Last Saturday I had a nice day watching the Ripon triathlon and meeting old friends. (Incidentally if you want a fun day of racing at a nice location then I’d highly recommend this event)
While everyone else is cheering on the athletes and waiting for their friends or the winner, as a coach I tend to look at the smaller stuff that most people miss.
On Saturday I noticed at least 5 simple mistakes that many athletes were making which could easily save them a couple of minutes in their next race. Imagine how much training you’d have to put in to improve your run or swim split by 2 minutes!
1. Poor sighting in the swim – Take a look at the above photo. Notice how far to the left (their right) the swimmers have gone off course. (By the way this isn’t Ripon!!) If you are swimming at a pace of 2 mins per 100m a 30 min swim could turn into a 32 min swim if you inadvertantly swim an extra 100m. All you need to do is look up every 4-5 strokes and make micro adjustments to your direction. The shortest route is nearly always the fastest.
2. Remember where you left your bike – I observed at least 3-4 people running around the transition area like headless chickens looking for their bikes. It will have been where they left it, but they obviously forgot where that was. In some races you can put your towel on the ground but if you cant then the very least is to remember which row you are in and how far down. Some times you might be near a significant landmark like a tree or a banner attached to some fencing. Just dont use the pink bike next to you as your marker; it might be gone when you get there!
3. Know the way out of transition – I spotted at least half a dozen people trying to run the wrong way out of transition. I estimate it cost most of them 20-30s. All you need to do is do a short recce when you get to the venue and work out the right route
4. Use elastic laces – this clever little innovation (costing you less than a tenner) could probably save you 20 seconds in transition 2. Just replace your normal laces with elastic ones and gain seconds in your next race
5. Know the rules – when you enter transition 2 at the end of the bike section you have to wait until your bike is racked before unbuckling your helmet. I watched at least 4 people get penalised 30 seconds for not knowing this simple rule!
Before I go 1 more FREE tip. Good ideas only become good ideas if you put them into action. How many simple ways can you think of to save time in your next race
If you want to find more ways to gain time in your next races then why not join our new website www.TriathlonPB.com
Stay healthy & have fun!
