So your race had laps? If it’s only two, I’d hope that you could tell if you’re on your first or second, but what about more? We’re not talking swimming here, but focusing on the bike and run.
The Brighton & Hove Tri is an 8 lap cycle and a 2 lap run.
So the run should be pretty obvious when you’re heading around the second time, but in amongst it all, the 8 laps of the bike could be hard to keep track of. So what do you do?
We’re not allowed phones and most races don’t allow it, but unless you’ve got a watch measuring distance, here’s a couple of tricks.
Rachel suggested she take an extendable marker and every time she rode past me she would draw a line on my face. Entertaining maybe, practical, not so much.
However you do it, make a plan at the start as to what you’re going to do. What point at which are you going to do the thing? Before or after you start a lap? If you don’t, you may get confused whether you’ve done it or not.
Tape
Line up pieces of tape along your cross bar or top frame, removing them as you go around. Or, to stop littering even the smallest pieces of tape, put say four on your left hand side of your bars and move to the right as you complete laps and vice verse.
Sweets
I’ve done this in my first tri. I put jelly babies in my pocket and as I ticked off each kilometre, I ate one. I wasn’t doing laps on that race, but it was a good motivational tactic when I was getting tired. Just don’t eat more than one at a time 😉
Sharpie
Someone suggested taking a sharpie and putting it in ur saddle bag / cross bar bag and marking a line on your arm every lap. I’m not convinced about trying to get a pen out and draw with it, with lots of people racing around you.
Hair ties
Ok so maybe not he technical term, but put hair bands on one wrist. As you go around, swap them over. Easy.
Time
Know the average speed it takes you to do a lap. You can then pretty easily work out how many laps you’ve done based on time achieved, as long as consistent of course 😉
Friends & Family
If you’ve got someone in the crowd that is willing to wait in the same place for you each lap and count for you, that could help. Maybe get them to create a formula 1 style pit board to show as you go “flying” past
Go old school and attach an abacus to your bike frame 😉
If you have any suggestions that have worked for you, drop us a tweet!