Top 10 Ironman Do's & Don'ts

A while ago we posted "Ironmen Don't Walk!!" which laid out the Top 10 things spectators should not say to Ironman competitors. A few members of our team got together for Ironman Coeur d'Alene last week... this follow up post actually crossed my mind a couple times on the course, so thought we'd share it again.

Note: most Iron men & women are positive examples of each of these… a small minority of the field, however, "not so much."

10) DON’T wave your arms in the air like you just don't care encouraging the crowd to really “give it up” for you. You should be excited. You deserve it. Not trying to be rude, but some actions just look foolish. Do you know how many hundreds of people we’ve already seen and rang the cowbell for from this very spot?

9) DO savor the day, especially the finishing chute, and celebrate crossing the line!

8) DON’T showboat at mile whatever on the bike course (eg. I witnessed a few exaggerated, arrogant nods of the head, people flashing the "I'm #1" sign, thumping their chest like a gorilla, etc.). Again, it just looks foolish.

7) DO have some fun out there, and acknowledge every person (a smile, thanks, thumbs up, etc… whatever you can muster) who’s standing in the sun giving you encouragement.

6) DON’T provide fodder worthy of @TriExcuse during or after your race. It’s Ironman, it’s haaaaaarrrrrddd. Everybody knows that.

5) DO promise yourself you’ll give 100% to finish no matter what obstacles come your way during the day.

4) DON’T allow your thoughts to turn negative on you… the mind is a powerful thing.

3) DO stay positive by, among other things, encouraging other competitors where appropriate and (if you have the strength), giving kids “five” if they’re stretching their arm out for you. My son was actually pretty bummed spectating at Boulder last year when he was ignored!

2) DON’T give your support crew grief for not making it to every possible spot on the course… it’s not easy!

1) DO be humble, both during and afterwards. Thank all volunteers as much as you can, as well as any support you may have for being there for you. It’s a long day for them as well!

Top 10 Triathlon Race Week Tips

Well, at least according to our team...


10) “Develop a checklist over time so you don't have to re-invent the wheel (no pun intended) every race. This will reduce your stress on what to pack, how to prepare, and a nutrition plan for that distance.”

9) “Take a deep breath. For Ironman, the IM Village can be intimidating. Repeat to yourself. I belong here. I belong here.” Gina (Virginia)

don't let race week stress make you forget your goggles

8) “Don't do anything new race week. Your work, preparation and body isn't going to make any gains during race week. Keep it in tune and start to mentally prepare for race weekend.” - Chad (now repping North Carolina)

7) “Three things: 1) For race week, you can't build fitness. Trust in the fitness you built in your training and trust in your taper. 2) Get your bike ready the weekend beforehand. This means putting on your race wheels and finishing any last tweeks. By readying bike the weekend beforehand, you'll eliminate that stress from your race week and allow time to fix any last minute snafus. 3) You can save a decent chunk of watts by racing on a new chain. Still, remove the slow factory lube, apply your own (I like wax), and give it a few rides to break in.” Nick (Washington)

let's hope you've got bike/run clothes on under that wetsuit

6) “Do not eat anything crazy that can mess up your stomach for lunch or supper the week of the race. Do not wait until the night before to pack.” Mark (South Carolina)

5) “Create a list for the night before and day of, including the absolute latest time you can leave. Include e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g - Body numbered? Body Glide on? Sunscreen on? etc.. Make sure you double check that shuttle schedule so you aren't trying to find a cab at 4AM to get to the race start.” Sean (now repping New Jersey)

heart rate monitor?  check!

4) “I start by making a timeline of the entire race day starting with waking up and then writing down the time of every activity that will be done pre race and post race. I also write out my race plan and highlight what my goal pace/power is. Once that’s laid out I spend the week visualizing that and then execute it on race day!” Rob (Massachusetts)

you've prepared for this, now let it rip!

