Race Checklists

As i packed for Hyvee i thought about how far i had come in a year and a half, and over the past ten years. Not just in fitness and performance level, but as a person. I am a million times more organized, responsible and independent.

Before I did triathlon, It was so easy to pack for swim meets. The essential items list was a whole three items:

1) swimsuit
2) caps
3) goggles

Of course there were the other less essential items that were also part of the routine: towel, Gatorade, sweats, sneakers, parka, snacks. But all you needed to complete the race was three little things. So much simpler than triathlon!  Yet, I was a bit forgetful in my youth and showed up to at least a few meets without one of these items; and often got to practice without at least one of these. High school and college were no exception. I lost my wallet at a restaurant on a training trip my sophomore year of high school, and my ID at the airport on the way back from the Olympic Training center my junior year. In college, on our winter training trip, I lost my sneakers somewhere in Puerto Rico. Doing stairs on the 2.5 ft high stairs at the University of Puerto Rico pool was less than fun.

The beginning of my triathlon career wasn't much different. Early in my triathlon career I forgot my wetsuit, and wore a borrowed wetsuit that almost dragged me to the bottom of the lake. My sister, an engineer by trade, took me to dinner as I moped that night over my mistake. She did her best to set me straight, "I know your mind runs a million miles a minute, so you should make a list and attach it to your bag, check it over and over while you are packing for the race, and before you head to the race site."

Forgetfulness is not a trait that produces success in triathlon... or any part of life. My mom had always told me to make lists, I did sometimes. But since that race, I LiVE by lists. I wish i had done this sooner in life. I wirte checklists eveywhere for everything, and slow down to go over mental checklists as well.

Below is my travel checklist. I also have a slightly condensed version that goes on my race day bag for items to take to the race site.

Swim
-swimsuit
-race suit
-cap and goggles
-wetsuit
-stretch cords for warmup
-vegetable oil/body glide
-flip flops for walking  on rocky beaches pre race

Bike
-bike
-bottles and gel
-helmet
-sunnies
-electrical tape for gel
-rubber bands for flying mounts
-cycling shorts n jerseys for pre/post race ride

Run
-running shoes
-race shoes
-race belt
-hat
-sports bras and socks
-running shorts and tech shirts for pre/post race

Other
-phone and charger
-wallet
-USAT card
-photo ID
-extra contacts

Thank God Triathlon (and my family, and my coach Barb Lindquist) have helped me grow into a more responsible person! Thank you to all the friends, family, and coaches who put up with my forgetfulness while I grew on my journey to list making and responsibility.  For those of you who are not yet list makers-you should definitely grab a pen and paper... or your cell phone and get organized! To the elephants of the world who forget nothing: I envy you!