KRISTIAN BLUMMENFELT
The ITU pro shares his top tips
DO THE DISTANCE
Before you show up to your race [sprint or Olympic], make sure you’ve covered the distance in training at least once, just to know you can meet the distances required for the race. The more familiar you are with what each of those distances feels like, how you cope with them, and how to pace them, the better your race will play out. Note: You don’t need to do them all in one go like a race.
SIMULATE THE RACE
Try to simulate part of the race in training, using the same equipment as you will on race day. It could just be a bike-to-run transition, or a swim-to-bike practising changing out of your wetsuit [see left for more on how to cope with your first open-water swim], again just so you get familiar with the process and build confidence for race day.
PRACTISE PACING
Too many go out too fast and hit their limits too early, making their race harder than it should be. But pacing is paramount, not only for beginners to the sport but also those wanting to progress further. The first half should feel controlled so you can always pick up the pace for the second half of the race. This will really help you achieve a better overall time, and most likely help you enjoy it more!
GET IN THE OPEN WATER
I know this is common knowledge, but it really is important if you want to enjoy your first-ever race (or first race of the season). Don’t just go from the pool to the open-water start line. How you swim in warm, flat clear water in shorts/ swimsuit is a vastly different experience to swimming outdoors in cold, potentially choppy and murky water in a wetsuit. So get yourself down to your nearest open-water venue and practise in your wetsuit for at least 45 minutes. You don’t have to go all-out race mode, it’s more about getting used to the sensation of swimming outdoors in your race-day wetsuit.
NAIL YOUR NUTRITION
Again, common advice but oh so vital! You need to know what works and when so you can have a trouble-free race day. And this goes from the moment you wake up, i.e breakfast, to after you’ve finished the race with your recovery nutrition. Make a plan, practise it over and over in training in as similar race conditions as possible, and stick to it on race day.