How to Do Your First Ironman — Part Three

I’ve completed ten Ironman distance races now (DNF’d at one, as well) and while I’m not a professional, I consider myself an experienced amateur and therefore perhaps even better situated to help talk through how to do your first Ironman than professionals who may be in better shape than most first-time amateurs. This is a three-essay series. In the first two essays, I talked about what gear to buy and how to train to do your first Ironman. In this essay, I’m going to talk about how to get through your first Ironman both mentally and physically on the very day of the race.

1. Register and get checked in

2. Wake up on time

3. Slow swim start

4. Ease into the bike

5. Race conditions

6. Nutrition

7. The mental game

8. Competition

9. Second and third winds

10. Having fun

It may seem ridiculously obvious, but you need to make sure that you register and check in for your race. Most people have registered and paid for the race months or even a year in advance, but if you were waiting to pull the trigger, don’t wait any longer. Most brand-name Ironman races sell out a long time in advance, but if you’re doing a less well-known race, you may be able to pay…