It was pointed out to me that not everyone understands “tri speak”. This means that from time to time I will step back and try to translate what I am saying. Today’s funny word is: TRANSITION. Transition, with regards to being in a triathlon, is when you switch from one discipline to another.
An article on Triathlete.com had said this about it, “A smooth, quick transition can make a big difference in a race that comes down to the wire”. Professional triathletes and hard core amateurs will meticulously plan their transitions. Doing everything they can to shave seconds from their time. For the record, this statement does not apply to me. For me the main focus of transition is making sure I am prepared for the next leg of the race and minimize the chance of injury.
In a triathlon, there are two transitions that you go through. The first is the change from swimming to cycling and the second is from cycling to running. Depending on the race course these transitions can both be in the same location or they can be in different places. I prefer to have them all in the same place because it makes it easier to set up for the race and also easier to leave afterwards. Separate locations tend to be a little more frequent in longer races than in short course events (Yay, go me!!). Regardless of which type it is you are going to be dealing with you simply need to plan your race. The bare minimum you need to have waiting when you come out of the water are shoes, a bicycle and a helmet but trust me few more things would be better. Beyond that it becomes about comfort and safety. These days I do the swim wearing tri shorts, think bicycle shorts but with much less padding and for cold water swims a wetsuit over that. I keep a towel for a quick dry down, hanging on my bike because it makes a getting shirt on easier and a little more comfortable. I am a HUGE fan of shirts during events. This will help minimize sun burns and to protect any spectators that are there from being blinded the large amounts of VERY pale skin on my torso. The towel also helps to do a quick wipe down of the feet before putting socks on. This way I don’t end with small bits of debris that can cause major problems down the road. With regards to socks – I am a HUGE fan of them and like the high-quality running socks. Blisters are a major problem for me any time I go beyond about 4 miles if I do not have good socks. They also help to deaden a little of the jarring that comes with weighing 250lbs. A good number of racers will use specialized cycling shoes that attach to the pedals of the bike when they do events. My budget being what it is I just use the shoes I am going to run in.
DO NOT SKIMP ON THE HELMET!! You may never crash but if you do it can save your life. I personally know 3 people who would have died or suffered SEVERE head trauma without their helmets. With regards to the bike itself this where the sport can get crazy expensive. I have been in transition with bikes that cost more than my first two cars – combined. This has triggered many Sesame Street moments for me when I realized my $300 mountain bike was sandwiched between $4000 tri bikes. Just so you know in my universe a Sesame Street moment is when I hear the song “One of these things is not like the others”. I get those all the time and I am really considering a Cookie Monster cycling jersey at some point in my future but I digress (SQUIRREL!!). Do not forget hydration, a water bottle cage, with a full bottle, can improve your whole day and keep you out of the medical tent – spoiler alert, we will talk about this again.
My frugality when it comes to the bike does save me time when I come in for the second transition. I rack my bike, take off the helmet and stagger off for the run course. Of course, the frugality on the bike does translate into some extended cycle times. There is a reason that the ½ Iron Man level events do not have mountain bike divisions – once again a story for another day. At some point I will have a more in depth discussion about the gear involved in a triathlon but for now I think I will stop here. I think I have been confusing enough for one day.
Back of the Parade 