Does wearing tri-shorts or other spandex type of swimsuits help much? I figure before my first triathlon I'll pick up a pair, but does it matter that much when training? I'd rather not look like sissy if it doesn't get me much.
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I would try them out, I prefer them as they are sleaker and offer a different feeling in the water. I would also make sure you try them on the bike, as the padding is much thinner. My suggestion would be to soak them in water, put them on, and go for a ride. You'll want to see what that feels like before race day. Good luck!
E
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"It's what you've got inside that matters. The details and technological things will take you only so far. You still have to pedal the bike. Some people are always looking for the magic secret. There's no secret. Just bust your ass." -Dave Zabriskie
Does wearing tri-shorts or other spandex type of swimsuits help much? I figure before my first triathlon I'll pick up a pair, but does it matter that much when training? I'd rather not look like sissy if it doesn't get me much.
Just food for thought from a guy who has never used em, and hasen't done many triathlons.
When you get to the race, if you are not wearing them you will be in the minority. They are common as dirt at a triathlon, you won't look like a sissy wearing them.
So from that perspective using them is no trouble, and if you are planning on racing in them, you should train in them as well. Makes little sense to train in something that will be a lot different than what you will be wearing come race day.
And one last thought, that is easy to say and harder to do. If you are worried about how you look at the pool during training. Screw it, you are there for you, not for the looky loos.
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I know I'll get some ribbing from the guys I lift with (the pool is across from the weight room), but I guess I'll get over it.
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"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."
- Christopher Reeve
Challenge them to a swim. You know you can lift with them, see if they can swim with you. That'd be funny.
E
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"It's what you've got inside that matters. The details and technological things will take you only so far. You still have to pedal the bike. Some people are always looking for the magic secret. There's no secret. Just bust your ass." -Dave Zabriskie
I agree with E.
I won't do another triathlon- I figured out that I have a serious fear of open water. But I have a "zoot" suit that I found ON CLEARANCE at Sierra Trading this summer. I've worn it for the one real tri, 2 alternative tris (kayak in place of swim), and would happily wear it to any multisport event. I'll be wearing it for Duathlons. I say-especially on a longer bike ride, >15 miles or anything that takes you at your speed more than 45 min-1 hour, that little bit of padding is worth every square centimeter.
Moral of the story- the tri shorts don't necessarily have to be expensive, you have time to check out online deals. They might come in handy at other times (under heavier tights if you want to bike in winter for example) and dammit man-they are not sissified! Screw the guys you lift with, girls love a hot man in tri shorts.
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I don't train in mine... I just train in a regular swim suit. But since tri shorts just feel like an extra set of skin it really isn't an adjustment for me to put them on. But I'm female, so I don't know if guys would agree with that.
For most of my training, I do not use them. For the better part of swim training, I swim in an indoor pool with swim trunks - not the big surfer trunks (I ain't surfing), but swimming trunks. As race day approaches, however, it is time to get more specific. As race day approaches, I swim more in open water with my wet suit on, and my tri-shorts underneath, then after the swim, I peel off the suit and go for a little bike ride to get used to the transition, then maybe a little run even. I totally recommend a tri-wet suit for the swim. They make you more bouyant, and the swim is easier. However, they can be cost prohibitive. I was lucky and got a deal on mine.
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