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Advice on kit for 'well built' newbie please

I'm sure there must be other well built ie big boobed, curvy ladies out there! Being in need of a challenge to keep up my exercise motivation and inspired by a colleague who's just celebrated his 40th birthday by completing the Zurich Iron Man, I find that I've somehow entered the Hever Castle event - Ann Bolyne. Not really sure how that happened, no alcohol involved, but I'm sure it will turn out to be a good thing!

Not really bothered about the swim, do twice the distance in the pool on days I'm running late and only got time for 20 mins, and have done lots of open water stuff before (lifeguard stuff etc). Bike distance not a problem - but I won't be fast. But considerable anxiety over both the run and what to wear!

I'm not a runner - did do Great North Run from scratch in 8 months, 3 years ago (alcohol featured highly in that decision) but done very little since due to 2 ankle injuries and the fact that it's really not my favorite.
I'm told that the fact my leg muscles are in completely the wrong position when I get off my bike and try to run is normal - but clearly my male colleague doesn't have a lot of insight into sports bras etc.

I usually run / cycle in a level 4 Shockabsorber bra - so don't think a swimming costume with cycling shorts and a running top will work. I really don't fancy 2 black eyes. Not sure about swimming in my sports bra - as concerned that will lead to chafing. Have been looking at tri suits - kind of like the idea of things not parting in the middle when wet suit comes off - but wonder how much support they give. Not much choice in my size (size 16, 36FF) - anyone similarly built out there that knows what the 2XU endurance suit is like?

Who knows, if this turns out to be fun it could lead to other issues. My wet suit hails from my windsurfing days, and I'll be on a mountain bike, as that's all I have.............

Comments

  • durhamvamdurhamvam Posts: 246
    Hi Gilly and welcome to the crazy, red, soreen-ruled world of triathlon!

    I've got a 2XU suit, I've only worn it once though (I'm a newbie too - done three tris) and it was great but I'm not as big as you (36C) and I definitely need a sports bra underneath. I use a Bendon bra, which I'm not sure you can get over here, and don't have a problem with chafing after the swim. For my first two tris I wore a sports bra under my swim suit for the pool swim and then put T-shirt and shorts on to bike/swim.

    Don't worry about the mountain bike, you'll be in good company and as for the run, well I'm all for walking myself particularly when no one's looking

    Good luck and have fun! Let us know how you get on won't you!
  • sportevesporteve Posts: 141
    i have a 2xu tri suit and it has an extra insert piece for bust support which is quite good but if you need more support and you worry about chaffing by sports bras maybe you could look into those gym cropped tops on the basis that they do not have that much seaming etc and can give you a firm support under your suit plus they are from techno fabrics so they must dry quite fast
  • CCSCCS Posts: 53
    Hi, and welcome!
    I wouldn't worry too much about chafing from a sports bra under a tri suit. I wear a shock absorber level 4 under mine (as I wouldn't dream of running in anything less - black eyes etc...) and haven't had any problems. A bit of bogyglide / vaseline in any areas that you might be worried about should help.
    I am not sure that any tri suit which claims built in support will offer anything like as much support (so I went for a tri suit without anything built in).
    Jealous of you doing Hever Castle - I really want to do that one, but have yet to broach the subject with the family - though hoping that I may be able to pass it off as a fun day out for the kids.
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    Well, thanks to Coney for the intro

    You'll have an absolute riot doing tri, you sound just like me! Most people wig about the swim, however i am a sea turtle like you and not overly fast on the bike either so youre in great company! I have a 2XU tri suit, the built in 'support' however is about as useful as a chocolate fireguard if you have any amount of boobage. So the best thing is to wear a sports bra underneath. I always wriggle in to one a size too small for the extra squashing.....priceless! getting back out of it when it's wet, however, is another story.....

    you may want to think about getting a tri specific wetsuit though, makes a heap of difference. If youre the curvy sort like me, i can recommend the Foor HQ one as its really super stretchy (i have tried loads!) and dead cheap. or you can borrow mine! i surf a lot and my surf wetsuits are tough to swim in for any length of time, shoulders dont give enough.....

    And Hever Castle! the family pile of the Boleyns. I love those Phillipa Gregory books.....lol jealous? Moi?

    Anything i can help you with, be sure to PM me!
  • wafflewaffle Posts: 6
    Just wanted to say that I am also very blessed in the bust dept and I have the 2xu separates basically this is my first year doing tri and I wasnt sure about the one piece also I am ridiculously long the body I am a giant triathlete as a certain person puts it !

    For my first tri I wore a shock absorber bikini top under the top they are level 4 and this worked fine, I used to wear 2 bras to run in a level 4 and a level 3 crop top over the top but I was fine with the bikini no bounceage ! anyway I now wear a freya underwired which is so comfy I have 3 of them all in different colours and I wore that under the last tri which was a wet suit swim and got no rubbing or anything.

    As for sizing help with the 2xu as stated I am a tall giant and havent had any stomach exposure I got the large which I think is a 14 and would say thats fairly true to size but If you order a shock absorber bikini the bottoms are huge the large is a 12- 14 and I feel like I am loosing them when I swim in the pool !

    hope that helps
  • Thanks ever so much everyone. I've got a suit on order so will see what it's like. Sounds like I'll be wearing my trusty shock absorber underneath.
    Currently both excited and scared about Hever Castle, will let you know how I get on.
    Thanks everyone for the welcome and the help.
  • TesseractTesseract Posts: 280
    ....where is Coma when you need him? Who's going to ask for pics when he's not here....
  • Well in his absence.

    This may be usefull to you ladies (although I doubt it) but will provide hours of entertainment to the fellas

    http://www.shockabsorber.co.uk/bounceometer/shock.html
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    Im Spartacus wrote:
    Well in his absence.

    This may be usefull to you ladies (although I doubt it) but will provide hours of entertainment to the fellas

    http://www.shockabsorber.co.uk/bounceometer/shock.html
    That will keep me entertained for hours...brilliant
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    Tesseract wrote:
    ....where is Coma when you need him? Who's going to ask for pics when he's not here....
    I think he probably had some sort of seizure just reading the thread.
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