Your first race of the season shouldn’t be your goal race for the season. It should be used more as a shake off the cobwebs type of event. That is not to say that you should be unprepared and confused about what to do. Rather, using the first race of the season as a good hard practice is a sound strategy.
How much time you need to prepare for this event depends on a few things. What sort of shape did you keep from your previous season? Are you coming off a long period of little to no training? What distance is the event? At least 8 weeks is a good minimum to get ready.
In my coaching, I recommend athletes do a sprint or an olympic prior to a goal 70.3 or Ironman, so they have at least one race rehearsal under their belt prior to the big day. So mistakes can be learned from and resolved without having to suffer the consequences in a 4+ hour event.
Your preparation for this first race of the season will vary with your ultimate goals, but at a minimum you should be reasonably confident in your ability to complete each leg of the race; have a pretty good idea of your nutrition and pacing plans for the race; and have done a thorough check of your equipment prior to the race. Showing up with balding tires or whimsical shifting is not ideal!
For example, if you have planned an olympic distance race in mid- April and a 70.3 in May or June, by the end of March you should be comfortable riding 30-40 miles, running at least 7-8 miles, and swimming 1 mile in separate sessions. So the distance of the olympic race at this point shouldn’t be very intimidating, it’s just putting everything together and figuring out your intensity that may be. Ideally you will have completed a handful of brick (bike-run) workouts, and spent some time at goal-70.3 intensity if not higher.
A safe approach for this olympic-distance race would be to race it at goal 70.3 intensity, which would be in the 75-85% range of FTP for the bike (heart rate Zone 2 to 3) depending on fitness. This way you are actively working towards your ultimate goal and can see how your nutrition and pacing work. A more aggressive approach that would be more suitable to experienced athletes would be to race closer to lactate threshold, or 85-95% FTP (HR Zone 3-4). The most aggressive approach would be to just go as hard as you can as long as you can, and see what happens! (This is a real strategy that works for super fit athletes).
Whatever your approach, it is good to plan a light week of training going into this event so that you can get a solid idea of where you’re at. Racing at any level on tired legs and depleted reserves makes everything harder, and you’re less likely to get a realistic preview of your goal race ability.
Your expectations from this race should be in line with your preparation. If you’re coming off a long period of little to no exercise, then finishing should make you happy. Even the shortest sprint triathlon is a tough event requiring endurance and internal fortitude.
If you’ve been hammering with the A group all winter, then you’re entitled to have higher goals. Beyond working out the kinks of transitions and nutrition, you may target a podium spot or a particular FTP / HR value, a particular pace, or an overall goal time. Meeting goal times is especially relevant if the race is on a course you have completed before. Conditions will always vary, but you can allow for that.
One of my highest achieving athletes would race against himself from years past. By tracking times in this way, he could see the real world results of the work he put in season after season. Tom 2022 really beat the heck out of Tom 2018!
A checklist of first-race goals could be:
Smooth swim (especially for nervous swimmers) - stay relaxed, find your own rhythm, stay confident
Efficient transitions - You don’t have to be the fastest, but the goal here is to get in and get out. Have a plan and walk through prior to the race start. Re: “This is where I come in from the swim, my rack is the 4th on the right. Shoes, helmet, glasses, grab bike and exit at the other end. Don’t mount until the mount line.”
Thoughtful hydration and nutrition - Have a schedule. Drink a few ounces at least every 20 minutes, and for events lasting longer than an hour you should be consuming calories via gels, blocks, additives to your drink, or what works for you
Steady biking - Riding a triathlon bike leg like a road race only works if it’s a sprint or you’re a super strong rider. Steady power is the way to go. Watch your variability.
Comfortable running - Focus on good form, turnover, and a relaxed upper body. The effort and pace should take care of themselves if you do.
Stay in the moment - Engage in your race. You can analyze as you progress. Recognize how you’re feeling and adjust as need be. Don’t be a slave to the exact plan you wrote down. Newer athletes in particular need to learn this.
The first race should also be fun. It should be a low-stakes affair where you can afford to make mistakes or try out your new strategy. You should walk away with a realistic assessment of your fitness and a good idea of what you can achieve at your upcoming goal event.
Marty Gaal, CSCS, is a USA Triathlon coach who lives in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Marty has been coaching endurance athletes since 2002. You can read more about OSB coaching services at www.osbmultisport.com.