Verona Area Kids’ Triathlon Clinic
Kids’ Triathlon Tips
SBR is a proud sponsor of the Verona Area Kids’ Triathlon Clinic. We serve swimmers, cyclists, runners, and triathletes by providing coached group classes, 1:1 coaching, and evaluations right here in Verona, Wisconsin.
Welcome! We’re so glad you joined us at the Verona Area Kids’ Triathlon Clinic! We hope you were able to take away some helpful information so that you and your young athlete can feel confident and prepared as race day approaches. Here we have compiled some notes from what was presented at the clinic, along with some further tips to encourage both kids who are first-timers and those who are more seasoned in the sport. The information below offers general triathlon race tips; specific race information, guidelines, and policies for the Verona Area Kids’ Triathlon can be found on the race information website through the Verona Area School District.
GENERAL TIPS
Check race gear the week leading up to the event. Be sure that swim goggle straps are still secure, bike tires are pumped and holding air, and that athletes have shoes that are comfortable to run in. Missing anything important? Checking gear early in the week gives you enough time to take care of anything that needs a quick tune-up.
Pack race bags the night before. Scrambling on race morning to try to find Tommy’s favorite water bottle just adds more chaos to the day. See the notes below on suggested items to pack.
Have a nutritious meal the night before and plan to have a breakfast in the morning that will sit well in athletes’ stomachs since some kids may get nervous day-of. Eating something with healthy carbs for breakfast will help fuel athletes for their race.
Plan to leave home and arrive on-site early. There will be many athletes participating in this event, so allowing time to find parking, get bikes set up in transition, etc. will be important.
Pack extra snacks, water, etc. for athletes and family members.
Consider bringing and applying sunscreen if you’re wanting some sun protection.
Encourage athletes to put forth a good effort and, most importantly, to have fun!
TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME YOUNG KIDDOS
The two main things we want our young athletes to be able to do and do safely is (1) to be able to complete the distances on the swim, bike, and run and (2) to figure out where they’re going. There will be plenty of athletes competing and volunteers to point kids in the right direction on the course during the race, but it would be a good idea to preview this for our younger athletes and point out the flow of the race once you arrive and get set up. Show them the pool and where the swim will be. Talk them through how they will come out of the water and go to Transition and find their bike. Explain the mount line and dismount line (see below). At the end of the bike, tell them that they’ll dismount, rack their bike, and then go out to the run course. Then, they run run run until the finish line.
Completing the swim for our youngest athletes is a feat in and of itself. We recommend regularly going to the local pool to practice swimming the distance for their age group. Consult the race website or contact the race directors with questions about assistance from floatation devices if needed for your child. Even though some kids in this age group may not put their face in the water yet, they may still prefer wearing goggles because sometimes the splash can be overwhelming. Consider practicing with these in the weeks leading up to the event.
Work with the child on buckling and unbuckling their helmet so that they can complete this independently in the transition area.
Getting on and off the bike can be the most chaotic for our youngest athletes. Bikes cannot be ridden in the transition area, which means that athletes will walk or jog with their bikes to and from their bike rack. Once the athlete has their bike, they will go to the mount line, which will be marked on ground; it’s likely that a volunteer will be there telling them to get on their bike after this line. Athletes must cross this line and then mount their bikes safely. At the end of the bike course, there will be a dismount line, which will also be marked on the ground. Athletes must dismount their bikes safely before this line. Think of it as if the mount/dismount lines are the beginning/end of the transition area, and all biking must be done outside of it.
The run course has young kids doing what they do most naturally--run around! At this age, whether they’re able to keep going the whole time by pacing themselves or if they do a walk/run/sprint hybrid, they’re going to be excited to finish and proud of themselves for their effort. The best running tip for our youngest athletes is just to have shoes that are comfortable to run in and that won’t slip off during the race. Young kids are incredibly resilient when it comes to dealing with wardrobe frustrations, but having shoes that don’t cause pain or blisters will ensure that athletes have fun, enjoy the experience, and even want to do it again!
TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME TEENS/PRE-TEENS
A first-time teen or pre-teen may be interested in triathlon because they’ve been able to do one or multiple of the disciplines involved in the race or they’ve seen family members race and are somewhat aware of what it involves. This is all a good start.
Upon arrival and once you rack the bike, do a quick preview of the flow of the race. Look at where athletes will be swimming, where they go to get their bikes, how they mount/dismount (see below), where they go out to the run, and where the finish line is. On race day, there will be plenty of volunteers to point athletes in the right direction, but having athletes walk through this and talk it out themselves at this age is helpful. If you’re the one showing them the route, have them repeat it back to you to ensure that they’ve got it.
For first-timers, it’s important for athletes to practice completing the distances that will be involved in the race. This doesn’t all have to be one after another. The most important distance to try out would be the swim as it tends to be the most challenging and even intimidating for newer athletes. If your athlete does swim team, they likely have a good amount of experience already and should be comfortable in the water. If an athlete is totally new, we recommend signing them up for some swimming lessons to practice some technique to help their comfort and efficiency in the water. Practicing swimming just a little bit farther than the race distance will also help newer athletes to have confidence that the race is even a shorter distance than they’ve done before, so they will be able to complete it well.
