greetings gang
I ran into a guy this morning at the caffeine fillup stop...aka.. Starbucks. He knew who I was from the television. So, after I answered a few questions about the Browns newest coach, He asked me about racing in triathlons. Turns out he got into the sport last year. He was a tall guy, well built. Athletic. Could probably swim-bike-run circles around me. I told him I have done alot of triathlons. Over a 100. Started in the sport when I was 32. I am now 57.6112 years old. I asked him what problems he encountered in his first race.
He paused. Collected himself and said he rented a wetsuit for the race day. It was a race at Mentor Headlands. He made the mistake of never using the wetsuit before race day. Thought he could just pop it on and swim like a fish. Turns out he panicked. Two reasons. 1. The suits, for those of you who have never raced, or worn one; can be restrictive in the chest area. Better word would be claustrophobic. 2. He was not prepared for the rush of swimmers around him. He said once he got into the race and panicked, he had to unzip the suit a little to catch his breath and to chase away the anxiety. Took about a minute and then he adjusted.
So, if you are getting into triathlons and want the wetsuit experience, make sure you swim a few times with the wetsuit. Funny thing is, once you get used to it..you feel very secure. Why else would I strap on a wetsuit and set off to swim for a breakwall close to a mile away and come back.
Happy training and racing..
Life's a Blast
2 comments:
Another important tip: make sure if you havent worn your suit in a while to test it out before race day. I had put a little weight on and during my attempt at ironman in 2009, I chafed my neck so badly because it was too tight
The joy of the wetsuit. But come cold water, I love it.
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