Strip It
Getting out of a wetsuit while standing still is hard enough. Then try doing it when you're running and you're cold, wet, and tired. Avoid stumbling out of your suit by practice taking it off after your open water swims, suggests Richard.
"Above all, I found that getting comfortable with that helped eliminate one of my stresses in transition," she says.
And, if you tend to get foot or calf cramps from standing up while you remove your wetsuit, bring a bucket to sit on, suggests Cami Stock, head coach for Wild Blue Racing in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "It's less effort than getting off the ground and may be easier for you than standing completely up," she says.
Nice and Smooth
Another trick to getting out of your wetsuit in a snap? Use your anti-chafe spray or stick on the outside of the wrists and ankles of the suit, says Stock. "Most of us put it on the inside, but this little trick makes it slide right off. And while you're at it, swipe or spray the stuff in your bike shoes and running shoes, too. "It makes it easier to slip into with wet feet," says Jennelle Glover, an age-grouper in Corning, New York.
More: Transition Tips From 7 Tri Experts
Rehearse Right
Above all, allow time for a dress rehearsal or two before the big race. Set up your stuff on your front lawn and start your stopwatch to see if you can whittle down your time as you work on stepping out of your wetsuit or swapping your bike shoes and helmet for your racing flats and visor.
"Before I did a draft-legal race, my coach made me practice stripping my wetsuit for a half hour on a field. I also do brick repeats where transitions are built right into the workout, when I'm tired," Schlabach says. "Simple movements get more difficult when you are tired and don't have a lot of oxygen to the brain, so you have to practice them that way. And when you practice, you can try different things to see what makes you faster."
More: Learn to Master the Bike-to-Run Transitoin
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