It is not easy to adequately prepare for triathlon transitions (swimming to cycling to running). Even for athletes hoping to finish an iron-distance event and don’t mind about the time, taking more time in transition takes an athlete out of race mood, making it difficult to regain the proper mindset.
Many triathletes mostly focus on the swim, bike, and run splits, forgetting that time is ticking during the transitions. Although transition practice is not as important as the other triathlon disciplines, it is advisable to practice more so that the process becomes embedded in your system. Here are some helpful tricks to speed up your transition time.
Be A Minimalist
Avoid taking a suitcase full of gear into transition and try to be a minimalist. The fewer tasks you have to do, the faster your transition will be. If you have more stuff, you will spend more time organizing it, taking more of your time. Skip unnecessary stuff and only have what you will need.
Practice Your Plan Severally
Mitch Vanhille, a triathlon coach, advises practising your transition plan severally until it becomes an automatic process embedded in your brain and body. Have a plan of the exact tasks you will do during the transitions and practice them repeatedly until you can do them without making any mistakes. Rehearse the process mentally every day and never try something new during the race day.
Race Someone Through A Transition
It is normal to wonder if you are working fast enough during the transition. A good tip is to race those you came out of the water with or bike during a transition. Ensure you run past them to your bike and race any competitor around while you wear your shoes or get off your bike.
Mark Your Bike
The last thing you want to waste time on is finding your bike after getting off the water. Since it is not easy to identify your bike among rows and rows of other bikes, ensure you mark it to make things easier after swimming. You can drape a brightly coloured item on your bike or anything else that will be hard to miss in a hurry to prevent a disastrous delay in the middle of your race.
Lube Up Before Wearing Your Swimsuit
Removing a wet swimsuit even during the best times can be challenging, so you can imagine how doing it in a hurry can be frustrating. A good trick is to lube up before wearing your swimsuit and practice removing it faster. Apply Vaseline on your wrists, ankles, calves, and underarms, and always time yourself when removing it to encourage speed.
Bike Your Cycling Shoes On The Pedal
You can clip your cycling shoes to the pedals and secure the ends with rubber bands to save you more time during your first transition. When you leave the first transition, you can pedal with your feet on top of your shoes and slip into the shoes once you are cruising at speed. As you approach the second transition, slip your feet out of your shoes earlier to save more time when transitioning to running.
