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Triathletes, rejoice! For the first time, USA Triathlon, its elite athletes, and the nation’s most respected coaches share their secrets, strategies, and advice for every stage, every event, and every aspect of the world’s most demanding sport. From training to technique, fueling to recovery, if it’s essential to the sport, it is covered in Complete Triathlon Guide.
In this guide, you’ll find invaluable bike-handling techniques straight from the pros, learn how to assess running form and improve running cadence and stride, troubleshoot your freestyle swim stroke, and shave seconds off starts and transitions. And you’ll go inside the sport for expert instruction and personal insights from triathlon’s biggest names:
Joe Friel
Gordon Byrn
Bob Seebohar
Sage Rountree
Ian Murray
Sara McLarty
Linda Cleveland
George Dallam
Steve Tarpinian
Krista Austin
Iñigo Mujika
Alicia Kendig
Barb Lindquist
Christine Palmquist
Graham Wilson
Jackie Dowdeswell
Jess Manning
Joe Umphenour
Karl Riecken
Katie Baker
Kristen Dieffenbach
Kurt Perham
Mathew Wilson
Michael Kellmann
Mike Ricci
Scott Schnitzspahn
Sergio Borges
Sharone Aharon
Suzanne M. Atkinson
Timothy Carlson
Yann Le Meur
With Complete Triathlon Guide you’ll enhance your training regimen with the most effective workouts, including stage-specific programs for swimming, cycling, and running; programs for strength, flexibility, and endurance; tactics that address individual weaknesses; and advice on tapering to ensure you’re in peak physical condition on race day.
From the latest on equipment and technology to preventing injuries and dehydration, this guide has you covered. Whether you’re gearing up for your first race or you’re a hard-core competitor looking to stay ahead of the pack, Complete Triathlon Guide is the one book you should not be without.
Part I Training
Chapter 1 Developing Your Seasonal Training Plan
Chapter 2 Customizing Training for Specific Groups
Chapter 3 Yoga and Flexibility for Triathletes
Chapter 4 Strength Training for Triathletes
Chapter 5 Training for Triathlon Swimming
Chapter 6 Training for Triathlon Biking
Chapter 7 Training for Triathlon Running
Chapter 8 Recovery and Overtraining
Chapter 9 Exercise Physiology for Triathletes
Chapter 10 The Art and Science of Tapering
Part II Technique
Chapter 11 Bike Handling Techniques from the Pros
Chapter 12 Setting the Perfect Cadence and Stride Rate
Chapter 13 Assessing Your Running Form
Chapter 14 Improving Your Transitions
Chapter 15 Troubleshooting Your Freestyle
Part III Competitive Strategy
Chapter 16 Open Water Race Tactics
Chapter 17 Strategies for Drafting and Non-Drafting Races
Chapter 18 Performance Tips for Any Distance
Chapter 19 Mental Strategies for Training and Racing
Chapter 20 Traveling for Competition
Part IV The Triathlon Lifestyle
Chapter 21 Fitting Triathlon into Busy Lives
Chapter 22 Choosing the Ideal Gear
Chapter 23 Choosing a Coach
Chapter 24 Developing Young Triathletes
Chapter 25 Dealing with Common Injuries
Chapter 26 Nutrition for the Endurance Athlete
Chapter 27 Hydrating During Training and Competition
Chapter 28 Beyond Swim, Bike, Run
Chapter 29 Long-Term Triathlete Development
Linda Cleveland MS, CSCS, is a USA Triathlon LII certified coach and the coach development manager at USA Triathlon. She has a BS degree in exercise fitness management with a minor in health promotion from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh and an MS in exercise and wellness from Arizona State University. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Arizona State University; worked in corporate wellness at Motorola in Phoenix; and coached triathletes, cyclists, and runners since 2004.
Linda has been with USA Triathlon since 2005. As the coach development manager, she is responsible for overseeing a variety of programs in the education department, including coaching certification clinics and curriculum, mentorship opportunities in elite coaching, performance coaching newsletters, USAT University, webinars, and youth clinics. Since joining USAT, she has made the coaching education program one of the most highly regarded in any national governing body. Linda offers high-performance coaches the opportunity to learn what it takes to work with world-class athletes. She has also served as a head coach at several ITU races, including continental cups, world cups, and world championship series races.
Linda keeps her skills fresh by coaching age-group triathletes and training for triathlons herself. Linda resides in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, son, and two big dogs. She enjoys hiking, camping, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, and spending time in the great outdoors.
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is the national governing body for multisport in the United States. The organization serves as the sanctioning authority for more than 3,500 diverse events ranging from grassroots to national championship races across the country. The organization works to create interest and participation in a variety of programs, including camps, clinics, races, and educational opportunities. USA Triathlon’s 140,000-plus members are athletes of all ages, coaches, officials, parents, and fans who strengthen multisport.
On the elite level, USA Triathlon is responsible for the selection and training of teams to represent the United States in international competition, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan Am Games, and Summer Olympic Games. It conducts national camps and clinics and provides coaching education programs.
On the developmental level, USA Triathlon fosters grassroots expansion of the sport, which is facilitated by the sanctioning of age-group events and triathlon clubs. National and regional championships are held for triathletes from ages 7 to 80-plus.
The USA Triathlon mission is to encourage, support, and enhance the multisport experience in the United States while promoting fitness and health through exercise, the spirit of competitiveness, and the pursuit of excellence.
“Complete Triathlon Guide will appeal to beginners, experts, and everyone in between. If you want to get into the sport or improve your performance, this book is for you.”
Bobby McGee-- Olympic Endurance Coach
"Athletes know that recovery can be as important as training. Complete Triathlon Guide covers both . . . and so much more. It is the must-have resource for every triathlete."
Sarah Haskins-- 2010 Winner of Miami International, St. Anthony's, MN LifeTime Fitness, and Chicago Triathlons, 2008 Olympic Team Member (11th Place), 2007 Pan American Games Silver Medalist, 2006 U.S. National Champion
“The breadth of information in Complete Triathlon Guide is unmatched in any other work. If you’re looking for a resource covering triathlon topics not found elsewhere, this book is for you.”
Gale Bernhardt-- 2004 USA Triathlon Men’s and Women’s Olympic Coach
The mechanisms of cornering on the bike
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain.
Cornering on the Bike
You also need to think about actually driving the bike and some of the more dynamic movements you have to make while racing around a course. One of the areas where athletes lose speed is in corners. These athletes lack the knowledge and the confidence to navigate a corner while slowing only slightly and letting their momentum carry them through safely and back up to racing speeds.
There are a few methods of steering a bicycle at race speed. The most common are the lean and the steer. Many variables affect which method you use including road conditions, turn location, entrance speed, and number of other athletes near you as you approach the corner. I will touch on each and how you might practice them.
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain. Also, be one or two steps ahead on the bike course, and shift your bike into the appropriate gear before you head into a corner. You don't want to stand out of a corner either spinning without pressure on the pedals or mashing the gears.
—Sarah Haskins
Lean
The lean is the version most cyclists know and use in higher-speed conditions. This involves leaning the bicycle into the corner as needed, based on the radius of the curve and the speed at which you enter the corner. You will be leaning, but at a slightly lesser angle than the bicycle. For many athletes in mass-start triathlons or other multisport events, the safest method is to pedal normally until you are approximately 70 to 100 yards or meters from the apex of the corner (the center point of the radius, usually). At this point, you will decide if you need to coast or brake before entering the corner. If you need to apply the brakes, do so gradually, and remember your front brake provides most of the power to slow the bicycle. More advanced athletes will remain on the aero extensions (if a nondrafting event), while beginner athletes might sit up and drive from the base bar.
Just as you enter the corner, pedal half a revolution so your outside foot is at the 6 o'clock position, and apply pressure with it toward the ground. This “pushes” the tires down and helps settle the bike. Keep your body equally balanced between the front and back tires. Lean your bike and then your body in sync as needed, and continue to push on that outside foot. Now let the bike roll. (When you brake hard in the corner, you tend to throw the mass of your body forward, and this unsettles the bike and can cause the wheels to come off your chosen line.) As soon as you are clear of the corner, start to straighten the bike, and you can pedal away safely, hopefully without losing too much momentum.
Steer
Once you have mastered the lean and feel comfortable doing it, you need to work on the next progression: the steer. If you have practiced the lean, you will notice a few things. First, you don't actually turn the handlebars much (or thus the front wheel), and second, you are really moving through the corner on a small contact patch of the tire on the outside edge of the tread. This tends to be the preferred method for higher speeds or dry conditions.
When the situation calls for it, you will need to steer the bicycle through the corner. This varies slightly from the method used for the lean. You will set up much the same, but the major difference is that the speed will be lower (think 180-degree turnaround or rain-soaked corner). So, you will start to brake earlier and most definitely will be driving from the base bar (or hoods for a road bike). The outside pedal is still weighted. Now, as you approach the apex of the corner, you will turn the front wheel as needed based on approach speed and radius of the corner. Here is where it gets a little tricky! You will still lean through the corner, but mainly your body is leaning into the apex and the bike is staying more upright. This is not an extreme body lean—think more of “leading” the bicycle a bit. The goal is to keep the bike more upright and thus keep a larger contact patch of the tire on the road. Once you have rounded the corner, you straighten the body and bring the front wheel back in line and
pedal away.
A good skill to practice at low speed in the grass with a few friends is bumping each other from the sides or brushing their rear wheels with your front wheel. This will help you become accustomed to contact between riders so you react calmly to it when it happens in a race.
—Joe Umphenour
Shifting
One of the most frequent questions asked by new athletes is “When do I shift?” This is a tough question to answer. There isn't really a right or wrong time, just the optimal time. A modern racing bicycle has between 18 and 30 available gears and the mechanisms to shift through those gears at the flip of a lever or the push of a button.
The terrain and a rider's output (watts) will dictate when the shift should happen. It's best not to overthink the simple act of shifting, but you should be aware of a few things not to do. First, avoid the cross chain; this is the gearing when the chain is on the biggest (outside) chain ring in the front and the biggest (inside) cog in the rear. A modern bicycle will operate just fine in this gear combination, but it adds undue stress to the drivetrain, and especially the chain itself, increasing wear. The simplest solution is to shift down to the inner chain ring in the front and then shift down two or three cogs in the rear and find a suitable gear ratio with a much better chain line.
The next scenario that is best to avoid is a drastic shift in multiple gears while pedaling under heavy load. Usually when you see an athlete drop a chain off of the front chain ring, it is when he has tried to make a quick multiple-gear change under load; the derailleur tension cannot compensate for the rapid change in chain position, and the chain can drop off the chain ring, falling into the bottom bracket area or toward the outside of the big chain ring. This comes down to the issue of course knowledge, as this situation usually arises when you are caught off guard by a steep climb or sharp curve. It is not always convenient to arrive early or the day before an event, so you have to use your best judgment when navigating the course if the terrain is new to you. The safer option is to be in too easy a gear and keep your cadence a few rpm above your self-selected range, as it is always easier to drop to a harder gear than it is to try to force the chain up the cassette to a very easy gear.
The question also comes up regarding the correct rpm, or cadence, to maintain. Cadence is a very individual metric. Some athletes “mash” the big gears, and others are “spinners” who ride at a very high cadence. In many instances, these athletes get around the course quickly and are still able to run well off the bike. Experience has shown that the sweet spot in cadence likely falls from the high 70s to the low 100s, with most folks falling very near 90 rpm. For more info on the optimal cadence, see chapter 12.
While racing in triathlon, I mentally check my cadence every 5 miles [8 km] on the bike. It is important to keep a higher cadence while on the bike to lessen muscular fatigue before heading out onto the run course. If you slow your cadence down too much, it can greatly affect your run performance.
—Sarah Haskins
Braking
Most of this chapter is spent covering topics to make you go faster on the bicycle. But the truth is, sometimes proper braking will yield overall faster bike splits. It's important for an athlete to understand when to brake (such as before a tight turn) and then accelerate out of the turn. It is also important for the athlete to know how to brake downhill, feather the front brake, and apply consistent pressure on the back brake with your weight shifted back. Remember, momentum on a bicycle is hard to get but easy to keep, so if a rider is smart with her application of brakes at strategic times, she will lose less overall speed and maybe avoid a worst-case scenario—a crash.
Earlier in the chapter, potentially hazardous aid stations were mentioned to emphasize the importance of proper bike handling. Here is a possible scenario. Picture this: You are 30 miles (48 km) into your Iron-distance bike leg, and you slow to retrieve a bottle of sports drink from the aid station. Just then the athlete in front of you slams on his brakes, and you run straight into him, sending you careening. Your day could be over. Don't let this happen to you! When approaching aid stations, come off of your aero extensions and ride on the base bar, covering your brakes with a single finger on the lever. Look for a volunteer down the line a bit, and make your way toward her while feathering the brakes. Note: Most aid stations are set up on the right side of the road, and you will be reaching with that hand for the bottle (or other nutrition), thus you are covering the front brake. Continue to look for other athletes, and drag that front brake a bit to scrub speed; grab the bottle on the fly, and ease yourself back into the course properly. If stowing the bottle in a rear mount behind the seat carrier, take caution in doing so, and try to get clear of the aid station and back up to speed. Most important, pay attention and be prepared to take evasive action if needed.
There are two important things to remember when participating in a rotating pace line. First, as you drop to the back after a pull at the front, stay close to the side of the riders behind you. This allows them to continue drafting off you as they move forward. And, second, do not dramatically accelerate your speed when you move to the front. This will cause gaps in the group and slow the overall pace.
—Sara McLarty
Improving Your Transitions
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion.
Improving Your Transitions
Graham Wilson and Mathew Wilson
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to discuss what some have called the fourth discipline of triathlon—transitions—including how to minimize the amount of time spent in T1 and T2 and how, from an exercise physiology aspect, to improve overall triathlon performance by taking advantage of recent advancements in pacing and drafting strategies across all disciplines.
Transitions
Various studies have shown that the transition from one event of the race to another has important implications for physiological and kinematic (movement of the body) measures that affect both perceived effort and performance in the remaining events. One study found that athletes do not bike or run as economically after swimming and do not run as economically after the bike segment. Part of this lack of economy may in fact be due to an athlete's inadequate technical ability or fitness level, which in turn leads to an increased metabolic load. This, then, emphasizes the need for transition training between each discipline and specific physiological training that will help triathletes switch between disciplines quickly and more efficiently—thus biking faster out of T1 and running faster out of T2.
Transition Layout
One of the key factors in having a successful transition experience is knowing the layout of the transition area, including its entry and exit points, and also the layout of your own equipment. Many triathletes bring far too much baggage into the area and clutter it up, not only for themselves but also for those sharing the rack, so bring only what you will be using during the actual race. You should also note that in accordance with USAT rules, you “own” only the piece of real estate where your wheel touches the ground, so do not spread your equipment in too large an area.
Most athletes rack their bikes by the seat so the front wheel is touching the ground. This can make for a faster exit from the bike rack than, say, if the bike is racked by the brake levers, which makes it more difficult to remove. Most races have a single transition area, so according to USAT rules, athletes must return their bikes to their assigned positions on the bike rack, and failure to do so may result in a penalty.
Remember that others will be in close proximity to you, and thus you should be considerate and keep your equipment in a tight and logical order. Lay your equipment out in reverse order, meaning the items that are farthest away are those you will be putting on last. For example, if you are looking down at the ground from farthest away to nearest, you would lay out your gear next to your bike in the following order:
1. Running shoes with lace locks or similar
2. Hat or visor
3. Socks (although many think they can race without them, the time spent putting them on for the run may be well spent rather than getting a blister)
4. Bike shoes (see later section on cyclo-cross mount and dismount)
5. Race number, which is usually attached to an elastic race belt so it's easy to put on (check with the race director on local rules because some require you to wear your race number on the bike and some only for the run segment; if you have to wear it on the bike, in order to stop it flapping so much in the breeze, scrunch it up and wrinkle the whole race number, then spread it out and attach it to your race belt to limit the “sail effect” behind you)
6. Helmet and sunglasses, which may be on the ground or hanging on the front of your bike, but remember your helmet must be on and securely fastened before you leave the transition area; if you do not fasten your helmet before mounting your bike (outside the transition area), you could be disqualified
It is worthwhile to lay out your kit the same way for every race and have a set routine of what you put on first so you have less to think about in the heat of the race.
