Answers to your most basic and pressing questions in the sport of triathlon
1. No, you don’t wear your undies underneath your bike/tri shorts. The bike and tri shorts all have some sort of chamois in them. The chamois is the padding that is carefully designed and sewn into the “seat” of the shorts. They are designed to prevent chafing over the long ride and make the saddle a bit more comfortable. Wearing underwear underneath your bike shorts adds seams that are not meant to be there and the proclivity for a sore hiney!!
2. Along those same lines, undies underneath your lined running shorts are not necessary either. Unless you like your hiney extra hot and sweaty when out for a run (bleck)…the liner or “underwear” that is in the running shorts is designed to serve as your underwear :)
3. Pull buoys are for pulling. That nice little buoy that you see betwixt many swimmers legs? It is designed to help one develop upper body strength in the pool. It is there to help the swimmer shut down any activity with the legs and really just focus on the upper body movement through the pool. So when you have your pull buoy shoved in between your thighs, it’s best to act as if your legs don’t work- that you are just dragging them behind you with your arms. No kicking necessary.
4. Save the costume changes for the stage. There are very few races that actually have separate men’s and women’s changing tents. Generally, the only races that have closed-off private changing areas for you to change during transitions are iron-distances races. So if you have to get naked to put on what you are going to wear for the next leg of the race, well…don’t be surprised if you get in trouble with the officials or feel a little awkward. That and you are going to shave a lot of time off your transition if you wear the same thing for the whole race.
5. Surfing wetsuits are NOT the same as triathlon wetsuits. Each sport-specific wetsuit is designed for the mechanics of that sport. Tri wetsuits are made to allow for the swimmer to pull through the entire swim stroke, whereas the surf wetsuit will not allow for the same swimming range of motion. Can you wear a surfing wetsuit for a triathlon…sure. However you are going to waste a lot of energy swimming in it. Your best bet is to either skip the wetsuit if the water temps are warm enough, or rent a triathlon specific wetsuit if you are trying to gain some additional buoyancy and speed.
6. You don’t need a full buffet for a race that lasts less than 90 minutes. If you anticipate your finish time to be less than 90 minutes, a good pre-race meal (my fave is a bagel with almond butter and honey) should carry you through most of your racing. You may want to top off before the race with a banana or gel and then sip on some sort of electrolyte beverage during the race. However, it really is not necessary to line the top tube of your bike with several gels and or ingest solids for the short races.
7. No, you don’t need a fancy bike to do your first triathlon. We’ve all seen them on the course- the guy or gal that is riding a beach cruiser during the bike leg of a sprint or Olympic distance race. There is no reason to get a fancy new road or tri bike just to finish your first triathlon. Unless your first triathlon happens to be an iron-distance race, using what you’ve got available is just fine!!
8. Race belt? YES! Race number belts make management of your race number infinitely easier. We are talking about a $5 investment that is MUCH easier to clip around your waist while you are running out of transition than it is to stand in transition, sweaty/wet, trying to yank a shirt over your head with your number pinned on it!
9. Practice suit, goggles and (especially for those with hair chin length or longer) a cap? Having a tight-fitting suit and goggles to swim with is a good investment. When we are swimming for fitness and training, we want to focus all of our attention on our form and strength, not on a shifty suit or leaky goggles!! Most beginner swimmers (and even some veterans) can probably go down a size in the suit they wear! When the suit gets wet, it will loosen up and you are left constantly tugging it up! Furthermore- a latex cap will keep that long hair out of your eyes and prevent it from being whipped up into something that resembles a tightly woven ball of yarn. If you find it difficult or painful getting a latex cap on/off, for around $10 you can get a silicone cap, which lasts longer and is MUCH gentler on your hair getting on/off!
10. One thing that is free and helpful? Training partners!!! Let’s face it, in triathlon you are usually competing as a one-man team. Solitude during your workouts may be your preference and the way you spend most of your training time. However, getting together with a swim bike run pal, especially one that is closely matched to your abilities will help you push yourself and keep going on the days when you are just exhausted!! Try it!!!