A Globe-Trotting Pro’s Race Travel Checklist

How nice is it to have so many races on the schedule again? Since May, I’ve raced in Japan, England, Mexico, and am now adding Germany and Spain to the list. Come this fall, there are so many short-course options that I can’t even begin to guess what part of the world I’ll be flying to. When I left the USA in July, I planned to be gone until at least September training and racing. It’s a ton of travel, but I’ve always wanted to experience the world. Setting off to find backroads for training all across the globe is one of the best parts of triathlon.

I’m looking forward to the upcoming races as well. I’ve been racing alright this season, but I think I can do better. My WTCS results haven’t quite filled my cup. Then, at my last race in Huatulco World Cup, I’d gone in ranked first, had one of my better swims, and the bike was starting well. Then my sidewall flatted rounding a turn and the tire lost all air instantly. Because I refuse to just give up, I kept riding the rim hoping I could make it around to a wheel pit. Eventually I crashed on a corner and went home with a DNF and road rash. Needless to say, I’m hoping for some better luck soon!

While setting off on this latest trip, I went through my gear and made a list of all the things I now bring that I didn’t know about when I started the sport. I’m definitely not one of the minimalist packers in the sport. Some triathletes spend months on the road with just a bike box and carry-on suitcase. I don’t know how they do it! Personally, I feel confident and self-sufficient with a couple more items. If anyone has other go-to items for training and racing that I didn’t list below, I’d love to know.

Travel Needs

collapsible hot pot: If you have a sensitive stomach or want to cook particular food this is awesome for making oatmeal, rice, or anything with boiling water in a hotel room. I often use one for my final pre-race meal to make oatmeal. My go-to toppings that I can find in almost any international city are milk, peanut butter, raisins, and honey.

air tags: I think I’ve mentioned this in an article about my bike fiascos last year, but put these in all your checked luggage so that if anything gets lost you know where it is! I also often bring my race kit and bike cleats on the plane because if my luggage gets lost that’s what I’d definitely want to have of my own for racing.

packing cubes: really useful for keeping your suitcase somewhat organized
first-aid kit: liquid bandaid, tegaderm, steri-strips, bandaids, sterile alcohol wipes, triple antibiotic ointment, ibuprofen.

melatonin: so helpful for changing time zones before races

eye mask/earplugs

compression socks

Bike Tools

tool for removing brake rotors: easy to forget but needed these days.

torque wrenches

travel pump

spare tire/tube

Pre-race

energy chews: (SIS Beta chews, Clif Blocks, etc.) I like to use something like this as my last snack if I’m at the race site early or we have a late start time.

caffeinated gels: As someone who has essentially zero caffeine on a daily basis, I use a single gel with 75mg caffeine about 30 min before races. Depending on how much you can tolerate, there are gels with more or less caffeine or you can take straight caffeine pills.

plumbing tubing: a cheap option for swim activation resistance bands and found in any hardware store.

Imodium: if you have a sensitive stomach, taking an Imodium before the race is a safe bet.

Racing Gear Needs

baby shampoo: spread a small drop inside your goggles then rinse with water before swimming to keep them from fogging.

baby oil: use a disposable glove to spread around wetsuit legs/over your timing chip for quick wetsuit removal.

second swim cap: if you want to keep other people’s arms from knocking your goggles off you can put them under your swim cap or between two swim caps, also double swim cap helps stay warm in cold water.

rubber bands: hook rubber bands from the heel strap of your bike shoes onto the front derailleur and rear triangle of the bike in T1, also can rubber band glasses, gels, or anything else onto your handlebars/top tube.

anti-chafe ointment or baby powder: (various options but my favorite is 2Toms Sport Shield Roll-on) put this inside your biking and running shoes, under the tongue, on the heel, arch, etc. to make slipping your shoes on in transition quicker and to help avoid blisters.

Post-race

protein shaker: I started packing this last year after seeing other athletes do it. Bring your bottle with powder in your bag, then after the race you can mix it up with some water and get protein in not long after finishing to speed up recovery.

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