Triathlon: More
Efficient Transitions
As an operations consultant, I provide information to my
clients about doing things faster, more efficiently with less wasted time or
money and repeatedly. If you are in
business and want to grow, you really want to establish the least costly
methods early on and then scale up as you grow.
The same principles are applied to race car driving pits,
when every second counts. When tires
need to be changed during a race, every move is scripted and efficient with no
loss of time or movements. This is how
they assure that not only are the new tires installed correctly but the minimum
loss of time occurs for the change.
As a triathlete, I have applied my profession to the system
for transitions to perfect and reduce time in transition. These days, my transitions are slow, only if
I decide I’m not worried about the time and am using my race for training
instead of competing. On racing days,
however, I apply all my planning and motion analysis skills to reduce the time
for each transition to optimize for my best times on the courses.
My topic today is how to achieve a good transition time no
matter what equipment or stuff you feel you must have for each leg.
At the end of this blog is a list of items you may want for
your transitions. I do not recommend all
these things but it is a comprehensive list so that you can consider what items
you need versus want. That is an
important consideration. Begin with what
is essential and what you absolutely must have to start. This allows you to practice your timing with
only what is needed. You then can know
that every item you add, will add seconds or minutes to your transition.
Below is a very efficient transition set up
THE ESSENTIALS
Transition 1: Take
off wetsuit, goggles and cap, put on Shoes, Helmet, Sunglasses
This is really all you need to ride your bike. Protection for your eyes and head and
feet. How fast can you get these things
on? Start by timing yourself as you put
each item on. What motions are
wasted? Does it help to have your helmet
on the handlebars with your sunglasses inside?
I say yes because I put my sunglasses on first, then my helmet and snap
it over the earpieces. Shoes go on next
and I’m off. Can you get this to 30
seconds or less?
Transition 2: Take
off shoes and helmet, put on Running Shoes, Bib, Cap
This is really all you need to run if you use nutrition on
the course. Can you save time by wearing
your bib on the bike? Only if you pin it
on before the swim. If you use a race
belt you can put that inside your cap and put both on as you run out of
T2. Can you get this to 30 sec or
less?
Arrangements: Put
stuff in the order you will need it
There is a factory system called 5S. It basically means “everything has a place
and everything in its place”
Thus, put things in the order you will need them, return
them there when you get back. Minimalism
helps a great deal. I put down a towel
or my mini tatami mat and put my bike shoes in front with sunscreen and
nutrition inside. Bike helmet and
sunglasses are on the handlebars. Behind
the bike shoes on the mat are my running shoes, extra water bottle, race belt
stuck in my cap in one shoe.
I use my sunscreen pre-bike and put it into the open running
shoe as a reminder to use it again pre-run.
I always throw my goggles and cap into the bag and hang my
wetsuit next to my bike on the rack during the race.
TRAVEL TIME
As you plan your transition, consider how far you must
travel from the swim to T1 and from the dismount to T2 and the distances out of
both. These can be minutes. Some swim outs to T2 are nearly .25 miles
long and your running speed is a factor.
Plan for this time so you don’t get flustered if you see you are taking
longer.
THE EXTRAS
Transition 1: Bike
Socks, Sunscreen, Nutrition, Water to wash your feet, Towel to dry feet, other
stuff?
If you are a person who must have socks, you may need to
wash your feet and dry them to get your socks on quickly. Once you have mastered the essentials of T1,
add the socks and practice. Is it more
efficient to put your socks in your shoes pre-rolled or are you better off if
you put both socks on first then both shoes?
Place items you need in order on your mat and practice each in order to
see what works. Normally it is better to
do the same motion twice rather than changing motions, e.g. put both socks on
first then both shoes so that you do one motion twice. However, you may find your mind works better
with sock shoe sock shoe order. If you
did not put sunscreen on pre-swim, you will want to put some on now. Some races have sunscreen volunteers but
personally I prefer the spray on stuff because I make sure to get my ears, that
tramp stamp area and my shoulders and nose.
Plan your method and stick to it.
Finally, you may want to start your nutrition in transition. I use a Gu packet pre-opened and just stick
it in my mouth as I put on my shoes and helmet.
I can suck on it in small doses as I’m getting all my stuff on.
Transition 2: Running
Socks, Sunscreen, Nutition, Water belt or bottle, Towel, other stuff?
Same thing here when you run into transition, you may want
to dry your feet and put on dry socks.
Personally I don’t use socks ever but I know many who must have
them. Once again, Plan your order and
practice it. If you like to carry water,
you only need your bib on the run usually, so you might have a water belt that
has the bib on it. Put this on as you
run out of transition. Maybe reapply
sunscreen to make sure you don’t get burnt shoulders or nose on the run.
GETTING IN AND OUT
Before the race begins, walk in the swim in and look for
milestones you can remember so you can find your bike and transition area
quickly. Visualize yourself running in
tired and excited, past others ahead of you to your spot. Imagine how you will take off your cap and goggles
on the run in, when you will remove your wetsuit and how you will put on your
bike attire. See yourself doing this
calmly yet fast and efficiently. Then
walk to bike out. Walk to bike in and
back to your transition area, again looking for milestones or land marks that
will help you find your spot quickly.
Visualize yourself jogging with your bike to your spot quickly and
efficiently, staging your bike (will you hook with handlebars or seat?, Did you
come in on the right side to do that?) and removing your bike attire, calmly
and quickly putting on your running
gear. Walk to run out. Plan the route you will use to avoid those
coming in with their bikes and those still leaving with their bikes. Find a wide row that will allow passing.
CLEANING UP, KEEPING YOUR STUFF
If you are efficient with your gear up process, you will
also have time to put your things into your bag as you remove them, or stack
them neatly on the towel. I use my
wetsuit as a locator for bike in. I
remove it, hang it over my bike slot on the rack and when I return, it’s what I
look for to find my rack slot. Putting
your goggles and cap into your bag can be done quickly if you plan for it in
your practice and will keep your things near you as others jostle their bikes
around. I’ve seen many lost goggles,
wetsuits and other gear in transitions.
I tend to finish later than many younger races and could probably make a
few bucks on the items that remain behind at races. You will be tired when you return. Having stuff neatly stacked or already in
your bag makes it easy to NOT forget stuff and a relief for tired legs and
back.
OTHER NOTES
Any time you spend in transition is part of your race
time. Aim for 3 mins for your
transitions, including travel. The pros
often have VIP locations and can do transitions in less than a minute. If you can get to 2 mins, you are doing
great. This means you have little time
to chat, think about options or anything else but just execution of a
plan. After the swim and bike, I will
often sit to put on my shoes to avoid dizziness due to bending over. This actually seems to improve my transitions
times because I’m not stumbling around trying to put my shoes on one
legged. I’ve eliminated a lot of extras
and just in case stuff. Bandaids are in
my bike bento box and my running belt. I
do carry aspirin but only in case of dire emergency. All nutrition and water is on my bike
pre-race, ready to head out. My Garmin
is set to multisport and I hit the lap button at the bike mount and dismount
and swim in and run out, to capture all transition times. If I forget, I hit it when I remember. The race will have your official times but
it’s good to know during the race how well you executed this part of your
plan.
FINAL ADVICE: PLAN YOUR TRANSITION AND TRANSITION ACCORDING
TO YOUR PLAN.