Swim to Bike Transition (T1)
It is well known that swimming has an impact on subsequent cycling performance, with some studies demonstrating that overall cycling performance may be hindered by short-duration, high-intensity swimming, such as a sprint triathlon when the distance is much shorter (usually 750-meter swim, 20K bike, and 5K run), thus many athletes try to swim this leg much faster than normal. One method of countering the detrimental impact of high-intensity swimming is drafting.
Drafting is the act of swimming very close behind or at hip level to another swimmer. It reduces passive drag, thus decreasing the effort to swim the same distance. Also drafting usually improves stroke economy and efficiency, therefore potentially improving the subsequent cycling performance. To take maximal advantage of drafting, swimming behind another triathlete at a distance up to 1.5 feet (.5 m) back from the toes is the most advantageous; in lateral drafting—in kayaking this is termed “catching the bow wave”—a swimmer's head can be level with another swimmer's hips. You would do this when there isn't physical room to get behind another swimmer's toes or there are other athletes all around you, preventing you from moving.
Also, many triathletes are aware of terms such as blood pooling and orthostatic intolerance but don't actually know what they are. Orthostatic intolerance is characterized by impaired balance, dizziness, blurred vision, or even partial or complete loss of consciousness. This may occur postswim in athletes with normal blood pressure because of gravitational stress and the removal of the muscle pump. In fact, one study showed that severe dizziness after swimming when exiting the water and standing up for the transition section is a common occurrence for many triathletes, but it is more prevalent in highly trained endurance athletes. If this happens to you frequently, you should seek medical advice. However, the good news is that most athletes who get checked out by their doctors discover that severe dizziness is usually benign.
To counteract the effect of gravity and maintain blood pressure and venous return, one study suggests continuing to keep moving rather than stopping abruptly. This is especially important when removing the wetsuit upon exiting the water, stopping to walk up wet steps or noncarpeted transitions, bending down to put on cycling shoes, and so on. One way to offset dizziness as you leave the swim is to start utilizing the muscular pump by working the calf muscles as soon as possible, meaning you should take short steps at a higher cadence than normal as you make your way to the transition.
Ultimately, this will improve your ability to maintain venous return and blood pressure, maintain mental concentration through the transition, and execute pacing strategies for the start of the cycling discipline—thus going faster out of T1.
Bike to Run Transition (T2)
A debate exists regarding the metabolic cost of running at the end of a triathlon compared with running the same distance in isolation. However, the vast majority of research suggests that high-intensity cycling will have a detrimental effect on subsequent running performance, with the effects dependent on the fitness level of the triathlete; the greatest decreases in performance are observed in recreational triathletes, and minimal effects are seen in elite triathletes.
To offset the impact of cycling on running performance, researchers have come up with a few practical strategies; see Bentley et al. (2008) for further details. In summary, triathletes may be able to improve running performance by (1) drafting behind as many athletes as is practical (in draft-legal events); (2) adopting a cycling cadence of between 80-100 rpm (note, however, that cadence is a very personal matter—just consider the cycling cadence of Lance Armstrong (above 110 rpm for several hours at a time), for example—but many in triathlon will find a slightly higher cadence is acceptable); and (3) concentrating on reducing the effort during the final minutes of the cycling stage to prepare for the run. Points 2 and 3 really strike home for many coaches and physiologists. Pro cyclists will of course state the physiological benefits of spinning at greater than 110 rpm, but all too often, triathletes will trash themselves on the last 5K of the cycling discipline when coming in for the home stretch. However, the global performance time of a triathlon is the most important aspect, not the bike time. As such, establishing optimal pacing strategies for the start of the bike, the end of the bike, and the start of the run is an individual task and should be done in training on a regular basis. To put it as simply as possible: Don't leave your run on the bike! And spinning is better than crunching big gears.
To emphasize this point, various studies tried to determine the best pacing strategy during the initial phase of an Olympic-distance triathlon for highly trained triathletes. Ten male triathletes completed a 10K control run at free pace as well as three individual time-trial triathlons in a randomized order. In the time trials, the swimming and cycling speeds imposed were identical to the first triathlon performed, and the first run kilometer was done alternately 5 percent faster, 5 percent slower, and 10 percent slower than in the control run. The triathletes were instructed to finish the remaining 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) as quickly as possible at a self-selected pace. The 5 percent slower run resulted in a significantly faster overall 10K performance than the 5 percent faster and 10 percent slower runs, respectively (p < .05). Of note, the 5 percent faster strategy resulted in higher values for oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and blood lactate at the end of the first kilometer than the two other conditions. After 5 and 9.5 kilometers, these values were higher for the 5 percent slower run (p < .05).
This excellent and well-controlled study demonstrates that contrary to popular belief, running slower during the first kilometer of an Olympic-distance triathlon may actually improve overall 10K performance. With the recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) watches, split times and distances are easily available for triathletes to take advantage of even if no distance markers are provided during the triathlon. This technology is best used only if the triathlete has previously established performance standards for that particular event. Thus, for these data to be most effective, the triathlete must know what split time equals 5 percent slower than his maximal effort.
The mechanisms of cornering on the bike
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain.
Cornering on the Bike
You also need to think about actually driving the bike and some of the more dynamic movements you have to make while racing around a course. One of the areas where athletes lose speed is in corners. These athletes lack the knowledge and the confidence to navigate a corner while slowing only slightly and letting their momentum carry them through safely and back up to racing speeds.
There are a few methods of steering a bicycle at race speed. The most common are the lean and the steer. Many variables affect which method you use including road conditions, turn location, entrance speed, and number of other athletes near you as you approach the corner. I will touch on each and how you might practice them.
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain. Also, be one or two steps ahead on the bike course, and shift your bike into the appropriate gear before you head into a corner. You don't want to stand out of a corner either spinning without pressure on the pedals or mashing the gears.
—Sarah Haskins
Lean
The lean is the version most cyclists know and use in higher-speed conditions. This involves leaning the bicycle into the corner as needed, based on the radius of the curve and the speed at which you enter the corner. You will be leaning, but at a slightly lesser angle than the bicycle. For many athletes in mass-start triathlons or other multisport events, the safest method is to pedal normally until you are approximately 70 to 100 yards or meters from the apex of the corner (the center point of the radius, usually). At this point, you will decide if you need to coast or brake before entering the corner. If you need to apply the brakes, do so gradually, and remember your front brake provides most of the power to slow the bicycle. More advanced athletes will remain on the aero extensions (if a nondrafting event), while beginner athletes might sit up and drive from the base bar.
Just as you enter the corner, pedal half a revolution so your outside foot is at the 6 o'clock position, and apply pressure with it toward the ground. This “pushes” the tires down and helps settle the bike. Keep your body equally balanced between the front and back tires. Lean your bike and then your body in sync as needed, and continue to push on that outside foot. Now let the bike roll. (When you brake hard in the corner, you tend to throw the mass of your body forward, and this unsettles the bike and can cause the wheels to come off your chosen line.) As soon as you are clear of the corner, start to straighten the bike, and you can pedal away safely, hopefully without losing too much momentum.
Steer
Once you have mastered the lean and feel comfortable doing it, you need to work on the next progression: the steer. If you have practiced the lean, you will notice a few things. First, you don't actually turn the handlebars much (or thus the front wheel), and second, you are really moving through the corner on a small contact patch of the tire on the outside edge of the tread. This tends to be the preferred method for higher speeds or dry conditions.
When the situation calls for it, you will need to steer the bicycle through the corner. This varies slightly from the method used for the lean. You will set up much the same, but the major difference is that the speed will be lower (think 180-degree turnaround or rain-soaked corner). So, you will start to brake earlier and most definitely will be driving from the base bar (or hoods for a road bike). The outside pedal is still weighted. Now, as you approach the apex of the corner, you will turn the front wheel as needed based on approach speed and radius of the corner. Here is where it gets a little tricky! You will still lean through the corner, but mainly your body is leaning into the apex and the bike is staying more upright. This is not an extreme body lean—think more of “leading” the bicycle a bit. The goal is to keep the bike more upright and thus keep a larger contact patch of the tire on the road. Once you have rounded the corner, you straighten the body and bring the front wheel back in line and
pedal away.
A good skill to practice at low speed in the grass with a few friends is bumping each other from the sides or brushing their rear wheels with your front wheel. This will help you become accustomed to contact between riders so you react calmly to it when it happens in a race.
—Joe Umphenour
Shifting
One of the most frequent questions asked by new athletes is “When do I shift?” This is a tough question to answer. There isn't really a right or wrong time, just the optimal time. A modern racing bicycle has between 18 and 30 available gears and the mechanisms to shift through those gears at the flip of a lever or the push of a button.
The terrain and a rider's output (watts) will dictate when the shift should happen. It's best not to overthink the simple act of shifting, but you should be aware of a few things not to do. First, avoid the cross chain; this is the gearing when the chain is on the biggest (outside) chain ring in the front and the biggest (inside) cog in the rear. A modern bicycle will operate just fine in this gear combination, but it adds undue stress to the drivetrain, and especially the chain itself, increasing wear. The simplest solution is to shift down to the inner chain ring in the front and then shift down two or three cogs in the rear and find a suitable gear ratio with a much better chain line.
The next scenario that is best to avoid is a drastic shift in multiple gears while pedaling under heavy load. Usually when you see an athlete drop a chain off of the front chain ring, it is when he has tried to make a quick multiple-gear change under load; the derailleur tension cannot compensate for the rapid change in chain position, and the chain can drop off the chain ring, falling into the bottom bracket area or toward the outside of the big chain ring. This comes down to the issue of course knowledge, as this situation usually arises when you are caught off guard by a steep climb or sharp curve. It is not always convenient to arrive early or the day before an event, so you have to use your best judgment when navigating the course if the terrain is new to you. The safer option is to be in too easy a gear and keep your cadence a few rpm above your self-selected range, as it is always easier to drop to a harder gear than it is to try to force the chain up the cassette to a very easy gear.
The question also comes up regarding the correct rpm, or cadence, to maintain. Cadence is a very individual metric. Some athletes “mash” the big gears, and others are “spinners” who ride at a very high cadence. In many instances, these athletes get around the course quickly and are still able to run well off the bike. Experience has shown that the sweet spot in cadence likely falls from the high 70s to the low 100s, with most folks falling very near 90 rpm. For more info on the optimal cadence, see chapter 12.
While racing in triathlon, I mentally check my cadence every 5 miles [8 km] on the bike. It is important to keep a higher cadence while on the bike to lessen muscular fatigue before heading out onto the run course. If you slow your cadence down too much, it can greatly affect your run performance.
—Sarah Haskins
Braking
Most of this chapter is spent covering topics to make you go faster on the bicycle. But the truth is, sometimes proper braking will yield overall faster bike splits. It's important for an athlete to understand when to brake (such as before a tight turn) and then accelerate out of the turn. It is also important for the athlete to know how to brake downhill, feather the front brake, and apply consistent pressure on the back brake with your weight shifted back. Remember, momentum on a bicycle is hard to get but easy to keep, so if a rider is smart with her application of brakes at strategic times, she will lose less overall speed and maybe avoid a worst-case scenario—a crash.
Earlier in the chapter, potentially hazardous aid stations were mentioned to emphasize the importance of proper bike handling. Here is a possible scenario. Picture this: You are 30 miles (48 km) into your Iron-distance bike leg, and you slow to retrieve a bottle of sports drink from the aid station. Just then the athlete in front of you slams on his brakes, and you run straight into him, sending you careening. Your day could be over. Don't let this happen to you! When approaching aid stations, come off of your aero extensions and ride on the base bar, covering your brakes with a single finger on the lever. Look for a volunteer down the line a bit, and make your way toward her while feathering the brakes. Note: Most aid stations are set up on the right side of the road, and you will be reaching with that hand for the bottle (or other nutrition), thus you are covering the front brake. Continue to look for other athletes, and drag that front brake a bit to scrub speed; grab the bottle on the fly, and ease yourself back into the course properly. If stowing the bottle in a rear mount behind the seat carrier, take caution in doing so, and try to get clear of the aid station and back up to speed. Most important, pay attention and be prepared to take evasive action if needed.
There are two important things to remember when participating in a rotating pace line. First, as you drop to the back after a pull at the front, stay close to the side of the riders behind you. This allows them to continue drafting off you as they move forward. And, second, do not dramatically accelerate your speed when you move to the front. This will cause gaps in the group and slow the overall pace.
—Sara McLarty
Improving Your Transitions
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion.
Improving Your Transitions
Graham Wilson and Mathew Wilson
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to discuss what some have called the fourth discipline of triathlon—transitions—including how to minimize the amount of time spent in T1 and T2 and how, from an exercise physiology aspect, to improve overall triathlon performance by taking advantage of recent advancements in pacing and drafting strategies across all disciplines.
Transitions
Various studies have shown that the transition from one event of the race to another has important implications for physiological and kinematic (movement of the body) measures that affect both perceived effort and performance in the remaining events. One study found that athletes do not bike or run as economically after swimming and do not run as economically after the bike segment. Part of this lack of economy may in fact be due to an athlete's inadequate technical ability or fitness level, which in turn leads to an increased metabolic load. This, then, emphasizes the need for transition training between each discipline and specific physiological training that will help triathletes switch between disciplines quickly and more efficiently—thus biking faster out of T1 and running faster out of T2.
Transition Layout
One of the key factors in having a successful transition experience is knowing the layout of the transition area, including its entry and exit points, and also the layout of your own equipment. Many triathletes bring far too much baggage into the area and clutter it up, not only for themselves but also for those sharing the rack, so bring only what you will be using during the actual race. You should also note that in accordance with USAT rules, you “own” only the piece of real estate where your wheel touches the ground, so do not spread your equipment in too large an area.
Most athletes rack their bikes by the seat so the front wheel is touching the ground. This can make for a faster exit from the bike rack than, say, if the bike is racked by the brake levers, which makes it more difficult to remove. Most races have a single transition area, so according to USAT rules, athletes must return their bikes to their assigned positions on the bike rack, and failure to do so may result in a penalty.
Remember that others will be in close proximity to you, and thus you should be considerate and keep your equipment in a tight and logical order. Lay your equipment out in reverse order, meaning the items that are farthest away are those you will be putting on last. For example, if you are looking down at the ground from farthest away to nearest, you would lay out your gear next to your bike in the following order:
1. Running shoes with lace locks or similar
2. Hat or visor
3. Socks (although many think they can race without them, the time spent putting them on for the run may be well spent rather than getting a blister)
4. Bike shoes (see later section on cyclo-cross mount and dismount)
5. Race number, which is usually attached to an elastic race belt so it's easy to put on (check with the race director on local rules because some require you to wear your race number on the bike and some only for the run segment; if you have to wear it on the bike, in order to stop it flapping so much in the breeze, scrunch it up and wrinkle the whole race number, then spread it out and attach it to your race belt to limit the “sail effect” behind you)
6. Helmet and sunglasses, which may be on the ground or hanging on the front of your bike, but remember your helmet must be on and securely fastened before you leave the transition area; if you do not fasten your helmet before mounting your bike (outside the transition area), you could be disqualified
It is worthwhile to lay out your kit the same way for every race and have a set routine of what you put on first so you have less to think about in the heat of the race.
Swim to Bike Transition (T1)
It is well known that swimming has an impact on subsequent cycling performance, with some studies demonstrating that overall cycling performance may be hindered by short-duration, high-intensity swimming, such as a sprint triathlon when the distance is much shorter (usually 750-meter swim, 20K bike, and 5K run), thus many athletes try to swim this leg much faster than normal. One method of countering the detrimental impact of high-intensity swimming is drafting.
