Packing for a Triathlon

I'm driving to Portland, OR tonight because I have a triathlon tomorrow morning - the Hagg Lake triathlon, and I'm doing the olympic. That will be 1.5K swim, 40K bike, and a 10K run.

Why Portland? Am I that competitive? Not really, I'm fairly slow: MOP at some sprints (Middle of the Pack), and BOP at olympics (Back of the Pack). I haven't done anything longer but my goal this season is a half-ironman... Anyway, I'm into triathlon for fun and fitness so it really doesn't bother me. People like me are more endurance oriented and not so much power oriented. Somebody on Tri Newbies Online jokes our motto is "can't go fast, may as well go long". ;)

I picked this race because:

• I am looking for variety - this is my third season in tri and I want to try some new races
  
• I've heard it is a fun race - with a challenging bike course
  
• Timing is good - I'll have 3 evenly spaced olympic distance tris from June to August
  

Tri Gear


Here's what I'm taking down with me, from the lower left:

• two white towels, for transition area
  
• Sugoi racing shorts
  
• Promotion sleeveless wetsuit (folded up on top of towels)
  
• Swim goggles
  
• Ear plugs (I get dizzy without them)
  
• plastic case for goggles and ear plugs
  
• extra goggles and ear plugs
  
• triathlon bag - cram all this stuff into it
  
• two Clif bars - chocolate mint and black cherry almond
  
• one hammer gel - orange flavored
  
• Giro bike helmet
  
• bike gloves (inside helmet)
  
• Thorlo socks
  
• Specializied bike shoes
  
• Smith sunglasses, dark lenses
  
• yellow lens inserts (in pouch under sunglasses)
  
• Saucony Grid running shoes, with speed laces
  
• blue Performance bike jerseys - long sleeve and short sleeve
  
• body glide (below shoes)
  
• 1 liter REI plastic bottle, with 3 scoops of Endurox inside
  
• two bike bottles
  
• fuel belt plus two fuel belt canisters
  
• Polar heart rate monitor and watch - I have the S720i model
  
• race belt
  
• Camelback
  
• "mini blaster" bike pump (in sleeve on camelback)
  

That's a lot of stuff isn't it? Plus of course, my race bike!




Do I need all this stuff? Well, technically no. Events will provide water on the run course, so I don't really need the fuel belt or canisters. I just added them in because I train with them. I probably don't need the Camelback either - I train with it because it solves a hydration problem, plus the pockets let me carry stuff like spare inner tubes and a pump. The fact is during a tri if I get a flat, it is over - I'll just wait for a support car to come get me. The extra bike bottles are for filling up with water and drinking on the way to the race in the morning. I'll fill up the 1 liter jug in the morning, shake it up to mix the Endurox, and fill one bike bottle for carrying on the bike. The jug will stay in the transition zone for me to sip at T1 and T2. Two bike jerseys? I'll just need one, depending on weather that will most likely be the short sleeved one. I bring my extra goggles and ear plugs just in case. Lastly, I'll wear my contact lenses for during the event.

Not pictured is a small saddle bag with tire levers, bike tools, a spare inner tube, and a patch kit. All these items are of course utterly useless without a pump! Some people buy CO2 canisters for this reason, but at $6 to $10 a canister, it isn't something you would use outside of a race where time matters. And for me, since I'm slow changing a flat it doesn't make sense - 15 minutes to change the flat, 10 seconds to inflate? May as well take the pump, stuffed into a bike jersey pocket or in the Camelback. I'm thinking of wearing the Camelback because I can drink from it easier than reaching for a bottle. If you look at the picture of my race bike, the bottle cage is on the seat tube, which is harder to reach than one on the down tube. But the seat tube is where the mounting bracket is.

I'll also bring my floor pump, for inflating the tires the morning of the event.

Anyway, I gotta go - too bad it takes so long to make this entry, otherwise this would be a great way to double check my packing list! ;)