Transition clinic this Sunday

A good T1/T2 will save you more time in a race than most people can save from a month of swim practice, yet so few people treat it like the 4th discipline of triathlon, and practice, practice, practice.

This Sunday, 21st August, see's a chance to come learn and practice after the shop ride. My transition times for T1/T2 are inevitably less than a minute, in these pictures that's me mounting my bike in a duathlon back in 2002; the 2nd picture by Tom Marek, is of Michelle Garel, formerly Jack and Adams, and current J&A Race team member about to dismount, and the perfect transition set-up is from my friend Jen Mathe.

Sundays Transition Clinic will be in Butler Park, the other side of the railway tracks from the shop, starting at 11:15 and running through until everyone has had a chance to try both mount and dismount, ask questions etc.

This time, after feedback from the prior clinics, I will have a handout of key tips for attendees. See you there! ++Mark.

Transition clinic this Sunday

Shop ride Sundays: It's April, change is in the air!

So, we've got a lot of change for April with Spring coming, time to get your year planner out and the yellow highlight marker...

First up, after this Sundays shop ride, I will be in Butler park, the other side of the railway bridge, to give a transition clinic. I'll run through it a few times to allow riders from the no-drop, intermediate and advanced groups to take part. There is no set time, but I'll be riding with the no-drop this week so I can get back early and get set-up. We'll have a couple of transition racks and I'll take you through both basic and advanced transition.

I'll be giving you a chance to practice everything a few times, bring running shoes as well if you want but we'll be on grass! So, no matter what level of experience you have come along and learn some tips and tricks that will help you save vital time in transition, I usually exit both T1/T2 in under a minute, sometimes in as little as 35-seconds...

Next, there are a lot of changes to the schedule this month. Here it is. Please pass it on so we don't have people showing up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

3rd Jacks famous no-drop ride; Intermediate and Advanced will do hills. We leave promptly at 8:30 from the shop.

10th NO SHOP RIDE - we don't plan any rides for today, come do the Round Rock Express ride instead, and many will be down in Galveston take part in the 70.3 race.

17th No Drop ride only - for those of you not doing the Rookie Triathlon, I will be at the shop to run the no-drop ride, we don''t plan any other rides. Zac will be around if anyone wants to come do a pick-up ride based on who shows up.

24th It's Easter. No Steiner Ride today, moved to May 1st. Definitely No-drop, Intermediate and advanced, destination/length etc. tbc. Ride location the shop, start time 8:30

1st May Steiner Ride - Shiner GASP special edition. We will be riding out from the Steiner Ranch Steak House, starting prompt at 8:30 for no-drop, intermediate and advanced. The good folks from the Spoetzl Brewery will bring along some free beer, the Shiner GASP century is the following Saturday(7th) and one of my personal favorites.

So, thats it for this week. Lots to do, hopefully I'll see lots of you on Sunday for the transition clinic or on the ride. Make sure you make a note of the ride changes, no last minute txt messages asking me where things are... (you know who you are...) ++Mark.

Shop ride Sundays: It's April, change is in the air!

Shop ride Sundays: NW, Hills and South

This week is one of those rare times we will be all going our own way. I'll be taking the no-drop ride South, 10-miles out, 10-miles back; The Tempo Multisport Intermediate group will be doing the popular Hill Climbing/Descending clinic; and Zac will be taking the Advanced group NW for a longer ride with hills.

But we are not done there. As always there will be Taco deli tacos afterwards, and cold water. This week I'll be doing a repeat of my transition clinic post-ride to practice for Jacks Generic Triathlon.

We'll go through the basics over in Butler Park and you'll have a chance to practice mounts and dismounts. You can then try out some of the speed tricks like mounting with your shoes already in the pedals, I'll also explain what not to do so you don't end up like this fool.

Yes, after 10-years of lightening fast transitions, I made a stupid mistake at last years Marble Falls triathlon, no harm done. So bring running shoes, hats even a towel if you want. At last weeks Couples Triathlon my T1 time was 1:32 including the run up the hill, and my T2 time 1-minute...

Photo by Kevin Saunders of KGS Bikes, San Antonio.

Shop ride Sundays: NW, Hills and South

Shop ride Sundays: Transition redux

We had fun running around and practicing transitions in Butler Park after last Sundays shop ride. The chance to try things on grass helped hugely to work out how to cut valuable time, good luck to everyone doing CapTex Tri on Monday, I'll be there to yell at you if you are taking too long ;-)

My key point is simply this. If I told you I could cut 2-minutes from your swim time with just an hour’s practise, you’d bite my hand off, how many people have ever spent a whole our practising transitions though ?

Back in 2001, I was fortunate enough to be able to take part in the ITU Triathlon World Championships. I was a mediocre swimmer, an overweight cyclist and a poor runner. What was a boy to do? Make sure I gained as much time as possible with a fast transition.

