advice on foolproof transition improvements

gerfmurphy

Any tips on improving my transitions? I always seem to really mess up,loose places regularly and am always bottom 30%. Is there any fool proof method / formula to improve?
First pool tri in a few week has me looking for simple improvements

Ceepo

gerfmurphy wrote: »

Any tips on improving my transitions? I always seem to really mess up,loose places regularly and am always bottom 30%. Is there any fool proof method / formula to improve?
First pool tri in a few week has me looking for simple improvements

How often do you practice transition outside of races.?

gerfmurphy

Never really.
Im looking for a basic simple plan to follow and learn. Im guessing as close to race conditions , so I am looking for tips to recreat this.
Im ok at hoping on the bike with shoes attached. I practice that a bit.
Should I be getting in and out of a wetsuit regualy? Should it be wet?
Practicing putting on my runners after a bike spin?

68 lost souls

A brick session with someone to keep an eye no your bike would be a good idea if possible, for example: Cycle around the block dismount at the driveway, run into the back garden with the bike and "rack" it in the back garden, run out the side gate and run a lap of the block, back onto the bike. (Would be idela if someone would set the bike shoes up again for you while you were running. Repeat x 5,6,7,8....

gerfmurphy

Thanks 68 souls , the house has a long gravel drive way. I understand the logic so I will have to simulate it somewhere else and do that.

EC1000

I see a lot of people who can't fathom why their transitions are so slow but invariably it is because they are jogging through transition. I'm not saying this is the issue in your case but you should be almost sprinting through transition - you can rest for a few seconds putting on helmet, runners, etc. when you get there.

gerfmurphy

Yep I think thats me. Last race I know I lost 4 places from swim to bike. it was my club race and a friend was marshalling, he pointed it out.

68 lost souls

gerfmurphy wrote: »

Thanks 68 souls , the house has a long gravel drive way. I understand the logic so I will have to simulate it somewhere else and do that.

I don't quiet have a setup I can use like that at the moment but on Tuesday I went out for my cycle and when I got back in I did as close as possible but added bringing the bike inside and locking it up, changing shoes and straight out for a run. It doesn't have to be exactly the setup in a race but as close as possible would be ideal. Its an area I lack in myself and have tried adding in sets like this when I can.

If you do open water swims at all you should practice getting out of the wet suit as much like race day as possible and perhaps even go on a short run again like you would be running through T1 rather than sauntering up form the water, back to the car for a chat and taking your time getting changed. Its a good opportunity to practice your T1.

zico10

gerfmurphy wrote: »

Any tips on improving my transitions? I always seem to really mess up,loose places regularly and am always bottom 30%. Is there any fool proof method / formula to improve?
First pool tri in a few week has me looking for simple improvements

There are no absolute foolproof ways to get through transition quickly. You could be the best prepared athlete in the race, practiced transitioning a million times and sh!t could still happen. Such was Bryan Keane's ill luck in Rio when he couldn't fasten his helmet in T1.

My tips for being speedy; visualise what you want you want to do before you do it. On the last length in the swim, see yourself pushing out of the pool, taking off your hat and googles, running to your bike, dropping your hat and goggles, putting on your helmet(and sunglasses if you use them), then running out of transition with the bike. Basically picture every single little thing you need to do and then it will be easier to do them. I hope you'll have your shoes clipped into the pedals, if you don't, that's the very first thing you should get used to. I'm still too scared to jump onto my bike without losing momentum once over the dismount line, but if you can do that, it's more time saved.

On the morning of the race, you should spend time practicing mounting and dismounting your bike. Use the same dismount line that will be used in the race for these practices. Go through these things a few times and get used to where the line is. It'll be useful in the race. If you do it often enough, not only will your mount and dismount be smoother in the race, you'll know where and when to take your feet out of the shoes. Decide on a landmark to use as the cue for this in the race.

Then when you're coming to the end of the cycle, same as you did at end of the swim, visualise the things you need to do in T2.

Know the most direct routes from the entry into transition to your bike and out with your bike, and also from bike in and run out. Walk, jog, run, then sprint these routes before the race. Pick permanent markers, poles, trees, signs, etc. so you can easily find your spot in the race.

There are no secrets to transitioning quickly, it's honestly just as simple as 'Hurry the f*ck up!'. It'd be a shame to throw away the gains you've made in the water by being lackadaisical in T1.

9Crimes

I'm not the fastest racer but regularly aim to be in the top end for transition times because it is so easy to pick up time in transitions, 10 minutes of transition practice can save minutes come race day.
- Keep it simple in your transition area. Less is more, plenty of people seem to have the kitchen sink in transition, just in case. Just have what is absolutely necessary.
- elastic laces are a necessity.
- if you can have it attached to your bike beforehand, do. - food, drinks, sunglasses etc can all be attached to bike and used once your are out on bike course.
- as already mentioned know your way in and out of transition.
- as already mentioned pick landmarks, it can be soooo hard to find your bike in amongst 100's of others.
- wetsuit should be off to the waist as soon as possible once out of the water (prob not applicable for your pool race).
- watch itu races on YouTube for inspiration.
- much like swimming, smooth is fast, fast is smooth.
- that's all I got, good luck!