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Transistion Tips

My first tri creeps ever closer (this sat) and to be honest I had a look at the prev year times and I wish I hadn't.



Looks like I can gain some decent time in the transitions. So who's got some good ol' fashioned advice out there???



Some pre-nerves advice would be good as well......

Comments

  • dont be nervous. death is a certainty :D



    I head a few tips, lube up the exit holes on your wetsuit with vaseline (apparantly stops chafing and makes exit somewhat easier), talcum powder on your feet, socks and trainers apparantly make T1 easier. If your like me and someone needs to tell you this final piece of advice, its probably best you dont go :P



    Make sure your shoes are untied BEFORE you leave for the swim, coming out the water fishheaded and trying to undo your shoelaces = fail.

  • gingertrigingertri Posts: 277
    i use body butter (from the body shop) on the wrists and ankles, seems to work for me (sounds kinky i know, but found it on an american tri forum once)! just stay calm when you first get into the water and enjoy! oh and good luck
  • jon_gjon_g Posts: 318
    dont put vaseline on your wetsuit! it'll ruin it! use baby oil or body glide. anything that is not petroleum based. think benny uses olive oil!
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    I suspect baby oil is petroleum based..could be wrong might be mineral oil. Anyhoo I would say ..practice, layout your stuff as you think fit, run around a bit, get a little stressed & flustered & run breathless to your layout & try it out. Simple stuff is what you forget...well I do, like the open shoes to get feet in, bike or run shoes (even with elastic laces, wet feet take some persuasion), helmet open side up & straps open layed either side, I wear glasses so they are open in the middle of my helmet, number belt open & ready to clip on, bike in low gear, something to stand on towel or mat to wipe grit & stuff off feet..ummm there must be more.
  • clarkey30clarkey30 Posts: 270
    Baby oil is petroleum based and will ruin your suit!]



    Shadowdown1 what i did was to buy a blue crate box to keep everything if. A bright coloured towel talcom powder.



    When you get to your bike get everything out and place the box at the rear of your section alongside the bike. Load your bike with everything you need. Lay the towel out so you can see where your bike is easily then place your trainers and cycle shoes on it, set up ready to just put on. Put your helemt and race belt on the bike ready to grab.



    When youve finished the swim throw the wetsuit in the box then run through how youve laid everything out.



    Thats what i do anyway.
  • FlavadaveFlavadave Posts: 749
    Being new to all this myself (no actual experience) I'm all theory... here's my tuppence worth ripped off from this forum, magazines and other websites.



    Never try something new on race day and make sure you've practised getting out of your wetsuit and running with the bike.



    Don't overcomplicate things. Do you need to wear socks? But see point one on practising this first. Last thing you need are blisters



    Lots of suggestions abound on fixing your bike shoes to your pedals and coasting out of T1 with your feet on top of your shoes, then as you cycle along put your feet in. Again this needs practice but I'm not sure I'll do this one myself. Might save that for next year.



    Go with a tri suit under your wetsuit. Putting clothes on a wet body is apparently harder than you think!



    Small items can be attached to the bike including gels, your sunglasses tucked under a cable, make sure your bottle is in the cage and get yourself a saddle bag for spare tube, levers, CO2 cannister and the like.



    Plan your route. That is give yourself plenty of time to familiarise yourself with the exit from the water and where your bike is. I once spent 2 hours trying to find my car at Stanstead airport! Don't plan on doing that again.



    Give elastic laces a go and talcum powder in the shoes.



    Finally, don't panic and remember that helmet must go on before you even touch your bike otherwise you may be disqualified!



    In summary

    IronJohn wrote:


    T1: Helmet, shoes, glasses, go.

    T2: Helmet off, shoes on, go.



    Why make it harder than it needs to be? [:)]





  • ScibbyScibby Posts: 55
    I found youtube quite helpful on this. Loads of vids there (including some really annoying american accents!) Here's one in a series that I found useful...



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e19fN9FdWbw



  • Jelly legsJelly legs Posts: 278
    Cycle and run the course if possible.