Drafting is the act of swimming very close behind or at hip level to another swimmer. It reduces passive drag, thus decreasing the effort to swim the same distance. Also drafting usually improves stroke economy and efficiency, therefore potentially improving the subsequent cycling performance. To take maximal advantage of drafting, swimming behind another triathlete at a distance up to 1.5 feet (.5 m) back from the toes is the most advantageous; in lateral drafting—in kayaking this is termed “catching the bow wave”—a swimmer's head can be level with another swimmer's hips. You would do this when there isn't physical room to get behind another swimmer's toes or there are other athletes all around you, preventing you from moving.
Also, many triathletes are aware of terms such as blood pooling and orthostatic intolerance but don't actually know what they are. Orthostatic intolerance is characterized by impaired balance, dizziness, blurred vision, or even partial or complete loss of consciousness. This may occur postswim in athletes with normal blood pressure because of gravitational stress and the removal of the muscle pump. In fact, one study showed that severe dizziness after swimming when exiting the water and standing up for the transition section is a common occurrence for many triathletes, but it is more prevalent in highly trained endurance athletes. If this happens to you frequently, you should seek medical advice. However, the good news is that most athletes who get checked out by their doctors discover that severe dizziness is usually benign.
To counteract the effect of gravity and maintain blood pressure and venous return, one study suggests continuing to keep moving rather than stopping abruptly. This is especially important when removing the wetsuit upon exiting the water, stopping to walk up wet steps or noncarpeted transitions, bending down to put on cycling shoes, and so on. One way to offset dizziness as you leave the swim is to start utilizing the muscular pump by working the calf muscles as soon as possible, meaning you should take short steps at a higher cadence than normal as you make your way to the transition.
Ultimately, this will improve your ability to maintain venous return and blood pressure, maintain mental concentration through the transition, and execute pacing strategies for the start of the cycling discipline—thus going faster out of T1.
Bike to Run Transition (T2)
A debate exists regarding the metabolic cost of running at the end of a triathlon compared with running the same distance in isolation. However, the vast majority of research suggests that high-intensity cycling will have a detrimental effect on subsequent running performance, with the effects dependent on the fitness level of the triathlete; the greatest decreases in performance are observed in recreational triathletes, and minimal effects are seen in elite triathletes.
To offset the impact of cycling on running performance, researchers have come up with a few practical strategies; see Bentley et al. (2008) for further details. In summary, triathletes may be able to improve running performance by (1) drafting behind as many athletes as is practical (in draft-legal events); (2) adopting a cycling cadence of between 80-100 rpm (note, however, that cadence is a very personal matter—just consider the cycling cadence of Lance Armstrong (above 110 rpm for several hours at a time), for example—but many in triathlon will find a slightly higher cadence is acceptable); and (3) concentrating on reducing the effort during the final minutes of the cycling stage to prepare for the run. Points 2 and 3 really strike home for many coaches and physiologists. Pro cyclists will of course state the physiological benefits of spinning at greater than 110 rpm, but all too often, triathletes will trash themselves on the last 5K of the cycling discipline when coming in for the home stretch. However, the global performance time of a triathlon is the most important aspect, not the bike time. As such, establishing optimal pacing strategies for the start of the bike, the end of the bike, and the start of the run is an individual task and should be done in training on a regular basis. To put it as simply as possible: Don't leave your run on the bike! And spinning is better than crunching big gears.
To emphasize this point, various studies tried to determine the best pacing strategy during the initial phase of an Olympic-distance triathlon for highly trained triathletes. Ten male triathletes completed a 10K control run at free pace as well as three individual time-trial triathlons in a randomized order. In the time trials, the swimming and cycling speeds imposed were identical to the first triathlon performed, and the first run kilometer was done alternately 5 percent faster, 5 percent slower, and 10 percent slower than in the control run. The triathletes were instructed to finish the remaining 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) as quickly as possible at a self-selected pace. The 5 percent slower run resulted in a significantly faster overall 10K performance than the 5 percent faster and 10 percent slower runs, respectively (p < .05). Of note, the 5 percent faster strategy resulted in higher values for oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and blood lactate at the end of the first kilometer than the two other conditions. After 5 and 9.5 kilometers, these values were higher for the 5 percent slower run (p < .05).
This excellent and well-controlled study demonstrates that contrary to popular belief, running slower during the first kilometer of an Olympic-distance triathlon may actually improve overall 10K performance. With the recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) watches, split times and distances are easily available for triathletes to take advantage of even if no distance markers are provided during the triathlon. This technology is best used only if the triathlete has previously established performance standards for that particular event. Thus, for these data to be most effective, the triathlete must know what split time equals 5 percent slower than his maximal effort.
The mechanisms of cornering on the bike
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain.
Cornering on the Bike
You also need to think about actually driving the bike and some of the more dynamic movements you have to make while racing around a course. One of the areas where athletes lose speed is in corners. These athletes lack the knowledge and the confidence to navigate a corner while slowing only slightly and letting their momentum carry them through safely and back up to racing speeds.
There are a few methods of steering a bicycle at race speed. The most common are the lean and the steer. Many variables affect which method you use including road conditions, turn location, entrance speed, and number of other athletes near you as you approach the corner. I will touch on each and how you might practice them.
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain. Also, be one or two steps ahead on the bike course, and shift your bike into the appropriate gear before you head into a corner. You don't want to stand out of a corner either spinning without pressure on the pedals or mashing the gears.
—Sarah Haskins
Lean
The lean is the version most cyclists know and use in higher-speed conditions. This involves leaning the bicycle into the corner as needed, based on the radius of the curve and the speed at which you enter the corner. You will be leaning, but at a slightly lesser angle than the bicycle. For many athletes in mass-start triathlons or other multisport events, the safest method is to pedal normally until you are approximately 70 to 100 yards or meters from the apex of the corner (the center point of the radius, usually). At this point, you will decide if you need to coast or brake before entering the corner. If you need to apply the brakes, do so gradually, and remember your front brake provides most of the power to slow the bicycle. More advanced athletes will remain on the aero extensions (if a nondrafting event), while beginner athletes might sit up and drive from the base bar.
Just as you enter the corner, pedal half a revolution so your outside foot is at the 6 o'clock position, and apply pressure with it toward the ground. This “pushes” the tires down and helps settle the bike. Keep your body equally balanced between the front and back tires. Lean your bike and then your body in sync as needed, and continue to push on that outside foot. Now let the bike roll. (When you brake hard in the corner, you tend to throw the mass of your body forward, and this unsettles the bike and can cause the wheels to come off your chosen line.) As soon as you are clear of the corner, start to straighten the bike, and you can pedal away safely, hopefully without losing too much momentum.
Steer
Once you have mastered the lean and feel comfortable doing it, you need to work on the next progression: the steer. If you have practiced the lean, you will notice a few things. First, you don't actually turn the handlebars much (or thus the front wheel), and second, you are really moving through the corner on a small contact patch of the tire on the outside edge of the tread. This tends to be the preferred method for higher speeds or dry conditions.
When the situation calls for it, you will need to steer the bicycle through the corner. This varies slightly from the method used for the lean. You will set up much the same, but the major difference is that the speed will be lower (think 180-degree turnaround or rain-soaked corner). So, you will start to brake earlier and most definitely will be driving from the base bar (or hoods for a road bike). The outside pedal is still weighted. Now, as you approach the apex of the corner, you will turn the front wheel as needed based on approach speed and radius of the corner. Here is where it gets a little tricky! You will still lean through the corner, but mainly your body is leaning into the apex and the bike is staying more upright. This is not an extreme body lean—think more of “leading” the bicycle a bit. The goal is to keep the bike more upright and thus keep a larger contact patch of the tire on the road. Once you have rounded the corner, you straighten the body and bring the front wheel back in line and
pedal away.
A good skill to practice at low speed in the grass with a few friends is bumping each other from the sides or brushing their rear wheels with your front wheel. This will help you become accustomed to contact between riders so you react calmly to it when it happens in a race.
—Joe Umphenour
Shifting
One of the most frequent questions asked by new athletes is “When do I shift?” This is a tough question to answer. There isn't really a right or wrong time, just the optimal time. A modern racing bicycle has between 18 and 30 available gears and the mechanisms to shift through those gears at the flip of a lever or the push of a button.
The terrain and a rider's output (watts) will dictate when the shift should happen. It's best not to overthink the simple act of shifting, but you should be aware of a few things not to do. First, avoid the cross chain; this is the gearing when the chain is on the biggest (outside) chain ring in the front and the biggest (inside) cog in the rear. A modern bicycle will operate just fine in this gear combination, but it adds undue stress to the drivetrain, and especially the chain itself, increasing wear. The simplest solution is to shift down to the inner chain ring in the front and then shift down two or three cogs in the rear and find a suitable gear ratio with a much better chain line.
The next scenario that is best to avoid is a drastic shift in multiple gears while pedaling under heavy load. Usually when you see an athlete drop a chain off of the front chain ring, it is when he has tried to make a quick multiple-gear change under load; the derailleur tension cannot compensate for the rapid change in chain position, and the chain can drop off the chain ring, falling into the bottom bracket area or toward the outside of the big chain ring. This comes down to the issue of course knowledge, as this situation usually arises when you are caught off guard by a steep climb or sharp curve. It is not always convenient to arrive early or the day before an event, so you have to use your best judgment when navigating the course if the terrain is new to you. The safer option is to be in too easy a gear and keep your cadence a few rpm above your self-selected range, as it is always easier to drop to a harder gear than it is to try to force the chain up the cassette to a very easy gear.
The question also comes up regarding the correct rpm, or cadence, to maintain. Cadence is a very individual metric. Some athletes “mash” the big gears, and others are “spinners” who ride at a very high cadence. In many instances, these athletes get around the course quickly and are still able to run well off the bike. Experience has shown that the sweet spot in cadence likely falls from the high 70s to the low 100s, with most folks falling very near 90 rpm. For more info on the optimal cadence, see chapter 12.
While racing in triathlon, I mentally check my cadence every 5 miles [8 km] on the bike. It is important to keep a higher cadence while on the bike to lessen muscular fatigue before heading out onto the run course. If you slow your cadence down too much, it can greatly affect your run performance.
—Sarah Haskins
Braking
Most of this chapter is spent covering topics to make you go faster on the bicycle. But the truth is, sometimes proper braking will yield overall faster bike splits. It's important for an athlete to understand when to brake (such as before a tight turn) and then accelerate out of the turn. It is also important for the athlete to know how to brake downhill, feather the front brake, and apply consistent pressure on the back brake with your weight shifted back. Remember, momentum on a bicycle is hard to get but easy to keep, so if a rider is smart with her application of brakes at strategic times, she will lose less overall speed and maybe avoid a worst-case scenario—a crash.
Earlier in the chapter, potentially hazardous aid stations were mentioned to emphasize the importance of proper bike handling. Here is a possible scenario. Picture this: You are 30 miles (48 km) into your Iron-distance bike leg, and you slow to retrieve a bottle of sports drink from the aid station. Just then the athlete in front of you slams on his brakes, and you run straight into him, sending you careening. Your day could be over. Don't let this happen to you! When approaching aid stations, come off of your aero extensions and ride on the base bar, covering your brakes with a single finger on the lever. Look for a volunteer down the line a bit, and make your way toward her while feathering the brakes. Note: Most aid stations are set up on the right side of the road, and you will be reaching with that hand for the bottle (or other nutrition), thus you are covering the front brake. Continue to look for other athletes, and drag that front brake a bit to scrub speed; grab the bottle on the fly, and ease yourself back into the course properly. If stowing the bottle in a rear mount behind the seat carrier, take caution in doing so, and try to get clear of the aid station and back up to speed. Most important, pay attention and be prepared to take evasive action if needed.
There are two important things to remember when participating in a rotating pace line. First, as you drop to the back after a pull at the front, stay close to the side of the riders behind you. This allows them to continue drafting off you as they move forward. And, second, do not dramatically accelerate your speed when you move to the front. This will cause gaps in the group and slow the overall pace.
—Sara McLarty
Improving Your Transitions
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion.
Improving Your Transitions
Graham Wilson and Mathew Wilson
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to discuss what some have called the fourth discipline of triathlon—transitions—including how to minimize the amount of time spent in T1 and T2 and how, from an exercise physiology aspect, to improve overall triathlon performance by taking advantage of recent advancements in pacing and drafting strategies across all disciplines.
Transitions
Various studies have shown that the transition from one event of the race to another has important implications for physiological and kinematic (movement of the body) measures that affect both perceived effort and performance in the remaining events. One study found that athletes do not bike or run as economically after swimming and do not run as economically after the bike segment. Part of this lack of economy may in fact be due to an athlete's inadequate technical ability or fitness level, which in turn leads to an increased metabolic load. This, then, emphasizes the need for transition training between each discipline and specific physiological training that will help triathletes switch between disciplines quickly and more efficiently—thus biking faster out of T1 and running faster out of T2.
Transition Layout
One of the key factors in having a successful transition experience is knowing the layout of the transition area, including its entry and exit points, and also the layout of your own equipment. Many triathletes bring far too much baggage into the area and clutter it up, not only for themselves but also for those sharing the rack, so bring only what you will be using during the actual race. You should also note that in accordance with USAT rules, you “own” only the piece of real estate where your wheel touches the ground, so do not spread your equipment in too large an area.
Most athletes rack their bikes by the seat so the front wheel is touching the ground. This can make for a faster exit from the bike rack than, say, if the bike is racked by the brake levers, which makes it more difficult to remove. Most races have a single transition area, so according to USAT rules, athletes must return their bikes to their assigned positions on the bike rack, and failure to do so may result in a penalty.
Remember that others will be in close proximity to you, and thus you should be considerate and keep your equipment in a tight and logical order. Lay your equipment out in reverse order, meaning the items that are farthest away are those you will be putting on last. For example, if you are looking down at the ground from farthest away to nearest, you would lay out your gear next to your bike in the following order:
1. Running shoes with lace locks or similar
2. Hat or visor
3. Socks (although many think they can race without them, the time spent putting them on for the run may be well spent rather than getting a blister)
4. Bike shoes (see later section on cyclo-cross mount and dismount)
5. Race number, which is usually attached to an elastic race belt so it's easy to put on (check with the race director on local rules because some require you to wear your race number on the bike and some only for the run segment; if you have to wear it on the bike, in order to stop it flapping so much in the breeze, scrunch it up and wrinkle the whole race number, then spread it out and attach it to your race belt to limit the “sail effect” behind you)
6. Helmet and sunglasses, which may be on the ground or hanging on the front of your bike, but remember your helmet must be on and securely fastened before you leave the transition area; if you do not fasten your helmet before mounting your bike (outside the transition area), you could be disqualified
It is worthwhile to lay out your kit the same way for every race and have a set routine of what you put on first so you have less to think about in the heat of the race.
Swim to Bike Transition (T1)
It is well known that swimming has an impact on subsequent cycling performance, with some studies demonstrating that overall cycling performance may be hindered by short-duration, high-intensity swimming, such as a sprint triathlon when the distance is much shorter (usually 750-meter swim, 20K bike, and 5K run), thus many athletes try to swim this leg much faster than normal. One method of countering the detrimental impact of high-intensity swimming is drafting.
Drafting is the act of swimming very close behind or at hip level to another swimmer. It reduces passive drag, thus decreasing the effort to swim the same distance. Also drafting usually improves stroke economy and efficiency, therefore potentially improving the subsequent cycling performance. To take maximal advantage of drafting, swimming behind another triathlete at a distance up to 1.5 feet (.5 m) back from the toes is the most advantageous; in lateral drafting—in kayaking this is termed “catching the bow wave”—a swimmer's head can be level with another swimmer's hips. You would do this when there isn't physical room to get behind another swimmer's toes or there are other athletes all around you, preventing you from moving.
