Camp Musings- Riding THROUGH Transition

Damie and Justin Daerr. Yes, I am as tired as I look- and this is after 4 cups of coffee.

Before I share with you some things I learned at the Mississippi Heat Triathlon Camp a couple of weekends ago, I want to encourage you to attend a camp or lecture in your city. If there are not any available, spend some time with some experienced triathletes and learn from them. Ask questions! Get a coach and further your education. Read some of the blogs of professional triathletes and learn from their stories.

So, on this post I am going to share with you one thing (out of many) I learned from Justin Daerr. Please understand that my attempt to paraphrase Justin will not do his lecture justice. He was an excellent speaker and teacher.

On the topic of transition:

1. Ride THROUGH transition. How many times do you see fellow triathletes sit up in the last mile or more and stretch, spin, etc... as if the bike leg has already ended? While you want to be prepared to transfer from the bike to the run, the bike is not yet over. Many times in races we must go through a park or pass a landmark signaling that transition is near; however, transition may not be as close as we think it is. Do not fall into the trap of slowing down prematurely because you think you are close to the transition area. Do as Justin suggests: Ride THROUGH transition. Your ride is over when you prepare to dismount, not when you enter the park or think you are close to being finished.

In my most recent race, I wanted to practice this skill. I noticed as we entered Ole Miss campus that many cyclists slowed down immediately. Guess what, we still had almost a mile or more to ride! In that moment, I was able to clearly see what Justin had described. The landmark, Ole Miss campus, triggered a reaction in almost every rider in front of me: "I am finished."

I noticed another rider up ahead of me had slowed and was sitting up. I decided to ride THROUGH transition, and I was amazing the amount of ground I made up in that short period of time. I did not stop riding until I reached the dismount line, and I got off of my bike with that rider that had entered the campus well in front of me.

So, for your next race, really focus on this skill. Don't let it be an afterthought. Do not ride mindlessly; after all, you have probably put in a lot of training time and want to race well. Don't lose time in the last part of the bike because you think you are almost through.

I learned lots of great stuff at camp- more to share later!