HSBC Triathlon Series

Quick Transitions by Deborah Moore of NRG Performance Training

We all know that triathlon has 3 disciplines, and some of you ‘in the know’ are familiar with a 4th discipline which is nutrition; but how many of you train for the 5th discipline: the transition? It’s an often-neglected aspect of triathlon racing that, when practiced, can mean the difference between the podium and no hardware.

Set Up

Make sure you set up all your gear at your rack in a logical manner. By that I mean in the order that you will use or put on the items. For example, put your bike shoes in front of your run shoes, sunglasses resting on or in your helmet, race belt with number on top of shoes (clipped up so you can just step into it), gels and salt pills in your bike shoes so you remember to put them in your pockets (and so they don’t get kicked around and lost.

T1 – Swim Exit

Unless you are doing an Ironman where there are volunteers to help you,you’re left to your own devices for extricating yourself from your wetsuit. As some of you may have discovered, this is no laughing matter (well, maybe for the spectators it is), and can see you hopping around awkwardly or, worse, lying on your side in the transition mud, yanking in vain at the ankles of that rubber suit as your competition speeds by you.

Naturally, you should practice getting your wetsuit off efficiently after every open water swim you do. If you are not able to do many of these, practice the wetsuit stripping anyway just to make sure it’s second nature to you. However, there are a couple of tricks to help you speed up the process:

The Bike Mount/Dismount

Consider practicing having your shoes on your bike in T1 so that you can run to the mount line more easily. This, of course, means that you must practice putting your feet into your shoes and doing them up so that you can do so safely in the crowded mount area on race day. Triathlon shoes with single Velcro closures are a necessity for this.

As you return at the end of the bike, start undoing your foot straps about 100m from the dismount line, and rest your feet on top of your shoes that are still attached to the pedals. It’s crucial that you don’t let your shoes/pedals swing around freely as you attempt to dismount as they could drag on the ground and cause a crash! Having your feet out of your shoes at dismount means you can run easily back to your rack instead of doing the cleat-induced waddle or, worse, slip and fall.

T2 – Off and Running

This transition is fairly simple, but can be messed up if you’re not focused. Remember to take off your helmet once you get to your rack (it’s hot, and you look silly running with a helmet!), and switch it for a cap if you normally run with one. Pull on the running shoes and collect any extra nutrition or hydration that you may need and get running as soon as you can to prevent those legs from seizing up.

And so, with the season almost at an end, I hope these transition tips will help you pull off your quickest and most efficient race yet!