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Ditch Your Laces & Upgrade to Elastic

Out with the Old, In with the New

You finally found the perfect pair of running shoes to get you from start to finish at Rookie Tri, but what about the laces that came with your purchase?? A lot of gear is needed for triathlons, but these laces are the most overlooked and under-appreciated piece of essential tri gear. There are many different types of elastic laces to choose from depending on your specific requirements and qualifications. In this blog, we’ll discuss the advantages of elastic laces and share a few of our favorites to help you find which ones you want to tri out this season.

Why switch to Elastic Laces?

Elastic laces are all the rage in the tri world, and with good reason. They save time, eliminate the possibility of accidents, and make for an easier transition during your tri. Elastic, or easy laces stretch to give you the ability to slide your foot into your running shoes easily quickly while holding your foot in the exact position you want them to be. Another benefit of these types of laces is that they are one size fits all, yet adjustable, so there are tons of options to choose from. Lastly, opposed to if you were using standard laces, using easy laces will reduce any possible stretching the shoe when you put them on.

Check Out Our Favorite Elastic Laces

Lock Laces

iBungee Laces

Nathan Lock

Xtenex Laces

Airror Laces

Udaily Laces

Yankz!

Easy Laces

 

Take advantage of these laces to eliminate any additional time that could be wasted tying your laces in transition. Some argue that elastic or lock laces can leave too much or too litter space for your foot within the shoe. In this case, make sure you adjust yours during training for the best fit and leave them be.

For the low price and high pay off, elastic laces are one of the most essential pieces of tri gear you could buy. Using this simple, yet effective tri-hack will help shave time off your bike to run transition on the morning of your tri.

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Rookie Mistakes Triathletes Make on Race Morning

Get a good night’s rest before your upcoming tri with this as your guide to avoid making these rookie mistakes on race morning!

Even after all the training and metal preparation you’ve put in for the day of the race, there are still things that can go wrong on race morning. We all know how chaotic race morning of a triathlon can be, but have no fear! Follow these few simple strategies to help your race day go much smoother when you avoid making these rookie mistakes on race morning.

1. Getting to Race Site Late

Get to the race site early so you have time to familiarize yourself with the transition areas and layout of the course. Arriving late will increase your pre-race jitters and take away the fun of race morning with your fellow athletes.

Rookie Mistakes Triathletes Make on Race Morning. Group yoga with fellow athletes at Rookie Tri

Warming up, overlooking Decker Lake!

2. Not Warming Up

At Rookie Tri, we have a group warm-up led by professional trainers to help make sure your body is properly warmed up for the race. This is important, so be sure to plan to have some time to get a warm-up in and get that blooding pumping before your tri!

3. Bringing More Than you Have to

Brining more items means to keep track of and more chance of losing an item. Avoid this common mistake and keep it simple by only bringing what you absolutely need.

Good looking gear set up on race morning

Tri gear set up in T1!

4. Forgetting Gear

You’d be surprised at how often folks forget their running shoes or helmet on race morning. This will cause you unnecessary stress, so have a checklist, or use ours!

5. Starting in the Wrong Gear

Being familiar with the course will help you determine which gear you should start the bike leg in. Starting in the right gear will help maximize your power right away and set you up for success throughout the bike portion.

Athlete drinking water from one of the aid stations on course

Quick stop to hydrate at one of the aid stations!

6. Forgetting to Hydrate

Staying hydrated during your upcoming tri will ultimately determine how well you perform during the race. Determine how much fluids your body requires during training, so you don’t drink too much or too little on the day of your race.

7. Forgetting Sunscreen

You can’t avoid the Texas heat, but you can avoid the mistake of getting sun damage to your skin during a triathlon. Apply sunscreen on race morning before you get to the site. (This should also be done during your training!!)

8. Forgetting the FUN

Celebrating at the finish line party

After all, you signed up to have a great experience with friends and family around you. This should be easy with the infectious energy the athletes bring to The Rookie Tri who are always willing to help a fellow athlete if needed.

Use this as your guide for your next tri to avoid these common rookie mistakes triathletes on race morning and set yourself up for a fun-filled, hassle-free race morning!

