When participating in a race, there are a lots of things you have to remember to take with you.  Some of them are critical to being able to race. In order to make sure I don’t forget anything, I am in the habit of using a checklist.

My checklist has been developed over the years, and is now very comprehensive.  Even so, I spent some time today going over it, to see if anything has changed.  It turns out that there were a couple of things.  The new power meter on my bike uses a rechargeable battery, so I had to add the charging cable to the list.  I also have a new aero bike helmet and run shoes, so I modified the list to include those changes too.

I actually have two checklists, when it comes to racing Ironman events.  One is a master list of everything that I need to pack and take with me.  This goes into details like food I will take for my pre-race breakfast, and a full breakdown of my nutrition plan for the race.

The second list, breaks down the items into when I need each item.  I spell out what I will need on race morning at the hotel.  I list what needs to go into the various bags that Ironman gives you.  There are separate sections on the list for my morning bag, my bike transition bag and my run bag.  I also list what items I’ll need after the race.

Using a checklist keeps me organized, but it also gets me excited.  Whenever I print my list, I know it is race week.