Transition

 Hello and welcome to my new blog as the Triathlon Doctor. My first post is on the topic of transition.

Transition

Transition has been described by many as the fourth discipline of triathlon. At its very basic it is the period between two activities in a multisport discipline, e.g. swim and bike, bike and run etc.

This post focuses on transition for triathlon.

Kit

As triathlon is a multisport, you will need different bits of kit for each discipline. Here is a short list of items, some of which are essential and some not. This list may seem a bit daunting at first but don’t worry, if all you have is some goggles, a bike, a helmet, a swimsuit, a t-shirt and shorts, and a pair of trainers you’ll be fine.

Swim

·       Goggles

·       Hat (bright coloured, most events will give you a hat when you register)

·       Trisuit/swim costume

·       Wetsuit (this may be compulsory if you are doing an open water swim. Make sure you’ve swum in it at least once before race day)

·       (for ladies) Sports bra

·       Anti-chafe lubricant (e.g. Bodyglide, optional)

·       (if it is sunny) Suntan lotion

·       Towel (a bright one will help you find your bike)

·       Race watch (optional)

·       Sandals (optional)

·       Timing chip – you’ll be given this at registration, usually you need to put this on your left leg.

·       Smart watch e.g. Garmin/Wahoo (optional) and charger

Bike

·       Bicycle, complete with pedals. Always do an M-check and if possible get your bike serviced a couple of weeks before your race if it hasn’t been recently.

·       Helmet (no helmet, no race)

·       Race belt (you can pin your number to a T-shirt instead) – some races only mandate a race number for the run

·       Glasses or visor

·       Water bottle(s) filled with either hydration tablets or sports drink

·       Nutrition – in a top tube bag (also known as “bento bag”)

·       Bike shoes (optional, or trainers if you don’t have any)

·       Puncture repair kit – spare tube, pump/CO₂, tyre levers. If it’s horrible weather and you’re doing a long distance race, pack more tubes than you think you’ll need. You’ll also benefit from a multitool with Allen keys etc.

·       Tyre pump (optional, there are often pumps in transition you can borrow)

·       Socks (optional)

·       Gloves (optional)

·       Cycling clothes (if you are changing)

·       Bike computer (optional, I find this very helpful to measure distance travelled/average speed)

Run

·       Run shoes

·       Sunglasses (optional)

·       Run hat (optional)

·       Spare pair of socks (optional, especially good for middle and long distance)

·       Run clothes (if you are changing)

·       Race belt/number (for races where it’s only mandatory for the run)

Other

·       Large plastic bag (for open transition where it’s raining and you want to keep your kit dry)

·       Rucksack/kit bag to put everything into

Many people have personal preferences on how they pack stuff, I prefer a rucksack. This leads us nicely onto transition.

Practice beforehand

Get your bike set up against a chair or solid prop and practice in your back garden or local park. You might feel silly doing this but it’s great practice so you can cut the amount of time it takes to get on your bike and onto the run.

Transition

There are a few rules with transition, the most important of which is wear your helmet when you are handling your bike. This applies when you are going into transition, so make sure you are wearing your helmet before you approach transition. Once you have your race pack, it will usually come with several stickers. One (or two) will be for your bike, there may also be one for your helmet. Put these on your bike/helmet before you go into transition as well, as the marshalls will check that these are in place.  The marshalls will also check that you have bar ends on the end of your handlebars – essentially plastic plugs that seal the end of your handlebars. If these are absent, they usually let you get away with gaffa tape (not recommended, use bar ends if you have them).

When you get into transition, you may have to rack according to your race number or, if it’s a local race, you can choose where to put your bike. If you have a choice I’d recommend putting it close to the bike out as you can. I like to put my bike by a frame prop so that you can put your stuff between your bike and the prop. Hook your bike up on the frame using the nose of the saddle, or if you have a clever saddle, by the back of the saddle.

Kit setup in transition

Now there are two different types of transition, open and closed. Open transition is where you place everything by your bike for the changeover between disciplines. Closed transitions are often used by companies such as Ironman and you have to place everything in specific bags which are kept on hooks next to the bike racking area.