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Rookie Mistakes Triathletes Make During Training

Get more bang for your buck during your upcoming tri by addressing these rookie mistakes triathletes make during training

Since our start in 2004, we have seen just about everything you can think of but we still see athletes make the same mistakes time and time again. Don’t let these mistakes get in your way of making progress on your training journey. Use this list to avoid the most common training mistakes made by triathletes to help your future race mornings go off without a hitch!

1. Selecting the Wrong Race

Go short before you go long. Your first triathlon is a learning experience, so ease yourself into the sport by completing a short distance tri like Rookie Tri. Once you’ve found your race, train for the distance you signed up for. The training leading up to the race will give you an idea of what to expect during the tri and help you determine which areas require more training.

2. Failing to Have a Training Plan

Training hard and logging those miles!

Now what? Find a training plan! We know it’s tough to find time to train for three different sports, so make it easier on yourself by finding a free online training plan. There are tons of free training plans created by professional coaches to guide you during your training. Using a training plan will ensure you divide up the training as needed to have you race-day ready.

3. Not Learning to Pace

Overexerting yourself at the start of the race will hurt you during the rest of the race. Pacing yourself throughout training is the best way to know your pace for each discipline. Practicing pacing is key to a strong finish and successful race.

4. Not Training Your Weakness

Ignoring your least favorite portion during your training will only hurt you on race day. It’s natural to avoid training your least favorite discipline and spend the majority of your time on your strongest. Improve your performance on race day by preparing for your least favorite discipline to eliminate any uncertainties you have.

Getting into bike gear in transition

Getting into gear in transition

5. Not Practicing for Transitions

Practicing transitions during training will give you the best idea of how long it takes you to execute transitions on race day. Some athletes leave their shoes clipped into their bike for a quicker transition. Practicing will help you figure out what works best for you in the least amount of time.

6. Not Knowing the Rules

Is your race wetsuit legal? Can you wear headphones? Don’t get disqualified by not knowing the basic rules of triathlon. Look over the USAT rules before starting your training so there are no surprises to throw you off your A-game on race day.

7. Not Doing an Open Water Swim Before Race Morning

Open water is vastly different than pool training. How you do on the swim sets the tone for the rest of your race. Plan some open-water swims into your training so you know exactly what to expect on race day. Go an extra step and get a group of other athletes who are training to do a mock swim with you!

Celebrating at the finish line party!

Whether you started your journey to get in shape or challenge yourself the most important thing to remember during training is to have FUN. Trust your training and enjoy the experience! This should be easy with the infectious energy the athletes bring to The Rookie Tri.

Use this as your guide leading up to your next tri to avoid these common rookie mistakes triathletes make during training. That way you can focus on having a great time and hopefully be inspired to continue your triathlon journey!

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All the Rookie Triathlon Information in One Place

Everything you need for Rookie Tri’s Sweet 16 in one place

Rookie Triathlon’s Sweet 16 is this Sunday, May 5th! We’re putting the final touches on another great event and are ready to party with you at the finish line festival. Once again, Rookie Tri has more than 500 Rookies participating in their first or second triathlon… EVER! We’ve shared a lot of helpful information lately and want to make sure both Rookies and Veterans have everything they need for a successful event. Check out all the information and links below. We’ve got everything you need in one place. Good luck this Sunday!

Download the Rookie Tri app and have all the information you need in one place!

Download the app

Talk about all the information in one place. Download the Rookie Tri app and you’ll have everything you need in the palm of your hand! Tell friends and family to download the app as well so they know what you know. They can also track you on Sunday. The app is available for iPhone and Android.

Packet pick up

Make packet pick up smooth and enjoyable! Review packet pick up hours, location, pro tips, details, and parking. Make sure you have your ID; you’re the only one who can get your packet! Pro tip: Mellow Johnny’s is offering $1 off all non-alcoholic beverages. Just show your Rookie Tri bib!

Bike safety check

Complete this bike safety check before you leave the house! It’s very reassuring to know that your bike is completely ready to go race morning. Check your tires’ air pressure one more time before you drive to Decker Lake.

Group riding etiquette

It never hurts to review what to do during a group ride. That’s essentially what you’ll do this Sunday! Review the guidelines and adhere to them during the bike portion. This will help keep everyone safe on the roads and allow you to communicate with other cyclists if needed.

