Raerfani

So I had my first tri the other day and I felt that my overall transitions were very smooth but could have been completed a lot faster. The main thing that killed me was putting my race number on my tri suit before the run. I had to stop for 1 minute, and put 4 paper clips through the bib to attach to my suit. Is their anyway I can avoid this?

CornUponCob

Buy a race belt

https://www.fuelbelt.com/accessories/race.html

The two holes in the corner of your number go on the elastic cord and held on with the nubs. You don't even have to clip it all the way on before you're out of transition... I just grab it and start running and put it on as I run. Clipping it in the front and rotating it to the back is quicker than trying to clip the clip behind your back.

bikinpolitico

+1 for race belt. Don't leave home without it.

Shazaam

+1 race belt

jcpeewee

+ 1 on the race belt. I have been using it for local 5K runs also.

DrPete 

I found this helpful...

https://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cm...articleid=1488

senatorw

Practice helps. A lot. Find some out of the way place, set up a transition area, and if you cannot hang your bike on something, just lay it down derailer side up. Practice. Then practice running a way to the transition, actually get on the bike and make a short lap around something. I also learned how to keep my tri shoes rubber banded to the bike. I don't do the crush your shoes, "flying mount" that many people do, but I actually slip my foot into the right shoe and take off. It works great, and saved me lots of time. It's much easier and faster to slip in my foot into the shoe than fuss with attempting to click in when people are running around me and I'm stressed. I get my left shoe on after a push and I'm off. Make a loop with a rubber band in the loops of the tri shoes, the left one gets connected to the left quick release and the right one to the top of the derailer.

This year I did my first 70.3 (at Hawaii) transitioning in 9:06 each in T1 and T2 (I don't know what I was doing, setting up a tent and eating lunch perhaps).

I just finished Cancun 70.3 a week ago and did T1 in 5:16 (it was about a 1/2 mile from swim exit to T2) and T2 in 1:05. 1:05. Ha, I saved like 12 minutes just transitioning.

In between the two races, my coach made us practice transitions at least twice in extended session.