In their first race or two, newer swimmers may feel the adrenaline and go out a little fast in the swim. Practicing pacing themselves in the weeks leading up to the race can be helpful so that they can determine whether or not the pace is something they can sustain. Starting off at an unsustainable pace can cause more stress for new swimmers/triathletes because they may have to stop and catch their breath. Doing this is okay, though! Everyone is learning, and safety is important. Still, practicing the swim distance and pacing is a good idea as the race distances get longer.
Knowing where to get on/off the bike can be confusing for newer triathletes. Bikes cannot be ridden in the transition area, which means that athletes will walk or jog with their bikes to and from their bike rack. Once the athlete has their bike, they will go to the mount line, which will be marked on ground; it’s likely that a volunteer will be there telling them to get on their bike after this line. Athletes must cross this line and then mount their bikes safely. At the end of the run course, there will be a dismount line, which will also be marked on the ground. Athletes must dismount their bikes safely before this line. Think of it as if the mount/dismount lines are the beginning/end of the transition area, and all biking must be done outside of it.
When it comes to the run, many newer athletes have the tendency to go out a little too fast. Talk with your athlete about the concept of pacing so that their effort can be sustained throughout the run without burning all their energy in the first quarter mile.
As athletes get older and start to want faster times, thinking through how to transition efficiently could be a good step. For example, think about where to place your own, bike helmet, sunglasses, etc. so that your transition is smooth.
No matter what, it’s important to remind athletes that they’re out there to have fun and try their best! Hopefully they find joy in the journey and can enjoy the sport for years to come.
TIPS FOR EXPERIENCED TEENS
Athletes who have done some triathlons already and who want to take it to the next level could still think through some of the beginner tips, so we encourage you to take a read through those first. Below are some tips for young athletes who have a little more race experience.
When it comes to training, athletes might become a little more serious. The Madison area has many options where athletes can get involved, whether it’s with a local pool’s swim team, an area track club that holds practices and competes in a few local meets, etc.
Practicing the various disciplines independently is a great way to start. For athletes who want to get a little more serious, brick workouts are a great way to work on helping the body transition quickly from one discipline to another. The easiest place to start is to try a bike-to-run brick workout. Here an athlete would do their bike ride immediately followed by a short run. This helps the legs to practice transitioning from biking to running so that they’re ready for race day and how that might feel.
On race morning, doing a short warm-up can help the body to prepare for the race. For example, athletes can jog around the area a little bit, do some stretching, etc. so that their body can feel warm and ready to compete.
If your teen has completed some triathlons, they are likely at least somewhat comfortable in the water. Practicing laps at the local pool or with a swim team can increase confidence and fitness in the water. Working on pacing can also help athletes understand what their effort should feel like in the water. For races that have pool swims, working on efficient turns could be helpful. Take note of the race information to note if athletes will be staying in their lane the whole time (where working on flip turns would build efficiency) or snaking under lane lines (which they could also practice at a local pool).
As an athlete gets more experience in triathlon, they may want to transition from a kids bike or hybrid to a road bike. If an athlete has a road bike, they could practice more aerodynamic positions, like going into their drop bars on flat sections or when riding into the wind.
When it comes to the run, working on pacing is the most important. Knowing what their pace feels like can help them not to go out too hard and to be able to sustain their effort and push at the end. For more serious triathletes, training could look like a mixture of endurance work to get miles in, some quicker intervals on a track, and/or some hill repeats to work on strength.
Athletes should think through ways to make their transition efficient in a way that works for them. For example, they could place their helmet and sunglasses on their bike handlebars for easy access, face their shoes a certain way or clip them into their pedals if they have cleats, etc.
Athletes who want to take their racing up a level could look into getting a triathlon suit that they could keep on for the entirety of the race. This pairs nicely with using a race belt (instead of pinning their number with safety pins on a t-shirt) because they can save time in transition since they won’t have to put on additional clothes.
At the end of the day, we hope that athletes just do their best and enjoy the sport! Their hard work and preparation will pay off.
Swimsuit (or triathlon suit)
Goggles
Swim cap
Towel
Bike
Helmet
Biking shoes
Socks
Sunglasses
Water bottle for the bike
T-shirt, tank top, and/or shorts if not wearing a tri suit
Running shoes (if different from biking shoes)
Race number and safety pins from check-in (or race belt)
VERONA AREA KIDS’
TRIATHLON CHECKLIST
(FOR TEENS)
Swimsuit
Goggles
Towel
Bike
Helmet
Shoes/Socks good for biking and running
T-shirt (and optional shorts) to put on after the swim
Race number and safety pins (will receive at check-in)
Water bottle and snack for before/after
VERONA AREA KIDS’
TRIATHLON CHECKLIST
(FOR KIDS)