Sand between the toes...

[H2OChick]

Alright, I confess I tend to get preoccupied with practical details. Here's my latest question.

So you get out of the swim, run across the beach, get to your transition area and... ? What about all that sand on your feet? I can't see riding and running without getting it off?! Can you have a little water bottle there to squirt them off? Or are you supposed to ignore it? I ALWAYS wear socks when I ride and run...

Thanks for indulging an odd newbie question.

[james_holden]

although i don't have that much race experience myself, i can still say that comfort is key. especially for something as delicate as your feet. now obviously it depends on how long the race is.
but having some water and a small towel around at T1 or even T2 ist definitely a good idea!

and if you feel most comfortable with socks then by all means put them on if you must. i've heard of quite a few people who even have talcum powder at T1 which they sprinkle on their feet.

on the other hand, bear in mind that there's a trade-off between comfort and speed. so if it's sprint you might be willing to take a little bit of discomfort into account...

[ZackJones]

Brush the sand off with your hands as best you can or bring along a shallow pan and fill it with water. Dip your feet into the pan of water, dry them off and then continue on with your transition.

[MHR]

Alright, I confess I tend to get preoccupied with practical details
Success is found in the details.....then executing them to suit your needs.

For an Olympic distance I never bother to wear socks on the bike or the run. but I am used to this in training. But for 1/2 IM or IM I do take the time to drop to my rear in T1 and brush them clean the best I can, apply lube and socks. In an IM, I even take the time to put on dry clean socks in T2 - in a long day out there - comfort is everything.
Planning your T1 and T2 is very individual - I have a long bag that has 3-open compartments. I plan what I will do for any given race well in advance - what I will wear to what transition times I will shoot for. I practice my transitions in training, and I think about T1 during my swim. I go over in my head the steps over and over again, and I also plan for possible problems that are learned from experience.

ie. I wear contacts - if I loose one I go to plan-B, strip out the other and disgard, then I would wear my RX Oakleys (that I keep in my transition bag just in case) -
You have to think fast on your feet and have options - You never know what will happen so plan for as many possibilities as you can think of. As you gain experience you will have a transition that works for you and your needs.

My typical T1 in a 1/2 IM
1. Sprint to the bike, while striping off my wet suit, swim cap and goggles in hand (30 seconds)
2. Swim cap and goggles into transition bag, HRM chest strap on, Jersey on, sun sceen on face, arms, helmet on (15 seconds)
3. Sun glasses on, drop to my rear pull wet suit off legs, sunscreen on legs, brush off feet lube feet, socks on, bike shorts on, bike shoes shoes on (20 seconds)
** I want to be comfortable and dry as possible so I wear a speedo under my wet suit using it as under wear
4. Grab special water bottle from transition bag (labeled T1), grab bike (pinch tires testing for inflation)and haul ass to mount line drinking the entire way - pitch bottle to the side - mount bike (30 seconds) Total T1 time about 1:30 or so -
5. Sprint my a** off for the first 400 meters to get to speed. Grab bike gloves from bars and get them on as fast as possible, get into aero position and start fueling.

Getting the sand off my feet is just one of the things I worry about.

[james_holden]

2. Swim cap and goggles into transition bag, HRM chest strap on, Jersey on, sun sceen on face, arms, helmet on (15 seconds)


now, when you say "sun screen on face" (or later on "sunscreen on legs") do you actually rub it in? cause 15 seconds sounds pretty fast to me...or do you perhaps just slap some on there which you rub in a little more while your rolling ?

[MHR]

No - not for a 1/2 IM, I just slap it on here and there, nothing precise and no rubing in later. Although, in an IM I do take the time to rub it every where.

[cjbruin]

I bring along one water bottle that I squirt on my feet to get the sand off. I personally don't wear socks but I train that way sometimes so I can get used to it.

I have a buddy who wears socks and he beats me every time. Just set them out in your transition area so they are easy to grab and put on.

MHR also mentioned gloves. I don't wear them in a sprint or Oly but I've seen people that do...as with everything, it's your call.

[Gonzo Bob]

Some races have a little kiddie pool for you to run through to rinse your feet off. If the race doesn't have one you can bring your own dish pan, use a water bottle, just brush your feet off with a towel, or just leave the sand there (sometimes there's enough running in grass or in a parking lot to sufficiently clean off the feet). I usually go with one of the latter two.

[jhw3]

Take a small hand towel, small water bottle and socks. Make sure your socks are rolled up - so they can easily be rolled up your feet, even when wet.
In transition - rinse feet, dry off, feet, then roll socks up your feet and slip on shoes, if they are not attached to your pedals already.

JHW