Home Chat General Chat

Wombourne Sprint - First timer

Hi all,



I have entered the Wombourne Sprint Triathlon for April 2007. This is my first Tri event and i'm finding it daunting to say the least! One question that has come up is what to wear?? I know this sounds ridiculous bearing in mind the almost seamless transition from swim to bike that i'm aiming for [;)] what sort of swimming gear do people recommend?



Any advice would be most welcomed!

Comments

  • hi pow wow, is the swim a pool swim? i did a few tri's with pool swims in 06 and i just swam in the 2 piece tri suit that i used for the bike/run. 1 tip i learned after my first tri was to buy a number belt. they jus clip on and save you the hassle of putting a t-shirt on when you're soaked through. not an easy thing to do! i dont bother with socks but i suppose it depends on if your feet blister or not. good luck
  • BonusBBonusB Posts: 279
    A swim suit of some form?! Seriously though, whilst you can do the whole event in a pair of trunks you may well be advised to look at tri specific shorts (i.e. they'll have some padding in for the bike, won't hold moisture and not hinder you on the run) that way you avoid the expense of a tri suit but get the benefits of not having to change.



    Being your first one you'll want to consider how much your going to spend!



    If your adding layers once you come out of the pool try and find stuff easy to put on wet (being april it's advisable you have at least one extra layer to hand, I did seven oaks at the start of the season and it was a life saver)



    If you can find a tri shop in your area they will be able to offer plenty of help and advice without being condescending (if they have decent service, which all of the ones I've been to so far have been exceptional for).



    Hope that helps.
  • No a daft question at all. I asked the same question at my local Tri shop earlier this year before my cherry popping event!



    I picked up a pair of Tri specific shorts (£35 ish) and a number belt and that was it really. I've done three events now (planning on a few more next year) and I may consider a proper Tri suit in the spring but adding the kit I already had (Base Layer type running tops)to the new shorts and belt seemed to serve me pretty well until I knew I wanted to pursue the sport a bit more seriously.



    Putting a top on over your head while wet can be difficult, as can putting on socks but with a little practise (you feel a bit daft getting out of the shower and getting dressed before talking it all off again to get dry but it's useful to put things into perspective). All in all I could have saved a little time in T1 in my races by being better kicked out but nothing like the advantages I would have gained by swimming better and pedalling faster! Don't sweat the small stuff. Focus on getting round the course and enjoying it, you'll find that you fit right in and if you have a question ask a marshall or a fellow competitor I've never found anyone to be unhelpful or brush me off.



    Cheers

    Craig
  • jazdogjazdog Posts: 223
    Heheh.. like Craig said don't sweat the small stuff on your first tri. I've seen all sorts in transition. Women changing out of their swimming cossie while a friend holds a towel round them and putting on shorts and t-shirt.



    To get the most out of it practice your transitions once or twice to get an idea of what they will be like. Most of all tho enjoy it as much as you can!



  • Pow PowPow Pow Posts: 10
    Guys thanks! Your help is much appreciated!!!
  • BonusBBonusB Posts: 279
    Skip socks if you want to save time, just use plenty of talc in your bike shoes and trainers (or just trainers if there all you have at the moment).



    Try running bare foot in yout trainers as a practice to see if you can (some will rub your feet raw!)
Sign In or Register to comment.