10 Most Common Mistakes Triathletes Make in a 70.3 (and How to Avoid Them)
There’s a big learning curve when going from a sprint triathlon to a 70.3. While the essentials are the same, the execution is entirely different.
Specificity becomes even more important as the distance of the race increases.
A 70.3 requires:
More training volume, as well as more specific training and preparation
A more sophisticated pacing strategy
A clear and detailed nutrition plan
Since my new book- The Complete Guide to Your First (or Best) 70.3 Triathlon goes live on Thursday (pause for victory dance💃), I thought we’d break down the 10 most common mistakes triathletes make during a 70.3.
1. Not taking swim fitness seriously
The biggest barrier to entry for the 70.3 or Ironman distance is the swim. For adult-onset swimmers, who are learning how to swim while they’re training for their first triathlon, the thought of a 1.2 or 2.4-mile swim seems impossible.
Coming from someone who could barely swim 25 yards without stopping, when I first started, I totally understand. But the thought process about the swim shouldn’t be to just “cover the distance” or “survive” the swim. The goal is to cover the distance as easily and efficiently as possible so you can deliver a better performance on the bike and run.
You can’t bike to your potential if you come out of the swim exhausted. You can’t run to your potential if you empty the tank on the bike, because you came out of the swim exhausted. It all starts with the swim.
If you’ve committed to doing a 70.3, you need to be in the pool at least 3 days a week. End of story.
2. Not swimming in a wetsuit prior to the race
This might seem like a no-brainer, but I can’t count the number of athletes who show up to a race and haven’t swam in a wetsuit before. Or the athlete who swam in his wetsuit once for 15 minutes and called it good.
You’re going to spend 30+ minutes swimming in a wetsuit during a 70.3 triathlon (if the temperature is wetsuit-legal). So it’s something you have to practice. Why? To get accustomed to the feeling of chest compression that comes with wearing a wetsuit. This can cause panic in new swimmers, so it’s something you need to get accustomed to before race day.
Also, if you never practice in your wetsuit, you don’t know if it chafes your neck, fits properly, is hard to remove, ect.
3. Not using the same nutrition you use in training
This is a biggie, and it can totally wreck your race. There are SO many athletes who go to their first 70.3 assuming they can just use whatever products are on course. That’s a recipe for disaster.
First, you don’t know how your body (or stomach) will react to new nutrition products. This can send you to the Porta-Potty in a hurry. Second, solely relying on aid stations is not the best strategy for long-distance triathlon. Ever had an add station run out of something you needed? I have. Ever had a volunteer make a mistake mixing the product? Happened to me.
Aid stations are great for picking up water, ice, or an extra gel, but as athletes, we must be self-sufficient, which means carrying our own nutrition. This isn’t as difficult as it sounds. You have pre-made bottles on your bike and use a hydration belt on the run. Done.
That’s how you ensure you get to drink what you want, when you want it. You’re in complete control of your nutrition during the race, instead of flying by the seat of your pants and hoping for the best.
4. Not getting a bike tune-up prior to the race
About three weeks before a big race, we take our bikes to get a pre-race tune-up. Our bike mechanic checks to make sure the brakes are working properly, the shifting is smooth, and replaces any worn-out components, like putting on a new chain or new tires.
Triathlon bikes are pieces of equipment, and they must be constantly maintained in order to continue working properly. As you ride over bumps in the road, screws come loose. Bolts must be tightened and re-tightened. That’s why you see athletes at races with seat posts that drop, brakes that fail, shifting that goes out, or aero bars that come loose, because they didn’t bother to check before the race.
Set yourself up for success by making sure your gear is in good working order and ready to go for race day.
5. Not having a specific fueling strategy on the bike
If you don’t properly fuel the 56-mile bike ride, you’re toast for the run. It’s as simple as that. While you might be able to fake it for a sprint, when you only have to run a 5K off the bike, there’s no chance you will make it through a half-marathon with a haphazard fueling plan for the 3+ hour bike ride that precedes it.
