So its good news, if your reading this then you well and truly have the triathlon/endurance sports bug!
I have been a triathlete for a number of years now and also coach all different levels of athletes, its great being in a job that you can say is your hobby and you feel very passionate about! Lucky me!
One thing I always found that springs up at the end of each season or year is picking the events for the following year. Its something that every athlete starts to think about and plan. This can always be a confusing process, so I thought Id write this to try and shed some light on the process and how to go about booking travel/hotels with it
Endurance sports is thriving these days!. This is fantastic as it means that there are many more of us nutters out there striving to become the best they can be. However this can mean the event picking process needs to be a little more in advance than it used to be with many of the more popular and bucket list events selling out almost straight after they open! Heres a few tips on how to pick the right ones for you.
- Firstly think about where you would like to travel to, is it a holiday destination that you have wanted to go to for a long time?
- Ask your partner/family for advise and see if you can pick up a holiday that the family benefits from as well.
- Start to think about the location, the terrain, the weather. Ask yourself am I better at a hilly or flatter course, do I like the heat or is this something that really drains my energy and struggle with.
- Think about how easy it is to get the event on the day and travel to get to the location.
- A big factor can be money, some countries are very expensive so have a look at your budget.
Many of the bigger brands have a designated website that breaks down everything you need to know, set aside some time with your partner or training/event buddy and look at the details. Make notes as you go and see what comes out with the best feedback you have written down.
Now the tough part – Either enter it then and there isfits open, or make a note of the date it opens or go on the mailing list so you know when it will open. If you do all the planning in the first hand then you give yourself the best chance of getting that racing slot!
So you have entered the race! Fantastic! thats the hard part!
Now start to plan the rest of the process!
Make a list of things to get done and tick off as you do them. Some things are better to do straight away so that you make race day as easy as possible.
- Think of dates that you are to travel to and from, are you making a holiday of it too?
- Look at flights and get them booked, try not to delay, as the events get booked up athletes start to look at travel and this can make the flights more pricy.
- If you traveling with a bike, think about how you get it to the event. Do you need a bike box and do you need to book it on the plane? Or are you using a bike transfer company like http://cycletransfer.co.uk/ or http://www.shipmytribike.ie/.
- Look up accommodation. Look at maps and work out how close and easy it is for the event. Also look at how the event works around the town so you know where your going. Also do you like to cook or will you be eating out? This all plays a part in finding suitable accommodation.
- Work out how you are going to get from the ferry port or airport to the event eg transfer/car hire/train, if your travelling with a bike or big luggage then make sure you plan as needed.
- A big factor can be money, some countries are very expensive so have a look at your budget.
- Make a list of everything you need to take with you ( I’ll do a separate blog post later).
- Get travel insurance. Do you need special insurance e.g. bike cover.
- Make sure you are part of the sports governing body as you e.g. https://www.britishtriathlon.org/. You will need this as this also acts as your race licence and also covers you for a variety of other aspects. Check out the insurances etc (also their discounts you get!)
So there are a few things for you to get on with, but get it done ASAP after booking the event as these things can be stressful leaving until later! This means less stress and more time to dedicating to training!
