T1

After all that hard work in the water your ready to get on your bike and start making up some ground on your buddies who just seem to swim like fish….  How to make up those minutes you lost in the swim without breaking a sweat….  The art of transition…

You can save or make up time by being efficient during this small break of the race.

Planning and practice, have you gear laid out in the order which is easiest to put on.

Are you racing in a wetsuit?  Yes, 
You can save time by already having your shirt on under your wetsuit. This step alone will save you minutes,  try to put on a nylon riding shirt while your dry, easy… takes seconds… try it wet… you may pull a muscle trying to get that arm through the hole…. And maybe take up to 3 minutes… that is a lot of time to waste and a ton of frustration

Getting out of the water…  as soon as you break the surface of the water and start to run up the platform, start taking your suit off, with today’s Tri suits, you can have your zipper down in seconds… get your arms out while your still wet… I hope you put on body glide… this will make it even easier… get to your T1 area, find your bike and get your suit off… if your good at it you can stand, if not… set down and finish getting the suit off.

Personal prefrence will dictate the order in which you put your bike gear on.

Here is my sequence.

Wetsuit off, helmet on, grab my bike and run for the mount area.

After about 100 hours of practice, I have found this one is the fastest for Sprints and Olympic distance races. For Ironman distances,

I slow down and take my time… 6 hours or 12 hours, what is a few minutes….  Could mean a trip to KONA… but that is for later.

For those new to the sport,

Get out of the water and get　your suit off…  set down and take your time, don’t rip your wetsuit, they cost to much…

Ok, now we start putting your bike gear on.
Sun glasses… first… why?  Eye protection on the street is a must. Almost all organizations insist that you have your glasses under your chin strap (safety rule)

Helmet, any good helmet will work, you don’t need the aero style, a mountain bike one will work just fine.
Have it adjusted to your head before you start the day.
Get it on and hook up the strap…

If you’re new, your shoes will come next, be it running shoes or bike specific clip in type shoes.

Running shoes first, if you are going to use this type of shoe, be sure your laces are tucked out of way the chain rings. (safety issue)
You can use a quick draw type of shoe string if you want to save time, more on this in the run section.

Clip in bike shoes, two ways to go,

First is set down and put on some socks and then your shoes and you done. It is hard to run or walk in your bike shoes.

Second is to have your shoes already on the bike.
This is fastest and maybe hardest way at first to transition.
With practice though, it is the smartest and fastest way to get to the bike.

Using a few small rubber bands for keeping your shoes level, while you run for the mount line. Then jump on your bike cowboy style and off your go, remember to adjust your straps after you get going.

So we have made it through T1… wow that was easy…
Remember to practice this many times a week during your training.

Setting up your T1 & T2 areas

Most races will have both in the same place, some will be point to point races

Will stick with combined.  Be the race in a pool or open water, T1 will be waiting for you outside the water.

What you might want waiting for you.

• A towel to mark your turf… yes, this is the biggest battle of the day… how much room you get in the area, You have your bike & gear, your running gear, and your wet suit to deal with.

• If you’re an age group racer, meaning old like me (45)… sometimes I need a chair to help me get act together, so a small fold up camping style chair works great.

• Some water to either wash off your face or feet, the ocean likes to come ashore with you. Never assume the race will have showers…

• Snack or drinking water.. Never to early to start your food/drink cycle.

• Spare socks, shoe strings, Cool max hat, and some sun block the makers of body glide have one type with an SPF rating… sun burn is common on race day, prepare, prepare, & prepare