Why it's good to use race gear before hand

This weekend is supposed to be my "big day". A training day of 3,000yd swim, 90 min rest, 5 hour bike, 90 min rest, and then 2 hour run. All at sustained IM race pace (so moderate sustained pace). I'm taking a day off work to sit around afterwards to relax. Anyway.... I was prepping my bike Friday evening for today and was crazy excited to finally get to try my race wheels. 4 months ago I bought a valve pump extender. This thing screws onto bike valve and you hook pump to it. Well the thing is junk. It I could get the tire to 80psi, my pump knob would blast off. It had nothing to grip on to. I originally got this since I wanted the versatility to use any size tube I wanted since the thing is like 80mm itself. Idea back fired. Decided to push back training day until tomorrow and I bought new 80mm tubes and a real valve extender for the rear.

Fast forward to tonight. I took out old tubes and rolled them back up since they are still good for training tires. Put in new ones. Getting excited again. I remembered that I have to install new brake pads for these rims. 2 minute youtube video later and I'm a brake pad changing expert. Done! Put on the rear wheel and play with the gears and CLUNK! The chain come off the cassette and gets stuck there between the cassette the frame. That's a new one to me. More internet research.... Ahh... I need TWO spacers for my 10 speed cassette on the 11 speed hub I have. I only put one on (I think...it's been 4 months). Looking around for my chain whip to take cassette off since I think I have 2 spacers sitting around. Oh wait...I never bought one of those yet and I was just at the bike store today. Grr!!

Sucks but glad I'm finding this out now. I'm going to ride tomorrow with my normal wheels. My first tri is next week (C priority) but I have a 4 hour ride planned the day before and an going buy a chain whip, hope I have the two correct spacers (doubtful), and use that day as a gear check. Glad I'm finding this now instead the night before I drive up for my HIM. Still need to ride with aero helmet but think I'll just use that next week too. Hopefully nothing goes wrong with that :P