Thread: Advice for dad

Hello!
I have a seven year old son that has really been bitten by the tri bug. The problem is I know very little about the sport. We live in a small town and nobody that I know is doing it. He is going to be in his second triathlon this coming weekend in Memphis. I need someone that can advise me on what I need to do to help him out. If you would be interested in giving me advice just reply to this post. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Flattman

Flattman,

I think that's great that your son is getting into triathlons. For his upcoming race here are some areas you can help him.

1) Make sure he doesn't forget any of his gear at home (i.e. goggles, shoes, sunblock, tire pumb etc.) It helps to put together a checklist to help you remember. I have forgotten gear more than once and I can see how a 7 year-old might too :-)

2) Make sure he gets a nice meal the night before that includes a good balance between carbs and protein. Avoid foods he hasn't eaten before...no suprises there. It's best not to stay up too late.

3) Encourage him to stay hydrated a few days before the race. Remind him to drink water or sports drink throughout the day. Drinking a gallon of water an hour before the race is not a good idea.

4) Get all the info on start time, his start wave. Depending on the size of the race, they group the racers in waves depending on their age.

5) On race day give yourselves plenty of time to get there, park, set up his transition area and get oriented to everything there. There will probably be some time that he will wait until his start time.

6) Help him set up his transition area. You can bring an extra towel to place his transition gear (cycling/running shoes, cap, drinks.sports bar). Plan ahead of time so that he has everying he needs there and doesn't need to look through his bag during the transitions.

7) Enjoy, enjoy and take lots of pictures. He might be a future champ!!


I hope this is the type of info you were looking for. I am sure other members here have additional advise.

/D

daphne,

Thanks for the reply. He did great today. He finished 2nd in his age division. He has a nice trophy now and is fired up more than ever. The boy that beat him was great. It was obvious he had competed many times before. We must work on our transitions. I suppose we will move on to Pulaski TN. next week. Please keep the tips coming. We definately need them!

Flattman

Congratulations on his 2nd place. It's a great achievement. You must feel very proud!! Let us know how he does in his upcoming races. May be you can post on the race report threads with more details about his race.

With practice his transitions will get better. I still loose more time that that I should, especially on T2 (bike to run).

/D