Sub-1hr session: Quick change

It’s time to perfect your transitions to be smoother and faster, says coach Joe Beer. Try out this fun session in between hard or long workouts…

See this as a true recovery day exercise, possibly teamed up with a sports massage, yoga session or fun mix of a short swim skills and deep water running session.

Equipment needed: full race-day equipment haul, bike racking or use a turbo trainer.

Quick change

Warm-up

7mins easy running or turbo. Change into your wetsuit up to the waist.

Main session

Set up bike and transition area as per race day. Wetsuit fully on, sit down for 1min and run through what you’re about to do. Stand up, run to bike, transition, ride a 3min loop, transition, run 2mins and finish back at bike.

Set up again, altering things that weren’t ideal, such as gears/clothing placement etc. Repeat process until you have 5mins left.

Cool-down

Tidy up, re-pack your race box.

Brownlee brothers Alistair and Jonny leaving transition

Performance benefits

From gun to tape, changing is your fourth skill to perfect. This session can seem a lot of faff, but it delivers better race-day organisation before your race and a faster T1 and T2 once you’re racing.

Mental benefits

It’s a day off from physical hard training but you’re still improving overall performance. You won’t be running six miles or biking 20 etc, yet the logistical nature of being a competent triathlete can be a real eureka moment: it’s an easy day, but should have you racing faster!

Physiological benefits

By reducing calories burned and physiological stresses, such as muscle damage or hormone depression, for this training day (or part of it), you’re recovering from previous sessions while getting ready for the next session of significance in eight-24 hours’ times.

Adapt for Ironman

Pack your T1 and T2 clothing in bags as you would have in an Ironman; when cycling reach for all potential locations of nutrition placement; have a chair to simulate T1/T2 changing.

For lots more sub-1hr drills head to our Training section

220 Triathlon Team Journalists, reviewers, coaches and athletes

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The 220 Triathlon team is made up of vastly experienced athletes, sports journalists, kit reviewers and coaches. In short, what we don't know about multisport frankly isn't worth knowing! Saying that, we love expanding our sporting knowledge and increasing our expertise in this phenomenal sport.