Pool swim in shorts and singlet?

bristroltriathlete

All,

Hi, I'm new to this forum and haven't been able to find an answer to my query elsewhere, hopefully someone here can help!

I'm entering a tri in a few weeks that features a pool swim. Previously I've only ever done open water events. Being a bit skint, I don't have a tri suit, but instead tri shorts and a singlet (not skin tight). Question is, will I look an idiot wearing the singlet in the pool swim? and is swimming in a singlet problematic for any reason? It's a relatively short event, so fumbling about with tops after the swim would have an impact on my time etc.

Thoughts welcome!

Thanks,
J

ris

i don't think it's a problem, and you are probably right in trying to avoid the putting-tshirt-on-while-wet thing. i doubt anyone is going to think you look like an idiot, they'll be too worried about their own race, hopefully.

you might find the singlet gives you a bit of drag in the water though, and make sure it doesn't wander off while you are swimming!

something i did on my first race (no trisuit or tritop) was to have a full zip cycling top to put on in t1. much easier to put on while wet and i pre-pinned my race number to the back (no race belt either)

[toPh]

My first tri was a pool one. Just pulled on a t-shirt in t1. Didn't loose much time but it was an olympic so wouldn't have noticed too much.

Which race is it out of interest?

Zacnici

I would say that the singlet would cause a lot of drag and suggest that the time lost in doing a quick towel dry of your torso would be less than what you would lose wearing the singlet in the swim.

Don't worry about it, it's your first event - have fun, learn from it, you are not going to break any records and in any case whatever time you achieve will be your PB, which you will hopefully smash on your next event.

Flavadave

Ditto on Zacnici regards the drag... it might also really throw you off your stroke if you haven't tried it before.

Best advice is give it a go both ways. Go down your local swim pool one day and swim with it on. Next day without and try putting the shirt on after. If you wanted to get really hung up on it you could time both

Jaminho

Just a thought, but if it's a singlet presumably it has fairly large head/arm holes. How about this idea:

Stick race number to the back pre-race and try to roll it up from the bottom (kind of like a condom )
Then in T1 head and arms go straight through (no wet torso to pull the top over) and the rest just rolls down over the body...

Just an idea like i said and haven't tried it, might be worth a look at though..

TRIumphant

Give it a go. Could also be worth sprinklingthe inside with Talc, just to oversome any wetness issues.