Open transition

If you have a towel, put it down first, next to your front tyre. Make sure your towel is not sticking out further than your front tyre. If you are using bike shoes and aren’t doing a flying mount or running shoes for your bike, put them about half way down the towel, with heels facing you and with the shoes opened ready for you to slip your feet into. If you are using socks, roll these down to the heel and place on top of your shoes. Place the trainers behind your bike shoes, again heel forward and shoes open. Place your helmet in front, with sunglasses, race belt (if you are using) inside. Your transition space should now be ready. Do not mark your bike with chalk, balloons, piles of talc etc – you are at risk of being disqualified!

A slightly untidy transition! Note I also have my hydration pack because there were very few aid stations on the run.

Transition familiarization

Now your transition is set up, notice where your bike is placed in relation to the swim in, bike out, bike in and run out. Find a fixed object to place yourself, NOT someone else’s bike or stuff near you. Walk from the swim in to your bike a couple of times and out to the bike out. This may feel silly, but you will thank yourself during the race. Ask the marshalls if you are unsure.

Don’t forget to breathe and good luck!

 

Alternatives

Closed transition

Closed transition usually involves bags for bike and run. You usually have to put these into transition the day before and you may not be able to access them on the day of the race. Before you pack these, it can be helpful to take a photo of what you are putting into each bag so you don’t wake up in the middle of the night thinking, did I remember to pack x?

My tips for packing the bag would be, for the bike leg, depending on what they let you put on the bike, put a little towel in first (to wipe yourself down), shoes (with socks if using), race belt, helmet and glasses.  One of the best tips I received was get a resealable bag of chamois cream in there too and apply liberally in transition.

For the transition from bike to run, I would recommend putting a spare pair of socks in the bag – it’s amazing how lovely it is if it’s been horrible weather on the bike ride to change into nice clean fresh socks for your run.

Changing in transition

Many longer distance races will offer a changing tent. REMEMBER, no nudity in transition apart from in the changing tent. For long distance, the choice of what you wear for swim, bike and ride is entirely up to you. Remember that wet clothes can be hard work to change out of and could slow you down! I have been known to add a pair of cycle shorts on top of my tri suit to make the ride more comfortable. Whatever you do, make sure you practice beforehand. And don’t forget to take any cycle shorts off before your run – running a half/full marathon with them on wouldn’t be very comfortable!

Tips

·       READ THE RACE PACK – this will have important information such as where to park, what time the race starts, when transition opens, how many laps you have to do (don’t forget this), where the nutrition is, any points at which you have to put your foot down.

·       If you have a race with many laps, use elastic bands or tape to remember how many laps you have done. Note that although most races are supposed to be standard, sometimes they come up short on the GPS – you don’t want to be doing more laps than absolutely necessary.

·       Nothing new on race day – train in your trisuit, swim in your wetsuit, make sure your nutrition works for you etc etc.

·       Put your bike in a medium gear at the back and the lowest gear at the front, you want to get away as quickly as possible

·       In order to have an easy mount, place your bike pedal that you would push away with at about 10 degrees forward of vertical.

·       If you’re closed transition, pack a little bottle of water in your bag to wash out your mouth after swim and run.  This is particularly nice if you’re doing a sea swim where the water tastes horrible

·       If you’re doing a longer race, put a spare pair of socks in your run bag – it’s amazing how a clean and dry pair of socks can feel.

·       Try to eat something before the race – if you’re hungry mid-way through the swim there’s nothing you can do.

 

Transition errors and disasters

Learn from my friends – some of these have been done by experienced triathletes!

·       Forgetting to put your helmet and cycling gloves on/taking them off after the bike.

·       Putting your bike shoes on the wrong way round.

·       Doing something new on race day such as a flying bike mount, wearing new kit.

·       Making sure (if you’re doing a closed transition) you have placed the correct bag in the correct place.

·       Being as efficient as possible in transition – those few seconds/minutes could be the difference between podium, or if you’re at the other end of the pack, could result in being cut off.

·       Putting your helmet on the wrong way around.

·       Swim cap under the bike helmet.

·       Forgetting your bike/taking the wrong bike – this has happened to the Brownlee Brothers!

·       Not doing enough/too many laps – former will get you disqualified, second will just make you slower than the competition!

Are you looking for a triathlon coach? I still have some spots available. Go to Triathlon Doctor to find out more.