Simplify! Only bring the things you absolutely need to your transition area. Some of these items might include, wetsuit, goggles, swim cap, bike, bike shoes, helmet, extra tubes and CO2, running shoes, hat, race number, and mid-race hydration/food. The list seems pretty long but a lot of these items are put together. For example, bike shoes are already attached to the bike, extra tubes and CO2 are in the bag already attached to the bike, and nutrition is already attached as well. Avoid bringing lots of extra stuff. You should only have the necessities in your transition area.

Organize! Chances are, when you are in the transition area, your brain is already working way too hard. Having a well organized transition area is an absolute must and will ensure faster transition times. Of course the way you organize your space is personal, everyone has their preferences. But there should be some kind of organizational system. I like to keep everything bike-related on my bike and all my run items on the ground next to my bike. That way when I come out of the swim all I have to do is grab my bike and everything I need is already on it. Once I return from the bike I put my bike back and all my run items are right there and I know if I grab everything, I haven’t forgotten anything.

Survey! One of the easiest ways to shave time off your transition is to pay attention to your location in the transition area. Whatever you do, do not tie a balloon or something similar to your transition spot. Yes it helps you find your spot but it is unsafe, and may interfere with another athlete, which could disqualify you from certain events. Instead, look at your surroundings, note where your transition rack is in relation to various trees or other large, immovable objects.

Practice! You want your transitions to be second nature. In order to do so, you need to practice your transitions. Practice your setup and practice the execution numerous times. Get you transition routine ingrained in your head. The more consistent you are and the more you practice, the faster your transitions will be. During practice, experiment with different setup and try new things.

Ditch the socks! This takes some getting used to and it definitely doesn’t work for everyone. Biking and running without socks will save you a significant amount of time in the transition area. As you might imagine, the odds of getting blisters from doing this are pretty good, especially for the first few tries. Try putting baby powder in your running shoes, that tends to help. I would not recommend trying this a few weeks out from a race. If you do get a blister it can make for a painful final few weeks of training.

Written by Jay Pedersen