The wonderful thing about transitions is how simple they are, and how easy it is to be good at them and get the jump on your competitors in a race. Let's look at the mechanics and practice of getting in and out of T1 and T2 as quickly as possible.
Pre-Race
Every triathlon (and multi-sport race) includes transitions so there's no excuse for not being prepared, which means there's also no excuse for not practising them during training!! While the layout of each race transition area will be different, the steps of changing from swim-to-bike and bike-to-run are the same...so make time to go through the fundamentals in training. If you have a group of training partners it's a great way to fire up your competitive juices during your mock transition practice...bragging rights carry a lot of weight amongst friends!!
To practice transitions you need an open space on a surface you can comfortably run on in bare feet, plus somewhere to lean your bike(s) - mostly you'll practice T1 without doing a swim beforehand, just running as if you came out of the swim. There's a few ways you can set up your practice transition layout but be sure to make it even/equal for each person you're practising with. Define a mount and dismount line and get ready to go.
For T1 you want to practice running to your bike, putting your helmet on, un-racking and running off with you bike, crossing the mount line, getting on your bike, putting your feet into your bike shoes. For T2 it's kind-of the opposite - taking feet out of bike shoes, dismounting from your bike, pushing your bike to your transition location, racking your bike, taking your helmet off, putting running shoes on and going. A pretty simple, mechanical process!!
Technique
Decide if you're going to push your bike holding onto the handlebars / headstem or the seat - the former offers greater control but can be a little clumsy and hinder the speed you can run at. The latter looks cooler!!
Both T1 and T2 assume your bike shoes are already / remain clipped into the pedals - the trick is to work out the best way of slipping your feet into/out them while you're moving. Some people use elastic bands to hold the shoes / crank in a horizontal position by tying it to the frame with the elastic band (which breaks once you're riding). Getting on the bike can be done by "superman" leap onto your bike seat or a more conservative step over - find a way that most suits you with the common theme being to do it as quickly as possible.
Getting off the bike is best done by swinging, say, your right leg over the seat so you're kind of "side-saddle" and only have weight on your left foot on top of your left bike shoe while holding onto the handlebars. Then you're ready to step down onto the ground when you reach the dismount line.
A tip to help with running shoes is to use elastic laces. Be careful not to tighten the laces too tightly, even though they're elastic, and you might find that simple elastic tape from a haberdashery shop provides more flexibility than the commercial elastic laces which can tend to lack elasticity!! In setting up your shoes pull the tongue up and out as far as possible to leave a big, wide opening to quickly slip your feet into. You could also stitch the tongue to the upper of the shoe so it doesn't slide down inside your shoe.
Read below for some more specific tips on T1 and T2 in a race situation, but the skills of mounting/dismount your bike and putting feet in/out of bike shoes are the basic skills you want to master before the race.
Race Morning
Your race morning routine should go beyond just setting up your bike, helmet, shoes, etc. In order to get through T1 and T2 quickly you need to spend some time familiarising yourself with the layout of the transition, and your route through it. Here's some things to be sure you've covered and remember:
* Your bike location - what rack number, what side of the rack, how far along, what landmarks are adjacent (eg, trees, poles, dirt / grass patches, etc), other bikes around yours? Remember that in the race you'll be in a hurry so identify simple things you can rely on when your adrenalin is pumping.
* T1 route - walk the route you take from the Swim Exit to your bike position, then from your bike position to Bike Exit. Use this to confirm the way you'll identify your bike location, as above. Be sure of the rules you must abide by.
* T2 route - walk the route from Bike Entry to your rack position, then from your rack position to Run Exit. Same principles as for T1 route confirmation.
* Racking your bike - decide between using handlebars or nose of the seat to hang your bike on the rack. Each has pros and cons, but you need to be familiar with your method. Keep in mind the space required by each method to manoeuvre your bike between bike racks.
* Gear layout - think through T1 and T2, and what gear you need in each. For T1 you need your helmet in an easy to get location (on handlebars is best) and consider hooking your sunglasses on your bike to put on once you're riding rather than wasting time with them in T1. For T2 gear you need to place your shoes (and other run gear) for quick access, so you don't need to reach too far for them. A distinctive colour towel underneath can help to identify your rack position.
* Wetsuit - to help with pulling wetsuit off, try these two tips. 1. Apply baby oil to your lower arms and legs before you put your wetsuit on - this will help it slide off quickly. (But wipe your hands down before handling your goggles!!). 2. Cut 5 cm or so off the leg of your wetsuit so it doesn't get stuck on your ankles/feet when you take it off.
T1
So now you've set yourself up, you know where your bike is, your route through transition, and you practised transition skills during training. Here's how to execute a quick T1 (swim-to-bike) transition:
* Think ahead to what you need to do, what the expected congestion will be like and the process you worked out pre-race and that morning. Nothing helps race performance (incl transitions) like thinking ahead and being prepared.
* As you emerge from the water and start running, prop your goggles on your forehead - nothing more!! Unzip your wetsuit as you run and pull it as far down as you can without hindering your running. THEN take your goggles and cap off and carry them.
* Focus on the route to your bike position - concentrate so you don't miss it!! Drop your cap & goggles, pull your wetsuit right down and then over your feet by alternately stomping up and down - ideally it will come straight off without having to bend over to pull it off the last part.
* Put your helmet on BEFORE you even touch your bike. Unrack your bike, run out the correct route to the bike exit and over/past the mount line.
* In getting on your bike be conscious of the other people around you, the space you have available and how wobbly others look who might wobble into your path. Mount and pedal off with your feet on top of your shoes, and build up some speed before putting your feet inside your shoes - this might take up to a km or so.
T2
Your swim and bike went well, including a great T1 and now you're nearing the end of the bike. Here's how to execute a quick T2 (bike-to-run) transition:
* As with T1, think ahead for what's coming up. Be prepared.
* In the last 500m or so unstrap and remove each foot from the bike shoes and finish the ride with them on top of the shoes.
* Judge your speed as you approach the dismount line, and prepare to get off your bike as you move into a "side-saddle" position to step onto the ground.
* As you step onto the ground be sure you don't also clip your bike shoe off the pedal at the same time!!
* Concentrate as you locate your bike rack position, rack your bike, put your shoes on (& grab other run gear - cap, etc), THEN take your helmet off as the final task.
* Watch for other competitors as you run out of transition via the correct route to the Run Exit.
So there it is. A simple mechanical process where the most effort is in preparation and planning, and the execution is just going through the sequential steps all the while being conscious of fellow competitors. A good transition is easy to do...and unfortunately so is a bad transition. So make some effort to be sure your fourth leg of the triathlon is the best it can be.
No comments:
Post a Comment