Also, many triathletes are aware of terms such as blood pooling and orthostatic intolerance but don't actually know what they are. Orthostatic intolerance is characterized by impaired balance, dizziness, blurred vision, or even partial or complete loss of consciousness. This may occur postswim in athletes with normal blood pressure because of gravitational stress and the removal of the muscle pump. In fact, one study showed that severe dizziness after swimming when exiting the water and standing up for the transition section is a common occurrence for many triathletes, but it is more prevalent in highly trained endurance athletes. If this happens to you frequently, you should seek medical advice. However, the good news is that most athletes who get checked out by their doctors discover that severe dizziness is usually benign.
To counteract the effect of gravity and maintain blood pressure and venous return, one study suggests continuing to keep moving rather than stopping abruptly. This is especially important when removing the wetsuit upon exiting the water, stopping to walk up wet steps or noncarpeted transitions, bending down to put on cycling shoes, and so on. One way to offset dizziness as you leave the swim is to start utilizing the muscular pump by working the calf muscles as soon as possible, meaning you should take short steps at a higher cadence than normal as you make your way to the transition.
Ultimately, this will improve your ability to maintain venous return and blood pressure, maintain mental concentration through the transition, and execute pacing strategies for the start of the cycling discipline—thus going faster out of T1.
Bike to Run Transition (T2)
A debate exists regarding the metabolic cost of running at the end of a triathlon compared with running the same distance in isolation. However, the vast majority of research suggests that high-intensity cycling will have a detrimental effect on subsequent running performance, with the effects dependent on the fitness level of the triathlete; the greatest decreases in performance are observed in recreational triathletes, and minimal effects are seen in elite triathletes.
To offset the impact of cycling on running performance, researchers have come up with a few practical strategies; see Bentley et al. (2008) for further details. In summary, triathletes may be able to improve running performance by (1) drafting behind as many athletes as is practical (in draft-legal events); (2) adopting a cycling cadence of between 80-100 rpm (note, however, that cadence is a very personal matter—just consider the cycling cadence of Lance Armstrong (above 110 rpm for several hours at a time), for example—but many in triathlon will find a slightly higher cadence is acceptable); and (3) concentrating on reducing the effort during the final minutes of the cycling stage to prepare for the run. Points 2 and 3 really strike home for many coaches and physiologists. Pro cyclists will of course state the physiological benefits of spinning at greater than 110 rpm, but all too often, triathletes will trash themselves on the last 5K of the cycling discipline when coming in for the home stretch. However, the global performance time of a triathlon is the most important aspect, not the bike time. As such, establishing optimal pacing strategies for the start of the bike, the end of the bike, and the start of the run is an individual task and should be done in training on a regular basis. To put it as simply as possible: Don't leave your run on the bike! And spinning is better than crunching big gears.
To emphasize this point, various studies tried to determine the best pacing strategy during the initial phase of an Olympic-distance triathlon for highly trained triathletes. Ten male triathletes completed a 10K control run at free pace as well as three individual time-trial triathlons in a randomized order. In the time trials, the swimming and cycling speeds imposed were identical to the first triathlon performed, and the first run kilometer was done alternately 5 percent faster, 5 percent slower, and 10 percent slower than in the control run. The triathletes were instructed to finish the remaining 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) as quickly as possible at a self-selected pace. The 5 percent slower run resulted in a significantly faster overall 10K performance than the 5 percent faster and 10 percent slower runs, respectively (p < .05). Of note, the 5 percent faster strategy resulted in higher values for oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and blood lactate at the end of the first kilometer than the two other conditions. After 5 and 9.5 kilometers, these values were higher for the 5 percent slower run (p < .05).
This excellent and well-controlled study demonstrates that contrary to popular belief, running slower during the first kilometer of an Olympic-distance triathlon may actually improve overall 10K performance. With the recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) watches, split times and distances are easily available for triathletes to take advantage of even if no distance markers are provided during the triathlon. This technology is best used only if the triathlete has previously established performance standards for that particular event. Thus, for these data to be most effective, the triathlete must know what split time equals 5 percent slower than his maximal effort.
The mechanisms of cornering on the bike
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain.
Cornering on the Bike
You also need to think about actually driving the bike and some of the more dynamic movements you have to make while racing around a course. One of the areas where athletes lose speed is in corners. These athletes lack the knowledge and the confidence to navigate a corner while slowing only slightly and letting their momentum carry them through safely and back up to racing speeds.
There are a few methods of steering a bicycle at race speed. The most common are the lean and the steer. Many variables affect which method you use including road conditions, turn location, entrance speed, and number of other athletes near you as you approach the corner. I will touch on each and how you might practice them.
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain. Also, be one or two steps ahead on the bike course, and shift your bike into the appropriate gear before you head into a corner. You don't want to stand out of a corner either spinning without pressure on the pedals or mashing the gears.
—Sarah Haskins
Lean
The lean is the version most cyclists know and use in higher-speed conditions. This involves leaning the bicycle into the corner as needed, based on the radius of the curve and the speed at which you enter the corner. You will be leaning, but at a slightly lesser angle than the bicycle. For many athletes in mass-start triathlons or other multisport events, the safest method is to pedal normally until you are approximately 70 to 100 yards or meters from the apex of the corner (the center point of the radius, usually). At this point, you will decide if you need to coast or brake before entering the corner. If you need to apply the brakes, do so gradually, and remember your front brake provides most of the power to slow the bicycle. More advanced athletes will remain on the aero extensions (if a nondrafting event), while beginner athletes might sit up and drive from the base bar.
Just as you enter the corner, pedal half a revolution so your outside foot is at the 6 o'clock position, and apply pressure with it toward the ground. This “pushes” the tires down and helps settle the bike. Keep your body equally balanced between the front and back tires. Lean your bike and then your body in sync as needed, and continue to push on that outside foot. Now let the bike roll. (When you brake hard in the corner, you tend to throw the mass of your body forward, and this unsettles the bike and can cause the wheels to come off your chosen line.) As soon as you are clear of the corner, start to straighten the bike, and you can pedal away safely, hopefully without losing too much momentum.
Steer
Once you have mastered the lean and feel comfortable doing it, you need to work on the next progression: the steer. If you have practiced the lean, you will notice a few things. First, you don't actually turn the handlebars much (or thus the front wheel), and second, you are really moving through the corner on a small contact patch of the tire on the outside edge of the tread. This tends to be the preferred method for higher speeds or dry conditions.
When the situation calls for it, you will need to steer the bicycle through the corner. This varies slightly from the method used for the lean. You will set up much the same, but the major difference is that the speed will be lower (think 180-degree turnaround or rain-soaked corner). So, you will start to brake earlier and most definitely will be driving from the base bar (or hoods for a road bike). The outside pedal is still weighted. Now, as you approach the apex of the corner, you will turn the front wheel as needed based on approach speed and radius of the corner. Here is where it gets a little tricky! You will still lean through the corner, but mainly your body is leaning into the apex and the bike is staying more upright. This is not an extreme body lean—think more of “leading” the bicycle a bit. The goal is to keep the bike more upright and thus keep a larger contact patch of the tire on the road. Once you have rounded the corner, you straighten the body and bring the front wheel back in line and
pedal away.
A good skill to practice at low speed in the grass with a few friends is bumping each other from the sides or brushing their rear wheels with your front wheel. This will help you become accustomed to contact between riders so you react calmly to it when it happens in a race.
—Joe Umphenour
Shifting
One of the most frequent questions asked by new athletes is “When do I shift?” This is a tough question to answer. There isn't really a right or wrong time, just the optimal time. A modern racing bicycle has between 18 and 30 available gears and the mechanisms to shift through those gears at the flip of a lever or the push of a button.
The terrain and a rider's output (watts) will dictate when the shift should happen. It's best not to overthink the simple act of shifting, but you should be aware of a few things not to do. First, avoid the cross chain; this is the gearing when the chain is on the biggest (outside) chain ring in the front and the biggest (inside) cog in the rear. A modern bicycle will operate just fine in this gear combination, but it adds undue stress to the drivetrain, and especially the chain itself, increasing wear. The simplest solution is to shift down to the inner chain ring in the front and then shift down two or three cogs in the rear and find a suitable gear ratio with a much better chain line.
The next scenario that is best to avoid is a drastic shift in multiple gears while pedaling under heavy load. Usually when you see an athlete drop a chain off of the front chain ring, it is when he has tried to make a quick multiple-gear change under load; the derailleur tension cannot compensate for the rapid change in chain position, and the chain can drop off the chain ring, falling into the bottom bracket area or toward the outside of the big chain ring. This comes down to the issue of course knowledge, as this situation usually arises when you are caught off guard by a steep climb or sharp curve. It is not always convenient to arrive early or the day before an event, so you have to use your best judgment when navigating the course if the terrain is new to you. The safer option is to be in too easy a gear and keep your cadence a few rpm above your self-selected range, as it is always easier to drop to a harder gear than it is to try to force the chain up the cassette to a very easy gear.
The question also comes up regarding the correct rpm, or cadence, to maintain. Cadence is a very individual metric. Some athletes “mash” the big gears, and others are “spinners” who ride at a very high cadence. In many instances, these athletes get around the course quickly and are still able to run well off the bike. Experience has shown that the sweet spot in cadence likely falls from the high 70s to the low 100s, with most folks falling very near 90 rpm. For more info on the optimal cadence, see chapter 12.
While racing in triathlon, I mentally check my cadence every 5 miles [8 km] on the bike. It is important to keep a higher cadence while on the bike to lessen muscular fatigue before heading out onto the run course. If you slow your cadence down too much, it can greatly affect your run performance.
—Sarah Haskins
Braking
Most of this chapter is spent covering topics to make you go faster on the bicycle. But the truth is, sometimes proper braking will yield overall faster bike splits. It's important for an athlete to understand when to brake (such as before a tight turn) and then accelerate out of the turn. It is also important for the athlete to know how to brake downhill, feather the front brake, and apply consistent pressure on the back brake with your weight shifted back. Remember, momentum on a bicycle is hard to get but easy to keep, so if a rider is smart with her application of brakes at strategic times, she will lose less overall speed and maybe avoid a worst-case scenario—a crash.
Earlier in the chapter, potentially hazardous aid stations were mentioned to emphasize the importance of proper bike handling. Here is a possible scenario. Picture this: You are 30 miles (48 km) into your Iron-distance bike leg, and you slow to retrieve a bottle of sports drink from the aid station. Just then the athlete in front of you slams on his brakes, and you run straight into him, sending you careening. Your day could be over. Don't let this happen to you! When approaching aid stations, come off of your aero extensions and ride on the base bar, covering your brakes with a single finger on the lever. Look for a volunteer down the line a bit, and make your way toward her while feathering the brakes. Note: Most aid stations are set up on the right side of the road, and you will be reaching with that hand for the bottle (or other nutrition), thus you are covering the front brake. Continue to look for other athletes, and drag that front brake a bit to scrub speed; grab the bottle on the fly, and ease yourself back into the course properly. If stowing the bottle in a rear mount behind the seat carrier, take caution in doing so, and try to get clear of the aid station and back up to speed. Most important, pay attention and be prepared to take evasive action if needed.
There are two important things to remember when participating in a rotating pace line. First, as you drop to the back after a pull at the front, stay close to the side of the riders behind you. This allows them to continue drafting off you as they move forward. And, second, do not dramatically accelerate your speed when you move to the front. This will cause gaps in the group and slow the overall pace.
—Sara McLarty
Improving Your Transitions
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion.
Improving Your Transitions
Graham Wilson and Mathew Wilson
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to discuss what some have called the fourth discipline of triathlon—transitions—including how to minimize the amount of time spent in T1 and T2 and how, from an exercise physiology aspect, to improve overall triathlon performance by taking advantage of recent advancements in pacing and drafting strategies across all disciplines.
Transitions
Various studies have shown that the transition from one event of the race to another has important implications for physiological and kinematic (movement of the body) measures that affect both perceived effort and performance in the remaining events. One study found that athletes do not bike or run as economically after swimming and do not run as economically after the bike segment. Part of this lack of economy may in fact be due to an athlete's inadequate technical ability or fitness level, which in turn leads to an increased metabolic load. This, then, emphasizes the need for transition training between each discipline and specific physiological training that will help triathletes switch between disciplines quickly and more efficiently—thus biking faster out of T1 and running faster out of T2.
Transition Layout
One of the key factors in having a successful transition experience is knowing the layout of the transition area, including its entry and exit points, and also the layout of your own equipment. Many triathletes bring far too much baggage into the area and clutter it up, not only for themselves but also for those sharing the rack, so bring only what you will be using during the actual race. You should also note that in accordance with USAT rules, you “own” only the piece of real estate where your wheel touches the ground, so do not spread your equipment in too large an area.
Most athletes rack their bikes by the seat so the front wheel is touching the ground. This can make for a faster exit from the bike rack than, say, if the bike is racked by the brake levers, which makes it more difficult to remove. Most races have a single transition area, so according to USAT rules, athletes must return their bikes to their assigned positions on the bike rack, and failure to do so may result in a penalty.
Remember that others will be in close proximity to you, and thus you should be considerate and keep your equipment in a tight and logical order. Lay your equipment out in reverse order, meaning the items that are farthest away are those you will be putting on last. For example, if you are looking down at the ground from farthest away to nearest, you would lay out your gear next to your bike in the following order:
1. Running shoes with lace locks or similar
2. Hat or visor
3. Socks (although many think they can race without them, the time spent putting them on for the run may be well spent rather than getting a blister)
4. Bike shoes (see later section on cyclo-cross mount and dismount)
5. Race number, which is usually attached to an elastic race belt so it's easy to put on (check with the race director on local rules because some require you to wear your race number on the bike and some only for the run segment; if you have to wear it on the bike, in order to stop it flapping so much in the breeze, scrunch it up and wrinkle the whole race number, then spread it out and attach it to your race belt to limit the “sail effect” behind you)
6. Helmet and sunglasses, which may be on the ground or hanging on the front of your bike, but remember your helmet must be on and securely fastened before you leave the transition area; if you do not fasten your helmet before mounting your bike (outside the transition area), you could be disqualified
It is worthwhile to lay out your kit the same way for every race and have a set routine of what you put on first so you have less to think about in the heat of the race.
Swim to Bike Transition (T1)
It is well known that swimming has an impact on subsequent cycling performance, with some studies demonstrating that overall cycling performance may be hindered by short-duration, high-intensity swimming, such as a sprint triathlon when the distance is much shorter (usually 750-meter swim, 20K bike, and 5K run), thus many athletes try to swim this leg much faster than normal. One method of countering the detrimental impact of high-intensity swimming is drafting.
Drafting is the act of swimming very close behind or at hip level to another swimmer. It reduces passive drag, thus decreasing the effort to swim the same distance. Also drafting usually improves stroke economy and efficiency, therefore potentially improving the subsequent cycling performance. To take maximal advantage of drafting, swimming behind another triathlete at a distance up to 1.5 feet (.5 m) back from the toes is the most advantageous; in lateral drafting—in kayaking this is termed “catching the bow wave”—a swimmer's head can be level with another swimmer's hips. You would do this when there isn't physical room to get behind another swimmer's toes or there are other athletes all around you, preventing you from moving.
Also, many triathletes are aware of terms such as blood pooling and orthostatic intolerance but don't actually know what they are. Orthostatic intolerance is characterized by impaired balance, dizziness, blurred vision, or even partial or complete loss of consciousness. This may occur postswim in athletes with normal blood pressure because of gravitational stress and the removal of the muscle pump. In fact, one study showed that severe dizziness after swimming when exiting the water and standing up for the transition section is a common occurrence for many triathletes, but it is more prevalent in highly trained endurance athletes. If this happens to you frequently, you should seek medical advice. However, the good news is that most athletes who get checked out by their doctors discover that severe dizziness is usually benign.
To counteract the effect of gravity and maintain blood pressure and venous return, one study suggests continuing to keep moving rather than stopping abruptly. This is especially important when removing the wetsuit upon exiting the water, stopping to walk up wet steps or noncarpeted transitions, bending down to put on cycling shoes, and so on. One way to offset dizziness as you leave the swim is to start utilizing the muscular pump by working the calf muscles as soon as possible, meaning you should take short steps at a higher cadence than normal as you make your way to the transition.