Calm pre-race jitters

Are the pre-race jitters kicking in? Don’t worry! That’s normal for both Rookies and Veterans. We’ve got 6 tactics you can use to calm those nerves, from planning the night before to listening to music race morning. Check them out and see what works for you.

Weekend and swim wave schedules

Not sure when something begins or ends? Want to double-check the approximate time your swim wave will begin? Hit up the schedule.

Course maps

Know the course maps before you get to transition. Becoming familiar with the layout will benefit you on Sunday. If you have friends that want to cheer for you on course share this with them so they know where to go.

Water temperature

As of May 2nd, the water temperature was 70 degrees. This makes the swim wetsuit legal per USAT rules. Greater than 78 degrees is the threshold, so we anticipate a wetsuit-legal swim. Feel free to review USAT’s wetsuit rules. Pro tip: a final temperature reading will be taken race morning. That will be the final determining temperature.

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6 Tactics to Calm Your Pre-Race Jitters

Pre-race jitters will happen, calm them with our advice

Whether Rookie Triathlon is the first triathlon of your life or the first tri of your season, you’re likely to experience pre-race jitters. Don’t worry, this is normal! Some people thrive off these nerves before a race, whilst others might find them to be distracting and worrying. If you’re struggling to manage your pre-race nerves, there are some CBD-based products that have been known to reduce anxiety and worries. Companies, like CBDistillery, offer these sorts of calming products, so it might be worth having a look on their website. Hopefully, these nerves will go away as soon as you start your race. You should be excited, chatting with old friends, and making new ones, scurrying to make your transition perfect, anxious to get in the water, checking off items on your to-do list. You’ve trained for this moment and want everything to go as smoothly as possible. So do we! That’s why we’ve compiled six tactics you can use to calm those pre-race jitters.

Plan race morning the night before

Take the time to plan out race morning when you’re not in a rush to get to Decker Lake. Follow our general advice and make race morning as smooth as possible! Completing this the day before ensures you have all the time you need. Start with leaving your house and lay out everything you’ll need to return home with your Rookie Tri medal! Think about transition, the swim, the bike, the run. Items to focus on: race bib, hydration, nutrition. If you’re a visual person, make a list and check it twice.

Remember your training

You’ve spent hours in the pool, logged miles on the bike, completed several brick workouts. You’re ready for this! It can be easy to think about what’s ahead, but it’s just as easy to think about what you’ve accomplished so far. If you have a game plan, go over that in your head. Focus on your breathing, make it mimic when you’re in the water. Think about your technique in the water. Look for items to focus on when you sight. If you had a particularly good bike ride, think about what went right on that ride.

Listen to music

This is used by many triathletes! You could jam out to the tunes playing at Rookie Tri or you could throw some headphones on and click play on your favorite album. You can’t use headphones during the race, so if you want a song to get stuck in your head make sure it’s one of the final songs you hear. Pro tip: if you find yourself with some extra time, find a quiet spot to sit down, listen to some tunes, close your eyes, and relax.

Complete the pre-race warmup

Complete the pre-race warmup with Camp Gladiator instructors to eliminate pre-race jitters.

Remove pre-race jitters by actually getting your blood flowing! Listen to the Camp Gladiator instructors and complete the pre-race warmup. You’ll get loose and start to feel good. Really focus on the activity you’re doing, make your form as perfect as possible. Zeroing in on what you’re doing keeps you from thinking about all the what-ifs that lead to pre-race jitters. Pro tip: add a deep stretch after the warmup to further loosen your muscles.

Get a friend to complete Rookie Tri with you

Has someone trained with you and showed you the ropes? Great! Have them join you at Rookie Tri. Having someone you know with you race morning brings familiarity. You’re more likely to be comfortable when they’re around. They can help you remember this pre-race jitters list! You could also talk about where you’ll celebrate and what you’ll eat/drink when you leave the finish line festival.

Invite friends and family to cheer for you

This is our favorite remedy for pre-race jitters. They don’t have to complete Rookie Tri, but invite friends and family to Decker Lake so they can cheer for you! They can make signs, take photos/video, and cheer for you at several different locations, including swim start, transition, and the finish line. Pro tip: you can hang out with friends and family before your swim wave begins.

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