I arrived this afternoon at the Breck Rec Center for a long swim/bike workout and promptly realized that I had misplaced my swimming goggles and didn’t have them with me. So, the workout morphed into a longer spin on the stationary bike instead.

This little setback reminded of how you have to be ready to deal with changing conditions during an Ironman triathlon and during the long weeks and months of training prior to race day. Today, I was able to simply adjust my workout and focus on the bike. On race day, I’d better have double-checked the gear bag for goggles, have a backup or the opportunity to purchase/borrow another pair.

Packing up and prepping gear for a day-long triathlon is a daunting task. You’ve got weather conditions, food needs, gear failure and a host of other issues to consider as you pack up five different bags (pre-race, swim to bike transition, mid-bike special needs, bike to run transition and mid-run special needs). I’ve found that a checklist is definitely in order, but even with a list there can be things you don’t think to consider. Such as:

At Ironman Wisconsin, I learned that you probably ought to have a small stick of BodyGlide in every bag. Hours of rubbing by a wetsuit, bike saddle or running shoe can make a long day seemingly never ending. BodyGlide is magic at solving those issues. Get some.

I also learned in Madison that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches won’t survive in a bag if it is going to be on the ground where other triathletes could step on it, as is the case with most transition areas. A hot, soggy, destroyed PB&J just isn’t very appealing – particularly when you may already be battling stomach issues (a regular Ironman challenge for most racers). It is best to adjust to more durable foods or rely on volunteers handing out the PB&J, if possible.

Also, it is hard to resist the temptation to overpack the race day bags. It’s understandable to want to take every piece of clothing and equipment to deal with every possible contingency. However, overpacking bags leads to lost time in the transition. If you have to spend time fishing through gear, you won’t be able to get back on the course as quickly. My IM WI transitions were more than twice as long as they should have been (T1 was particularly bad, as I thought I’d lost the front pad from my bike helmet. Here are my full results from IM WI.). So, I suggest taking an honest look at the weather, figuring out what you might actually need and packing accordingly.

Most of all, despite your best planning efforts, you should remember that you can’t control everything that happens on race day. (See Gatorade commercial featuring Ironman Chris Legh buckling just shy of the finish in Kona.) You can, however, control your attitude. If it rains, enjoy the showers. If it is windy, bask in the breeze. If you get multiple flats on the bike, be proud that you are the speediest and most-practiced flat fixer you know (you did practice, didn’t you?).