After locating and setting up my transition area I will walk to the
entrance, and sometimes all the way to the exit of the water, at the
coral. I then walk through it as if I was transitioning. I look for
visual clues to locate my spot. I have also been known to bring
little orange flags (That you can find at the hardware store), but I
haven't had a bike position that's been so hard to find that I felt I
needed them. I run through my bike transition in my head to make sure
that all of my gear is properly laid out. I then walk to where I will
exit and repeat the walk through and mental task into the run.
I may be a little paranoid, but after this walk-through things have
gone really smooth during my races.
Make sure I have my goggles, cap (Wetsuit if I'm using one) and have
removed any unneeded items (shoes, shirt, etc) and head to the water.
If I'm wearing a wetsuit, I may pack some gels on me. I've also seen
people wear their race number under their wetsuit.
Exit the water, remove cap and goggles, (SKIP - if you don't have a
wetsuit) pull down the zipper on the wetsuit as I'm SPRINTING to your
bike. Remove both arms from the wetsuit. Get to my transition area,
throw my goggles onto the towel and just remove my feet from the legs
(Make sure you practice this before the race. Also if you put Body
Glide on your legs, this goes a lot easier.) (END OF SKIP) Rudy Project glasses
on, Rudy Project Syton helmet on, then grab my bike and go. Remember if you get on your
bike without your helmet strapped, it's a disqualification. Put my
shoes on while I'm moving.
End the bike, take my shoes off before I get off the bike, pedal
barefoot, and then dismount in the dismount area. As I run back to my
spot I unstrap my Garmin GPS, so that I can use it for running. Once
I get back to my spot and rack my bike I remove my helmet. Sometimes
I take my glasses off and sometimes I don't depending on the weather.
I slip my feet into my shoes. Before I leave the transition area I
grab my race number and Honey Stinger hat to put on while I'm moving.
Any questions? Hope this helps.
I wish I could of read a step by step account like this before my first race.
There may be ways to tweak my transition area, but after examining
the pros transition areas when I raced at St. Anthony's and racing
for two years, I think I have a pretty good system for the Olympic
and Sprint races. I am always willing to change if if there is
something that might make me faster.
In reality there are only a few things that you NEED in your
transition area. A bike, helmet, running shoes and race number.
Anything beyond this is just to make your race more comfortable, but
it may slow you down.
The first thing I do after finding my spot is to rack my bike. I then
lay down a towel in front of it. I used to use a bucket to wash my
feet. Unless I was running through sand it really didn't do much
because I would continue running in my bare feet before I mounted my
bike.
My shoes are clipped onto my bike and I usually use rubberbands to
keep them from dragging on the ground.
I place my Rudy Project Syton helmet upside down and rest it on my
aero bars. I make sure that it's in a position so I can just flip it
onto my head and buckle it. I rest my Rudy Project Horus glasses with
the glasses facing into the helmet.
I check to make sure that my Garmin Forerunner is set for triathlon
mode. It sits on my bike. I already prefilled my water bottles.
My race number is attached to the bike seat post. I think this is the
most out of the way spot. It's also where I've seen the pros put
their numbers.
On my towel I put my running shoes down. I put some body glide on the outside
of them and also on some spots in them where I've been known to get
blisters. I flip the tongue up and make sure there is a good opening.
I have used three different type of quick lace shoelaces and have yet
to find one that I like better than the others, but I would
definitely recommend these. I lay my race number attached to a race
belt and a Honey Stinger hat above the shoes.
A couple extra things that I put in my transition area. I leave an
extra towel to wipe something off if need be. A few extra Honey Stinger
gel packets, in case I drop some on the bike. Water Bottles
with Gatorade and Water. I usually have an extra pair of shoes in a
backpack nearby (Just in case). I read a story about a pro who showed
up at his transition area to find his shoes missing. I'm not sure if
it would be within the rules to reach into my backpack though.
My next post will be a quick one on the actual transition
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