6. Forgetting the sunscreen.
This is particularly important for long-distance triathlons, when forgetting sunscreen can impact your race and increase your chances of acquiring skin cancer down the road. And let's not forgot how painful a bad burn can be in the days that follow.
Solution: Add this item to your transition area checklist along with the items in number five.
7. Giving away free speed.
It's remarkable how much time can be wasted in transitions. A fast transition can make the difference between a PR or not—and it's time that can be saved with much less effort than what you'll have to put into the swim, bike, and run.
Solution: Practice transitions during training to eliminate wasted steps and time. Have a spouse or a friend video your transitions to look for ways to improve your efficiency.
MORE: 12 Tips for a Faster Transition
8. Assuming you can eat and drink anything on race day because you have an iron stomach.
Just because you can normally eat anything without a problem, doesn’t guarantee you can do the same on race day.
Solution: Practice hydration and fueling during training and high intensity sessions. Make sure your plan is flexible to account for warmer or colder temperatures than you're used to. If you aim to consume a certain number of calories every 30 minutes, make it a calorie range rather than a precise number.
9. Not knowing how to change a flat tire.
Don't be one of the many racers that have no idea how to change a flat tire. Going into a big event hoping to not flat is an easy way to waste all the effort you've put into your training by having to cut your race day short.
Solution: Learn how to change a flat tire and then do it at least three times prior to race day. Deflate your tire, remove it from the rim and put it back together. This will improve your confidence and improve the overall time it takes to make a repair on the road.
MORE: 5 Simple Tips to Master DIY Bike Repair
10. Letting others dictate your pace.
Only you know how your training has progressed. Before your event, you should have an idea of what pace, speed, power or heart rate you need to maintain to have the best race possible. Allowing others to control your race and race strategy can ruin all your hard work.
Solution: Unless you are racing draft-legal races, it's best to control your own destiny. Know what your race day pace feels like and stick to it. Going out too hard during the swim or pushing your bike leg a little harder than you'd like can turn into a disaster on the run. Stick to your heart rate and power numbers that you've decided on during training and race at your own pace.
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