Quintana Roo’s Jay Prasuhn gives his top 3 tips for a faster triathlon transition setup, shaving minutes off your race time…
Triathlon is a complex and chaotic affair. Athletes don’t just swim, bike, and run. They have to manage transitions, porta-potties, people running in all directions, and family yelling encouragement, all while trying to have their fastest day ever, with every athlete around them trying to do the same. In the end, we’re all racing against the clock, and if we want to perform, it’s worth dedicating a bit of energy and focus to optimizing our transitions. It all counts!
So, how do we make our transitions smoother and faster? It all comes down to preparation. After years of competing and supporting Quintana Roo’s pro athletes, I’ve seen and experienced what works and what doesn’t. I’ll give you three easy tips for what you need and what you don’t, how to find your bike more easily, and set up at the rack so you can exit the water, and swiftly transition from swim to bike, then bike to run with minimal chaos.
1. Focus on Simplicity
When it comes to transition, my mantra is always: keep it simple. At its core, triathlon is really quite simple: swim, put on your bike shoes and helmet, go for a bike ride, then put on your running shoes and run hat or visor, and go for a run. So why, oh why, do we always see people coming into transition with… chairs? Water-filled bins to rinse feet? Do we really need all this? If we’re trying to go as fast as possible, no.
Remember, this is a race, and while some triathletes may want to take their time and be comfortable, we must also remember to be considerate of the limited space in transition. Leave the creature comforts like a chair and rinse bins (which really don’t belong within a race venue) at home. Those things may make sense at the lake in practice, but not on race day, and not in a tight transition area.
Always keep simplicity in mind when setting up a transition area. Some bigger events may have you pack all of your gear into separate bike and run transition bags. But the principles of simplicity always apply. The less you have the deal with, the faster you’ll get in and out.
2. Use a Distinct and Visible Towel
When we come out of the water, it’s pure chaos. You might be disoriented, your heart will be racing, and you have to run (sometimes gingerly across a rocky parking lot or cold, wet grass) to your bike in the rack while simultaneously thinking about peeling off your Quintana Roo wetsuit and getting on your shoes and helmet. But… where’s your bike? Oh no… where is it?!?!
We’ve seen so many experienced pros run right past their bike, only to have to double back—and that’s in a single-row pro pen! Multiply that confusion by ten when your own Quintana Roo triathlon bike is lost amid a sea of hundreds of other bikes in the age-group general population pen.
Before you come out of the water and head to transition, there are a few things you can focus on that will make T1 smoother. First, find and memorize the row your bike is in. Identify this pre-race, counting down from the transition area entrance—down row one, row two, row three, on the right, halfway down on the left. Before the race, with your bike racked, walk out, walk to the transition exit, then walk back to your bike to count those racks. Then, walk down the aisle to your bike, making note of how far down it is.
Memorizing your bike’s location is essential, but it’s likely not enough when you’re in full race mode and navigating the chaos of race day. This is where a visible cue is key. For me, the best visible cue of your bike’s spot should be your towel. There are always a ton of different towels down, usually white bath towels or multi-colored pool towels. The trick is to make your towel stand out. Lay down a towel that you can visually target. I like using a bright orange or vivid red towel, my special Mickey Mouse towel, or a towel from my favorite sponsor. This should be YOUR towel, instantly recognizable by you. Once you’re running down your aisle, don’t look for your bike, but for your towel. It’ll be much easier to spot in all the craziness.
Some athletes will even bring a Mylar balloon to hang on the rack behind their bike, but be aware: some races prohibit balloons in the transition area. Again, keep it simple, and avoid bringing too much stuff, especially things that can pop and get twisted up in someone else’s bike. The simplest visual cue is a bright and distinctive towel.
3. Plan and Dial in Your Gear Layout
On your towel will be all of your gear for the remaining two disciplines: the bike and run. Since the bike is the first discipline after the swim, place your bike shoes and helmet toward the front.
Bike Gear
You can clip your helmet securely to the aerobars (and keep sunglasses tucked inside), but we DON’T recommend trying to balance it between the aerobars. Without fail, someone will bump into your bike, and your helmet will go tumbling to the ground, or worse, be kicked down the aisle (we’ve seen it happen!). The ultimate frustration would be getting to your bike, ready to go, but being unable to find your helmet.
Bike shoes should be opened for quick, easy access. If you prefer to put socks on during the bike, have them pre-rolled down. Pulling on socks with wet feet can be a bit of a struggle, so rolling them down to nearly the toebox, then rolling them back up your feet, is the fastest way to get them on. This is something easy and worth practicing pre-race so you can execute swiftly on race day.
Depending on the race’s rules, you may have to put your race bib on during the bike. Have this ready on either a snap-on run belt or a pre-tied elastic band. Simply step into the belt (instead of fumbling with snaps with potentially cold fingers). With your shoes on, sunglasses on, and helmet on (and your nutrition and fluids already on the bike), it’s time to do that tap dance out of T1 to the mount line—ready to ride!
Run Gear
Behind your bike shoes and helmet in a tidy row should be your run gear. To one side of the towel: your run shoes (with socks pre-rolled down for quick, easy access). Shoes can either be unlaced or equipped with elastic laces for easy entry. Feel free to add a bit of baby powder to the inside of the shoes. To the other side: your run hat, with a few gels inside that you plan to take with you, and maybe a separate pair of running sunglasses.
As always, if it rains, your bright and distinctive transition towel may get soaked, so take all of these elements and place them into separate “bike” and “run” plastic bags (with the bag mouth open slightly toward you) to ensure they stay dry for quick, easy access in the heat of the race.
There it is: my three easy tips for a speedy transition. Now, you’re ready to race through T1 and T2 and achieve your fastest transition times ever!
