There\u2019s something nice when you\u2019ve found a swimmer in front of you to draft off, to just settle into their pace and go on autopilot, thinking about T1 and getting a good start on the bike. It\u2019s all good\u2026 until you look up and realize the feet you\u2019ve been following are 75 yards off course. You\u2019ve just blindly followed the leader, right off course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf the water is calm, I like to do ‘alligator eyes’ and just do quick glances to make sure of where I\u2019m going,\u201d Chura says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Especially if it\u2019s choppy, pull your head and chest right out of the water to make sure you\u2019re on track\u2026 then get back to pacing those feet in front of you, provided they\u2019re on the right heading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople love to follow feet, but you need to sight; you don\u2019t want those feet to lead you off course.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Choose Race-day Goggles Wisely<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Which side do you breath to? Is it into a rising morning race-day sun? Or does the swim start pre-dawn, or on a dark, cloudy morning? Take a range of goggles with you\u2014clear, and tinted\u2014and be ready to see, or prevent the sun from blinding you every time you take a breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI always suggest people pay attention to where the sun is going to be when it comes up for race day,\u201d Chura says. \u201cCertain races start in the dark, so you\u2018ll want lighter goggles. Know what goggles you\u2019ll want for any specific race you\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Pre-soak your Wetsuit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve had your wetsuits stored away for the offseason, and really before any race, Chura recommends pre-soaking the inside of the suit. There\u2019s a faction that contends that the inner jersey material inside the suit becomes more flexible when it\u2019s been wetted in the ocean, pool or lake and dried overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But even right before a race, Chura wets her suit for another reason: warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI always get it wet just before the race starts,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve found that small layer of water keeps you warm. So get in the water just before the race, or even bring a water bottle and pour a little water in there, to keep you warm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Take the Strip!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If your race has wetsuit \u201cstrippers\u201d (volunteers there to help remove your suit), don\u2019t dash past them in a race to get to the bike rack. You\u2019ll find that it\u2019s generally a lot faster (and much less stressful) to stop and have these volunteers remove your suit, than doing the foot stomp trying to get your suit over your ankles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPull your suit down halfway, and then stop, sit on the ground, lay on your back and let them take it off,\u201d Chura says. \u201cI recommend this especially if you haven\u2019t practiced much with getting your suit off. It\u2019s a lot easier to have someone else pull it off than standing there getting flustered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Pin that Timing Chip On<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When the race gives you a timing chip and strap, be sure to ask the volunteers for a safety pin (or bring one of your own) to pin the strap\u2019s end to itself on your ankle on race morning. (And be careful not to poke yourself in the ankle in the process!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it\u2019s due to a weak and worn-out Velcro closure, or an overzealous triathlete grabbing your ankle\u2014and the strap\u2014in the chaos of the opening yards of a race’s swim start, the straps can<\/em> come loose, with your timing chip ending up at the bottom of the lake or ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve lost it enough times that I always pin it up once it\u2019s on,\u201d Chura says. \u201cNothing like not having your splits after the race!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With these tips, we\u2019re sure the first discipline on race day can be one of your best!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Quintana Roo pro, Haley Chura, is one of the best swimmers in triathlon, and in her years racing she\u2019s seen it all, has made every rookie mistake, made every wrong turn (and made it right!). So she came to us with five can\u2019t-miss tips to make your race day swim as smooth as possible! 1. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":24774,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[218,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24773","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Haley](\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdDALf1Yt1iQKiDgfq6SA3JGFuwfo2TuEpXCAXK0d_FYsgrZcAvkuungNGhF3z2g7sFQhiSBDqPdv_AZ_p9425jOjy5u91fDeYDD1rtueNPvDqN8VKN0UKYUPf_U6d_0jiAKut67iqbK06tmhrx3-prDune?key=hQP0f0BCq8Gyc1-ptbof8Q\")
![\"Haley](\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXd6q50IDAfr41S2chn62Mtxe42KNefSz2GvNHF_44tSK9ryJXrxWN42wx8Nm1HgbIWyG-Rqe4o24ycXzILKmVxP6vpKWCDkNk2PY5KnPlpE7zS6z6l7PcFB5KCUyDd4YXM5a_IvlxRcpbE-HScK1DJBtUB0?key=hQP0f0BCq8Gyc1-ptbof8Q\")