Tue, Jun 06, 2023Rick's Tricks #4 - Transition Tips

Rick’s Tips 4 - Transition Tips

Coach Rick from Zone 3 Sports and ROC Swimming is back with more tips to improve your race day experience. Today, he's focusing on the 4th discipline in triathlon, the transition. Much more time than you'd expect can be made up, or lost in T1 and T2. A smooth transition can start you on the right foot to execute the next portion of your race. 

#1 Overall tip - Keep it simple!

● Set up only what you need, edit your equipment down to only what you absolutely need, not might want or what "would be nice to have"

Equipment

● Don't forget your  Bike, shoes, helmet, sunglasses

● Running shoes (elastic laces), hat, sunglasses, socks if you wear them, number belt

Set it up

● Place what you need first where it can be accessed first

● Setup your shoes on or off the bike based on how you've practiced 

Rules

● Put your helmet on, it MUST be put on before you touch the bike, and only removed after you put it away on the rack after the bike leg

● Run or walk with your bike in the T-zone, exit, and enter in the designated bike in/out and run in/out to ensure you pass over the correct timing mats

● Only get on your bike after the mount line, and dismount before the dismount line

Know the layout

● Review the swim in and bike out, bike in and run out

● Find your bike rack and memorize its' location in reference to the in/out points 

Simple Things to Practice

● Running with the bike--held by the saddle, barefoot if your shoes will be placed on the bike

● Practicing the transition over forward/backwards to replicate coming in and out of the bike

● Different mount/dismount techniques - basic vs. flying 

● Multiple mount/dismount in a row