Ironman Gear

It takes a lot of stuff to do an Ironman.  Some pieces of gear are absolute necessities, and others are luxuries.  I thought I'd put together a little list of all the things I plan to use during Ironman Arizona... coming up in merely two months from now!

The Swim
- Swim cap - provided by the race.
- Goggles - for an outdoor event I always use tinted goggles.  I also put them on underneath my cap, so in case I get hit by another swimmer they won't get knocked off.
- Wetsuit.
- Body Glide or other anti-chaffing material - spread liberally around the neck and armpits, and anywhere else your website may rub.
- Tri kit - you need to wear something underneath your wetsuit (or the spectators will be in for quite a surprise when it get stripped off...), and I like to wear a tri kit for the entire event.  No changing in transition; find something comfortable for all three events and stick with it.  An important part of my kit are a couple of bracelets with "inspirational" sayings.
- Watch - whether it's a Garmin or just a regular old sports watch, I always like to know where I'm at.  I'm not a slave to time goals, but I just like to have the info.
- Fuzzy socks - not for during the race, but when you're ready to go and standing around beforehand on cold concrete, your feet get cold!  So I bring a pair of warm socks I can toss just before I get in the water.

Pretty much the coolest race kit around!
Check out Betty Designs for other bitchin' stuff.

"Dig Deep" and "HTFU"

The Bike
- Bike!  I have a Specialized Transition, which is a bike made especially for triathlon.  But a road bike with clip-on aerobars works as well.
- Race wheels - these are definitely a luxury, and I'm lucky that Jason races.  That means I have race wheels (as long as he's not doing the same event!), with tubular tires which are nice and fast, and a pretty smooth ride.  I do have to practice changing them as I don't normally ride tubulars, but when I get the hang of it, it's a quick change.  I also run sealant in the tires to help prevent flats.  For a course like Arizona, it's perfect for the rear disc cover.  I am going to defer to Jason for tire choice - fast and puncture resistant are the criteria and he has waaaay more knowledge than I do in this department.
- Bike shoes - normally I train in regular road shoes, but I race in tri shoes for quicker transitions.
- Helmet - a legal necessity, but my aero helmet is a luxury.  Again, with a course like Arizona it would be silly not to use one.  Even though they look silly.
- Bottle cages - for racing I run one bottle between my bars and two behind the saddle.  Nothing on the frame.  Don't want to compromise that aerodynamic design!
- Fuel belt box - behind my stem to carry some specific nutrition that I can't get on course.
- Sunglasses - my eyes water like crazy if I don't wear them, plus it's pretty important to protect my baby-blues from the sun, dust, and debris.
- Garmin - I'm toying with whether or not I run my Garmin during the bike leg.  I'll have a watch on, but I almost always ride with my Garmin so I'm pretty used to having it.
- Chamois cream - Ironman is a long ride, and generally tri kits don't have the same plush pad that cycling shorts do.  Chamois cream on the seams helps a lot, as well as on yourself to help prevent chaffing.
- Spare tire, tire levers, and CO2.  Hopefully I won't have to use them, but I can and will if I need to!
- Nutrition - in bottles, in my pockets, in my fuel belt box.
- Number belt with bib number.

HED Stinger 6's with rear Wheel Builder disc cover.

Aero helmet.  For racing only.

- A couple of things I don't use on the bike during a triathlon: 1 - socks.  Don't need 'em cycling, so I don't bother with them when racing.  2 - gloves.  A must during training, but I don't bother with gloves racing.  An exception was Lake Stevens 70.3 as it was raining and a lot of corners, so I wore them just because there was a chance of crashing.

The Run
- Visor to keep the sun off my face.  I will be sporting my super-cool GOTRIbal visor!
- Running shoes and socks.  I also put vaseline on my toes (I have weird toes) and this lubes them up and helps to prevent blisters.
- Of course I'll still have the tri kit, shades, number belt and watch on.
- It gets dark early in Arizona in November, so I'm thinking of getting a fun glow-stick bracelet or something to meet it easier for my peeps to see me coming.  Haven't firmed that one up yet.

Phew - a long list!  And that doesn't include training gear, pre-race morning, and post-race stuff I'll also be taking to Tempe.  Needless to say, my packing list is lengthy.  Let me know if I've forgotten an essential piece of gear!