The Mustachian Triathlete

[LifeHappens]

I'm competing in my first Sprint Tri in a little over a month. It's a big milestone for me and I want to be prepared, but I also don't want to spend $$$ on all the silly accessories the mainstream articles recommend. I may or may not ever do another Tri, so I'm wondering what is an actual need vs. nice to have vs. totally unnecessary.

Here is the gear I currently have and will be using for the race:
1) Good road bike. It's tuned up, has fresh tires and rides really well.
2) Swim suit and goggles. This is a warm water swim. Wetsuits are not allowed.
3) Good running shoes.

Here's what I'm wondering about:
1) Trisuit. Is this worthwhile, or am I good putting bike shorts and a tank top over my swim suit? I'm female and think my swim suit provides enough support for the run.
2) Race belt. I guess this is for your paper number? Do I need this? It seems kind of silly, but what do I know?
3) Race nutrition. I generally take a swig of honey before a longer training session and mix up my own sports drink from powder. Are the gels/gummies/etc. worth the money?

Any other suggestions on gear (keeping in mind I may never do this again) or ways to hack the system and save money?

[haflander]

Hi there. I did my one and only tri about 10 years ago. I was in a very similar position as you...generally athletic (running background), curious and up to the challenge, and knowing that there was a good chance I would only do it once. As far as $ goes, you can easily spend several hundred or even a thousand if you do what the pro and enthusiast triathletes do. I agree with everything ericb said, he has about 100 times as much experience in this as me.

Your first list is a good baseline. Your second list is optional. I'll get into bike/tri shorts next...
Trisuit, no (read bike shorts below).
Belt, no. Paper numbers are a thing for running and bike races where you can just pin it to your shirt and go. However, obviously with the swimming, tris are different. The one I went to, they wrote the number with a sharpie on your calves and arms. If they do force you to wear a number, pin it to your shirt for the bike/run. You only NEED a belt if you NEED a bunch of crap during the run. During the bike, you can store said crap on the bike.
Race nutrition, kinda. I think what you do with the alternative nutrition is great. Everyone will tell you that at the race, you do what you did when you were training. So, if you're training with honey and powder mix drink and it's working for you, do that in the real race. The fancy gels like GU and the gummies are unnecessary. Some people like them and will recommend them, but you don't NEED them and they're expensive. For your powder mix drink, put it in one or two big bottles and store it in the bike. You will have a little "transition area." Take 30 secs for a water break in the two transitions and drink as needed during the bike. The running portion for most sprint tris is a 5k. Most organized sprint tris will therefore have 1/2 water/gatorade stations during the run.

Bike shorts. This is the one thing where I'll recommend spending money for the below reasons. They do make bike shorts that you can swim in for just a little more $ than normal bike shorts. You can wear these for the entire race, then all you have to worry about is shirt and shoes. I still have my bike shorts and use them occasionally for running or as underwear for other sporty things. Go to your local bike store and ask if they have tri shorts. They will be around $50. I wouldn't recommend buying them online, as you're not quite sure what you're looking for and want to make sure you can use them for swimming also. Maybe someone else can link to some good options so you CAN buy them online. Obviously, practice running and biking with them before the big day.

[honeybbq]

Triathlete here. Was mustachian about it at first... now... not so much. I have my first ironman in 4 weeks!
My answers below...




Here's what I'm wondering about:
1) Trisuit. Is this worthwhile, or am I good putting bike shorts and a tank top over my swim suit? I'm female and think my swim suit provides enough support for the run.

Eh.... It could get a little uncomfortable IMO - running in a swim suit sounds icky to me. But, if it's just your first, you could definitely get away with it. A trisuit has it's pluses... if you search on ebay you can get some good deals (my first tri top I paid 2$ for on ebay), or maybe see if someone in your tri club has a kit you could borrow. as mentioned, it's definitely more comfortable to have a kit with a built in chamois.

2) Race belt. I guess this is for your paper number? Do I need this? It seems kind of silly, but what do I know?

I would definitely get a race belt. Or borrow one. Pins will put holes in anything, particularly if you are wearing a swim suit. You only need your bib for the run remember. It's convenient to get back into T2, and just throw it on over your hips and go. Race belts can be had for <$10.

3) Race nutrition. I generally take a swig of honey before a longer training session and mix up my own sports drink from powder. Are the gels/gummies/etc. worth the money?