Ultimately, this will improve your ability to maintain venous return and blood pressure, maintain mental concentration through the transition, and execute pacing strategies for the start of the cycling discipline—thus going faster out of T1.
Bike to Run Transition (T2)
A debate exists regarding the metabolic cost of running at the end of a triathlon compared with running the same distance in isolation. However, the vast majority of research suggests that high-intensity cycling will have a detrimental effect on subsequent running performance, with the effects dependent on the fitness level of the triathlete; the greatest decreases in performance are observed in recreational triathletes, and minimal effects are seen in elite triathletes.
To offset the impact of cycling on running performance, researchers have come up with a few practical strategies; see Bentley et al. (2008) for further details. In summary, triathletes may be able to improve running performance by (1) drafting behind as many athletes as is practical (in draft-legal events); (2) adopting a cycling cadence of between 80-100 rpm (note, however, that cadence is a very personal matter—just consider the cycling cadence of Lance Armstrong (above 110 rpm for several hours at a time), for example—but many in triathlon will find a slightly higher cadence is acceptable); and (3) concentrating on reducing the effort during the final minutes of the cycling stage to prepare for the run. Points 2 and 3 really strike home for many coaches and physiologists. Pro cyclists will of course state the physiological benefits of spinning at greater than 110 rpm, but all too often, triathletes will trash themselves on the last 5K of the cycling discipline when coming in for the home stretch. However, the global performance time of a triathlon is the most important aspect, not the bike time. As such, establishing optimal pacing strategies for the start of the bike, the end of the bike, and the start of the run is an individual task and should be done in training on a regular basis. To put it as simply as possible: Don't leave your run on the bike! And spinning is better than crunching big gears.
To emphasize this point, various studies tried to determine the best pacing strategy during the initial phase of an Olympic-distance triathlon for highly trained triathletes. Ten male triathletes completed a 10K control run at free pace as well as three individual time-trial triathlons in a randomized order. In the time trials, the swimming and cycling speeds imposed were identical to the first triathlon performed, and the first run kilometer was done alternately 5 percent faster, 5 percent slower, and 10 percent slower than in the control run. The triathletes were instructed to finish the remaining 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) as quickly as possible at a self-selected pace. The 5 percent slower run resulted in a significantly faster overall 10K performance than the 5 percent faster and 10 percent slower runs, respectively (p < .05). Of note, the 5 percent faster strategy resulted in higher values for oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and blood lactate at the end of the first kilometer than the two other conditions. After 5 and 9.5 kilometers, these values were higher for the 5 percent slower run (p < .05).
This excellent and well-controlled study demonstrates that contrary to popular belief, running slower during the first kilometer of an Olympic-distance triathlon may actually improve overall 10K performance. With the recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) watches, split times and distances are easily available for triathletes to take advantage of even if no distance markers are provided during the triathlon. This technology is best used only if the triathlete has previously established performance standards for that particular event. Thus, for these data to be most effective, the triathlete must know what split time equals 5 percent slower than his maximal effort.
The mechanisms of cornering on the bike
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain.
Cornering on the Bike
You also need to think about actually driving the bike and some of the more dynamic movements you have to make while racing around a course. One of the areas where athletes lose speed is in corners. These athletes lack the knowledge and the confidence to navigate a corner while slowing only slightly and letting their momentum carry them through safely and back up to racing speeds.
There are a few methods of steering a bicycle at race speed. The most common are the lean and the steer. Many variables affect which method you use including road conditions, turn location, entrance speed, and number of other athletes near you as you approach the corner. I will touch on each and how you might practice them.
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain. Also, be one or two steps ahead on the bike course, and shift your bike into the appropriate gear before you head into a corner. You don't want to stand out of a corner either spinning without pressure on the pedals or mashing the gears.
—Sarah Haskins
Lean
The lean is the version most cyclists know and use in higher-speed conditions. This involves leaning the bicycle into the corner as needed, based on the radius of the curve and the speed at which you enter the corner. You will be leaning, but at a slightly lesser angle than the bicycle. For many athletes in mass-start triathlons or other multisport events, the safest method is to pedal normally until you are approximately 70 to 100 yards or meters from the apex of the corner (the center point of the radius, usually). At this point, you will decide if you need to coast or brake before entering the corner. If you need to apply the brakes, do so gradually, and remember your front brake provides most of the power to slow the bicycle. More advanced athletes will remain on the aero extensions (if a nondrafting event), while beginner athletes might sit up and drive from the base bar.
Just as you enter the corner, pedal half a revolution so your outside foot is at the 6 o'clock position, and apply pressure with it toward the ground. This “pushes” the tires down and helps settle the bike. Keep your body equally balanced between the front and back tires. Lean your bike and then your body in sync as needed, and continue to push on that outside foot. Now let the bike roll. (When you brake hard in the corner, you tend to throw the mass of your body forward, and this unsettles the bike and can cause the wheels to come off your chosen line.) As soon as you are clear of the corner, start to straighten the bike, and you can pedal away safely, hopefully without losing too much momentum.
Steer
Once you have mastered the lean and feel comfortable doing it, you need to work on the next progression: the steer. If you have practiced the lean, you will notice a few things. First, you don't actually turn the handlebars much (or thus the front wheel), and second, you are really moving through the corner on a small contact patch of the tire on the outside edge of the tread. This tends to be the preferred method for higher speeds or dry conditions.
When the situation calls for it, you will need to steer the bicycle through the corner. This varies slightly from the method used for the lean. You will set up much the same, but the major difference is that the speed will be lower (think 180-degree turnaround or rain-soaked corner). So, you will start to brake earlier and most definitely will be driving from the base bar (or hoods for a road bike). The outside pedal is still weighted. Now, as you approach the apex of the corner, you will turn the front wheel as needed based on approach speed and radius of the corner. Here is where it gets a little tricky! You will still lean through the corner, but mainly your body is leaning into the apex and the bike is staying more upright. This is not an extreme body lean—think more of “leading” the bicycle a bit. The goal is to keep the bike more upright and thus keep a larger contact patch of the tire on the road. Once you have rounded the corner, you straighten the body and bring the front wheel back in line and
pedal away.
A good skill to practice at low speed in the grass with a few friends is bumping each other from the sides or brushing their rear wheels with your front wheel. This will help you become accustomed to contact between riders so you react calmly to it when it happens in a race.
—Joe Umphenour
Shifting
One of the most frequent questions asked by new athletes is “When do I shift?” This is a tough question to answer. There isn't really a right or wrong time, just the optimal time. A modern racing bicycle has between 18 and 30 available gears and the mechanisms to shift through those gears at the flip of a lever or the push of a button.
The terrain and a rider's output (watts) will dictate when the shift should happen. It's best not to overthink the simple act of shifting, but you should be aware of a few things not to do. First, avoid the cross chain; this is the gearing when the chain is on the biggest (outside) chain ring in the front and the biggest (inside) cog in the rear. A modern bicycle will operate just fine in this gear combination, but it adds undue stress to the drivetrain, and especially the chain itself, increasing wear. The simplest solution is to shift down to the inner chain ring in the front and then shift down two or three cogs in the rear and find a suitable gear ratio with a much better chain line.
The next scenario that is best to avoid is a drastic shift in multiple gears while pedaling under heavy load. Usually when you see an athlete drop a chain off of the front chain ring, it is when he has tried to make a quick multiple-gear change under load; the derailleur tension cannot compensate for the rapid change in chain position, and the chain can drop off the chain ring, falling into the bottom bracket area or toward the outside of the big chain ring. This comes down to the issue of course knowledge, as this situation usually arises when you are caught off guard by a steep climb or sharp curve. It is not always convenient to arrive early or the day before an event, so you have to use your best judgment when navigating the course if the terrain is new to you. The safer option is to be in too easy a gear and keep your cadence a few rpm above your self-selected range, as it is always easier to drop to a harder gear than it is to try to force the chain up the cassette to a very easy gear.
The question also comes up regarding the correct rpm, or cadence, to maintain. Cadence is a very individual metric. Some athletes “mash” the big gears, and others are “spinners” who ride at a very high cadence. In many instances, these athletes get around the course quickly and are still able to run well off the bike. Experience has shown that the sweet spot in cadence likely falls from the high 70s to the low 100s, with most folks falling very near 90 rpm. For more info on the optimal cadence, see chapter 12.
While racing in triathlon, I mentally check my cadence every 5 miles [8 km] on the bike. It is important to keep a higher cadence while on the bike to lessen muscular fatigue before heading out onto the run course. If you slow your cadence down too much, it can greatly affect your run performance.
—Sarah Haskins
Braking
Most of this chapter is spent covering topics to make you go faster on the bicycle. But the truth is, sometimes proper braking will yield overall faster bike splits. It's important for an athlete to understand when to brake (such as before a tight turn) and then accelerate out of the turn. It is also important for the athlete to know how to brake downhill, feather the front brake, and apply consistent pressure on the back brake with your weight shifted back. Remember, momentum on a bicycle is hard to get but easy to keep, so if a rider is smart with her application of brakes at strategic times, she will lose less overall speed and maybe avoid a worst-case scenario—a crash.
Earlier in the chapter, potentially hazardous aid stations were mentioned to emphasize the importance of proper bike handling. Here is a possible scenario. Picture this: You are 30 miles (48 km) into your Iron-distance bike leg, and you slow to retrieve a bottle of sports drink from the aid station. Just then the athlete in front of you slams on his brakes, and you run straight into him, sending you careening. Your day could be over. Don't let this happen to you! When approaching aid stations, come off of your aero extensions and ride on the base bar, covering your brakes with a single finger on the lever. Look for a volunteer down the line a bit, and make your way toward her while feathering the brakes. Note: Most aid stations are set up on the right side of the road, and you will be reaching with that hand for the bottle (or other nutrition), thus you are covering the front brake. Continue to look for other athletes, and drag that front brake a bit to scrub speed; grab the bottle on the fly, and ease yourself back into the course properly. If stowing the bottle in a rear mount behind the seat carrier, take caution in doing so, and try to get clear of the aid station and back up to speed. Most important, pay attention and be prepared to take evasive action if needed.
There are two important things to remember when participating in a rotating pace line. First, as you drop to the back after a pull at the front, stay close to the side of the riders behind you. This allows them to continue drafting off you as they move forward. And, second, do not dramatically accelerate your speed when you move to the front. This will cause gaps in the group and slow the overall pace.
—Sara McLarty
Improving Your Transitions
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion.
Improving Your Transitions
Graham Wilson and Mathew Wilson
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to discuss what some have called the fourth discipline of triathlon—transitions—including how to minimize the amount of time spent in T1 and T2 and how, from an exercise physiology aspect, to improve overall triathlon performance by taking advantage of recent advancements in pacing and drafting strategies across all disciplines.
Transitions
Various studies have shown that the transition from one event of the race to another has important implications for physiological and kinematic (movement of the body) measures that affect both perceived effort and performance in the remaining events. One study found that athletes do not bike or run as economically after swimming and do not run as economically after the bike segment. Part of this lack of economy may in fact be due to an athlete's inadequate technical ability or fitness level, which in turn leads to an increased metabolic load. This, then, emphasizes the need for transition training between each discipline and specific physiological training that will help triathletes switch between disciplines quickly and more efficiently—thus biking faster out of T1 and running faster out of T2.
Transition Layout
One of the key factors in having a successful transition experience is knowing the layout of the transition area, including its entry and exit points, and also the layout of your own equipment. Many triathletes bring far too much baggage into the area and clutter it up, not only for themselves but also for those sharing the rack, so bring only what you will be using during the actual race. You should also note that in accordance with USAT rules, you “own” only the piece of real estate where your wheel touches the ground, so do not spread your equipment in too large an area.
Most athletes rack their bikes by the seat so the front wheel is touching the ground. This can make for a faster exit from the bike rack than, say, if the bike is racked by the brake levers, which makes it more difficult to remove. Most races have a single transition area, so according to USAT rules, athletes must return their bikes to their assigned positions on the bike rack, and failure to do so may result in a penalty.
Remember that others will be in close proximity to you, and thus you should be considerate and keep your equipment in a tight and logical order. Lay your equipment out in reverse order, meaning the items that are farthest away are those you will be putting on last. For example, if you are looking down at the ground from farthest away to nearest, you would lay out your gear next to your bike in the following order:
1. Running shoes with lace locks or similar
2. Hat or visor
3. Socks (although many think they can race without them, the time spent putting them on for the run may be well spent rather than getting a blister)
4. Bike shoes (see later section on cyclo-cross mount and dismount)
5. Race number, which is usually attached to an elastic race belt so it's easy to put on (check with the race director on local rules because some require you to wear your race number on the bike and some only for the run segment; if you have to wear it on the bike, in order to stop it flapping so much in the breeze, scrunch it up and wrinkle the whole race number, then spread it out and attach it to your race belt to limit the “sail effect” behind you)
6. Helmet and sunglasses, which may be on the ground or hanging on the front of your bike, but remember your helmet must be on and securely fastened before you leave the transition area; if you do not fasten your helmet before mounting your bike (outside the transition area), you could be disqualified
It is worthwhile to lay out your kit the same way for every race and have a set routine of what you put on first so you have less to think about in the heat of the race.
Swim to Bike Transition (T1)
It is well known that swimming has an impact on subsequent cycling performance, with some studies demonstrating that overall cycling performance may be hindered by short-duration, high-intensity swimming, such as a sprint triathlon when the distance is much shorter (usually 750-meter swim, 20K bike, and 5K run), thus many athletes try to swim this leg much faster than normal. One method of countering the detrimental impact of high-intensity swimming is drafting.
Drafting is the act of swimming very close behind or at hip level to another swimmer. It reduces passive drag, thus decreasing the effort to swim the same distance. Also drafting usually improves stroke economy and efficiency, therefore potentially improving the subsequent cycling performance. To take maximal advantage of drafting, swimming behind another triathlete at a distance up to 1.5 feet (.5 m) back from the toes is the most advantageous; in lateral drafting—in kayaking this is termed “catching the bow wave”—a swimmer's head can be level with another swimmer's hips. You would do this when there isn't physical room to get behind another swimmer's toes or there are other athletes all around you, preventing you from moving.
Also, many triathletes are aware of terms such as blood pooling and orthostatic intolerance but don't actually know what they are. Orthostatic intolerance is characterized by impaired balance, dizziness, blurred vision, or even partial or complete loss of consciousness. This may occur postswim in athletes with normal blood pressure because of gravitational stress and the removal of the muscle pump. In fact, one study showed that severe dizziness after swimming when exiting the water and standing up for the transition section is a common occurrence for many triathletes, but it is more prevalent in highly trained endurance athletes. If this happens to you frequently, you should seek medical advice. However, the good news is that most athletes who get checked out by their doctors discover that severe dizziness is usually benign.
To counteract the effect of gravity and maintain blood pressure and venous return, one study suggests continuing to keep moving rather than stopping abruptly. This is especially important when removing the wetsuit upon exiting the water, stopping to walk up wet steps or noncarpeted transitions, bending down to put on cycling shoes, and so on. One way to offset dizziness as you leave the swim is to start utilizing the muscular pump by working the calf muscles as soon as possible, meaning you should take short steps at a higher cadence than normal as you make your way to the transition.
Ultimately, this will improve your ability to maintain venous return and blood pressure, maintain mental concentration through the transition, and execute pacing strategies for the start of the cycling discipline—thus going faster out of T1.
Bike to Run Transition (T2)
A debate exists regarding the metabolic cost of running at the end of a triathlon compared with running the same distance in isolation. However, the vast majority of research suggests that high-intensity cycling will have a detrimental effect on subsequent running performance, with the effects dependent on the fitness level of the triathlete; the greatest decreases in performance are observed in recreational triathletes, and minimal effects are seen in elite triathletes.
