As I read the forum I often see new guys asking questions through a number of different topics . It reminds me of the wealth of knowledge that tribers have from doing past races. So that lead me to think, if there was one piece of advice I could pass along to a rookie, what would it be? Would it be gear related, or food, or routes, or training, or ........
So, from my standpoint my one tip would be getting my clothing gear right. Its a long race if you are wet and cold. Get the best dry suit or foul weather gear you can. Test it in cold wet weather with the right combo of layers prior to the race. Often you will be stuck in the same gear between check points, make sure it works for you. I have both a dry suit and dry suit pants and a foul weather jacket. I found great thermals at a sporting goods store in Iowa. My fleece jacket is a life saver when the chills set in. A divers neoprene hoodie works great when the temps drop. Cold weather dive gloves are great, but not as warm as I would have thought so I use liners inside. When I started doing these back in 2010, all I had was the dry suit and that was because of Chief.
What is your tip for the race(s)? Pass it along!