3) “I usually watch my nutrition closely, but especially during race week when I have more free time and may feel tempted to eat more to feel the void. Also, I'm a perfectionist/focused person, but contrary to many triathletes, I am laid back during race week. I know I've done the work, so I take advantage to relax, enjoy time with my wife, and to prepare myself mentally for race day.” David (Florida)

2) “As much as it's possible I like to plan to drive the course the day before to get a sense of road conditions, climate, landmarks, etc., even if I've been on the course before. Having that extra bit of familiarity is extra comfort on race day that keeps me focused on executing and not worried about unknowns.” Dave (Connecticut)

1) “My tip is to rest!” Jeff (Oregon)

Never Hire a Triathlete...

Triple Threat teammate Gina (Virginia) recently wrote this "Note to Hiring Managers" about some hidden benefits of hiring a triathlete.

Unfortunately, I must respectfully disagree. Here are the Top 10 reasons why you should never hire a triathlete.


10) Overly hydrated, requires a bathroom break every 15 minutes


9) Speedy time at company fun run causes "emotional distress" among fellow employees, creating litigation risk

8) Nuff said...

7) Liberal-leaning "lunch break" interpretation

6) Ever the multi-tasker, known to stretch out hammys, quads, and glutes mid-presentation

5) Reeks of chlorine, AKA "eau de piscine"

4) "Helmet hair" has more waves than the Atlantic 

3) Not known as a top performer at the company hot dog eating contest

2) Don't be deceived, that spreadsheet they've been "hard at work" on for the past hour is an analysis of race results

1) Incessant clanking from finisher medals distracting to co-workers

People Watching: Top 10 Gym Species

Generally speaking, I enjoy "people watching." It's especially fun at airports, sporting events,  and other places where you're part of a large, diverse group. The gym & the "necessary evil" of the locker room are places where it's less fun. However, here are the Top 10 species I've identified from my observations.


Old Naked Guy: this is almost exclusively one of our beloved senior citizens. Always in the nude. Usually has one leg up on the bench as he attempts to engage you in small talk, takin' his sweeeeeeetass time. Seriously, don't you own a towel??

The Over-Talker: terrifyingly known to double as Old Naked Guy at times, this is the guy you just can't have a short conversation with in the locker room. Extremely hard to shake. This isn't a toga party, man, I have places to go!

Gym Rat: these are the people who either live at the gym or are somehow on the exact same schedule as you. Whether I'm swimming at 6AM or 8PM, there are 3-4 people I always see. It's uncanny.

Teenagers: Did we ever behave like this? Really? The immaturity is appalling... guess I'm just getting old. Boy, I'll wash your mouth out with soap!

The Manatee: Not known to do anything active at the gym. Similar to the Loch Ness Monster, at times you can catch a glimpse of them floating in the hot tub or lounging behind a steam-filled sauna door.

Private Ryan: the opposite of Nature Boy, this is the guy who clearly never played organized sports. Toes behind a curtain is the most I've observed of this species. I'm not complaining... maybe there should be more Private Ryans among us.

Avoid Eye Contact at All Cost: from my personal experience this is either A) a gangbanger (check out his back tats in the shower at your own risk) or B) someone with a clear mental illness. There's this one guy who constantly mutters threatening obscenities at no one in particular... upon realizing it was just him and me alone one time, I may or may not have hid behind some lockers until he left. I feel bad for him, but he's a scary dude!

Brotein Shake & Brotato Chip:

SWAG Daddy: I belong to a public rec center. It's a nice facility, and has an amazing pool, but it's not exactly a country club. That said, SWAG Daddy takes delight in making the most of the amenities, as limited as they are. My first observation with this species is always that they're using up at least 50% of the soap/shampoo in the dispensers. As I'm about to leave, I realize he must have gobbled up at least 50% of the hot water in the joint... he's full on shaving in the shower at this point and there's no end in sight. When he does finally emerge, he's often spotted with his head directly under the automatic hand dryer thing.

Too Close For Comfort Guy: this is the guy who either A) inexplicably chooses the shower next to you when there are several alternatives or B) insists on getting his stuff out of the locker next to you while you're mid-change.