To offset the impact of cycling on running performance, researchers have come up with a few practical strategies; see Bentley et al. (2008) for further details. In summary, triathletes may be able to improve running performance by (1) drafting behind as many athletes as is practical (in draft-legal events); (2) adopting a cycling cadence of between 80-100 rpm (note, however, that cadence is a very personal matter—just consider the cycling cadence of Lance Armstrong (above 110 rpm for several hours at a time), for example—but many in triathlon will find a slightly higher cadence is acceptable); and (3) concentrating on reducing the effort during the final minutes of the cycling stage to prepare for the run. Points 2 and 3 really strike home for many coaches and physiologists. Pro cyclists will of course state the physiological benefits of spinning at greater than 110 rpm, but all too often, triathletes will trash themselves on the last 5K of the cycling discipline when coming in for the home stretch. However, the global performance time of a triathlon is the most important aspect, not the bike time. As such, establishing optimal pacing strategies for the start of the bike, the end of the bike, and the start of the run is an individual task and should be done in training on a regular basis. To put it as simply as possible: Don't leave your run on the bike! And spinning is better than crunching big gears.
To emphasize this point, various studies tried to determine the best pacing strategy during the initial phase of an Olympic-distance triathlon for highly trained triathletes. Ten male triathletes completed a 10K control run at free pace as well as three individual time-trial triathlons in a randomized order. In the time trials, the swimming and cycling speeds imposed were identical to the first triathlon performed, and the first run kilometer was done alternately 5 percent faster, 5 percent slower, and 10 percent slower than in the control run. The triathletes were instructed to finish the remaining 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) as quickly as possible at a self-selected pace. The 5 percent slower run resulted in a significantly faster overall 10K performance than the 5 percent faster and 10 percent slower runs, respectively (p < .05). Of note, the 5 percent faster strategy resulted in higher values for oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and blood lactate at the end of the first kilometer than the two other conditions. After 5 and 9.5 kilometers, these values were higher for the 5 percent slower run (p < .05).
This excellent and well-controlled study demonstrates that contrary to popular belief, running slower during the first kilometer of an Olympic-distance triathlon may actually improve overall 10K performance. With the recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) watches, split times and distances are easily available for triathletes to take advantage of even if no distance markers are provided during the triathlon. This technology is best used only if the triathlete has previously established performance standards for that particular event. Thus, for these data to be most effective, the triathlete must know what split time equals 5 percent slower than his maximal effort.
The mechanisms of cornering on the bike
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain.
Cornering on the Bike
You also need to think about actually driving the bike and some of the more dynamic movements you have to make while racing around a course. One of the areas where athletes lose speed is in corners. These athletes lack the knowledge and the confidence to navigate a corner while slowing only slightly and letting their momentum carry them through safely and back up to racing speeds.
There are a few methods of steering a bicycle at race speed. The most common are the lean and the steer. Many variables affect which method you use including road conditions, turn location, entrance speed, and number of other athletes near you as you approach the corner. I will touch on each and how you might practice them.
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain. Also, be one or two steps ahead on the bike course, and shift your bike into the appropriate gear before you head into a corner. You don't want to stand out of a corner either spinning without pressure on the pedals or mashing the gears.
—Sarah Haskins
Lean
The lean is the version most cyclists know and use in higher-speed conditions. This involves leaning the bicycle into the corner as needed, based on the radius of the curve and the speed at which you enter the corner. You will be leaning, but at a slightly lesser angle than the bicycle. For many athletes in mass-start triathlons or other multisport events, the safest method is to pedal normally until you are approximately 70 to 100 yards or meters from the apex of the corner (the center point of the radius, usually). At this point, you will decide if you need to coast or brake before entering the corner. If you need to apply the brakes, do so gradually, and remember your front brake provides most of the power to slow the bicycle. More advanced athletes will remain on the aero extensions (if a nondrafting event), while beginner athletes might sit up and drive from the base bar.
Just as you enter the corner, pedal half a revolution so your outside foot is at the 6 o'clock position, and apply pressure with it toward the ground. This “pushes” the tires down and helps settle the bike. Keep your body equally balanced between the front and back tires. Lean your bike and then your body in sync as needed, and continue to push on that outside foot. Now let the bike roll. (When you brake hard in the corner, you tend to throw the mass of your body forward, and this unsettles the bike and can cause the wheels to come off your chosen line.) As soon as you are clear of the corner, start to straighten the bike, and you can pedal away safely, hopefully without losing too much momentum.
Steer
Once you have mastered the lean and feel comfortable doing it, you need to work on the next progression: the steer. If you have practiced the lean, you will notice a few things. First, you don't actually turn the handlebars much (or thus the front wheel), and second, you are really moving through the corner on a small contact patch of the tire on the outside edge of the tread. This tends to be the preferred method for higher speeds or dry conditions.
When the situation calls for it, you will need to steer the bicycle through the corner. This varies slightly from the method used for the lean. You will set up much the same, but the major difference is that the speed will be lower (think 180-degree turnaround or rain-soaked corner). So, you will start to brake earlier and most definitely will be driving from the base bar (or hoods for a road bike). The outside pedal is still weighted. Now, as you approach the apex of the corner, you will turn the front wheel as needed based on approach speed and radius of the corner. Here is where it gets a little tricky! You will still lean through the corner, but mainly your body is leaning into the apex and the bike is staying more upright. This is not an extreme body lean—think more of “leading” the bicycle a bit. The goal is to keep the bike more upright and thus keep a larger contact patch of the tire on the road. Once you have rounded the corner, you straighten the body and bring the front wheel back in line and
pedal away.
A good skill to practice at low speed in the grass with a few friends is bumping each other from the sides or brushing their rear wheels with your front wheel. This will help you become accustomed to contact between riders so you react calmly to it when it happens in a race.
—Joe Umphenour
Shifting
One of the most frequent questions asked by new athletes is “When do I shift?” This is a tough question to answer. There isn't really a right or wrong time, just the optimal time. A modern racing bicycle has between 18 and 30 available gears and the mechanisms to shift through those gears at the flip of a lever or the push of a button.
The terrain and a rider's output (watts) will dictate when the shift should happen. It's best not to overthink the simple act of shifting, but you should be aware of a few things not to do. First, avoid the cross chain; this is the gearing when the chain is on the biggest (outside) chain ring in the front and the biggest (inside) cog in the rear. A modern bicycle will operate just fine in this gear combination, but it adds undue stress to the drivetrain, and especially the chain itself, increasing wear. The simplest solution is to shift down to the inner chain ring in the front and then shift down two or three cogs in the rear and find a suitable gear ratio with a much better chain line.
The next scenario that is best to avoid is a drastic shift in multiple gears while pedaling under heavy load. Usually when you see an athlete drop a chain off of the front chain ring, it is when he has tried to make a quick multiple-gear change under load; the derailleur tension cannot compensate for the rapid change in chain position, and the chain can drop off the chain ring, falling into the bottom bracket area or toward the outside of the big chain ring. This comes down to the issue of course knowledge, as this situation usually arises when you are caught off guard by a steep climb or sharp curve. It is not always convenient to arrive early or the day before an event, so you have to use your best judgment when navigating the course if the terrain is new to you. The safer option is to be in too easy a gear and keep your cadence a few rpm above your self-selected range, as it is always easier to drop to a harder gear than it is to try to force the chain up the cassette to a very easy gear.
The question also comes up regarding the correct rpm, or cadence, to maintain. Cadence is a very individual metric. Some athletes “mash” the big gears, and others are “spinners” who ride at a very high cadence. In many instances, these athletes get around the course quickly and are still able to run well off the bike. Experience has shown that the sweet spot in cadence likely falls from the high 70s to the low 100s, with most folks falling very near 90 rpm. For more info on the optimal cadence, see chapter 12.
While racing in triathlon, I mentally check my cadence every 5 miles [8 km] on the bike. It is important to keep a higher cadence while on the bike to lessen muscular fatigue before heading out onto the run course. If you slow your cadence down too much, it can greatly affect your run performance.
—Sarah Haskins
Braking
Most of this chapter is spent covering topics to make you go faster on the bicycle. But the truth is, sometimes proper braking will yield overall faster bike splits. It's important for an athlete to understand when to brake (such as before a tight turn) and then accelerate out of the turn. It is also important for the athlete to know how to brake downhill, feather the front brake, and apply consistent pressure on the back brake with your weight shifted back. Remember, momentum on a bicycle is hard to get but easy to keep, so if a rider is smart with her application of brakes at strategic times, she will lose less overall speed and maybe avoid a worst-case scenario—a crash.
Earlier in the chapter, potentially hazardous aid stations were mentioned to emphasize the importance of proper bike handling. Here is a possible scenario. Picture this: You are 30 miles (48 km) into your Iron-distance bike leg, and you slow to retrieve a bottle of sports drink from the aid station. Just then the athlete in front of you slams on his brakes, and you run straight into him, sending you careening. Your day could be over. Don't let this happen to you! When approaching aid stations, come off of your aero extensions and ride on the base bar, covering your brakes with a single finger on the lever. Look for a volunteer down the line a bit, and make your way toward her while feathering the brakes. Note: Most aid stations are set up on the right side of the road, and you will be reaching with that hand for the bottle (or other nutrition), thus you are covering the front brake. Continue to look for other athletes, and drag that front brake a bit to scrub speed; grab the bottle on the fly, and ease yourself back into the course properly. If stowing the bottle in a rear mount behind the seat carrier, take caution in doing so, and try to get clear of the aid station and back up to speed. Most important, pay attention and be prepared to take evasive action if needed.
There are two important things to remember when participating in a rotating pace line. First, as you drop to the back after a pull at the front, stay close to the side of the riders behind you. This allows them to continue drafting off you as they move forward. And, second, do not dramatically accelerate your speed when you move to the front. This will cause gaps in the group and slow the overall pace.
—Sara McLarty
Improving Your Transitions
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion.
Improving Your Transitions
Graham Wilson and Mathew Wilson
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to discuss what some have called the fourth discipline of triathlon—transitions—including how to minimize the amount of time spent in T1 and T2 and how, from an exercise physiology aspect, to improve overall triathlon performance by taking advantage of recent advancements in pacing and drafting strategies across all disciplines.
Transitions
Various studies have shown that the transition from one event of the race to another has important implications for physiological and kinematic (movement of the body) measures that affect both perceived effort and performance in the remaining events. One study found that athletes do not bike or run as economically after swimming and do not run as economically after the bike segment. Part of this lack of economy may in fact be due to an athlete's inadequate technical ability or fitness level, which in turn leads to an increased metabolic load. This, then, emphasizes the need for transition training between each discipline and specific physiological training that will help triathletes switch between disciplines quickly and more efficiently—thus biking faster out of T1 and running faster out of T2.
Transition Layout
One of the key factors in having a successful transition experience is knowing the layout of the transition area, including its entry and exit points, and also the layout of your own equipment. Many triathletes bring far too much baggage into the area and clutter it up, not only for themselves but also for those sharing the rack, so bring only what you will be using during the actual race. You should also note that in accordance with USAT rules, you “own” only the piece of real estate where your wheel touches the ground, so do not spread your equipment in too large an area.
Most athletes rack their bikes by the seat so the front wheel is touching the ground. This can make for a faster exit from the bike rack than, say, if the bike is racked by the brake levers, which makes it more difficult to remove. Most races have a single transition area, so according to USAT rules, athletes must return their bikes to their assigned positions on the bike rack, and failure to do so may result in a penalty.
Remember that others will be in close proximity to you, and thus you should be considerate and keep your equipment in a tight and logical order. Lay your equipment out in reverse order, meaning the items that are farthest away are those you will be putting on last. For example, if you are looking down at the ground from farthest away to nearest, you would lay out your gear next to your bike in the following order:
1. Running shoes with lace locks or similar
2. Hat or visor
3. Socks (although many think they can race without them, the time spent putting them on for the run may be well spent rather than getting a blister)
4. Bike shoes (see later section on cyclo-cross mount and dismount)
5. Race number, which is usually attached to an elastic race belt so it's easy to put on (check with the race director on local rules because some require you to wear your race number on the bike and some only for the run segment; if you have to wear it on the bike, in order to stop it flapping so much in the breeze, scrunch it up and wrinkle the whole race number, then spread it out and attach it to your race belt to limit the “sail effect” behind you)
6. Helmet and sunglasses, which may be on the ground or hanging on the front of your bike, but remember your helmet must be on and securely fastened before you leave the transition area; if you do not fasten your helmet before mounting your bike (outside the transition area), you could be disqualified
It is worthwhile to lay out your kit the same way for every race and have a set routine of what you put on first so you have less to think about in the heat of the race.
Swim to Bike Transition (T1)
It is well known that swimming has an impact on subsequent cycling performance, with some studies demonstrating that overall cycling performance may be hindered by short-duration, high-intensity swimming, such as a sprint triathlon when the distance is much shorter (usually 750-meter swim, 20K bike, and 5K run), thus many athletes try to swim this leg much faster than normal. One method of countering the detrimental impact of high-intensity swimming is drafting.
Drafting is the act of swimming very close behind or at hip level to another swimmer. It reduces passive drag, thus decreasing the effort to swim the same distance. Also drafting usually improves stroke economy and efficiency, therefore potentially improving the subsequent cycling performance. To take maximal advantage of drafting, swimming behind another triathlete at a distance up to 1.5 feet (.5 m) back from the toes is the most advantageous; in lateral drafting—in kayaking this is termed “catching the bow wave”—a swimmer's head can be level with another swimmer's hips. You would do this when there isn't physical room to get behind another swimmer's toes or there are other athletes all around you, preventing you from moving.
Also, many triathletes are aware of terms such as blood pooling and orthostatic intolerance but don't actually know what they are. Orthostatic intolerance is characterized by impaired balance, dizziness, blurred vision, or even partial or complete loss of consciousness. This may occur postswim in athletes with normal blood pressure because of gravitational stress and the removal of the muscle pump. In fact, one study showed that severe dizziness after swimming when exiting the water and standing up for the transition section is a common occurrence for many triathletes, but it is more prevalent in highly trained endurance athletes. If this happens to you frequently, you should seek medical advice. However, the good news is that most athletes who get checked out by their doctors discover that severe dizziness is usually benign.
To counteract the effect of gravity and maintain blood pressure and venous return, one study suggests continuing to keep moving rather than stopping abruptly. This is especially important when removing the wetsuit upon exiting the water, stopping to walk up wet steps or noncarpeted transitions, bending down to put on cycling shoes, and so on. One way to offset dizziness as you leave the swim is to start utilizing the muscular pump by working the calf muscles as soon as possible, meaning you should take short steps at a higher cadence than normal as you make your way to the transition.
Ultimately, this will improve your ability to maintain venous return and blood pressure, maintain mental concentration through the transition, and execute pacing strategies for the start of the cycling discipline—thus going faster out of T1.
Bike to Run Transition (T2)
A debate exists regarding the metabolic cost of running at the end of a triathlon compared with running the same distance in isolation. However, the vast majority of research suggests that high-intensity cycling will have a detrimental effect on subsequent running performance, with the effects dependent on the fitness level of the triathlete; the greatest decreases in performance are observed in recreational triathletes, and minimal effects are seen in elite triathletes.
To offset the impact of cycling on running performance, researchers have come up with a few practical strategies; see Bentley et al. (2008) for further details. In summary, triathletes may be able to improve running performance by (1) drafting behind as many athletes as is practical (in draft-legal events); (2) adopting a cycling cadence of between 80-100 rpm (note, however, that cadence is a very personal matter—just consider the cycling cadence of Lance Armstrong (above 110 rpm for several hours at a time), for example—but many in triathlon will find a slightly higher cadence is acceptable); and (3) concentrating on reducing the effort during the final minutes of the cycling stage to prepare for the run. Points 2 and 3 really strike home for many coaches and physiologists. Pro cyclists will of course state the physiological benefits of spinning at greater than 110 rpm, but all too often, triathletes will trash themselves on the last 5K of the cycling discipline when coming in for the home stretch. However, the global performance time of a triathlon is the most important aspect, not the bike time. As such, establishing optimal pacing strategies for the start of the bike, the end of the bike, and the start of the run is an individual task and should be done in training on a regular basis. To put it as simply as possible: Don't leave your run on the bike! And spinning is better than crunching big gears.
