Say you are doing an olympic distance Triathlon and you want to shave 10 minutes off your time from the previous year. Take a look at these scenarios:

To shave 10 minutes off a 1 mile swim, you would have to do something very drastic! For a decent swimmer, you can practice and work on your form and maybe shave a couple minutes.

To Shave 10 minutes off a 26 mile bike ride may not be as challenging as the swim, depending on where you are starting from. It will take a lot of practice and work on form, cadence, and consistency. Knowing the course will also help.

To shave 10 minutes off a 6.2 mile run, you will have to run more than 1.5 minutes/mile faster. (If you run a 9 minute mile, start training for a 7.5 mile)

I am not saying you shouldn't train to improve yourself in the three sports, just don't overlook the transition zones when it comes to overall time.

The point is, to shave ten minutes off a traithlon time, the easiest place to start is in the transitions. So on with the tips...

Place your helmet, upside down with the straps open, between your aero bars. Put your sunglasses (open) inside your helmet.

If you lay out your gear in this fashion, all you have to do is slip on your sunglasses then pop on your helmet. It is already there waiting for you, all you have to do is drop it on your head.

(remember to clip your helmet strap BEFORE you leave the transition zone or you could be stopped be on of the officials.)

lay out your bike gear in front of your running gear.

Think in the order that you will need your gear. When you come out of the swim and peel off your wetsuit, the first thing you are going for is your bike gear. Have that out in front.

Wear Your Race Belt under your wetsuit.

This saves a little of time dealing with clipping it on. Do it before the race starts and you won't have to worry about it again. While this is not a huge timesaver, it is one less thing you have to worry about. (Your bib may get a little wrinkled, but who cares?)

Rack your bike facing out. If you have the option, this is the way to go.

Some races have mandatory bike positioning, while others or more of a free-for-all. When the front of your bike is already facing the direction you need to go, it is obviously going to save you some time.

Make sure your bike is in the proper gear when you rack it.

This is huge! Your bike should be set at a real easy gear so you can begin spinning and warm your legs up immediately. Do not start in a heavy gear that will have you mashing at the pedals when you first mount

Forget socks. Putting them on can easily add a full minute to your overall time.

If you are worried about blisters, then you may have to forgo the minute. If you have extra tough feet and you are accustomed to biking and running without socks, then leave them at home.

If you must wear socks, then atleast have them seperated and laid out properly so you can put them on quickly and efficiently. You will also want a towel to dry your feet before putting on your socks. (by the way, I take the time to put on socks, to me it is not worth that minute. With that said, I blister fairly easily.... I leave it to you to make you own decision)

Clip your bike shoes on to your pedals. If you are not wearing socks, this will save you a lot of time. Run your bike out of transition in your bare feet. Hop on the saddle while on the move. Once you have some momentum, slide your feet in one at a time and then reach down to strap them in.

Practice this at home first, and this is only for experienced riders. If you opt to take the extra minute to put on socks, you may as well just slide your bike shoes on then too.. But if you truly want to shave time, this is a big one.

Have any necessary nutrition with the proper gear. If you have a couple gels for the run, lay them right next to your running shoes.

This way they won't distract when you are in T1, nor will you forget them during T2.

The same goes for any bike nutrition. Altough, for the bike leg, you should have any drinks or nutrition already loaded on your bike.

I like to have a gel out and waiting for the start of the run. This way I can bite the top off and be ready by the time I reach the first aid station.

Use a Tri-Suit (one or two piece is fine). They are designed so you don't have to change. And they are suprisingly comfortable for all three sports.

After the swim, they dry quickly. (well, quick enough).

On the bike, there is a little padding. Not as much padding as you might get from your regular bike shorts, but you can't really swim or run comfortably in your bike shorts.

And for the run, they move easily with your body.

A lot of people change thier shirts (and sometimes shorts) during a triathlon. This costs lots of valuable time.

Practice taking off your wetsuit. Personally, I coat my body with body glide before I put on the wetsuit. I then coat the outside legs of the wetsuit with body glide. This helps it peel off faster.

Even if you are just in your backyard soaking yourself with the garden hose while in your wetsuit, practice getting it off fast.

(Bonus Tip, I guess there are more than 10, this one just seems really important...)

Remember your spot! This is HUGE!

There is always someone who comes out of the water, sprints over to the bikes, and then can't find their bike. It's like losing your car in a parking lot. Only I think this is worse, because it can cost your SERIOUS TIME. Not to mention it can put your mind in a non-focused place.

Use the triangulation method. Stand at your transition location and pick out three landmarks. Remember where they are in relation to your spot. Right before the transition zone closes, walk to the gates of the transition that you will enter after the swim. See what it looks like with all the other bikes racked up and ,ap in your mind where you are located from there.