Here are my favorite tips for racing in the rain:
1. Bring some TRASH BAGS with you to put your transition stuff into. I recommend putting everything IN the bag but organized the way you normally would on the ground. This way at least your bike and run shoes are dry when you start. These bags also come in handy for AFTER the race!
2. LUBE your bike with a dry lube a few days before the race. I like T9 – Teflon Spray – this will help protect your chain. Spray on and wipe off.
3. Bring CLEAR or YELLOW glasses to race in if it is raining. This will help protect your eyes from grit being sprayed up by others in the race and allow you to actually see where you are going.
4. Inflate your tires SLIGHTLY LESS (Maybe 10 psi) for better contact on the road.
5. When brakes are wet they DO still work, just not as quickly as when they are dry so if you are on a steep descent make sure to tap the breaks multiple times just to keep them working well. The same goes for coming into corners.
6. Be more cautious on the CORNERS, simply slow down a little more than you would on a dry day. Keep your weight on the outside pedal.
7. Stay off the PAINT on the road – it is MUCH more slippery when wet. This goes for any metal grates, or railroad tracks. Use extreme caution on any of these. Typically simply slowing down will keep you safe.
8. Stay out of PUDDLES! You never know if there is a huge pothole in the middle of the puddle so do your best to avoid these for safe racing.
9. STAY HYDRATED – I have noticed that when it rains a lot of athletes forget to drink because you feel like you are not sweating…but you ARE!
10. Don’t forget a complete change of dry clothes for after the race. I admit that I have even worn rain boots after a race. It felt so good to have dry clothes on and a rain jacket after being wet for hours. So pack ahead and bring warm/dry clothes for afterwards.
Overall in triathlon being rained on doesn’t make much difference because you are already wet coming out of the water. You don’t need to worry about covering your bike seat or your computer, they are going to get wet anyway. Rain keeps you cooler and as long as you can remain calm a rainy race can often be a good thing!