To emphasize this point, various studies tried to determine the best pacing strategy during the initial phase of an Olympic-distance triathlon for highly trained triathletes. Ten male triathletes completed a 10K control run at free pace as well as three individual time-trial triathlons in a randomized order. In the time trials, the swimming and cycling speeds imposed were identical to the first triathlon performed, and the first run kilometer was done alternately 5 percent faster, 5 percent slower, and 10 percent slower than in the control run. The triathletes were instructed to finish the remaining 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) as quickly as possible at a self-selected pace. The 5 percent slower run resulted in a significantly faster overall 10K performance than the 5 percent faster and 10 percent slower runs, respectively (p < .05). Of note, the 5 percent faster strategy resulted in higher values for oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and blood lactate at the end of the first kilometer than the two other conditions. After 5 and 9.5 kilometers, these values were higher for the 5 percent slower run (p < .05).
This excellent and well-controlled study demonstrates that contrary to popular belief, running slower during the first kilometer of an Olympic-distance triathlon may actually improve overall 10K performance. With the recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) watches, split times and distances are easily available for triathletes to take advantage of even if no distance markers are provided during the triathlon. This technology is best used only if the triathlete has previously established performance standards for that particular event. Thus, for these data to be most effective, the triathlete must know what split time equals 5 percent slower than his maximal effort.
The mechanisms of cornering on the bike
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain.
Cornering on the Bike
You also need to think about actually driving the bike and some of the more dynamic movements you have to make while racing around a course. One of the areas where athletes lose speed is in corners. These athletes lack the knowledge and the confidence to navigate a corner while slowing only slightly and letting their momentum carry them through safely and back up to racing speeds.
There are a few methods of steering a bicycle at race speed. The most common are the lean and the steer. Many variables affect which method you use including road conditions, turn location, entrance speed, and number of other athletes near you as you approach the corner. I will touch on each and how you might practice them.
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain. Also, be one or two steps ahead on the bike course, and shift your bike into the appropriate gear before you head into a corner. You don't want to stand out of a corner either spinning without pressure on the pedals or mashing the gears.
—Sarah Haskins
Lean
The lean is the version most cyclists know and use in higher-speed conditions. This involves leaning the bicycle into the corner as needed, based on the radius of the curve and the speed at which you enter the corner. You will be leaning, but at a slightly lesser angle than the bicycle. For many athletes in mass-start triathlons or other multisport events, the safest method is to pedal normally until you are approximately 70 to 100 yards or meters from the apex of the corner (the center point of the radius, usually). At this point, you will decide if you need to coast or brake before entering the corner. If you need to apply the brakes, do so gradually, and remember your front brake provides most of the power to slow the bicycle. More advanced athletes will remain on the aero extensions (if a nondrafting event), while beginner athletes might sit up and drive from the base bar.
Just as you enter the corner, pedal half a revolution so your outside foot is at the 6 o'clock position, and apply pressure with it toward the ground. This “pushes” the tires down and helps settle the bike. Keep your body equally balanced between the front and back tires. Lean your bike and then your body in sync as needed, and continue to push on that outside foot. Now let the bike roll. (When you brake hard in the corner, you tend to throw the mass of your body forward, and this unsettles the bike and can cause the wheels to come off your chosen line.) As soon as you are clear of the corner, start to straighten the bike, and you can pedal away safely, hopefully without losing too much momentum.
Steer
Once you have mastered the lean and feel comfortable doing it, you need to work on the next progression: the steer. If you have practiced the lean, you will notice a few things. First, you don't actually turn the handlebars much (or thus the front wheel), and second, you are really moving through the corner on a small contact patch of the tire on the outside edge of the tread. This tends to be the preferred method for higher speeds or dry conditions.
When the situation calls for it, you will need to steer the bicycle through the corner. This varies slightly from the method used for the lean. You will set up much the same, but the major difference is that the speed will be lower (think 180-degree turnaround or rain-soaked corner). So, you will start to brake earlier and most definitely will be driving from the base bar (or hoods for a road bike). The outside pedal is still weighted. Now, as you approach the apex of the corner, you will turn the front wheel as needed based on approach speed and radius of the corner. Here is where it gets a little tricky! You will still lean through the corner, but mainly your body is leaning into the apex and the bike is staying more upright. This is not an extreme body lean—think more of “leading” the bicycle a bit. The goal is to keep the bike more upright and thus keep a larger contact patch of the tire on the road. Once you have rounded the corner, you straighten the body and bring the front wheel back in line and
pedal away.
A good skill to practice at low speed in the grass with a few friends is bumping each other from the sides or brushing their rear wheels with your front wheel. This will help you become accustomed to contact between riders so you react calmly to it when it happens in a race.
—Joe Umphenour
Shifting
One of the most frequent questions asked by new athletes is “When do I shift?” This is a tough question to answer. There isn't really a right or wrong time, just the optimal time. A modern racing bicycle has between 18 and 30 available gears and the mechanisms to shift through those gears at the flip of a lever or the push of a button.
The terrain and a rider's output (watts) will dictate when the shift should happen. It's best not to overthink the simple act of shifting, but you should be aware of a few things not to do. First, avoid the cross chain; this is the gearing when the chain is on the biggest (outside) chain ring in the front and the biggest (inside) cog in the rear. A modern bicycle will operate just fine in this gear combination, but it adds undue stress to the drivetrain, and especially the chain itself, increasing wear. The simplest solution is to shift down to the inner chain ring in the front and then shift down two or three cogs in the rear and find a suitable gear ratio with a much better chain line.
The next scenario that is best to avoid is a drastic shift in multiple gears while pedaling under heavy load. Usually when you see an athlete drop a chain off of the front chain ring, it is when he has tried to make a quick multiple-gear change under load; the derailleur tension cannot compensate for the rapid change in chain position, and the chain can drop off the chain ring, falling into the bottom bracket area or toward the outside of the big chain ring. This comes down to the issue of course knowledge, as this situation usually arises when you are caught off guard by a steep climb or sharp curve. It is not always convenient to arrive early or the day before an event, so you have to use your best judgment when navigating the course if the terrain is new to you. The safer option is to be in too easy a gear and keep your cadence a few rpm above your self-selected range, as it is always easier to drop to a harder gear than it is to try to force the chain up the cassette to a very easy gear.
The question also comes up regarding the correct rpm, or cadence, to maintain. Cadence is a very individual metric. Some athletes “mash” the big gears, and others are “spinners” who ride at a very high cadence. In many instances, these athletes get around the course quickly and are still able to run well off the bike. Experience has shown that the sweet spot in cadence likely falls from the high 70s to the low 100s, with most folks falling very near 90 rpm. For more info on the optimal cadence, see chapter 12.
While racing in triathlon, I mentally check my cadence every 5 miles [8 km] on the bike. It is important to keep a higher cadence while on the bike to lessen muscular fatigue before heading out onto the run course. If you slow your cadence down too much, it can greatly affect your run performance.
—Sarah Haskins
Braking
Most of this chapter is spent covering topics to make you go faster on the bicycle. But the truth is, sometimes proper braking will yield overall faster bike splits. It's important for an athlete to understand when to brake (such as before a tight turn) and then accelerate out of the turn. It is also important for the athlete to know how to brake downhill, feather the front brake, and apply consistent pressure on the back brake with your weight shifted back. Remember, momentum on a bicycle is hard to get but easy to keep, so if a rider is smart with her application of brakes at strategic times, she will lose less overall speed and maybe avoid a worst-case scenario—a crash.
Earlier in the chapter, potentially hazardous aid stations were mentioned to emphasize the importance of proper bike handling. Here is a possible scenario. Picture this: You are 30 miles (48 km) into your Iron-distance bike leg, and you slow to retrieve a bottle of sports drink from the aid station. Just then the athlete in front of you slams on his brakes, and you run straight into him, sending you careening. Your day could be over. Don't let this happen to you! When approaching aid stations, come off of your aero extensions and ride on the base bar, covering your brakes with a single finger on the lever. Look for a volunteer down the line a bit, and make your way toward her while feathering the brakes. Note: Most aid stations are set up on the right side of the road, and you will be reaching with that hand for the bottle (or other nutrition), thus you are covering the front brake. Continue to look for other athletes, and drag that front brake a bit to scrub speed; grab the bottle on the fly, and ease yourself back into the course properly. If stowing the bottle in a rear mount behind the seat carrier, take caution in doing so, and try to get clear of the aid station and back up to speed. Most important, pay attention and be prepared to take evasive action if needed.
There are two important things to remember when participating in a rotating pace line. First, as you drop to the back after a pull at the front, stay close to the side of the riders behind you. This allows them to continue drafting off you as they move forward. And, second, do not dramatically accelerate your speed when you move to the front. This will cause gaps in the group and slow the overall pace.
—Sara McLarty
Improving Your Transitions
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion.
Improving Your Transitions
Graham Wilson and Mathew Wilson
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to discuss what some have called the fourth discipline of triathlon—transitions—including how to minimize the amount of time spent in T1 and T2 and how, from an exercise physiology aspect, to improve overall triathlon performance by taking advantage of recent advancements in pacing and drafting strategies across all disciplines.
Transitions
Various studies have shown that the transition from one event of the race to another has important implications for physiological and kinematic (movement of the body) measures that affect both perceived effort and performance in the remaining events. One study found that athletes do not bike or run as economically after swimming and do not run as economically after the bike segment. Part of this lack of economy may in fact be due to an athlete's inadequate technical ability or fitness level, which in turn leads to an increased metabolic load. This, then, emphasizes the need for transition training between each discipline and specific physiological training that will help triathletes switch between disciplines quickly and more efficiently—thus biking faster out of T1 and running faster out of T2.
Transition Layout
One of the key factors in having a successful transition experience is knowing the layout of the transition area, including its entry and exit points, and also the layout of your own equipment. Many triathletes bring far too much baggage into the area and clutter it up, not only for themselves but also for those sharing the rack, so bring only what you will be using during the actual race. You should also note that in accordance with USAT rules, you “own” only the piece of real estate where your wheel touches the ground, so do not spread your equipment in too large an area.
Most athletes rack their bikes by the seat so the front wheel is touching the ground. This can make for a faster exit from the bike rack than, say, if the bike is racked by the brake levers, which makes it more difficult to remove. Most races have a single transition area, so according to USAT rules, athletes must return their bikes to their assigned positions on the bike rack, and failure to do so may result in a penalty.
Remember that others will be in close proximity to you, and thus you should be considerate and keep your equipment in a tight and logical order. Lay your equipment out in reverse order, meaning the items that are farthest away are those you will be putting on last. For example, if you are looking down at the ground from farthest away to nearest, you would lay out your gear next to your bike in the following order:
1. Running shoes with lace locks or similar
2. Hat or visor
3. Socks (although many think they can race without them, the time spent putting them on for the run may be well spent rather than getting a blister)
4. Bike shoes (see later section on cyclo-cross mount and dismount)
5. Race number, which is usually attached to an elastic race belt so it's easy to put on (check with the race director on local rules because some require you to wear your race number on the bike and some only for the run segment; if you have to wear it on the bike, in order to stop it flapping so much in the breeze, scrunch it up and wrinkle the whole race number, then spread it out and attach it to your race belt to limit the “sail effect” behind you)
6. Helmet and sunglasses, which may be on the ground or hanging on the front of your bike, but remember your helmet must be on and securely fastened before you leave the transition area; if you do not fasten your helmet before mounting your bike (outside the transition area), you could be disqualified
It is worthwhile to lay out your kit the same way for every race and have a set routine of what you put on first so you have less to think about in the heat of the race.
Swim to Bike Transition (T1)
It is well known that swimming has an impact on subsequent cycling performance, with some studies demonstrating that overall cycling performance may be hindered by short-duration, high-intensity swimming, such as a sprint triathlon when the distance is much shorter (usually 750-meter swim, 20K bike, and 5K run), thus many athletes try to swim this leg much faster than normal. One method of countering the detrimental impact of high-intensity swimming is drafting.
Drafting is the act of swimming very close behind or at hip level to another swimmer. It reduces passive drag, thus decreasing the effort to swim the same distance. Also drafting usually improves stroke economy and efficiency, therefore potentially improving the subsequent cycling performance. To take maximal advantage of drafting, swimming behind another triathlete at a distance up to 1.5 feet (.5 m) back from the toes is the most advantageous; in lateral drafting—in kayaking this is termed “catching the bow wave”—a swimmer's head can be level with another swimmer's hips. You would do this when there isn't physical room to get behind another swimmer's toes or there are other athletes all around you, preventing you from moving.
Also, many triathletes are aware of terms such as blood pooling and orthostatic intolerance but don't actually know what they are. Orthostatic intolerance is characterized by impaired balance, dizziness, blurred vision, or even partial or complete loss of consciousness. This may occur postswim in athletes with normal blood pressure because of gravitational stress and the removal of the muscle pump. In fact, one study showed that severe dizziness after swimming when exiting the water and standing up for the transition section is a common occurrence for many triathletes, but it is more prevalent in highly trained endurance athletes. If this happens to you frequently, you should seek medical advice. However, the good news is that most athletes who get checked out by their doctors discover that severe dizziness is usually benign.
To counteract the effect of gravity and maintain blood pressure and venous return, one study suggests continuing to keep moving rather than stopping abruptly. This is especially important when removing the wetsuit upon exiting the water, stopping to walk up wet steps or noncarpeted transitions, bending down to put on cycling shoes, and so on. One way to offset dizziness as you leave the swim is to start utilizing the muscular pump by working the calf muscles as soon as possible, meaning you should take short steps at a higher cadence than normal as you make your way to the transition.
Ultimately, this will improve your ability to maintain venous return and blood pressure, maintain mental concentration through the transition, and execute pacing strategies for the start of the cycling discipline—thus going faster out of T1.
Bike to Run Transition (T2)
A debate exists regarding the metabolic cost of running at the end of a triathlon compared with running the same distance in isolation. However, the vast majority of research suggests that high-intensity cycling will have a detrimental effect on subsequent running performance, with the effects dependent on the fitness level of the triathlete; the greatest decreases in performance are observed in recreational triathletes, and minimal effects are seen in elite triathletes.
To offset the impact of cycling on running performance, researchers have come up with a few practical strategies; see Bentley et al. (2008) for further details. In summary, triathletes may be able to improve running performance by (1) drafting behind as many athletes as is practical (in draft-legal events); (2) adopting a cycling cadence of between 80-100 rpm (note, however, that cadence is a very personal matter—just consider the cycling cadence of Lance Armstrong (above 110 rpm for several hours at a time), for example—but many in triathlon will find a slightly higher cadence is acceptable); and (3) concentrating on reducing the effort during the final minutes of the cycling stage to prepare for the run. Points 2 and 3 really strike home for many coaches and physiologists. Pro cyclists will of course state the physiological benefits of spinning at greater than 110 rpm, but all too often, triathletes will trash themselves on the last 5K of the cycling discipline when coming in for the home stretch. However, the global performance time of a triathlon is the most important aspect, not the bike time. As such, establishing optimal pacing strategies for the start of the bike, the end of the bike, and the start of the run is an individual task and should be done in training on a regular basis. To put it as simply as possible: Don't leave your run on the bike! And spinning is better than crunching big gears.
To emphasize this point, various studies tried to determine the best pacing strategy during the initial phase of an Olympic-distance triathlon for highly trained triathletes. Ten male triathletes completed a 10K control run at free pace as well as three individual time-trial triathlons in a randomized order. In the time trials, the swimming and cycling speeds imposed were identical to the first triathlon performed, and the first run kilometer was done alternately 5 percent faster, 5 percent slower, and 10 percent slower than in the control run. The triathletes were instructed to finish the remaining 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) as quickly as possible at a self-selected pace. The 5 percent slower run resulted in a significantly faster overall 10K performance than the 5 percent faster and 10 percent slower runs, respectively (p < .05). Of note, the 5 percent faster strategy resulted in higher values for oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and blood lactate at the end of the first kilometer than the two other conditions. After 5 and 9.5 kilometers, these values were higher for the 5 percent slower run (p < .05).
