I just signed up for my first sprint tri in August. I have a few options for learning to swim. To begin I will be able to utilize a pool at a gym and then as the weather warms up I will be able to swim in the lake where the tri is being held. Should I buy a swimsuit for the gym and then where some tri shorts and top when I switch to the lake or should I train in the tri shorts and top the whole time. Or train the entire time in a swimsuit until race day?
Hi Dimpleprincess, Welcome
Hi Dimpleprincess,
Welcome to Trifuel, I would recommend that you stick to your swim suit for the pool as the chemicals don't do the material much good over time, then switch to what you are going to race in for the open water swims, which will give you time to get used to it.
Good Luck
thank you!
thank you!
+1 Rob...Dimpleprincess, the
+1 Rob...Dimpleprincess, the other reason to do your open water swims (OWS) in your tri-suit (shorts and top) is so you can practice some transitions running out of the water, grabbing you bike and going for a quick transition ride. Good luck and welcome!
I'll go the other way....
I'll go the other way.... there is little to no reason to do your open water swims in your tri-suit. Sure, do it once or twice to get the feel for it, but there's no reason to overuse your expensive gear at the lake swim. I've just found that it wears out the chamois faster.
You're new. there's plenty of things to think about and work on. Practicing "running" out of the water is pretty far down on my list of things to worry about. Just a little further down the list from Swim-Bike workouts. I just have never felt the need.
So I guess my answer to the original question is to get a swim suit to wear for all of your swim training, and do a couple of open water swims in your tri suit before race day so you get a feel for it.
I think I agree with
I think I agree with dkhartung. Don't overthink this. Focus on learning to swim, not what you're going to wear. I also wonder how many people practiced their transitions very much prior to their first triathlon. Once you're fast enough to have speedy transitions make a difference to your race, I don't think I'd worry about it too much. (my $0.02)
Yeah, honestly it's doesn't
Yeah, honestly it's doesn't really matter which way you go. The biggest thing is to not wear the trisuit in the pool. Make sure you've swam in the trisuit a couple three times so you know all the little quirks of it, and what the chamois feels like when it's wet, but CreamedCorn hit it on the head. Don't over-think it. Go have fun and don't worry too much about the details.
It's best to always swim in
It's best to always swim in bathers rather than wearing shorts. You don't need to wear the exact thing you will be racing in, just as long as you know how it feels before racing in it.