We just wrapped up a fantastic weekend watching the biggest local triathlon event here in Vancouver: the T100. Beyond the pro race, we watched the age-group racing more closely than ever, with several local athletes to cheer for. And while we were at it, we couldn’t help but spot a few rookie mistakes out on course that warrant a little Triathlon 101 refresher.

Here are a few race-day mistakes worth avoiding – or, as we might call them, lessons learned the hard way.

1. Take the Time to Sight

It’s been said many times, but apparently it’s worth saying again: sight!

One of our favourite athletes (who shall not be named) lost a full five minutes on his swim after veering significantly off course. His watch afterwards revealed just how much extra distance he’d covered.

Even if you’ve practised your sighting, there will be days when you simply can’t see – waves, other swimmers, sun glare, you name it. In those moments, it can be worth slowing down, taking a breaststroke or two, and making absolutely sure you know where you’re going.

A few seconds spent getting your bearings costs a lot less than five minutes swimming in the wrong direction.

2. Check (and Pump!) Your Tires

None of us is completely immune to a race-day flat, but checking your tires beforehand for slow leaks, damage, or anything else that looks questionable is well worth the few minutes it takes.

One of the athletes we were cheering for discovered a slow leak before the race, one he likely could have caught earlier with a pre-race check.

Fortunately, the transition mechanics kindly resolved the issue, but not every race offers that level of support.

Don’t let your race be over before it starts.

3. You Don’t Need to Wash Your Feet in T1

Okay, this one made us smile – and it was entirely well-intentioned.

One first-time triathlete brought a little foot-washing station to T1.

We get it. You might have grass, sand, or dirt stuck to your feet after running from the swim. Give them a quick wipe on your transition towel if you really need to, but remember: you’re racing. Your feet don’t need to be perfectly clean before they go into your bike shoes.

Save the spa treatment for after the finish line!

4. Have a Gear Packing List

Fortunately, we had four pairs of goggles on us when one athlete realized he’d left his at home. Not sure I’d be up for braving the swim with my bare eyeballs!

There are legitimately a lot of things to remember and keep track of in triathlon. Goggles, helmet, bike shoes, running shoes, nutrition, race belt, you name it. The list goes on, and forgetting even one small item can create a lot of unnecessary race-morning stress.

Create a race-day packing list, use the same one for every race, and actually check things off as they go into your bag.

Your memory might be good. Your packing list is better.

5. Use Elastic Laces (and Test Them First!)

Our fastest runner (who was also, for the record, the fastest runner on course, chasing people down) wasn’t going to use elastic laces until the very last second. We swapped them into her shoes, and off she went, running 3:58/km.

Why spend 30 seconds in transition tying your laces when you could be out on course making up time on the field?

With that said, don’t necessarily follow our example and swap them in at the last second.

I have personally made the mistake of not testing the tightness of my elastic laces in training first, only to discover during the race that they were way too tight. The result? Running with numb feet.

So use the elastic laces, but give them at least one trial run first.

There are plenty more race-day tips and tricks, but these are the ones that made us smile this weekend, and reminded us of the learning curve we all go through in this sport. (And, for the record, the first-time triathletes we cheered for absolutely crushed their races! Certainly a lot better than I did at my first triathlon 16 years ago.)