For a sprint, you really don't need any nutrition during the race. I'd eat a banana in transition before the swim, maybe an hour before. If you are a person who is always starving, maybe eat a gel or granola type bar on the bike. But for a less than a 2 hour race, I can't really see the need.

Any other suggestions on gear (keeping in mind I may never do this again) or ways to hack the system and save money?


Ebay, craigslist, tri group resales are good ways to find gear you'll (eventually) want. I started off cheap with a borrowed bike, and now I hate to admit, I have lots of fancy things including a tribike and a smart watch. It is my hobby and love though, and when you spend that much time on it eventually you like to fork out money! Heh. But do a few races first and then decide. If you want to travel to do races you may eventually need a wetsuit. For food in longer races, there's lots of options but gummy bears and homemade PB and J do just about as well as anything else. I do like nuun for electrolyte replacement but you'll have to see what works for you in the long run.

[Goldilocks]

You sound good to go for your first triathlon! Honestly I probably wouldn’t add anything else for your first race. Once you’ve seen what others do at races, then you can decide if you want to add more or not.

Trisuits are good for cutting down on transition time, which is a super easy way to cut down on your overall race time. But since this is your first one, I think the focus is more on feeling out/finishing this first race. (I myself do not own a trisuit nor do I currently have plans to get one. If I started doing more races/wanted to be more competitive with my time I might, but that’s a years down the road thing. I’m still super new to triathlons myself, but my dad has been doing them for years.)

You probably won’t need major supplements for a sprint. Whatever you decide to do (water/Gatorade/supplements) be sure to practice how/when you would take them during a race so your body gets used to it.

Good luck!

[Papa bear]

I’ve done a handful of sprints and I’ve never been a good endurance athlete.  I was much better at sports where I was confined to small spaces.

With that, I do just fine with bike shorts as my “swim trunks” with no need for fancy triathlon specific equipment. As they’ve been sprints, I’ve never been concerned about food/refueling.  Though I do use the free gel things that come in the race packets, and I’ve thrown a v-8 energy drink at transition before.  You should be done under 2 hours relatively easily, and really don’t need many calories during the race.

Don’t spend any extra money on this until you’ve done one and see how it goes. 


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[LifeHappens]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. Nice to hear I'm basically on the right track.

I'm definitely not trying to be competitive, it's more I wanted a reason to increase my endurance training to make up for a few years of being injured and sedentary. This race is definitely providing that motivation.

I will visit my LBS and see if they have Tri shorts that look appealing. We have a shop pretty close that sells a good number of Tri-bikes, so I'm guessing they'll stock clothing as well. I could use another set of bike shorts anyway, so they would get some use.

[mountain mustache]

I've done a bunch of tris, and a lot of bike racing over the past 10 years. I think the only thing on that list I would say is...semi-important...are the tri shorts. I don't think you need a "tri suit" but having tri specific bike shorts, vs. regular bike shorts will make a big difference. Tri shorts have a way smaller chamois, and it doesn't absorb as much water...so you swim, bike and run in the tri shorts, no swimsuit underneath. Swimming/running in regular bike shorts with a big ol chamois will be really uncomfortable. Not impossible, of course, but not great. I did tris in college wearing tri shorts, a sports bra, and a very tight tank top. A race belt is nice, they are like $5, worth it to not have the inconvenience of putting holes in your nice stretchy clothing.

[LifeHappens]

so you swim, bike and run in the tri shorts, no swimsuit underneath.

I'm really not comfortable with that idea. I'm definitely going to wear a swim suit.

[rothwem]

so you swim, bike and run in the tri shorts, no swimsuit underneath.

I'm really not comfortable with that idea. I'm definitely going to wear a swim suit.

When it comes to women's swimsuits, the seam at the edge of the swimsuit bottom is going to be directly where your sitbones contact the seat.  You'll be dramatically more comfortable without the swimsuit bottom and just the tri-shorts, which are designed for use without underwear. 

I'm not sure what women do with regard to tops, but someone has got to make a swimmy sports bra thing that you can wear with your tri-shorts. 

[mountain mustache]

so you swim, bike and run in the tri shorts, no swimsuit underneath.

I'm really not comfortable with that idea. I'm definitely going to wear a swim suit.

