Transitions - do they matter?

TLDR: Yes (but not just for the reasons you might think)

The longer version:

“Transition” – the bit in a triathlon (or duathlon, aquabike, etc) where you change from one discipline to the next. T1 is the transition from swim to bike, and T2 is when you move from bike to run. The time is included in the overall race time. Transitions are often called the 4th discipline of triathlon; they can be the most mystifying for newcomers, and also the most overlooked. So, do you need to “train” for them? I think YES!

People have all sorts of goals for a triathlon: getting round the course finishing in one piece, feeling like you’ve given it your all, executing your race according to your plan, achieving a certain time, or position, or getting on the podium, or purely having a really enjoyable experience. I would argue that having smooth, slick, stress-free transitions can and will help you achieve all those goals.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the person who wins isn’t necessarily the person with the fastest swim + bike + run “splits” (times) – it’s the fastest overall time – so if you have performance goals that include times, then your transition times count, and matter. The shorter the race distance, the more transition times contribute as a percentage of your overall race time.

If you want to enjoy your race, then factors that will influence this include feeling prepared (the unknown is stressful!), having a process you can rely on that you know works and that is familiar (familiarity = security), being physically comfortable - knowing you can rely on your kit and kit choices, having enough food/drink, and feeling relaxed. Thinking about, practising, and refining your transition processes will positively impact all these factors. It will mean you are less likely to forget a vital item of equipment or fuelling, which could ruin your race. Even if you simply want to get round in one piece, accidents in triathlons most commonly occur around bike mount and dismount, so practising your transitions and therefore being calm when you do them, will help keep you safe!

Some things to consider (this is not exhaustive!):

1.      When you set up your transition, do a full walk-through of swim in, walk to bike, walk to bike out, then walk from bike in to racking position, then walk to run out.

2.      What gear do you want your bike to be in when you start the bike leg?

3.      Do you have enough water/drinks on your bike all set up?

4.      Do you wear a race belt or safety pin your numbers? Race belt is much easier but not necessary. Do you wear your race number under your wetsuit?

5.      Things that aid wetsuit removal:

a.      Opening the neck of your wetsuit and letting in a slosh of water just before you exit the swim.

b.     Getting your arms out and the top down as soon as you can.

c.      Baby oil on your wrists, calves, ankles +/- over the top of these parts of your wetsuit before you swim – but take baby wipes to clean your hands after doing this!

d.     Getting to know how your wetsuit Velcro/zip functions

6.      In T1:

a.      Where’s your helmet? Make it impossible to run off with your bike WITHOUT your helmet on! So, for example put it on handlebars, tribars, or on top of bike shoes.

b.     Open up bike shoes (or trainers if you aren’t clipping in) in advance.

c.      Shoes attached to bike or not? That’s a whole separate post! Just do what you are comfortable with, and what you’ve practised.

d.     Talcum powder in shoes helps dry feet off and easier to put shoes on (same for T2)

e.      Socks or no socks? If you go for socks, again talc in socks works well. Same applies for run.

7.      Exiting T1:

a.      Moving with your bike – think about how you’re holding it. Safety, control, comfort are all factors here.

b.     How will you get on your bike? Look around you and behind you before you do!

8.      T2:

a.      Prepare yourself for dismount.

b.     Be aware of those around you – look and stay safe.

c.      Again – socks or no socks? Your choice – practise whatever you choose, and consider your goals when deciding. Personally, no socks for me for anything standard distance or shorter, but that’s ME. You do YOU!

d.     Don’t forget to take your helmet off!

9.      Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to do something new on race day that you’ve not a) done before in a race or b) practised in training!

I asked some of my experienced coached athletes for their transition “top tips” and this is a few that they came up with:

“You can improve T1 & T2 in the same way as the other disciplines – practice, practice, practice”

“Start simply and build from there – focus on making your process repeatable and smooth”

“Practise with friends, it’s good fun 😊”

“Be open to explaining why you do what you do in transition and ask the same of others. Often the simplest change in approach reaps the best results”

“Best change I ever made was to run holding saddle not handlebars so more upright. Or stem. Massive difference and can look around and breathe!”

“I have always covered my running shoes with shower caps for middle distance when threat of rain”

“You don’t need to spend time thoroughly drying in between your toes, applying lip balm and putting on gloves for the bike in T1 for a sprint (or Olympic!) It never occurred to me that these weren’t particularly necessary when I started out!”

“Make sure you know where your bike is!!! I’ve spent time walking up and down looking for mine!”

Hopefully this hasn’t opened up too much of a can of worms, but has encouraged you to think a little bit more about transitions consciously as part of your races. Working on your transitions will help you enjoy your race more and save you time, stress and effort.