Racing in open water after only training in a pool
If you’re taking on your first triathlon this year and it features an open water swim in a lake or river, be sure to get in plenty of practice in that environment. Especially if there’s a sea swim involved, you’ll soon realise there are a lot of other skills required when swimming in open water.
Getting a DNF for breaking British Triathlon rules
The worst thing for a triathlete is finishing a fantastic race and then discovering a DNF on the results for breaking a simple rule. Familiarise yourself with the basic British Triathlon Federation (BTF) rules well before race day and listen carefully to the pre-race brief.
Only training the three disciplines separately
No matter how confident you feel in the three disciplines of swim, bike and run separately, triathlon is a multisport race. Be sure to include brick sessions in your training and get used to the feeling of running off the bike.
Not practising transition
Whether you’re racing to win or just racing for fun, transition could be where it all comes unstuck. Be sure to practice mounting and dismounting your bike as well as taking off a wetsuit so that you feel confident and slick on race day.