When it comes to women's swimsuits, the seam at the edge of the swimsuit bottom is going to be directly where your sitbones contact the seat.  You'll be dramatically more comfortable without the swimsuit bottom and just the tri-shorts, which are designed for use without underwear. 

I'm not sure what women do with regard to tops, but someone has got to make a swimmy sports bra thing that you can wear with your tri-shorts.

Agreed here. The problem with swimsuits underneath is you will be wet, then you will sit on a bike saddle for a long time, which will chafe that seam right on your sit bones, and it will be super duper uncomfortable. I know it seems weird at first, but just think of tri shorts like a swimsuit bottom...they are made of the same (or similar) material as a swimsuit bottom, they are very compressive and comfy!

[Papa bear]

Yeah - I’d say 95% of the people there will not be in a “swim suit” but just their bike / tri shorts.  Females usually wear 1 piece?  I don’t really pay attention. Too worried about myself out there!




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[remizidae]

I was fine biking and running in a normal women's swimsuit and bike shorts. Since this is your first one, i would err on the side of spending less; if you wind up really liking it and doing a lot more triathlons, you can buy more stuff.

[honeybbq]

so you swim, bike and run in the tri shorts, no swimsuit underneath.

I'm really not comfortable with that idea. I'm definitely going to wear a swim suit.

It does take getting used to. But the idea of running in a swim suit... eeek. There will be no place to change in a sprint. But, don't worry - first race is all about having fun. The idea of the tri suit is you wear it the whole race, even under your wetsuit (if you wear one). When swimming in it, it's almost like a little swim suit with shorts. It's not really distracting. You swim in it, transition to bike with the small chamois that dries quickly, and then you'll be comfortable for the run. But seriously, there's no wrong answers for your first race. Just go try it and then make changes!

[mm1970]

How long is the sprint?  I did 2 sprint tris and did them very low budget.  THough I had a wetsuit because: Pacific ocean.

I actually swam in tri shorts (no swim suit under - that's the point!) and a sports bra (and a singlet under the wetsuit).  Depending on the swimsuit/ support, you may be fine.  I needed a good bra.

Belt: not needed.  Your number will be on your bike and your leg (and you can make a belt easily).

Nutrition: depends on distance.  Mine took about 1 hour and 15 minutes (500yd swim, 6 mile bike, 2 mile run).  So I didn't need anything.

[danakado]

For a sprint I totally think you are covered.  I did Olympic distance once and still did not use a tri suit, honestly I feel more comfortable in a suit plus shorts.  It dries fast on the bike... that was the one thing I was worried about was the dampness in an area you don't want to stay damp.... but it was fine. 
A race belt is nice and they are pretty cheap but only because I find the bib annoying when I run.  That said I don't have one. 
I think real food nutrition is always better so sticking to honey is a good plan.  Also for a sprint you don't need that much.  Something halfway on the bike should do it. 
Have fun... sprints are really fun! 

[LifeHappens]

It sounds like people have very strong opinions about how much damp they can handle in certain areas of their bodies!! I live in Florida, so, um, everything is just always damp all the time. Probably TMI, but there it is.

My tri is 400m swim/12 mile bike/5k run. It's short enough that I think I can deal with some chafing if that happens. I do use BodyGlide from pretty much April-November, so I'll use that during the race for sure.

I'm actually more concerned about my feet. Planning to bring two pairs of socks so I can change after the bike if my feet are super sweaty.

[wotan]

read this book.   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FS2Y7DJ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

[Marley09]

LifeHappens-  I am doing my first triathlon since 2012 in June- also a Sprint - 300m swim /13 mile bike /5K run!!  I am so excited to be getting back into it again after having kids / being exhausted 24/7 and its nice to have a goal to focus on to get back into shape.  You have a leg up on me because I am still in the market for a road bike, but like all other things tri related there are so many places to find used gear, some have been mentioned already above, but would also like to include facebook marketplace,  facebook group call "tri'n sell it" and a bunch of other tri specific facebook groups for people trying to sell their used gear.  It seems like a lot of people just getting into the triathlon scene spend an asinine amount of money on gear and then realize that they are just not that into it.  In regards to your questions:

1. Trisuit- I have one, but I am still planning to wear my bathing suit (one piece).  Is your swim in open water?  The one I am doing is in a pool (seems odd to me), so I feel like a bathing suit will work best and then I will just throw on shorts (maybe a tank top) for the bike/run.  I will note that I am going to do some brick workouts in May (cause it will be warmer here) that involve swim/bike and swim/run to make sure that it is not too uncomfortable being in a wet suit.  I grew up as a swimmer (i.e. spent 95% of my time in a wet bathing suit) and BodyGlide works well, so I am not worried.

