Get Gear Tips and Prep for Your First Triathlon
Planning on your first triathlon? Here are some quick gear tips for the big race:
Swimming Gear
- Wet Suit (or your trusty swimming suit)
- Swim Cap (recommended since it reduces drag in the water and keeps long hair out of your face)
- 2 pair of Goggles (one pair of regular, fog-free goggles and one pair of tinted goggles in case of glaring sun)
Biking Gear
- Bike (a road bike is all you really need, you don’t need to drop tons of money for a titanium feather light bicycle)
- Helmet (again, a basic helmet is just fine, though aerodynamic helmets work really well)
- Bicycle Shoes (if you clip your shoes into you pedals, great, if you don’t, great, either works)
- Water Bottle (make sure it is fully secured on your back in a pack or on your bike, you’ll loose points or time if you drop your bottle on the course during the race)
Running Gear
- Running Shoes (again, the best running shoes for the race are the ones you’ve worn during training. Don’t race with a new pair!)
- Lace Locks (these are handy when you’re in a hurry between transitions and need to streamline. At this point in the race, you’ll be storing your bike and getting prepped to run. Lace locks are elastic laces that you can just zip into place without having to tie a thing)
Beyond all the basics like your picture ID, tools, towels, race clothes, post-race clothes, sun block, medications, and chip timer, don’t forget to bring your cell phone to call your fans after completing your race!
