Whether you’re new to triathlon and figuring out where to begin or a seasoned pro trying to change things up, this one’s for you.
After being burning out from marathons in the fall of 2016, a friend suggested I consider completing a triathlon. This is where some of you ask, what is a triathlon? Good question. It’s a race made up of a swim, a bike and a run. And I figured as long as I could learn to properly swim and get a hold of a bike, I could probably complete one.
So, I started to do my research. What type of equipment would I need for a triathlon? It didn’t take me long to discover that triathlons are 1. expensive and 2. not easy to understand as a beginner. Running was simple. You buy a pair of shoes, you find a decent training plan and you run; one foot in front of the other.
Triathlon was different. Aside from the insane amount of equipment (I mean, we are talking three totally different sports here), there was a whole lingo to this sport that I didn’t understand. How do I speak this language and what does it all mean? Once I figured out what everything meant, my biggest question was, “Okay, I understand I need a transition area but how do I set it up?”
I began to do some research and quickly found myself overwhelmed. Pinterest was a valuable resource but every blogger had various articles about triathlon and even transition areas but few of them actually showed you HOW to set up your transition area. I went through so much trial and error. Ha! I wish you guys could have seen me at my first triathlon. Gawking would be the perfect description. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing, except me! I observed and took note of as much as humanly possible. But here’s the good news. You’re not going to start out perfectly and that’s okay! Here are my tips for setting up your transition area. Feel free to use whatever you like!
- Pack a sports bag or backpack with all of your transition area items and walk to your designated transition area. Some races have this listed specifically by bib number (#17), some have general areas (#11-20) and others are a free for all so figure out how your race is set up.
- Rack your bike in the designated area. Ensure that your water bottles are filled and secure on your bike. Place your helmet on the bars of your bike with the opening facing up and chin-strap laid out.
- Place a large towel (folded) or a transition mat on the ground beside your racked bike.
- Lay out your items in order of when you will need to use them. For example, your cycling items towards the front of your mat and your running items at the back.
- Bring only what you need! The last thing you want is to be fumbling around items that aren’t necessary. It just wastes time.
- Once your transition area is set up TAKE A PICTURE OF IT. That way, when you go to prepare for the next race you know what you brought with you to the last race and more importantly what worked and what didn’t.
- Take your empty sports bag back to the car until the race is over and you need to pack everything up. No need to have it take up space!
Transition Area Items
- Cycling Shoes and Socks – place these at the front of your mat with the straps open and a sock laid on each shoe.
- Race Bib – place your bib next to your cycling shoes or on your helmet. I use a Race Bib Belt rather than safety pins. It saves my clothes and it’s way quicker. Every second counts in transition!
- Sunglasses – I always, always, always use sunglasses during a race not only to protect my eyes from the sun but also from debris that you may encounter on the bike course. My personal favorite Tifosi Wisp.
- Hand Towel – I like to have a hand towel ready just in case I need to wipe my feet off from the swim before putting on my cycling shoes. I also hate wet socks.
- Running Shoes – place these in the middle of your mat with laces undone or extended. I finally switched to Lock Laces and they saved me so much time.
- Water Bottle – I like to keep an additional water bottle at my transition area. That way, if I run out of water on the bike, I have something to fall back on and I don’t waste time stopping at aid stations on the run.
- Additional Clothes – if you don’t wear a tri suit, you’ll want to lay out additional clothes such as a shirt/jersey or shorts to put on over your swimsuit.
- Fuel – I like to place my race fuel at the back of my mat. Here are my go-to’s:
Justin’s Honey Almond Butter Packets
GoGo SqueeZ Applesauce Pouches
That’s it! It seems like a lot. It might even be overwhelming at first but again, take this one step at a time. Know that you aren’t the only one. We’ve all been beginners at some point. Learn from everyone and everything that you can. Use what you like and ignore what you don’t, but most of all, HAVE FUN!
If you have other suggestions or things that worked for you, I’d love to hear them!
