Foundry Files

Foundry Files No. 004: Start Your Season Strong

By Coach Sean Fenoff · · 5 min read

May is here. Racing is in full swing. Emotions are high because everyone wants to show off the work they put in over the winter.

And honestly? That’s understandable.

Everyone wants to start the season on a high note. Everyone wants confirmation that training is working. But for a lot of athletes, the first race of the season feels messy.

Not because fitness disappeared.

Because winter makes us rusty.

It makes us forget:

  • the feeling of race morning

  • the nerves

  • the pacing

  • the details

  • the chaos of transitions

  • the sensation of going hard around other people again

That’s normal.

The mistake is acting surprised by it instead of preparing for it.

So in this edition of Foundry Files, I want to go through my straightforward, no-BS race tips that can absolutely make your first race of the season go better than expected.

Not by magically making you fitter. But by helping you execute better.

Pre-Race

Setting yourself up for a good race is half the battle.

What you do in the days leading into a race matters. Not because you’re going to gain fitness in 72 hours, but because you can absolutely sabotage how you feel on race day.

The biggest advice here:

Keep things status quo.

No major changes in:

  • training

  • nutrition

  • hydration

  • gear

  • routines

If you can prioritize sleep and consistently get close to 8 hours, great. But don’t suddenly turn race week into some hyper-optimized science experiment.

Consistency calms the nervous system.

Training

One of the biggest mistakes I see athletes make before early-season races is tapering too aggressively.

Yes, we want freshness. No, we do not want to feel flat.

If you’ve been training consistently, your body is used to movement and workload. Completely shutting things down for several days often makes athletes feel stale instead of sharp.

In the final 1–2 weeks:

  • slightly reduce volume

  • slightly reduce duration of intensity

  • maintain movement frequency

Keep the body awake.

The goal is not to “rest into shape.”
The goal is to arrive fresh without disconnecting from rhythm.

Nutrition

This is one of the most overcomplicated parts of racing.

For most races, there’s no need for an extreme carb load as long as you’ve been fueling consistently in training.

Your body can only store so much glycogen.

Instead of dramatically increasing total intake, I’d rather see athletes:

  • keep calories relatively normal

  • slightly increase carbohydrate ratio

  • slightly reduce fiber intake 24–48 hours pre-race

That’s it.

Overdoing pre-race nutrition often leaves athletes:

  • bloated

  • sluggish

  • heavy

  • uncomfortable

Simple usually wins.

Hydration

This is another area where athletes tend to panic.

Especially before hot races, people suddenly start crushing electrolyte drinks as if more sodium automatically equals better performance.

It doesn’t.

If you’ve trained appropriately leading into the race, you should not be entering race week massively depleted.

Overconcentrated electrolyte intake can actually disrupt fluid balance and leave you feeling worse, not better.

Keep hydration simple:

  • water

  • normal electrolyte intake

  • maybe a sports drink you already tolerate well

Don’t create problems trying to prevent them.

Swim

Be on time. Stay calm. Study the course maps.

Seriously, this is one of the simplest and most overlooked ways to improve your race.

The amount of times I’ve stood on a start line and heard:

“Which way do we go?”
“What side are the buoys on?”

…is insane.

That’s free speed. Understanding the course beforehand:

  • improves confidence

  • reduces panic

  • improves sighting decisions

  • prevents unnecessary distance

You can literally save minutes by paying attention.

Seeding

Lean slightly aggressive.

Swimming with athletes slightly faster than you is almost always faster than swimming with athletes slower than you.

Now, there’s a limit.

If you line up wildly out of position and are several minutes off pace, that can absolutely backfire and spike effort too early.

But many athletes seed too conservatively because they’re afraid of discomfort.

Trust your fitness. Ask your coach if you’re unsure.

Finding Feet

Find feet early.

If you seed correctly, there’s a good chance you’ll quickly find someone swimming just slightly faster than you. That’s ideal.

But here’s the important part:

Not all feet are good feet.

Pay attention to whether the swimmer:

  • sights consistently

  • swims straight

  • maintains rhythm

Blindly trusting someone can lead you completely off line or into unnecessary surges.

Drafting is helpful. Awareness still matters.

T1

Do not overcomplicate transition.

Two to three days before the race, mentally rehearse:

  • wetsuit off

  • helmet on

  • glasses

  • shoes

  • socks (if applicable)

  • nutrition

  • mount line

Then practice it the day before.

Not full-speed. Not dramatically.

Just enough to remove uncertainty.

Transitions are rarely about athleticism. They’re about organization.

Bike

This is the first place athletes can dramatically improve or ruin their race.

The biggest mistake?

Starting emotionally instead of strategically.

Even in shorter races, you want controlled progression early. Settle in. Let the effort come to you before pressing.

Again:

Study the course map.

Know:

  • climbs

  • descents

  • technical turns

  • turnarounds

  • wind direction if possible

Prepared athletes carry speed better because they anticipate instead of react. That matters more than people think and can mean minutes.

T2

Same concept as T1: remove decisions before race day.

Think through:

  • dismount strategy

  • leaving shoes on the bike or not

  • socks

  • race belt

  • hat

  • glasses

  • nutrition

The smoother the process, the calmer the start of your run feels. And calm athletes usually race better.

Run

You may feel incredible starting the run. That’s good.

But too many athletes interpret “feeling good” as permission to abandon pacing entirely.

Stay controlled early.

Especially in triathlon, the athletes who finish strongest are usually the ones who stay patient longest.

Build into the run. Don’t explode into it.

You can absolutely win a race on the run. You can also completely lose one there.

General Race Strategy

When building race strategy, think beyond time goals.

Instead, ask:

What am I trying to learn from this race?

Maybe your goal is:

  • running stronger off the bike

  • pacing better

  • staying calmer in open water

  • improving nutrition execution

  • building confidence

Those are meaningful goals.

Because when conditions change, and they often do, rigid time-based racing can quickly become chaotic.

Personally, I like approaching early-season races slightly more controlled and conservative.

Establish checkpoints throughout the race where you mentally assess:

  • How am I feeling?

  • Am I still executing well?

  • Is there room to push?

Leave the race wanting more. That’s usually a good sign.

From the Foundry Floor

The athletes who race best early in the season usually aren’t the athletes trying to force huge performances.

They’re the athletes who:

  • stay calm

  • execute basics well

  • respect pacing

  • and avoid turning the first race into an emotional test of self-worth

Early-season racing should build momentum, not create panic.

A good race doesn’t always mean a perfect result.

Sometimes it simply means:

You raced intelligently enough to build from it.

Closing Thought

Your first race of the season is not a final exam. It’s a starting point.

An opportunity to reconnect with the rhythm of racing. To test execution. To learn. To settle back into the sport.

So enjoy it.

Enjoy the atmosphere.
Enjoy the nerves.
Enjoy finally getting to express the work you’ve built over the winter.

And remember: You do not need to race perfectly to race well.

— Sean
Foundry Athletics Co.