EXTRA TRI TIPS

ADVANCE WARNING

“Don’t do your first transition in the race,” says Rooke. “Practise them in training, especially brick sessions [see p53]. Before the race, check out the transition area and walk your route – but remember it’ll be chaos on the day.”

OIL UP

“Take off your hat and goggles and get your top half out of the wetsuit as soon as you’re on your feet,” says Garbett. “Getting your legs out is trickier. Putting baby oil on them beforehand helps you step out of the suit as you put on your helmet.”

TALC UP

“The struggle is real when putting socks on damp feet,” says Garbett. “My top tip is to put talc in your socks before the race. If you decide to save time by dispensing with socks altogether, put the talc directly into your bike shoes and trainers.”

TAKE YOUR TIME

“You can lose time by trying to mount your bike too early,” says Garbett. “Take your time and run it through to a point where you can get on unobstructed and pedal straight away.” You’ve already practised an on-the-go mount-up, right?

SHOES OFF

As you approach the bike-run transition, taking feet out of bike shoes saves time. So practise pedalling barefoot with shoes attached to the pedals. “And look up,” says Garbett. “I’ve seen crashes caused by people staring at their feet.”