The JCC Triathlon by the Sea is this weekend and I am really excited. Here are my sprint triathlon essentials and some goals for the race.
Sprint triathlons are short and sweet. If you are considering doing one, I wouldn’t go overboard in terms of buying equipment. Triathlons can be expensive but they don’t have to be. I’ll complied a list of sprint triathlon essentials to not only help myself remember what to pack on race day but to help you too if you are considering your first sprint tri.
Sprint Triathlon Essentials
Swim essentials
Suit
I prefer to wear a two-piece but I am among the few. One pieces remind me of being an insecure pre-teen at swim team practice. They don’t flatter my body type and it’s hard to change out of them into bike clothes. Two-pieces are great because the top can act as a sports bra for the rest of the race and the bottoms are just like undies.
More about my suit in this post.
Swim cap & Goggles
I use a free swim cap that I got a race and a scratched old pair of old goggles. You could easily go out and buy the best of the best but free is always good too.
Towel (x2)
I bring two towels with me on race day. One to dry off as I come out of the swim (similar) and one to place my clothes of in the transition area. I also use this one to stand on and dry my feet off on before putting on my socks and sneaks.
Bike essentials
Bike
I have run sprint triathlons that have bike distances anywhere from 10 to 15 miles. The true distance is 12.4 miles (or 20 kilometers). Now you can go out and blow thousands of dollars on a bike or you can borrow your neighbors bright orange Huffy.
As long as the wheel spin and the chain moves, you are good to go. I ride a hybrid type bike like the one in the picture. It’s not technically a road bike but it’s not a mountain bike either.
Helmet
All triathlon REQUIRE you to wear a helmet. If you ride a bike with out one – your stupid (PSA from AEH). Helmets can also range from borrowed (free) to thousands of dollars. Wear one that works for you.
Sunglasses
Even on cloudy and rainy race days I wear wear sunglasses during the bike. On sunny days, they do their job to keep the sun out of my eyes and on rainy days they keep the rain drops out of my eyes. They also keep any dirt and sand that may get kicked up from my bike wheels from getting in my eyes.
I usually wear a cheap pair during race day because I don’t want anything to happen to my nicer pairs. I love these (pictured above) from Knockaround. They are only $10 and fit my face perfectly.
Run essentials
Sneakers
I have been solely running in Adidas Response Boost sneakers since this time last year. They are springy and super comfortable and are perfect for me. But you do you. Just remember to pack your sneakers in your triathlon bag.
Good Socks
My go-to workout/run socks lately have been these from Tone it Up. They are cushioned with a performance fit (read – tight) so they won’t slouch at the heel which is the worst.
RunKeeper App
I like to turn my run keeper on during the run (and sometimes the bike) just to keep track of my splits. I try not to let myself slack during the run and having the app chirp at me with my time for each miles keeps me pushing through the last part of the triathlon.
Misc. essentials
- Sunscreen
- Heart rate monitor (if you care about that kind of stuff)
- Water bottle (x2 – one with water, one with nuun)
- Clif shot bloks (I tend to need a few calories when I come off the bike)
Goals
- Bike around 43 minutes. Keep T2 time efficient as can be.
- Push on the hills on the bike. This is always the hardest for me.
- Start the run fast and keep splits. I’d love to have sub 9:15 miles. I would be ecstatic to have sub 9:00 miles.
Overall, my goal is to finish. I have not trained at all for the race (but I didn’t last year either) but I have been working on my running at Run Club. If I can keep a quick pace on the bike and really crush the run, I’ll be a happy camper.
The weather for my race on Sunday is looking a little chilly but as of now, no rain. I’ll take it!
Wish my luck this weekend and hopefully my lack of training won’t show too much on the course. Are there any sprint triathlon essentials that I missed? Tweet me – @alwaysemilyh – and let me know!
