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One for the ladies!

What do I wear for my first tri in May? I don't want to buy a tri suit yet as it will not fit for long (hopefully!). My main concern is that I will have to wear a sports bra for the bike and run, should I just wear it under my tankini top and swim in it or would it be worth taking the extra time to use the changing rooms and change completely? Any advice would be great thanks xxx

Comments

  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 335
    doing my first tri in May too[:D] Having played with a variety of combinations and positions decided to go for tri shorts and seperate top with integrated bra as everything else just got horribly soggy, rubbed, rolled into some crevice somewhere or declined to go on over a moderately damp body - just thought that what with the strain of doing my first and the pressure of not wasting time as will take quite long enough to do it as it is that the investmet in a 2 piece was worth it plus looks ok in the gym so if I hate every minute will still be of use
  • Oh I'm so glad it's not just me stressing about these things! I have rather big boobs and there is NO way I can run without proper support. I was wondering about the sports bra I usually wear, whether I could wear it for the swim?? It's a sport jock, one of the crop top ones, I don't think it would wrinkle up but I'mnot sure about sogginess now you mention it....
  • at one of the tris i did last year there were people going into the changing rooms after the swim unbelievably enough!! i ouldnt recommend thatbut heres an idea. I have an adidas bikini which has an uderwired bra / top. if youve got something like that you could wear it for the swim or even under a cossie, then throw on tshirt and shorts. failing that a sports bra/crop top which isnt padded!!!



    a lot also depends on the length of the event. for super sprints etc you probably need to worry a little less about it as its not too long to put up with it!!! but definitely experiment. failing all these things try an unpadded regular bra under your swimsuit. you might be abe to see a strap or two but if it makes ou more comfortable then do it!! even test in the bath for the sogginess factor!!!



    xx
  • ScibbyScibby Posts: 55
    Hey... I'm thinking that a lycra based sports bra (shock absorber type) under tankini and then tshirt would probably be a good option. Similar fabric as swim suit so wouldn't roll or get soggy I think. TK Maxx often has them for cheap too...
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 335
    how about the new shock absorber swim wear? Comes in a cozzie or tankini with briefs
  • BlurredgirlBlurredgirl Posts: 292
    For my first ever tri I wore tri shorts with a cropped swim top, then flung on a cycling jersey for the bike/run. It worked pretty well, but when I bought a tri suit for the rest of the season I really noticed the difference. Won't race in anything but my suit now.



    Plus points of the tri short/swim top combo = cheap, reusable as leisure gear, easier if you need a pee just before the race (!)



    Minus points = heavy and waterlogged after the swim, drag factor in the water, chilly on the bike (plus looking at the photos - I had the most hideous case of wet-tshirt-competition), probably not so easy or comfortable under a wetsuit in an open-water swim.



    A tankini top might be a better bet than the swim bra I went for.



    blurredgirl
  • lauraflauraf Posts: 31
    Thanks guys, has anyone tried the new shock absorber swimwear? how much support does it give? As I have a very large chest I can't even contemplate running without good support!
  • no conehead you have it totally right. i always see trisuits i like the look of but there's rarely a woman's comparable. and if there is (usually is in the orca range) they're more expensive, in weird colours and are only in the bottom end of the range.



    it sometimes seem manufacturers assume we just want soething in pretty colours rather than something practical and fast!!



    girls love carbon, black and porridge too!



    I also have found this in wetsuits but to a lesser extent. another area for overhaul is cycling, for some reason women's shorts still aren't delivering in the comfort stakes!!! x
  • BlurredgirlBlurredgirl Posts: 292
    I don't particularly like the idea of 'women only' events (segregation issues again) but totally agree that we are seriously un-catered for in the sport. It would be fantastic to see the same choice offered to women as is offered to men in terms of kit. If we didn't have to struggle so much to find cycling kit (eg Evans over the winter had a choice of around 15 different makes/styles/prices of bib-tight. In women's fit there was a choice between 2 - both at a prohibitive price) then we wouldn't feel at such a disadvantage or outclassed.



    I did notice last year that in fact it seems to be a pretty even 50/50 split actually taking part in races, so it's very poor indeed that so few manufacturers provide the choice we need.



    Good points.



    blurredgirl

  • hi girls - I go for tri suit with shock aborber bra underneath (b109) - works fine and just need to make sure its all straight after going to the bathroom if you are going for a one piece outfit. Get a coolmax bra as dries quickly. If you are not going for tri suit, just wear it under whatever you are swimming in! Remember to take the bra with you if you are going to buy tri kit so you can check it all fits, I for example, can't wear the 2xu as to get it to fit at the back, its too tight at the front (looks hilarious though!), Orca fits me better - good luck!
  • BexHBexH Posts: 226
    @ Laura- I invested in the shock absorber swim bra and normal pants (shorts ones always give me a wedgie!) and the bra is really good. I am fairly large in that department and I would find it supportive enough to wear to circuits or for a run. However I would say that the sizing comes up quite large on the bottoms; I have nearly lost the bottoms when pushing off from the wall a few times!!! I've got a 2XU trisuit with (minimal) support and have a non padded shock absorber bra which I'm going to wear underneath as it should dry fairly quickly.
  • yeah we are gonna need some picture...for research...
  • BexHBexH Posts: 226
    Cheeky! It's bad enough wandering into the spa after a swim wearing it let alone pictures ha ha. I am a surf shorts kind of girl at heart!
  • hey hey...dont do it for me...do it for the betterment of triathletes everywhere [:D][:D][:D]
  • lauraflauraf Posts: 31
    comanighttrain - if you pay for my new outfit I'll post a pic lol
  • guys if we all chip in what thats like a £5 each? I know you other guys are watching. . .
  • BexHBexH Posts: 226
    Ah, seems like most of the guys on here are being affected by WAT, GAT or FAT. Now us girls wouldn't want to be getting them in trouble would we?! Apart from the poor lost soul who had his letter published in this month's magazine saying he couldn't find a girlfriend coz he spends too much time training. Ahhhh...
  • meakiemeakie Posts: 124
    hey girls, so glad I found this post as I posted a question earlier about chest probs too! theres no way I can run without support, that would hurt and be no good for the shape of my wotsits!

    I am going to consider a tri suit with a sportsbra underneath then i can run in the whole thing too

    I had considered my high neck swimsuit with a sports bra under then just slip on some shorts for the cycle and run, I am not sure now tho.

    My sports bra that I run in is a sportjock one, but is quite thick so wont dry quickly, spose I will just have to deal with that huh.. the shock absorber swim suit combos are quite expensive and this is my first tri..

    I am doing wilmslow in May.. anyone else?

    ( and I aim to NOT be going to the changing room before T1!)



    so glad we all ask the same lady questions!



    :-)
  • I have just bought the new shock absorber swim wear and agree with BexH that the bottoms are way too big when they are wet, the top was good but I didn't feel like it dried any quicker than a normal sports bra as the lining is the same as the B109 bra.
  • pictures.
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