Mary's Ironman Must Have's

Everyone has their favorite things to bring in an Ironman. I find that the simpler I keep things, the better my day goes! For most races I wear a two piece racing suit, and I swap the bottoms each discipline. In the swim I wear trunks, on the bike cycling shorts and on the run, likely a skirt! Not a skort, A skirt! I also swim with my race number on a belt, tucked into the swim trunks.

Swim to Bike Bag;

Sunglasses

Bike Helmet

Bike Shorts

Bike Shoes

Bike;

Aero System in the front

2 Bottles in the back of nutrition.

1 spare Tubular with a Allen Wrench Tool

Salt tablets in a Salt Stick mounted

I tape gels to my bar or throw them in a flask.

(I do not wear cycling gloves, never have. I don't use a Bento Box either)

Bike to Run Bag

Skirt
Run Shoes
Socks
Hat

And never forget the DRY CLOTHES BAG

My favorite sweatshirt and sweatpants, and a sportsbra. After an Ironman, it's commando. Nothing needs to be near the cooch.

I remember watching Lori Bowden on TV fly through transition. She and Karen Smyers stressed once in a pre race chat the importance of keeping it simple. Less to grab. Less to carry. learn to fix things and learn to live off the course. From the course on the bike I refill with water. I do that because I like to drink water. I like to have the chance to clean myself off and I don't have fuzzy teeth. I concentrate my nutrition, and calibrate my gulps to dilute my solution to a 10% solution.

Advice; have a good coach and smart friends who can tell you that you need X gulps of water to dilute X gulps of nutrition X times per hour. It works like a charm.

While you develop your own system, try to mainstream and simplify. Unwrap the PowerBars, stick them to the top tube. Reduce waste. And reduce the amount of stress you place on YOU!

:-) Mary