Dressing for your first triathlon can be a challenge. It’s easy enough to dress to go running, but you’ll be cycling and swimming, too, so do you choose one outfit for all three races, or change each time? The time you take between events counts toward your overall time so you want to minimize it as much as possible.
Unless you’re terribly fashion conscious or very modest, you can probably do the entire race in a simple one-piece swimsuit, or a top and bathing suit bottoms. You’ll want to wear a sports bra, no matter what you wear on top, just for adequate support. And you may choose to wear tight-fitting shorts like biking shorts even for the swimming portion. It’s mostly a matter of personal preference, depending on how you feel comfortable.
Some things to consider are whether or not you’re comfortable cycling in a swimsuit, or you’d rather slip on bike shorts for that portion of the race. Alternatively, do you want to go running in the triathlon in bike shorts that you wore swimming and now are wet? It doesn’t take that long to change, and it’s much better to be dry and comfortable as possible instead of distracted by your clothing as you forge through the race.
You can purchase special triathlon shorts
You can also opt to wear special swimming gear, like a wetsuit. A wetsuit will keep you warm, but unless the water is strangely cold that day or the triathlon is in an usual place, water temperature usually isn’t a factor. Wetsuits can also help you stay above the water. If you opt to wear a wet suit, wear your running clothes beneath it to make the transition easier—just peel off the wetsuit and go.
If you want to wear a wetsuit for the swimming portion, be sure you purchase a triathlon wetsuit, not one designed for scuba diving or other water sports. Triathlon wetsuits have slicker outside which promotes faster swimming, and they’re much more easily removed than other wetsuits.
Also, some prefer wearing socks, some blister without them. If you can manage without them, you’ll save time when it comes to the swimming portion. Elastic laces eliminate the need to tie and untie the shoes, as well. You can wear the same shoes for both running and cycling—special cycling shoes clipped to the pedals aren’t necessary.
The most important thing, though, after figuring out what triathlon clothing you prefer, is to train in that clothing. Don’t wait until race day to wear that wetsuit or shed your socks for running. You’ll swim, bike and run faster and better if you’ve practice in your triathlon clothing for quite a while already.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2008-12-08 18:13:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Attain Victory with the Right Triathlon Gear pt 1 Throughout our existence, one of the deciding factors in who survives and who doesn't has been technology. It is the innovation of technology that has allowed us to push ourselves to new horizons along the way. In all aspects of our life, having the right gear and equipment is absolutely...... -
The Right Biking Gear Makes All the Difference Many people when riding a bike believe the right biking gear means nothing more than having a good bike and a water bottle. What many people find is that when they upgrade to gear which is actually designed to increase performance that they will actually be able to ride longer...... -
Triathlon Wetsuit Selection One of the most vitally important pieces of equipment that you are going to need to choose when it comes to triathlon preparedness is a wetsuit. One of the first things that you're going to need to consider when it comes to buying a wetsuit is the type of races...... -
The New Generation of Biking Clothing Many people into biking can tell you about the days when all biking clothing was made out of spandex or some other kind of material which does not breath. They will also tell you horror stories about not wearing the right clothing while biking. The good news is there are...... -
Triathlon Terms Here is a brief glossary of terms used in triathlon training and triathlon racing. 70.3 - This term is used to describe a Half Ironman race distance, which is a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike an 13.1 mile run. 140.6 - This term is used to describe an......