| What if there was a way to shave seconds, or | | | | mess with it. |
| even minutes, off your race times without doing | | | | -Cycling shoes (if you don't strap them to your |
| a thing to your current training regimen? Sounds | | | | bike) with your helmet resting on top with straps |
| too good to be true, right? Wrong. | | | | pulled out and fully extended. |
| Practicing and mastering transitions is by far the | | | | -Sunglasses and race belt should go inside your |
| easiest way to shave time off your triathlon | | | | helmet in a position that makes them easy to put |
| races. With how competitive age group racing has | | | | on without fumbling around. |
| become, even a few seconds could be the | | | | Some people put their helmet on top of their bike. |
| difference between a medal around your neck, or | | | | This works well, until the person next to you |
| a sour taste in your mouth. Lets look at five | | | | bumps the bike rack or your bike and your |
| things you can do to speed your way through T1 | | | | helmet falls off and rolls away from your |
| and T2 and gain time on your competition. | | | | transition area. |
| Transition tip #1: Practice! | | | | Transition tip #4: Clip your cycling shoes into your |
| It does not matter if you know exactly what to | | | | bike before the race |
| do and have ran through it 1,000 times in your | | | | Disclaimer: This is the tip that requires the most |
| head. If you are in the middle of a race with your | | | | practice to truly master. Please do not attempt |
| heart pounding out of your chest, nerves racing, | | | | unless you are confident in your athletic ability and |
| and blood pumping, 95% of the time you will | | | | bike handling skills. |
| screw up something if you do not practice it. | | | | The technique of having your bike shoes already |
| You need to practice unzipping and pulling off your | | | | clipped in before the race will save time by |
| wetsuit in a fatigued state, taking your bike/run | | | | allowing you to just put your helmet on, grab |
| shoes off and on, putting on your helmet and | | | | your bike, and go. You will run out of transition |
| sunglasses, getting on and off your bike safely | | | | barefoot, mount your bike, and pedal with your |
| and quickly, etc. Even simple motor tasks become | | | | feet on top of your shoes. Once you get moving |
| difficult when you are under pressure. Developing | | | | on a flat stretch of ground, well clear of the |
| muscle memory through practice will make it | | | | mount line, you can bend down and strap each |
| second nature for you to perform these tasks in | | | | foot in. Make sure there are no riders around you |
| any situation, even under extreme stress. | | | | and you are not on an uphill or steep downhill |
| Transition tip #2: Lube up | | | | section. If you have to ride a while before you |
| If you are wearing a wetsuit in your race, which | | | | find a good flat stretch of ground, no problem. |
| you should be, it is very important to be able to | | | | You're still gaining ground on people trying to put |
| take it off quickly in transition. If you struggle to | | | | their shoes on in transition and run with their |
| get the thing off, it will negate any advantage you | | | | clunky cleats. |
| gained in the swim by wearing it. | | | | To keep your shoes from dragging on the |
| Put some Body Glide or baby oil around your | | | | ground, put a thin rubber band through the loop |
| calves/ankles as well as your wrists/forearms. | | | | on the heel of one shoe and hook it to your quick |
| This will help the wetsuit slide off your body | | | | release lever on the rear wheel. This will keep |
| without you having to struggle. Don't be the | | | | your shoes in a fixed position until you start |
| person wiggling and thrashing around on the | | | | pedaling and the rubber band snaps. |
| ground after they fell over trying to get their | | | | Transition tip #5: Don't sit. Stand or kneel. |
| feet out of the wetsuit. Along with lube, a proper | | | | The goal in transition is to save time; there is no |
| fitting wetsuit is also important. | | | | place for sitting in a race. Sometimes standing can |
| Transition tip #3: Place equipment properly | | | | also be difficult when you're tired and/or dizzy |
| If you are one of those people that bring a king | | | | after the swim. When you dip your head down to |
| size beach towel and have all your stuff strewn all | | | | put your shoes on and pick up any other gear |
| over, just stop it. You only need something about | | | | you need, a massive head rush may ensue and |
| the size of a small workout towel for your gear. | | | | you could end up taking an unintended nap for a |
| Having everything compact and close together will | | | | bit. |
| eliminate wasted time searching and moving | | | | An alternative method is to get down on one |
| around to get things. Your fellow racers will thank | | | | knee like you are proposing to the bike rack, |
| you too. | | | | place your first shoe on the front foot, then |
| Your towel should be organized like this from top | | | | switch and do the same to the other side. You will |
| to bottom: | | | | need to put another towel in front of your |
| -Running shoes with socks (optional) on top of | | | | transition area to keep your knees from getting |
| your shoes. Not wearing socks will save a few | | | | scraped up. |
| seconds, but don't do it unless you have been | | | | Hopefully these several tips will help you save |
| trained without socks without any problems. If | | | | some time in transition and give you a small edge. |
| you wear a hat during the run, place it on top of | | | | If you've ever tried to run someone in your age |
| your shoes so it's the first thing you put on. If | | | | group down at the finish, but can't quite bridge |
| you wear a nutrition belt you can put that on top | | | | the gap, a few seconds saved in transition could |
| of your shoes also. Just make sure the straps are | | | | have made the difference. These are not the only |
| wide open so all you have to do is grab, wrap, | | | | time saving strategies out there. Feel free to be |
| and snap. Some people put their race belt on | | | | creative and experiment in training to find what |
| under their wetsuit so they don't ever have to | | | | works for you. Happy training and racing! |