I Heart Triathlon

It’s that special time of year where love is in the air. Well, I’ve had the hots for a certain sport for quite some time. Here are 10 things I love about the tough but adorable three-headed little monster known as triathlon.

10) Plan of Attack: I get downright giddy when thinking about my race schedule. I love picking races and preparing my training plan of attack around my goals.

9) Race Day: I love pre-race nerves and adrenaline, pushing through the pain, and that moment when you can finally taste the finish line. Once I’ve caught my breath, I love the post-race euphoria, food, and camaraderie with other triathletes.

8) Analyzing Results: I figure since I use excel a lot for my day job, I might as well put my skills to use, right? I love picking apart race results based on rankings, percentiles, competition, etc. I also have a database of races built up by now, so I can quickly compare multiple races.

7) Kinda Weird: I love the smell of my wetsuit. I’ll often take a big whiff of it the day before a race when I’m packing my stuff, which triggers the emotions of racing (note: from my experience it smells better pre-race than post-race).  

6) Reconnaissance Missions: Whenever possible, I love to scout a course before a race. If I can’t bike or run the course itself, even driving it gets me pumped!

5) Open-Water Swimming: I love the serenity of looking out over a lake or other body of water. Whenever I see a lake I think about swimming in it. I love getting psyched up in the water before a race. All that said, I also love when my hand finally touches sand and the swim is done!

4) Google Maps: I love planning out bike and run courses a day or few hours before a workout. Sure, sometimes I make it up as I go, but I find that I’m more motivated when I have an idea of my route. It's especially fun planning epic rides in the 60-112 mile range (strangely not always as fun to actually ride the route).

3) Kid in a Candy Store: Don’t get me wrong, I love candy, chocolate, ice cream, etc. But I also love stocking up on nutritional stuff, especially at a store where it’s something like “buy 12 get 20% off.” So many choices! So many flavors! In the last few years Santa has wised up... I find more gels, Hammer bars, and other such goodies in my stocking than Snickers and Reeses cups.

2) Burn One Down: I love the high I get from running (vast majority) and biking (often). I hate the initial shock of jumping into the pool, but I love that post-swim feeling as well.

1) Recovery: Recoverite has replaced chocolate milk as my post-workout drink of choice, and I love a tall glass after a tough session. Post-race the Triple Threat team is known to get a little crazy with it...

Top 10 Signs of a Triathlete Parent

In honor of David Fernandez (Florida) & Jeff Kirkland (Oregon) who recently welcomed children into the world!


Top 10 Signs of a Triathlete Parent

10) Pull buoy riddled with teeth marks

9) Aero helmet been worn more times as a “jousting knight” costume than actual races

8) The significance of the numbers 2.4, 112, and 26.2 mastered before multiplication tables

7) IronKids t-shirts heavily featured in wardrobe rotation

6) Routinely find toys hidden in pockets of bike jersey

these bad boys give me the energy I need to skateboard home from school

5) Generally accepted that mom will eventually return after she emerges from water only to suddenly leave us in the lurch

4) A 90-min bike ride takes exactly 90 min… not a minute wasted

3) Mutual respect in that mom and dad have “swimming lessons” (masters) on various mornings just like they do

2) Clif "Z Bars” (marketed to kids) routinely appear in workplace lunch – hey, they taste great, what can I say?

1) Daughter has mastered flying dismount off pink Barbie bike

Top 10 List Archives:

Top 10 Reasons to do a Triathlon

I Heart Triathlon

Things That Sounded More Fun Than Swimming Today

Stuff People Yell at Me

Triathlon Burn Out

If We Took a Holiday

Ironmen Don't Walk!!

Spooky Triathlon Stuff

I love the “kid” aspects of Halloween (my kids dressing up, kids coming to the door, etc), but I’m not exactly a big Halloween guy… I don’t watch horror flicks, I’m not interested in haunted houses, and I don’t dress up. I do, however, eat my share of candy.