2. Race Belt- I would also say yes to this one, its cheap and just makes the transition easier.  If you really don't want to buy one, then maybe pin your number to a shirt ahead of time and throw the shirt on in T2 (not sure how well this would work since I have never done it).

3. This has been covered, but will put in a +1 for testing anything you want to use on race day ahead of time. It would be awful to feel dehydrated/hungry and grab a gel pack/Gatorade/anything new and then get sick/have cramps/feel terrible for your entire bike/run.  It's suppose to be a fun experience and this would surely put a damper on the event.

-Marley

[LifeHappens]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice, Marley. Good luck in your training.

1. Trisuit- I have one, but I am still planning to wear my bathing suit (one piece).  Is your swim in open water? 

Yes. It's in salt water. I think there will be rinse off showers - there are definitely showers at that beach - so I'm not worried about being salty.

[chicagomeg]

Posting mostly to follow, as I'm doing my first tri at the end of August. Mine is also a sprint, albeit a bit longer than some of yours (750 y swim/15 mi bike/5k run). Swim is in Lake Michigan which is cold 365 days of the year, so I will probably reluctantly buy a wetsuit for mine.

[letsdoit]

i cringe about my triathlete days.
i did not put the work into protecting my $$

#1 tip : dont buy a tri/time trial bike
#2 :  repeat #1
#3:  buy one bike that will work for your life post triathlons

i would have bought a fixie in retrospect.  that would have made me a much worse triathlete but who cares, it is better for your stroke, easier to take care of

mistake i made was stopping lifting weights bc too much cardio training.  my shoulders and hips became so imbalanced.  took 4 years to recover from it

[TrMama]

Former triathlete here. I somehow managed to do sprint tris, a few oly duathlons and a half iron tri without ever owning a trisuit. They were just starting to be a thing when I did my half. I can't really remember what I wore, but it was probably tri shorts and a sports bra style swim top. I'm sure I put a shirt on too when I got out of the water.

Several years later I did a couple sprints. By then I'd had a couple kids and wasn't willing to show off my midriff in public. So for those I wore my tank style swimsuit and tri shorts for the whole thing. The seam under my sit bones wasn't an issue for such a short ride.

I've also never owned a race belt. If you need to have a paper number, just pin it to a shirt and then put the shirt on in T1. You'll probably want a shirt to protect you from sunburn anyway.

You've got a good plan. No need to buy anymore crap. In the 80's the top women competed in plain old bikinis because there was no triathlon specific clothing. I remember watching Paula Newby-Fraser ride an Ironman in a bikini and thought she was the most badass women I'd ever seen.

[LifeHappens]

You've got a good plan. No need to buy anymore crap. In the 80's the top women competed in plain old bikinis because there was no triathlon specific clothing. I remember watching Paula Newby-Fraser ride an Ironman in a bikini and thought she was the most badass women I'd ever seen.

Thanks, TrMama. I appreciate you sharing your experiences.

[Papa bear]

Ahh, I forgot this piece of advice.  Make sure you don’t pin your race bib all the way through your shirt on accident.  You’ll find out during transition, trying to figure out why your arm won’t go through a hole, struggle for a bit, then have to redo the safety pins.

Ask me how I know.


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[LifeHappens]

Ahh, I forgot this piece of advice.  Make sure you don’t pin your race bib all the way through your shirt on accident.  You’ll find out during transition, trying to figure out why your arm won’t go through a hole, struggle for a bit, then have to redo the safety pins.

Ask me how I know.

LOL. Thank you for the real life advice.

I've gotten other good tips from people who learned the hard way. Like, make sure you have a pan of fresh water to clean the sand off your feet and a towel to dry them with. Don't want to get blisters from sandy feet.

[TrMama]

Ahh, I forgot this piece of advice.  Make sure you don’t pin your race bib all the way through your shirt on accident.  You’ll find out during transition, trying to figure out why your arm won’t go through a hole, struggle for a bit, then have to redo the safety pins.

Ask me how I know.

LOL. Thank you for the real life advice.

