"Will I be able to finish it? What if I can't complete the swim? Will I be too tired to run?"
Competing in your first triathlon can be a pretty intimidating thing. The fear of not finishing is enough to stop some people from even competing. The combination of self doubt, race day nerves and inexperience can lead to first time triathletes going out too hard, too early, or worse, not racing as hard as possible and finishing with the thought that they could have done more.
The simple trick is this: play to your strength. If you are a good swimmer, you can use this to place yourself towards the front of the pack in the first leg, and then pace your ride and run to maintain your position. Conversely, if you are a good runner, you can try to save some energy in the swim and cycle legs and bring it home strong, reeling in as many places as possible in the last couple of kilometres.
Strong cyclists can also use their talent to break up a race and give themselves a great chance of winning. If you've ever seen Chris Lieto, or more recently Lance Armstrong, race a long course triathlon, you will know what I mean. Lieto is renowned for going out super hard on the bike leg, building a huge lead over the chasing pack (upwards of 12 minutes), and then trying to hold off the wolf pack on the run. Armstrong has shown his ability to destroy the field on the bike but has been run down in the final miles by more talented runners in both of his races.
For your first race it's really important that you don't get overwhelmed by the moment and go out too hard in the swim leg. It's all to common to see inexperienced triathletes coming out of the water exhausted because they've just swum the fastest 1500 metres of their life. This obviously makes it very difficult later in the race. The best advice I ever got was to find a swimmer in the pack who is going just a little bit faster than you, and try to swim right on their feet. The slipstream effect will allow you to stay with them at a much lower effort level than if you were swimming on your own. Just as if you were drafting on a bike. Remember, it's a long race, so you don't need to go faster than everyone. Just focus on swimming a strong, steady pace and don't burn your legs out.
When you leave the water, take a moment to catch your breath as you make your way to transition. Again, you don't need to sprint. Just move quickly and try to focus on being smooth and getting your heart rate under control.
On the bike, I always try to break up my cycle leg into three stages. The first stage is about getting comfortable on your bike, up to speed and in a good aerodynamic position. It's important to get up to racing speed quickly, and get your rhythm set. The second stage is where you will start to pass people. Find the maximum level you can sustain without feeling that your legs are about to give out. Go hard, but remember you have to run later on. If you have done the necessary training, you will be able to hold on to a good fast pace for a long time without pushing yourself over the edge. The last stage is the final couple of kilometres before transition. Try to ease off ever so slightly to give your legs a chance to recover and get your breathing under control.
On the run, it's time to put it all on the line. "You ride for show and run for dough" is a famous saying in the Triathlon world. As you leave T2, your legs will feel like they have lead weights on the end of them instead of feet. Just focus on keeping a fast cadence until they start to respond. It's important to really force your legs to run at a race pace, even though it feels impossible to go as quick as you want. Try to push yourself by identifying people ahead that you want to pass, and then slowly reeling them in. When you get down to the last kilometre, go all out. It will pass faster than you know it, and you will pick up a lot of places as tired competitors start to fade. Sprint for the line and you're done!!
If you pace yourself properly, you'll not only be more likely to finish, but you'll enjoy the race a lot more, and finish faster.
Good luck!!
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