    Its amazing what you can acheive if you do these simple steps, you will know when to push, when hills are coming and and dangerous corners etc.



    I've never done an iron man but for sprint distances this is relativly simple.



  • Jelly legsJelly legs Posts: 278
    T1: Helmet, shoes, glasses, go.

    T2: Helmet off, shoes on, go.






    Helmet, shoes, glasses, DRINK, go !!





    Always have two bottles of drink for the transitions, take on as much as you can before you go.
  • jon_gjon_g Posts: 318
    having never used baby oil i stand corrected! humble apologies one and all! [:)]
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    Shadowone1, adorable dog, my friend!



    I think maybe try not to wig out too much with the times if it's your first tri. Theres some great advice on here but I reckon that you should just get out there and have fun first and foremost. That is why we all do this, after all. You can work on times for your next race. And there WILL be a next race, 'cause sure as eggs is eggs, you'll be hooked! Good luck for sat!
  • treefrogtreefrog Posts: 1,242
    use body glide, memorise the entrance and exit (know it in your sleep), arrange your kit crate in a logical order, warm kit for going home, tie a flag on the fence
  • gaterz1981gaterz1981 Posts: 233
    Practice laying your gear out, towel on the floor just to shuffle your feet on as you put helmet on. This prevents any grit rubbing feet later. Plenty of videos and tips out there but you'll find your own way.
  • FlavadaveFlavadave Posts: 749
    Brilliant, love it Conehead, the last two properly cracked me up!



    Can't wait for my first tri now! I'm gonna be like a headless chicken (I've got the chicken legs already)
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    jon_g wrote:


    dont put vaseline on your wetsuit! it'll ruin it! use baby oil or body glide. anything that is not petroleum based. think benny uses olive oil!

    Olive oil is great: won't harm your wetsuit, is cheap compared to 'special' productssoldin sport stores, every triathlete should have this in his kitchen andit tastes great![:D]
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Jesster wrote:


    Shadowone1, adorable dog, my friend!



    I think maybe try not to wig out too much with the times if it's your first tri. Theres some great advice on here but I reckon that you should just get out there and have fun first and foremost. That is why we all do this, after all. You can work on times for your next race. And there WILL be a next race, 'cause sure as eggs is eggs, you'll be hooked! Good luck for sat!





    He is a superb dog.... funnily enough he is called shadow.....



  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    jon_g wrote:


    Olive oil is great: won't harm your wetsuit, is cheap compared to 'special' productssoldin sport stores, every triathlete should have this in his kitchen andit tastes great![:D]

    [/quote]



    Are you suggesting Olive Oil can be used ain place of an energy gel afterwards?



    Seriously, this is fantastic, I'm hopefully goin to be able to learn from this - forewarned may be fore armed but only if you learn from it... i can see myself falling off the bike then running in shoes, then starting the run with gel on my face and the bike helmet still on...oh dear
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    Three tips:



    1 - don't rush. Never has the phrase 'less haste, more speed' been more appropriate than in a triathlon transition.

    2 - Keep it simple - you'll see the pros doing things like taking their wetsuit off at the same time as buckling their helmet - and leaving their shoes in their bike peddles. Don't bother - you'll end up falling over

    3 - Rememeber where your stuff is. This is the single biggest thing that will cost you time, imho. I actually ran to the wrong bike once because it was the same colour as mine and they had a similar helmet. I find the best way is to walk to your bike a couple of times when you have set it up. Remember exactly what is in front of you and use this as a marker.



  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    pour some talc powder behind your bike 'by accident'.

    Works a sweet, until now, since everyone will do it.
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    Have a good sit down, think about what you are doing - swimming, then cycling, then running - and make your best attempt to prepare accordingly by thinking it through. Then you will know WHY you are doing various things, rather than just because somebody on a forum said so.



    Most importantly, my tip for a speedy transition: get out there and cock a few up during race conditions to learn where you, personally, keep falling over/spilling stuff/falling off/getting lost etc etc.



    Really, practice makes perfect, where practice = racing.
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