Since that event I’ve honed my skills in transition to the point where I’m disappointed if I’m not in the top-10 for T1 and T2 at a race, including the pro's/elites. So, how do you do it?

Wetsuit – yes, they do make you more buoyant; many wear them because everyone else does. Does the time it takes you to get it off outweigh the benefit? If you don’t have to wear it, think, really, honestly, do you need it? If you do, practise getting it off. The best place to do this isn’t in T1, strip to the waist while running to T1, then find somewhere on the side of a path where you can safely step out of the legs before you get to your transition spot.

Don’t clutter your transition area. Take just what you really need, a clean transition is a clean mind, have what you need, use what you have. If you have to pack a suitcase to take to transition, please don’t leave it there. Work out your race plan before the race; take everything else back to the car!

Practice getting your helmet on and off. Make sure before you leave it to go to the swim start that you’ve tried it on, that the straps are untangled and ready to go. If you can’t do it up with your eyes closed you have not practiced enough. Don’t “faff” around trying to put your sunglasses on, put them in your teeth and go, plenty of time to look cool!

Practice running with your bike. At CapTex Tri, you could end up having to run nearly 150 yards before the mount point. A simple mistake that many people make is they run the wrong side of their bike; they run holding the bike the wrong way. You should run holding the bike only by the saddle.

If you are right handed, hold the rear of the saddle with your right hand and run on the left of the bike. If left handed, hold the saddle with left hand and run on the right of the bike. Hold the saddle loosely, keep your shoulders relaxed. No holding the handlebars; holding the handlebars you'll often have to bend, which is clumsy and prone to the front wheel turning; holding the saddle and running, if done correctly, you can steer and recover, holding the handle bars, you often people unable to recover, fall over as the main part of the bike is behind.

Running mounts/dismounts. This is where you’ll spend 45-minutes of your hour practice.

• Put bike in easy gear
• Mount the shoes in the pedals· Make sure the pedals/shoes are parallel to the ground, left food forward
• Loop a small elastic band through the rear heel tab on your shoes. If you don't have a rear heel tab you can either buy much longer bands and hook them under Look cleats or find some other place to connect the band to the shoe
• Fasten the other end of the band for the left shoe around the downtube, probably on the front gear mech.
• Fasten the right shoe to the rear gear mech. or around the lug on the rear stays etc.)
• When you arrive in transition, helmet on, number belt on, grab the bike and run on the left side of the bike holding the saddle with your right hand - to make this easier I always rack my bike by the bars and NOT the saddle. Many smaller bikes, and bikes with front-mounted aero bottles can't be mounted by the bars.
• When you are past the mount line get your stride ready and in one swift move place your left hand on the bars and your left foot on the front pedal
• A fraction of a second later swing your right leg around the back wheel and saddle and onto the right pedal, releasing your right hand from the saddle and grasp the bars(see the picture in blog entry from April, my right hand is still on the saddle for control when the right leg is already on its way around to the pedal)
• Once your foot is on the right pedal start pedaling.... the bands will snap - you need to do this fast enough so you don't wobble and fall off!
• Pedal down the road until you get to at least 16MPH, at a safe point reach down put your left foot in the shoe
• Pedal again to regain momentum
• When safe reach down and put your right foot in and you are done.

Coming back in is basically the opposite....

• Well before the dismount line, remove your right foot from the shoe, keep pedalling with the right foot on top of the shoe
• Remove your left foot from the shoe
• Pedal to the dismount line and just before getting there swing your right foot over the crossbar
• Standing on your left foot and gliding in with your right foot tucked behind your left...
• When you get to the dismount line, drop your right foot, then your left
• Let go of the bars with your right hand, grab the saddle
• Let go with your left hand and run holding the saddle...

Practice this on a field somewhere until you can do it perfectly and then try it in the car park of an office or out-of-town shopping center car park at night after its closed.... no one will see you if you fall off or trip! You don't need a transition rack, a bucket, chair or stool will be fine just to keep your bike upright!

I've saved more time by practising this than I have after 3-years of swim training.

Shop ride Sundays: Transition redux

Shop ride Sundays: It's all about Transitions

If I told you I could save you 2-mins off your swim time with 30-mins practice, you'd bite my hand off to find out how. Bring your transition gear to this sundays shop ride, including run shoes and hat. My transition times at last w/e Texas State Sprint Tri were 47 and 43 seconds and in both cases included a 50m or so run.

We've two Transition practice and Q/A sessions scheduled as part of the shop rides in April and May. The first one this week will be at the shop after everyone else has left and will be at the basic level. The 2nd session in May will be advanced and cover running mounts/dismount. There will be some simple practice sessions and then we will ride. Those not wanting to do the transition sessions will leave at 8:30 as normal. A shorter ride will follow the transition session for those that take part. Mark C.

