 10 yards to outside the change tent. They have some wetsuite strippers but you should be able to strip your suit off yourself. You need this off before you enter the change tent
Find you t1 bag, find somewhere to get changed. Add bum butter, put bike shoes on, add sunnies and race number.
Some poeple have a towel, change into bib shorts etc etc - I just put a bike top on for extra pockets / protect my shoulders.... I use my tri shorts for swim/bike/run. You dry out on the bike so just get going.....
Put wetsuit, goggles etc in bag and drop with volunteer as you exit the tent and run to your bike. Helmet on, gloves etc on and grab bike and go....
Bike
Drink water for 20 mins, then switch to sports drink. Gel on 30 minutes, solid food on the hour (this is personal so alter according to how you have done your long bikes...) When you re running out of drink, you pick up more at an aid station
- ditch the empty bottle coming into the I'd station,
- slow down and grab a bottle of high5 from a volunteer you holds it out for you.
- You may be able to grab a gel or banana as well but that's a bonus
- dont crash
Ideally you should be self sufficent for food/ gels, but you can bring half/ grab half... If you totally rely on aid stations what happens when they run out....?Aid stations also have a portaloo or 2 as well....... you will need them at some point
If its really hot I take 4 salt tabs on the bike, 3 for the run in tiny zip lock bags (saltstick) and have one every 90 mins, but then I sweat like a stuck pig .....
If you re desperate you can have a special needs bag, but very few people use them
I stop eating solid food for the last hour
T2
Get off bike (Thank F for that!!!)
Hand bike to friendly helper who racks it for you
Run/ waddle into change tent and grab run bag from the numbered hook
Empty contents onto floor
Bike top off, monaco on, (or its already on - whatever), shoes/ socks off, new socks / shoes on.
Sun tan lotion on if its hot, or add more clothing if it's cold.
Globs of vaseline where required
Hat / buff on, sunnies on.
Pack bike kit into bag, hand to volunteer and go for a run!
Run
eat what ever you can not throw up. I dont do solid food at this point, but others do
I do 2-3 gels an hour, washed down with water / sports drink. I carry 2-3 gels to start with and generally then grab gels as I go, always having at least 1 in reserve
I swap to coke for the second half.
Go to the loo.....x times
If you have got the nutrition wrong, or gone too hard, then your stomach goes balistic.....
If you have paced it well, hopefully all is good and you dont stop very often.
Finish
Eat stuff in the finnish tent
Pick up post race bag, walk slowly up the stairs and shower / get changed.
head for chips and burger and beer!!!! and support those still coming in
A personalised pirate t-shirt / hoodie is mandatory for you / supporters otherwise no one knows who you are and you might get ignored. Theres a link on the pirate web site somewhere
phew!!!!
* all details are totally personal and there are hundreds of ways to skin a cat.....(not sure the cat is happy tho)