That said, in the spirit of Halloween, here are the Top 10 “spookiest” triathlon-related nightmares, as provided by myself, some teammates, and a few other friends:

10) “It’s the classic ‘naked in T1’ nightmare for me. I exit the water and strip off my wetsuit, and only as I’m mounting my bike do I realize I’ve literally stripped. I guess all I really need to ride is a helmet and bike shoes though, right?”

9) “Who are these psycho, lycra-clad people chasing me?!?”

8) “I have a recurring dream in which the ‘swim course’ isn’t in water at all. Often times it’s sand and sometimes it’s just the ground. To complete the ‘swim’ I basically have to army crawl and ‘pretend swim’ my way to transition. I’m guessing this is accompanied with me making swimming motions on my mattress.”

7) My own, as described after a 70.3 a couple years ago. "I was so focused on not missing my swim wave, but lo and behold I kept getting distracted. In my dream it was like the rest of my age group was pulling a prank on me. I’d turn my head for a second, then look up and they’d be sneaking down to the water, and I was like 'oh come on!!' They’d sheepishly come back to the shore, as if to say 'ok, ok you caught us, you caught us,' then I’d turn away again and they'd be back to their old tricks. At this point I was like oh hail no, and hustled out to the water. I made it in time, but then things got really weird. The lake transformed into a wide river with a really strong current, almost like I wasn’t swimming at all and just flowing down some rapids. Part of this involved being spun around in a whirlpool and then spit out down one of those curvy, waterpark slides."

6) “I often dream about being in the lead at a race, only to get utterly lost on the course. It’s not pleasant.”

5) “I have that dream where you realize that your next big race is only days away. You get the cold sweats and it’s absolutely terrifying… oh crap, that’s not a dream?”

4) “I often find myself in a race where the course is like a big obstacle course that sometimes includes running through someone’s house up and down different flights of stairs. These courses have a tendency to not be well-marked. Do I continue up to the 3rd floor or turn around at the master bath??”

no worries, baby, I got your bike right here!

3) “I had a crazy dream before a race one time of waking up late, driving like a mad woman to the race start, only to realize I forgot my bike. Desperately called my coach to explain where my bike was and asked him to bring it. He showed up in a Smart car with my bike in pieces. Lots of scambling. STRESSFUL. I woke up before I found out whether I could race or not.”  

2) “For me the worst nightmare was dreaming I won a race. As the crowd chanted my name I woke up to realize it was all a façade. I went on to have a truly terrible race.”

1) “Runnnnnnnning soooooo sloooooowww, cannnnnn’tt mooooooovvve myyyyyyyy leggggggsss!!”

Top 10 Ironman Do’s and Don’ts: Support Crew Edition

As was reported in the pre-race check in, I had the opportunity to spectate at Ironman Boulder this past weekend. It was awesome to cheer on my wife at her first Ironman, as well as teammate Katie Foster (Nebraska), as they both demonstrated the heart of a champion and got the job done! As a side note, I totally get why so many pros live in Boulder, and the city puts on a great race. The water was pristine, the bike course was beautiful (with what seemed to me to be really smooth roads), and the vibe on the mostly shaded run course was arguably the best I’ve ever seen.

A while ago I wrote a post entitled "Ironmen Don't Walk!!" which laid out the Top 10 things spectators should not say at an Ironman… being on the other side of the coin this time, here are the Top 10 Ironman Do’s and Don’ts: Support Crew Edition. 

Note: my wife, Katie, and most of the Iron men & women I saw were positive examples of each of these… a small minority of the field, however, "not so much."

10) DON’T wave your arms in the air like you just don't care encouraging the crowd to really “give it up” for you. You should be excited. You deserve it. Not trying to be rude, but some actions just look foolish. Do you know how many hundreds of people we’ve already seen and rang the cowbell for from this very spot?

9) DO savor the day, especially the finishing chute, and celebrate crossing the line!

