ITU Triathlon racing your transitions have to be SPOT on.. Enjoy these tips on transition.
"Barrett Clipping IN coming out of Transition on from the swim"
4 Tips for
a faster transition
Transitions
are an often looked-over part of triathlon, but they are extremely
important. Most competitive triathletes
pay fanatical attention to detail in their training plans and equipment
choices, but will often brush off things such as transitions. Don't make this mistake! Take a moment to
read over these tips for a faster transition, and help yourself to much faster
race at your next triathlon.
First
things first, you simply need to practice your tranistions just like you
practice swimming, biking, and running.
Being smoother and quicker through transitions is "free"
speed: it is time you can take off your race that doesn't use any extra energy. For triathlon, the shorter the distance of
the race, the more important transitions become. In a sprint race transitions can make up to
5% of your total race time, while in
an Ironman it is less than 1%. Even
something as simple as putting on your helmet and buckling/unbuckling your
helmet is a great start. Do not be afraid to schedule "transition
practice" into your weekly training regimen and go through a full
transition practice . It will keep you
sharp, and make you faster.
1. When you get to transition, try to look
around a find a landmark or something that will help you locate your bike. Things such as balloons, banners, or even
something like a tree can help you quickly navigate to your bike-rack
spot. If it is a particularly big or diffcult
transition to navigate, try tying a brightly colored ribbon or other object to
the rack to help indentify your rack position.
This is especially helpful in T2, when you only have your racing shoes
and/or race number to guide you to your spot.
2. Apply baby powder or vaseline to both your
cycling shoes and your running shoes.
These will help make it easier to put them on and also help reduce
blisters during the race. It is an easy
way to make your day more comfortable.
3. Practice taking off your wetsuit or swimskin
during your training. You should be able
to get a wetsuit off in less than 10 seconds if you practice. One thing that will enhance removal (and
also ease chafing) is by using body glide or similar lubricant (I have seen
people use just about anything that is greasy). Put this lubricant on the outside of the
wesuit legs and arms and apply liberally.
Pro Tip: If you have trouble getting your
wetsuit off your legs, do not be afraid to cut the legs a little bit with a
sharp scissors. Every pro I know cuts
their wetsuit to speed up the removal process.
Just remember, measure twice, cut once!
5. While the previous skills are applicable for
all triathletes, the following is a more advanced skill, but if you want to be
competitive in your age group, is one you should learn and master. Before the swim, clip your cycling shoes into
your pedals. When you grab your bike in
T1, you run barefoot, mount your bike, and put your cycling shoes on while you
are riding your bike. You also need to
learn the "sister skill" which is removing your feet from your
cycling shoes (while they are still clipped in) and pedal to the dismount
line. Dismount your bike barefoot with
the cycling shoes still attached to the pedals.
Mastering these 2 skills, more than any other, will likely result in the
largest reductions in your transition times.
While these
skills may be a bit daunting, with a little practice, it becomes easier and
will soon be second nature. A great
place to practice these are in an empty field or parking lot. Simply pedal around in circles, reach down
and take your feet out of your shoes, pedal for a few turns, and then put your
feet back in the shoes. Repeat over and
over and over until it becomes second nature.
By
following these tips, you can make your next transitions in your triathlons
much faster and smoother.