This excellent and well-controlled study demonstrates that contrary to popular belief, running slower during the first kilometer of an Olympic-distance triathlon may actually improve overall 10K performance. With the recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) watches, split times and distances are easily available for triathletes to take advantage of even if no distance markers are provided during the triathlon. This technology is best used only if the triathlete has previously established performance standards for that particular event. Thus, for these data to be most effective, the triathlete must know what split time equals 5 percent slower than his maximal effort.
The mechanisms of cornering on the bike
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain.
Cornering on the Bike
You also need to think about actually driving the bike and some of the more dynamic movements you have to make while racing around a course. One of the areas where athletes lose speed is in corners. These athletes lack the knowledge and the confidence to navigate a corner while slowing only slightly and letting their momentum carry them through safely and back up to racing speeds.
There are a few methods of steering a bicycle at race speed. The most common are the lean and the steer. Many variables affect which method you use including road conditions, turn location, entrance speed, and number of other athletes near you as you approach the corner. I will touch on each and how you might practice them.
Remember to shift your bike while keeping a higher cadence in order to prevent dropping your chain. Also, be one or two steps ahead on the bike course, and shift your bike into the appropriate gear before you head into a corner. You don't want to stand out of a corner either spinning without pressure on the pedals or mashing the gears.
—Sarah Haskins
Lean
The lean is the version most cyclists know and use in higher-speed conditions. This involves leaning the bicycle into the corner as needed, based on the radius of the curve and the speed at which you enter the corner. You will be leaning, but at a slightly lesser angle than the bicycle. For many athletes in mass-start triathlons or other multisport events, the safest method is to pedal normally until you are approximately 70 to 100 yards or meters from the apex of the corner (the center point of the radius, usually). At this point, you will decide if you need to coast or brake before entering the corner. If you need to apply the brakes, do so gradually, and remember your front brake provides most of the power to slow the bicycle. More advanced athletes will remain on the aero extensions (if a nondrafting event), while beginner athletes might sit up and drive from the base bar.
Just as you enter the corner, pedal half a revolution so your outside foot is at the 6 o'clock position, and apply pressure with it toward the ground. This “pushes” the tires down and helps settle the bike. Keep your body equally balanced between the front and back tires. Lean your bike and then your body in sync as needed, and continue to push on that outside foot. Now let the bike roll. (When you brake hard in the corner, you tend to throw the mass of your body forward, and this unsettles the bike and can cause the wheels to come off your chosen line.) As soon as you are clear of the corner, start to straighten the bike, and you can pedal away safely, hopefully without losing too much momentum.
Steer
Once you have mastered the lean and feel comfortable doing it, you need to work on the next progression: the steer. If you have practiced the lean, you will notice a few things. First, you don't actually turn the handlebars much (or thus the front wheel), and second, you are really moving through the corner on a small contact patch of the tire on the outside edge of the tread. This tends to be the preferred method for higher speeds or dry conditions.
When the situation calls for it, you will need to steer the bicycle through the corner. This varies slightly from the method used for the lean. You will set up much the same, but the major difference is that the speed will be lower (think 180-degree turnaround or rain-soaked corner). So, you will start to brake earlier and most definitely will be driving from the base bar (or hoods for a road bike). The outside pedal is still weighted. Now, as you approach the apex of the corner, you will turn the front wheel as needed based on approach speed and radius of the corner. Here is where it gets a little tricky! You will still lean through the corner, but mainly your body is leaning into the apex and the bike is staying more upright. This is not an extreme body lean—think more of “leading” the bicycle a bit. The goal is to keep the bike more upright and thus keep a larger contact patch of the tire on the road. Once you have rounded the corner, you straighten the body and bring the front wheel back in line and
pedal away.
A good skill to practice at low speed in the grass with a few friends is bumping each other from the sides or brushing their rear wheels with your front wheel. This will help you become accustomed to contact between riders so you react calmly to it when it happens in a race.
—Joe Umphenour
Shifting
One of the most frequent questions asked by new athletes is “When do I shift?” This is a tough question to answer. There isn't really a right or wrong time, just the optimal time. A modern racing bicycle has between 18 and 30 available gears and the mechanisms to shift through those gears at the flip of a lever or the push of a button.
The terrain and a rider's output (watts) will dictate when the shift should happen. It's best not to overthink the simple act of shifting, but you should be aware of a few things not to do. First, avoid the cross chain; this is the gearing when the chain is on the biggest (outside) chain ring in the front and the biggest (inside) cog in the rear. A modern bicycle will operate just fine in this gear combination, but it adds undue stress to the drivetrain, and especially the chain itself, increasing wear. The simplest solution is to shift down to the inner chain ring in the front and then shift down two or three cogs in the rear and find a suitable gear ratio with a much better chain line.
The next scenario that is best to avoid is a drastic shift in multiple gears while pedaling under heavy load. Usually when you see an athlete drop a chain off of the front chain ring, it is when he has tried to make a quick multiple-gear change under load; the derailleur tension cannot compensate for the rapid change in chain position, and the chain can drop off the chain ring, falling into the bottom bracket area or toward the outside of the big chain ring. This comes down to the issue of course knowledge, as this situation usually arises when you are caught off guard by a steep climb or sharp curve. It is not always convenient to arrive early or the day before an event, so you have to use your best judgment when navigating the course if the terrain is new to you. The safer option is to be in too easy a gear and keep your cadence a few rpm above your self-selected range, as it is always easier to drop to a harder gear than it is to try to force the chain up the cassette to a very easy gear.
The question also comes up regarding the correct rpm, or cadence, to maintain. Cadence is a very individual metric. Some athletes “mash” the big gears, and others are “spinners” who ride at a very high cadence. In many instances, these athletes get around the course quickly and are still able to run well off the bike. Experience has shown that the sweet spot in cadence likely falls from the high 70s to the low 100s, with most folks falling very near 90 rpm. For more info on the optimal cadence, see chapter 12.
While racing in triathlon, I mentally check my cadence every 5 miles [8 km] on the bike. It is important to keep a higher cadence while on the bike to lessen muscular fatigue before heading out onto the run course. If you slow your cadence down too much, it can greatly affect your run performance.
—Sarah Haskins
Braking
Most of this chapter is spent covering topics to make you go faster on the bicycle. But the truth is, sometimes proper braking will yield overall faster bike splits. It's important for an athlete to understand when to brake (such as before a tight turn) and then accelerate out of the turn. It is also important for the athlete to know how to brake downhill, feather the front brake, and apply consistent pressure on the back brake with your weight shifted back. Remember, momentum on a bicycle is hard to get but easy to keep, so if a rider is smart with her application of brakes at strategic times, she will lose less overall speed and maybe avoid a worst-case scenario—a crash.
Earlier in the chapter, potentially hazardous aid stations were mentioned to emphasize the importance of proper bike handling. Here is a possible scenario. Picture this: You are 30 miles (48 km) into your Iron-distance bike leg, and you slow to retrieve a bottle of sports drink from the aid station. Just then the athlete in front of you slams on his brakes, and you run straight into him, sending you careening. Your day could be over. Don't let this happen to you! When approaching aid stations, come off of your aero extensions and ride on the base bar, covering your brakes with a single finger on the lever. Look for a volunteer down the line a bit, and make your way toward her while feathering the brakes. Note: Most aid stations are set up on the right side of the road, and you will be reaching with that hand for the bottle (or other nutrition), thus you are covering the front brake. Continue to look for other athletes, and drag that front brake a bit to scrub speed; grab the bottle on the fly, and ease yourself back into the course properly. If stowing the bottle in a rear mount behind the seat carrier, take caution in doing so, and try to get clear of the aid station and back up to speed. Most important, pay attention and be prepared to take evasive action if needed.
There are two important things to remember when participating in a rotating pace line. First, as you drop to the back after a pull at the front, stay close to the side of the riders behind you. This allows them to continue drafting off you as they move forward. And, second, do not dramatically accelerate your speed when you move to the front. This will cause gaps in the group and slow the overall pace.
—Sara McLarty
Improving Your Transitions
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion.
Improving Your Transitions
Graham Wilson and Mathew Wilson
Most triathletes spend the majority of their training hours on the three disciplines of the sport; few spend sufficient time practicing the actual mechanics of transitions and preparing for the subsequent segment while still competing in either the swim or bike portion. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to discuss what some have called the fourth discipline of triathlon—transitions—including how to minimize the amount of time spent in T1 and T2 and how, from an exercise physiology aspect, to improve overall triathlon performance by taking advantage of recent advancements in pacing and drafting strategies across all disciplines.
Transitions
Various studies have shown that the transition from one event of the race to another has important implications for physiological and kinematic (movement of the body) measures that affect both perceived effort and performance in the remaining events. One study found that athletes do not bike or run as economically after swimming and do not run as economically after the bike segment. Part of this lack of economy may in fact be due to an athlete's inadequate technical ability or fitness level, which in turn leads to an increased metabolic load. This, then, emphasizes the need for transition training between each discipline and specific physiological training that will help triathletes switch between disciplines quickly and more efficiently—thus biking faster out of T1 and running faster out of T2.
Transition Layout
One of the key factors in having a successful transition experience is knowing the layout of the transition area, including its entry and exit points, and also the layout of your own equipment. Many triathletes bring far too much baggage into the area and clutter it up, not only for themselves but also for those sharing the rack, so bring only what you will be using during the actual race. You should also note that in accordance with USAT rules, you “own” only the piece of real estate where your wheel touches the ground, so do not spread your equipment in too large an area.
Most athletes rack their bikes by the seat so the front wheel is touching the ground. This can make for a faster exit from the bike rack than, say, if the bike is racked by the brake levers, which makes it more difficult to remove. Most races have a single transition area, so according to USAT rules, athletes must return their bikes to their assigned positions on the bike rack, and failure to do so may result in a penalty.
Remember that others will be in close proximity to you, and thus you should be considerate and keep your equipment in a tight and logical order. Lay your equipment out in reverse order, meaning the items that are farthest away are those you will be putting on last. For example, if you are looking down at the ground from farthest away to nearest, you would lay out your gear next to your bike in the following order:
1. Running shoes with lace locks or similar
2. Hat or visor
3. Socks (although many think they can race without them, the time spent putting them on for the run may be well spent rather than getting a blister)
4. Bike shoes (see later section on cyclo-cross mount and dismount)
5. Race number, which is usually attached to an elastic race belt so it's easy to put on (check with the race director on local rules because some require you to wear your race number on the bike and some only for the run segment; if you have to wear it on the bike, in order to stop it flapping so much in the breeze, scrunch it up and wrinkle the whole race number, then spread it out and attach it to your race belt to limit the “sail effect” behind you)
6. Helmet and sunglasses, which may be on the ground or hanging on the front of your bike, but remember your helmet must be on and securely fastened before you leave the transition area; if you do not fasten your helmet before mounting your bike (outside the transition area), you could be disqualified
It is worthwhile to lay out your kit the same way for every race and have a set routine of what you put on first so you have less to think about in the heat of the race.
Swim to Bike Transition (T1)
It is well known that swimming has an impact on subsequent cycling performance, with some studies demonstrating that overall cycling performance may be hindered by short-duration, high-intensity swimming, such as a sprint triathlon when the distance is much shorter (usually 750-meter swim, 20K bike, and 5K run), thus many athletes try to swim this leg much faster than normal. One method of countering the detrimental impact of high-intensity swimming is drafting.
Drafting is the act of swimming very close behind or at hip level to another swimmer. It reduces passive drag, thus decreasing the effort to swim the same distance. Also drafting usually improves stroke economy and efficiency, therefore potentially improving the subsequent cycling performance. To take maximal advantage of drafting, swimming behind another triathlete at a distance up to 1.5 feet (.5 m) back from the toes is the most advantageous; in lateral drafting—in kayaking this is termed “catching the bow wave”—a swimmer's head can be level with another swimmer's hips. You would do this when there isn't physical room to get behind another swimmer's toes or there are other athletes all around you, preventing you from moving.
Also, many triathletes are aware of terms such as blood pooling and orthostatic intolerance but don't actually know what they are. Orthostatic intolerance is characterized by impaired balance, dizziness, blurred vision, or even partial or complete loss of consciousness. This may occur postswim in athletes with normal blood pressure because of gravitational stress and the removal of the muscle pump. In fact, one study showed that severe dizziness after swimming when exiting the water and standing up for the transition section is a common occurrence for many triathletes, but it is more prevalent in highly trained endurance athletes. If this happens to you frequently, you should seek medical advice. However, the good news is that most athletes who get checked out by their doctors discover that severe dizziness is usually benign.
To counteract the effect of gravity and maintain blood pressure and venous return, one study suggests continuing to keep moving rather than stopping abruptly. This is especially important when removing the wetsuit upon exiting the water, stopping to walk up wet steps or noncarpeted transitions, bending down to put on cycling shoes, and so on. One way to offset dizziness as you leave the swim is to start utilizing the muscular pump by working the calf muscles as soon as possible, meaning you should take short steps at a higher cadence than normal as you make your way to the transition.
Ultimately, this will improve your ability to maintain venous return and blood pressure, maintain mental concentration through the transition, and execute pacing strategies for the start of the cycling discipline—thus going faster out of T1.
Bike to Run Transition (T2)
A debate exists regarding the metabolic cost of running at the end of a triathlon compared with running the same distance in isolation. However, the vast majority of research suggests that high-intensity cycling will have a detrimental effect on subsequent running performance, with the effects dependent on the fitness level of the triathlete; the greatest decreases in performance are observed in recreational triathletes, and minimal effects are seen in elite triathletes.
To offset the impact of cycling on running performance, researchers have come up with a few practical strategies; see Bentley et al. (2008) for further details. In summary, triathletes may be able to improve running performance by (1) drafting behind as many athletes as is practical (in draft-legal events); (2) adopting a cycling cadence of between 80-100 rpm (note, however, that cadence is a very personal matter—just consider the cycling cadence of Lance Armstrong (above 110 rpm for several hours at a time), for example—but many in triathlon will find a slightly higher cadence is acceptable); and (3) concentrating on reducing the effort during the final minutes of the cycling stage to prepare for the run. Points 2 and 3 really strike home for many coaches and physiologists. Pro cyclists will of course state the physiological benefits of spinning at greater than 110 rpm, but all too often, triathletes will trash themselves on the last 5K of the cycling discipline when coming in for the home stretch. However, the global performance time of a triathlon is the most important aspect, not the bike time. As such, establishing optimal pacing strategies for the start of the bike, the end of the bike, and the start of the run is an individual task and should be done in training on a regular basis. To put it as simply as possible: Don't leave your run on the bike! And spinning is better than crunching big gears.
To emphasize this point, various studies tried to determine the best pacing strategy during the initial phase of an Olympic-distance triathlon for highly trained triathletes. Ten male triathletes completed a 10K control run at free pace as well as three individual time-trial triathlons in a randomized order. In the time trials, the swimming and cycling speeds imposed were identical to the first triathlon performed, and the first run kilometer was done alternately 5 percent faster, 5 percent slower, and 10 percent slower than in the control run. The triathletes were instructed to finish the remaining 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) as quickly as possible at a self-selected pace. The 5 percent slower run resulted in a significantly faster overall 10K performance than the 5 percent faster and 10 percent slower runs, respectively (p < .05). Of note, the 5 percent faster strategy resulted in higher values for oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and blood lactate at the end of the first kilometer than the two other conditions. After 5 and 9.5 kilometers, these values were higher for the 5 percent slower run (p < .05).
This excellent and well-controlled study demonstrates that contrary to popular belief, running slower during the first kilometer of an Olympic-distance triathlon may actually improve overall 10K performance. With the recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) watches, split times and distances are easily available for triathletes to take advantage of even if no distance markers are provided during the triathlon. This technology is best used only if the triathlete has previously established performance standards for that particular event. Thus, for these data to be most effective, the triathlete must know what split time equals 5 percent slower than his maximal effort.