8) DON’T showboat at mile whatever on the bike course (eg. I witnessed a few exaggerated, arrogant nods of the head, people flashing the "I'm #1" sign, thumping their chest like a gorilla, etc.). Again, it just looks foolish.

7) DO have some fun out there, and acknowledge every person (a smile, thanks, thumbs up, etc… whatever you can muster) who’s standing in the sun giving you encouragement. I try to do this and it was good to see a lot of it at Boulder.

6) DON’T provide fodder worthy of @TriExcuse during or after your race. It’s Ironman, it’s haaaaaarrrrrddd. Everybody knows that.

5) DO promise yourself you’ll give 100% to finish no matter what obstacles come your way during the day.

4) DON’T allow your thoughts to turn negative on you… the mind is a powerful thing.

3) DO stay positive by, among other things, encouraging other competitors where appropriate and (if you have the strength), giving kids “five” if they’re stretching their arm out for you. My son was actually pretty bummed whenever he was ignored!

2) DON’T give your support crew grief for not making it to every possible spot on the course… it’s not easy!

1) DO be humble, both during and afterwards. Thank all volunteers as much as you can, as well as any support you may have for being there for you. It’s a long day for them as well!

Top 10 Triathlon Race Week Tips

With a little extra time on her hands thanks to her taper for Ironman Texas, Kristen Lodge (Arizona) graciously gathered some Triple Threat Triathlon race week tips for this post. There's really no order to these, but in the spirit of recently retired David Letterman, I figured arranging them as a Top 10 list was more than appropriate.


10) “Develop a checklist over time so you don't have to re-invent the wheel (no pun intended) every race. This will reduce your stress on what to pack, how to prepare, and a nutrition plan for that distance.” Collin (Utah)

9) “Take a deep breath. For Ironman, the IM Village can be intimidating. Repeat to yourself. I belong here. I belong here.” Gina (Virginia)

don't let race week stress make you forget your goggles

8) “Don't do anything new race week. Your work, preparation and body isn't going to make any gains during race week. Keep it in tune and start to mentally prepare for race weekend.” - Chad (now repping North Carolina)

7) “Three things: 1) For race week, you can't build fitness. Trust in the fitness you built in your training and trust in your taper. 2) Get your bike ready the weekend beforehand. This means putting on your race wheels and finishing any last tweeks. By readying bike the weekend beforehand, you'll eliminate that stress from your race week and allow time to fix any last minute snafus. 3) You can save a decent chunk of watts by racing on a new chain. Still, remove the slow factory lube, apply your own (I like wax), and give it a few rides to break in.” Nick (Washington)

let's hope you've got bike/run clothes on under that wetsuit

6) “Do not eat anything crazy that can mess up your stomach for lunch or supper the week of the race. Do not wait until the night before to pack.” Mark (South Carolina)

5) “Create a list for the night before and day of, including the absolute latest time you can leave. Include e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g - Body numbered? Body Glide on? Sunscreen on? etc.. Make sure you double check that shuttle schedule so you aren't trying to find a cab at 4AM to get to the race start.” Sean (now repping New Jersey)

4) “I start by making a timeline of the entire race day starting with waking up and then writing down the time of every activity that will be done pre race and post race. I also write out my race plan and highlight what my goal pace/power is. Once that’s laid out I spend the week visualizing that and then execute it on race day!” Rob (Massachusetts)

you've prepared for this, now let it rip!

3) “I usually watch my nutrition closely, but especially during race week when I have more free time and may feel tempted to eat more to feel the void. Also, I'm a perfectionist/focused person, but contrary to many triathletes, I am laid back during race week. I know I've done the work, so I take advantage to relax, enjoy time with my wife, and to prepare myself mentally for race day.” David (Florida)

2) “As much as it's possible I like to plan to drive the course the day before to get a sense of road conditions, climate, landmarks, etc., even if I've been on the course before. Having that extra bit of familiarity is extra comfort on race day that keeps me focused on executing and not worried about unknowns.” Dave (Connecticut)

1) “My tip is to rest!” Jeff (Oregon)