After months of training, the night before a triathlon can be one riddled with anticipation and nervousness. You often wonder if you have done enough to prepare for what will soon come. Yet all the worry and concern the night before will do absolutely nothing, for nothing can be done to better you physically except for a good night's rest. Instead of mentally destroying yourself with unanswerable questions, focus on getting organized and prepared. Doing so will let your race morning flow easily, with little to no stress. The last thing you want is to concern yourself with all the minute details that distract you from your real purpose, which is to swim, bike, and run as best you can.

First, the night before, take the time to thoroughly pack your triathlon bag. Include such items as goggles, swim suit/wetsuit, socks, towels, bike helmet, shorts, racing top, sunglasses, sunscreen, petroleum jelly, nutritional supplements, money, race information, a permanent marker, sneakers, bike shoes, bike repair kit, water bottles, a hat, a watch, race number, tool kit, and fresh clothing for afterward. In fact, write out a detailed checklist prior to starting. This way you will not forget any needed gear. Nothing could be worse than beginning your walk down to the water for the ocean swim, only to find that you have forgotten your goggles.

Next, the morning of the race, arrive early and register as soon as possible. Once that is done, take the time to properly plan out your transition area. Consider how many transitions the race has, as some will have one common area while others will have two. Either way, organize the area so that you can rhythmically get in and out. Have a place to drop the wetsuit and towel off before throwing on your biking gear. Make sure you have your race number pinned to your jersey or on a race belt that you strap around your waist. Put your stuff in a logical order, one that you have hopefully practiced before race day.

Finally, once the transition area is set, head out onto the course to look around. If you arrived a day or two early, you should have already hopped in the water for a short swim and ridden a few miles on the actual bike course. If not, take the time to get comfortable with the race course itself. Talk to other competitors about what they see or know; you'll find that triathletes as a group are highly supportive and will share readily. Overall, get there early so that all the hard work and dedication you invested in the previous months can come to fruition. Make the moments leading up to the race relaxed and enjoyable, not stressful and panicked.