Prepare for Success:

1. Make sure you have a training structure in place, to optimize your performance on race day. It’s much more effective to follow a progressive plan than to train sporadically with no real thought as to why you are doing the session you are.
   
   If you are based in Singapore, Tribob offers group training sessions and individual lessons in any of the three disciplines all year long.
   
   If you are not based in Singapore, we can provide you with a written personalized training plan devised by one of our expert coaches based on your triathlon background, fitness level and objectives for $90 per month. More info here or email us your request.
   
   
2. Preparation is key. Do not try anything new in the race. Make sure you have tried and tested everything, from transitioning to your race intensity/pace right through to equipment and nutrition strategy. It’s crazy how many people get caught out: don’t let it happen to you. You have been warned!
   
   
3. Ensure you know your pacing and be realistic. Track work/pool reps are especially useful as they force you to maintain constant speed and give you feedback in terms of time, so ensure you do some goal race-pace workouts, covering the distance you will do in Vietnam, but broken up into intervals. For someone wishing to run 40 mins off the bike, a set such as 10*1k with 90 secs recovery, aiming for 4 mins each time, would drum that pace into your body, so off the bike you tune straight into that rhythm. Ideally you would have biked earlier in the day, to replicate dead bike legs!
   
   
4. Get organized early. Travelling to the race, checking into a hotel, finding your bearings, registration etc can all be time-consuming and stressful. Make sure your kit is packed in advance so you know everything is accounted for, and that your bike has been checked/serviced during the week (not the day before), to minimize worry and ensure a smooth lead up into the race. We have a Triathlon Workshop Final Preparation for The Vietnam Triathlon - to help you ease your fears for the race
   
   
5. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the route as early as possible. Look at the online maps at the very least, and check the rules and race info. It is all on the website already. Know what you’re letting yourself in for! This will ensure you won’t get time penalties for not knowing the rules, and that you know which way to go and what sort of course to expect.
   
   
6. Practice visualization. Close your eyes and run through the sequence of events in the race that will lead to your success. Even if you don’t know the course, think about how you will feel, how you will control your pace, and visualize a positive outcome. Think about how you will overcome any negative thoughts by replacing negatives with a positive twist. So during the race “I just want to stop, I feel rubbish’ can be replaced with ‘This state is temporary, I will be finished soon’ or ‘Everyone looks better than me’ can be replaced with ‘I know what to do and how to do it’. Imagine running down the finish line having had the race of your life. Then go out and train hard with that thought in mind.
   
   
7. Enjoy your training and racing! In the end it will give you a big endorphine high and a feeling of personal achievement that ultimately overrides any temporary discomfort. It’s All Good!