Bolton Triathlon Club member Heather Jackson gives a few tips on what not to do in a triathlon.

MANY of us have made some schoolboy errors when it comes to racing and I am no exception.

Even the professionals screw up sometimes, like Jonny Brownlee getting that 15-second penalty in the Olympics for riding over the dismount line.

So I thought with it being race season I would create a list of my own mistakes and other people’s to give you an idea of what to try to avoid.

If you’re doing a pool swim, make sure you count your lengths. It’s not ideal when you realise you’ve drifted off admiring the nice tiles on the bottom of the pool and have no idea how far you’ve swum. It’s always in this situation that your lane has acquired the official who has not been concentrating.

Make sure you know the course, because sometimes the officials don’t.

Take enough fuel. I once rocked up to a 100-mile mountainous sportive with half a Nutrigrain bar and 200ml of water. It was not a good day.

Don’t dismount your bike too quickly. I like to think I’m pretty good at transitions but when I first learned to do a flying dismount I had a tendency to do it at 20mph-plus, which resulted in my legs not being able to keep up with my bike and in me taking out marshals, barriers and anything else in the way. And yes it was an elite race; and yes it was televised; and yes, Channel 4 did replay my face plant... numerous times!

Sight for yourself in the swim. We’ve all followed the feet in front and ended up going way off course. Don’t fall for it.

Get a decent wetsuit. Don’t use a cheap one that sometimes refuses to unzip. This is extremely bad if you are racing in a hot country and you are stuck in your wetsuit with officials trying to rip you out while you sweat to death and then have to end your race because you received outside help.

Check if you can put your number belt underneath your wetsuit. Some races you can. Others you cannot and this may result in you losing your prizemoney.

With regards to your wetsuit – the zip goes at the back (this has not happened to me but I have seen it happen).

Enter the correct name in your races, especially if the website is French, otherwise you may end up being called something like “Jackson Heather Jackson”. Sounds cool but it can get confusing. Especially when people start to think you’re a man.

Don’t get over-excited and set off running like a hyena on speed and after 30 seconds hit the wall and can no longer physically lift your legs when you’re just 300m into a 5k run.

Last but not least, do not make the mistake of pouring energy drink over your head instead of water. This is a very sticky affair... and attracts wasps.

The above may sound ridiculous but I have done them all (unless stated). Please learn from my mistakes. And if you don’t, get them on camera and send them to us. Prizes for the best.