Lost in Transition

Last Saturday Coach Neil of Tri More Fitness taught us everything we needed to know to transition smoothly and fastly during a triathlon. The advice was well-timed, as we had a training sprint triathlon in Sacramento the following day. So here are things I learned:

1. Get to a triathlon early enough to set up stuff, hang out, loosen up and head off any problems with forgotten or broken gear. Two of our friends, whose names I won't mention, showed up about 20 minutes before starting time and found it slightly nerve-racking. This was not enough time. We had to park really far away. Then figure out where to go, set up stuff and, to top it off, there was a 10 minute walk across a bridge barefoot to get to the start of the race. There was some tension. Borderline panic attacks. And, even worse, breakfast was not eaten.

2. Hang up your bike on designated bike racks by the seat. Sometime you're assigned a spot and sometimes the earlier you get there, the better spot you get on the rack. Good spots are those that get you in and out of transition areas quickly without having to maneuver around too much stuff. Set up your gear just below the bike rack on the long side of the bike (not behind the back tire). This will make it easier to free your bike and ride off during the swim-bike transition.

3. Make a transition sandwich: Towel, folded in half longways, on the bottom. Layer with bike shoes next to running shoes, hat &/or race belt* with number attached on top of running shoes, helmet on top of bike shoes, sunglasses in helmet, gloves* in helmet

Hot Technical Gear Tips:

Helmet: Place helmet with concave part up, and straps unbuckled and out. Put helmet and sunglasses if you wear them, on first. In a lot of races, if you leave the transition area without buckling your helmet, you can get disqualified.

Bike Shoes: untie laces and unbuckle straps in bike and running shoes enough so that you can get feet in comfortably and fast. There are cool bike shoes that are mostly Velcro and easy to fasten and if you're looking to purchase new bike shoes, I suggest getting some with those handy features. Coach Neil puts body glide (triathletes second favorite lubricant) on the tongue, ball and hell of his shoes so that they're easier to slip on.

Running shoes: Loosen or untie laces and push tongue toward toe of the shoe so that your feet can easily slide into the shoes. Buy lace locks. They are small and plastic and probably less than $3. Plus they come in an assortment of colors. Mine are pink. Yeah! Lace locks let you slip your feet into your running shoes fast, zip your laces and take off.

Socks: if you have to wear socks, and a lot of triathletes don't, place them in your shoes with the mouth of the sock open as far as possible. If you have to take a knee to put socks on, do it. It will save you time vs. falling over trying to stay standing putting on shoes and socks.

Race Belt: What's a race belt you say? A race belt is a black elastic strap with buttons that conveniently attach to race numbers. Rather than pinning your number to your clothes (which creates holes and prevents you from being able to remove the number easily) attach it to a race belt, snap it on at the bike-run transition and go.

4. Swim to Run Transition: Leave your cap and goggles on as you come out of the water and run to the transition area. That way, there's nothing in your hands impeding you from your number one goal: transitioning quickly. If it's a wet suit race, unzip on the way to the transition area and get your arms free. Once you arrive at the transition area, sling that sucker down, pull one leg hard and step on the wetsuit leg with the other foot. Pull the same leg again and it should be free. To free the second leg, pull once, step on the wet suit with the free foot, and pull the same leg again. Toss the wetsuit under your bike under the rack. Put on sunglasses, then helmet. Slip on shoes, right foot, then left. Snap your buckles. Grab your bike and roll. I had a hand towel on my bike handlebars that I used to dry my face but don't waste time drying the rest of your body unless it's really really cold. Make sure to check in advance if you are allowed to ride your bike in the transition area or not. You can be disqualified for getting it wrong.

5. Bike to Run Transition: Hang your bike on the rack. Remove helmet then shoes. Put on running shoes. Then run. Coach Neil suggests attaching race belt to your hat. If you choose to wear a hat and a race belt, grab those last. You can put them on while you're running.

Our training group, Tri and Give (or TAG), practiced transitioning the day before the race. Coach Neil made us do 20 seconds of push-ups then spin around in circles for 10 seconds, then throw on our gear. The dizziness mimics the disorientation one might feel when getting out of the water and running to the transition area for the bike. I discovered I get wicked dizzy if I don't wear earplugs but this isn't true for everyone. The simulation really helped in the Sacramento Triathlon and I felt like my transitions were smooth. My friend Nick taught me that making whooshing noises while putting on gear makes it seem like you're going even faster plus it can intimidate those around you. Nick makes one whoosh with each shoe and an extra whoosh for his helmet. Then, like lightning, he is gone in a flash. Whoosh.