Shop ride Sundays: It's all about Transitions

Getting In and Out of Your Wetsuit

Are you ready to try on your first wetsuit? Maybe you’d like to upgrade from a long john (sleeveless) to a full suit (one with sleeves)? Whether you’re trying on your first wetsuit in the shop or prolonging the life of your wetsuit by taking proper care of it, the process getting into and taking off a wetsuit is the most common time when it can be damaged. Knowing how to perform these processes properly and practicing them frequently will save you from frequent repairs or replacements and can also speed up your transition time.

Note: Sharp objects can penetrate the rubber of your performance wetsuit. Long fingernails and other sharp objects could make small cuts in the surface of your wetsuit if caution is not exercised. These small cuts are not covered under the manufacturer warranty and are the responsibility of the owner. When trying on a wetsuit, it is best to clip fingernails or be especially aware of your nails.

GETTING IN THE WETSUIT

1. Step into the wetsuit with the zipper facing behind you.
2. Pull the legs of your wetsuit about 1-2 inches above your ankle
3. Raise the wetsuit up to around your waist. Work the wetsuit rubber towards your crotch area until the air pockets have disappeared. For an ideal fit, the wetsuit should feel snug and tight around the waist and legs.
4. Lift the wetsuit up around your arms or shoulders depending on the wetsuit model.
5. For a full suit, pull the sleeves 1-2 inches above watch or wrist area. When pulling on the sleeves, pull the rubber between the elbow and the shoulder.
6. To maximize range of motion and comfort in the water, it will be important to take your time fitting the arms. Point your arms to the sky and start working the wetsuit material towards your shoulder. The wetsuit fit is correct when there is no gap between the wetsuit and your arm pit. Excess rubber should reside about the shoulder. Repeat for both arms.
7. Have a second person zip and secure the collar. Ask the person assisting you to be careful that the zipper does not catch in the protective back flap. Having another person secure the beck mechanisms will prolong the life of the rubber and help prevent your zipper from getting stuck in the closed position.
8. The wetsuit should feel tight around your neck causing the wetsuit to move with the neck. If the neck moves freely inside of the wetsuit, readjust the collar. If you choose to use lubrication products, make sure it is a non-petroleum based product.
9. A proper fitting wetsuit should feel almost uncomfortably tight out of the water. The suit will naturally expand and become more comfortable once in the water and in a proper swimming position.
   

GETTING OUT OF THE WETSUIT

The key to a quick transition is being relaxed and using controlled movements while removing the wetsuit. Extra force will only slow this process.

1. Begin by releasing the Velcro closure on your collar. Take the opposite hand and slowly use the rip cord to pull down the wetsuit. Imagine that you are unzipping your wetsuit in slow motion. Fast, uncontrolled jerks will add time to this process and only slow your transition.
2. Start to turn the wetsuit inside out. This entire process can be completed while you are exiting the water and finding your bike in transition. Your wetsuit should be rolled down and hanging off your waist by the time you reach your bike rack.
3. When taking off the bottom portion of the wetsuit, remember to use your arms. Do not use opposite legs to take off the wetsuit. Standing on the wetsuit could cause pavement, sand or any other surface to puncture the wetsuit.
   

If you have questions about wetsuit fit, putting on or taking off your wetsuit, come by the shop and talk to our staff. We are happy to share with you any tricks of the trade we’ve learned!

Getting In and Out of Your Wetsuit

Transition Times

At first glance this may look like a random shot of a transition mid-race. If you look closely in the middle of this picture you will see an athlete sitting down on the ground.

Who might this unknown athlete be? It appears to be some engineer who signed up for the 2000 Trilogy Triathlon a mere week before because he and his friend thought it would be fun. They had fun but with only one swim and one run in "training", these two warriors were pretty tired during the race.

The unknown guy in the picture above sat down in both T1 & T2, as did his friend. In T1 he put on a bike jersey and gloves. In T2 he swapped his bike jersey for a t-shirt and added Umbros to be sure nobody spotted him running in bike shorts.

When a fellow athlete came running into transition she mentioned that she wished she had time to sit down and he jokingly replied, "Why not, you can too." After all, there was plenty of space.

His wife, who was too scared to attempt a triathlon without knowing how to swim, sat by the side and captured this picture. She got up enough courage to try one a year later.

As I'm sure you might have guessed these two have done a few triathlons since then. By 2004 the couple had each finished an Ironman, but some things did not change. In transition of his first Ironman the husband sat down to chat with one of his co-workers, who was also entered in the race. After a few minutes of discussing the swim they realized they still had a long race ahead of them so left left transition and continued on their way to their Ironman finish.

For the record, this unknown guy does go through transitions quickly at times. After all, he and his wife have finished within seconds of each other in multiple races, transitions do matter sometimes.

I've heard stories of people taking a nap in transition or visiting the medical tent before continuing on.

What about you... do you have any humorous transition stories? Have you ever spent a long time in transition?

-Michelle

Transition Times