Tri Shorts and Transitions

One of the elements of doing a multisport event is learning how to do a transition from one discipline into the other. In the case of a duathlon, I will need to make a transition from running to cycling and a transition from cycling to running. The time I spend in transition will count against my overall finishing time. Therefore practicing transition is highly recommended on just about every multi-sport website out there. (Transition practice is different than brick workouts.) So two weeks ago, I did just that.

When I ran my marathon back in 2010, one lesson I learned was the importance of training in conditions as close to race conditions as possible. This includes clothing. (I did not follow this advice on my marathon and had the red marks to prove it.) I have been shopping around for a pair of inexpensive but well made tri shorts for a few weeks. Tri shorts are made to go from swim to bike to run. They fit closer than running shorts (running shorts would also be painful to cycling in) and have less padding than bike shorts (imagine running with all that padding) and dry quickly. I researched several companies and spoke to the multi sport athletes I knew. In the end, I order a pair of Sugoi tri shorts that I found for a very reasonable price. (Quick note if you are new to buying professional athletic clothes. These tend to run small as athletes are normally smaller than the general population. Always check the sizing guide for any athletic company. I almost always have to buy a size up.) Transition practice seemed like the perfect time to break them in.

Sugoi Tri Shorts (Photo by Piper Williams)

I set up a transition zone on the concrete patio outside of my apartment. This included laying out my running shoes, cycling shoes, bike helmet, and a water bottle. Some people clip their cycle shoes into their pedals for transition. I have elected not to do this. I will have enough on my mind and my race nerves have a good probability of making me clumsy. I have also elected to run with my cycling gloves on. This will save a little time in transition and, on the gross side, will give me a medium to wipe sweat off my brow while I am running. For this practice, I had mapped out a 2 mile run and a 6 mile cycle. The purpose was to repeat the transition multiple times, not get my milage in. My husband would watch my bike while I was doing the run. Now that everything was laid out, I could begin.

Where I entered my "Transition Zone" (Photo by Piper Williams)

I stared off with a run and tried to relax. After the run I went up to my patio and put on my bike helmet (duathlon rules state that you cannot get on your bike until your helmet is on and people are regularly disqualified for this). I then struggled to get out of my running shoes (mental note: buy stretchy tri laces) and into my cycling shoes. I downed some water and grabbed my bike. I ran with my bike down the apparent sidewalk and mounted once I reached the street. (Duathlon rules state that you cannot ride your bike in the transition zone.) I went through my bike ride, a little slower than I would like, and returned to my transition zone. I set my bike on the patio, quickly got out of my cycling shoes and put on my running shoes and fussed with the laces once again. This repeated two more times over the course of this workout.

This exercise proved to be useful in several ways. First, the transition was easier than I thought it would be. I have some ideas of areas that I need to improve. Second, it is another step in adjusting the weird feeling of running after cycling. Next time I may time my transitions and I will transition more than four times. To you multi-sport athletes, how do you practice your transitions?

Training Update:

I have been a little bit of slump due to an increased work load and additional responsibilities. I will write more about this later.

I am participating the London Ultra Duathlon to raise money for Scope, a charity that provides services for individuals with disabilities. If you would like to sponsor me please visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=EmilyGrace. Any amount helps and is appreciated.

Finding Solace in a Bike Ride

Last week I felt like I got into a fight with life and walked away with two black eyes and a bloody nose. I am struggling to be the scientist I want to be. My work feels so passionless and this is reflected in the results. I live with a daily reminder of the price and sacrifices my husband and I made so that I could have a career in physics. The burden seems almost too heavy to carry. I am so tired.

This is naturally reflected in my workout. My energy levels are not what they normally are and my muscles feel sore even after light workouts. I normally do my long rides on Saturday and my long runs on Sunday mornings. I woke Saturday morning in the pain that I have allowed stress to inflict on my body. I set my mind to ride. I need to work on my pace and I should do interval training, but I set these goals aside. Saturday, I needed my cycle to be more than training, I needed to be comforted. So I worked to get myself out of the house, which took longer than usual. I set no goals on distance, I had no plans for pace. My aim was to enjoy the feeling of pushing pedals and taking in the spring air. Piper, being the wonderful man that he is, told me to take as long as I needed. So I set off.

I live about 6.5 miles  away from a large park with roads that are mostly traffic free. I road the long way to get to the park and went through small towns I had never before seen. I could see the signs of spring in the various farms I passed. I arrived at Great Windsor park. I could see fields of yellow flowers and flocks of deer. Round and round the miles of park roads did I ride. It was comforting. It gave me solace. After I was calm, I road home through a different country side. The ride was a little more than 50 miles.

Once I entered my apartment, tired and sweaty, I pulled on my running shoes and dragged myself through a 2.7 mile run. I was able to run the first 1.5 miles fairly strong and this was an improvement from my last brick workout. (A brick workout is when an someone does one exercise work out immediately followed by a workout of a different type of exercise. Like a bike ride followed by a run. These are an essential part of multi-sport training.) Running after a bike ride feels like running in full armor through a field of molasses. So I will count my successes when they come.

Sunday came and I slept through the time I would normally run, but I woke up rested for the first time this week. Sometimes our bodies need more than just exercise. The more I do endurance events, the more learn about listening to what my body needs.

My research may continue to be a struggle, Piper may still be looking for work, my shoes may continue to break and be thrown out without replacement and the wears in my jeans may turn to holes. I have a husband who I am in love with, my bike can still take me to new places and I can still put one foot in front of another, and that is a win. Perhaps 90's grunge will continue to come back into fashion and I will look extra stylish. Next week, I will have more energy and I will train harder, but this week it was enough to remember that I still have so many opportunities to find joy.

Pre Bike Ride Looking a Little Tired
Photo By Piper Williams (500px.com/PiperWilliams)

Training Update:

I have been focusing on running hills and doing bricks. I am also working to run and bike at a faster pace consistently.

I am participating the London Ultra Duathlon to raise money for Scope, a charity that provides services for individuals with disabilities. If you would like to sponsor me please visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=EmilyGrace. Any amount helps and is appreciated.