You need to know how much fluid, carbs, and electrolytes you plan to take in per houron the bike, and practice it in training, during every session.
6. Not reading the Athlete Guide
The Athlete Guide for 70.3 Ironman races contains course maps, race week schedule, times that transition opens and closes, gear bag specifics, temperature ranges for wetsuit use, and commonly violated rules. If you’re shelling out $350+ to do one of these races, do yourself a favor and read the Athlete Guide.
Something that gets overlooked by many athletes is the rules about drafting. It’s a bit more complex than just “stay 6 bike lengths back” from the athlete in front of you. There’s also penalties for not passing within 25 seconds, blocking, being overtaken, not stopping to serve a penalty (DQ) ect.
Review the rules before the race so you don’t make a mistake that will cost both time and energy.
7. Not practicing transitions
Unlike the swim, bike, and run, transition doesn’t care if you’re fit, athletic, or fast. You can save precious seconds simply by being prepared, organized, and having a process.
This also involves doing a pre-race walk-through to familiarize yourself with the swim in, bike out, and run out, as well as picking a few landmarks to help locate your transition area quickly when the adrenaline is pumping and you’re out of breath.
Executing a speedy transition is easy, but you have to practice. You can practice T2 during a brick workout, or set up your gear on a towel in your living room. Saving time during a race is that simple.
8. Running too fast at the start
This is something I know from personal experience, and I bet (if you’re being honest) most of you have done it in the past. Running too fast at the start of the half marathon is easy to do, for two reasons. First, cycling cadence is much higher than running cadence, so at the start of the run, your brain likes to trick you into thinking that you’re running too slow. This effect wears off in a few minutes, so be patient during that first .5-1 mile.
Also, at Ironman races, the start of the run is where all the spectators are, cheering you on. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of it all. Set yourself up for success by backing off the pace for the first mile or so, giving your body time to adjust to going from aero to a completely upright position. Allow your heart rate to stabilize and get settled in your breathing pattern and run form before you try to push the pace.
9. Having unrealistic expectations
When preparing to do their first 70.3, most athletes are curious to know how long it will take them. So, they add up the pace they typically swim, bike, and run (in training) and voila! A personal best race time! But that’s not taking into account transition time, weather, terrain, athlete traffic, or most importantly, the cumulative fatigue that happens when doing each event back-to-back. This results in a wildly inaccurate time that will set up athletes for disappointment right from the start.
Here’s a secret: Race predictions are pointless. Having an arbitrary number in your head will not help you race any faster. Instead, go into a race with clear intentions for how you need to execute the swim, bike, and run in order to perform to your potential.
Creating a race plan isn’t about plugging in some random numbers an FTP test claims you can hold for X amount of minutes. It’s about knowing what it feels like to swim at 75%, bike at half-Ironman effort, or run at RPE 8 out of 10. How do you learn that? It’s a skill you can train.
10. Not recognizing the choices you make before the race will directly impact race day
Decided to go on a vacation and skipped two weeks of training? Probably going to impact your race. Went to a wedding the weekend before and stayed out until midnight, drank a lot of alcohol, and ate fatty foods? Probably going to impact your race. Weren’t super consistent during your training build, so you try to pack in a few big, last-minute sessions during taper? Probably going to impact your race.
We’re all adults here, so it’s time we take accountability for our actions. Everyone has different priorities in life, and that’s fine, but know that how you prepare in the weeks and months prior to your race will directly impact your result on race day.
Skipping a workout here or there due to work, illness, or because you need an off day is completely ok. Missing big blocks of training, not doing enough long bike rides, not practicing your nutrition plan, not getting in the pool until the month before the race- all those things are not ok.
Triathlon isn’t about being perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. But the key is to learn from them, so we grow and improve.
That’s why I wrote The Complete Guide to Your First (or Best) 70.3 Triathlon, which is now available! I also created a 70.3 Race Ready Bundle that includes a Triathlon Packing Checklist, Race Day Nutrition Template, and Race Week Checklist.