I've gotten other good tips from people who learned the hard way. Like, make sure you have a pan of fresh water to clean the sand off your feet and a towel to dry them with. Don't want to get blisters from sandy feet.

Most fun race I ever ran was the one where a friend and I ran as a relay team. He was a former competitive swimmer and a great biker, but he'd run enough to give himself stress fractures. So he did the swim and bike and I did the run. The race was also some kind of championship race, so there were lots of pros and semi-pros racing too. Because I was paired with Mr. Speedy, I got to start the run with a bunch of the pro men.

The spectators were so confused. All these pro men were sprinting out of transition onto the run course and the spectators were cheering like crazy. And then they spotted me, and the cheers died down a bit while they tried to figure out what I was doing there. I'm not a complete lump, but I certainly never looked like a pro triathlete.

I just sprinted through that section of the course with a shit eating grin on my face and as soon as I was through the section with all the cheering spectators, I dialed the pace way down to my normal speed ;-)

[themicrobe]

As a female triathlete who has done dozens of sprints and oly races, I would veto the one piece tri suit.  If you have to duck in the bushes to pee, they are problematic!  Ask how I know.  Tri shorts and sports bra, throw on a shirt for the bike and run. 

Have fun, it is a great sport! 

[LifeHappens]

I had my triathlon this weekend. 1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike ride, 5k run (mostly on unpaved ground). 1:34:33. Really happy with my result and experience.

The only extra piece of gear I bought was a pair of tri shorts. I did a few test brick workouts wearing my swim suit, tri shorts and a shirt and was fine. I think my swim suit is a bit fuller cut than some of the more racing style ones so the seams weren't an issue.

All in all, I was able to do the race very cheaply and it provided great motivation for me to improve my fitness. Well worth the small amount of money and the time commitment.

[jeninco]

Congratulations on the training, the finishing, and (most of all) having fun and getting out there!

[marty998]

I am quietly being inspired by this thread. One day I'll have a crack when my fitness levels improve and I've got time for the swimming training :)

[dashuk]

I am quietly being inspired by this thread. One day I'll have a crack when my fitness levels improve and I've got time for the swimming training :)

For a sprint tri with a pool swim, if you can swim 400m without drowning, then you should just get on with it.

Proper fast swimmer might be 5 minutes, passably competent front crawl would be 8-9 minutes. If it's your first one you'll probably lose more ground to the front in transition than in the swim. You could do breaststroke in 10-12 minutes and not be the slowest.

Swim training for (short) triathlons isn't great value for time.

[LifeHappens]

I am quietly being inspired by this thread. One day I'll have a crack when my fitness levels improve and I've got time for the swimming training :)

I've really enjoyed learning to swim properly. It does take time, but it's great exercise and you can keep it up when you've injured yourself running :)

[TrMama]

Congrats! Sprints were my favorite race distance. You get all the accolades of being a "triathlete", but you can still make plans to do normal things in the afternoon. Win, win!

[mm1970]

I am quietly being inspired by this thread. One day I'll have a crack when my fitness levels improve and I've got time for the swimming training :)

I've really enjoyed learning to swim properly. It does take time, but it's great exercise and you can keep it up when you've injured yourself running :)

Ha ha yep!  I resemble that remark!

passably competent front crawl would be 8-9 minutes

Though all the swimming that I've done (and it's a bunch!) and my pace is about 12.5 min for 500 yd.  I consider myself passably competent, just not fast!

[dashuk]

Though all the swimming that I've done (and it's a bunch!) and my pace is about 12.5 min for 500 yd.  I consider myself passably competent, just not fast!

Sorry, I didn't intend to turn this into a discussion of what is 'fast' or 'slow'. Quite the opposite. All I was trying to say was that, as long as someone can actually swim the distance without getting in trouble, they shouldn't feel like they need to spend a lot of time on swim training before they can enter a triathlon. Just go for it.

[marty998]

I am quietly being inspired by this thread. One day I'll have a crack when my fitness levels improve and I've got time for the swimming training :)

For a sprint tri with a pool swim, if you can swim 400m without drowning, then you should just get on with it.

Proper fast swimmer might be 5 minutes, passably competent front crawl would be 8-9 minutes. If it's your first one you'll probably lose more ground to the front in transition than in the swim. You could do breaststroke in 10-12 minutes and not be the slowest.

Swim training for (short) triathlons isn't great value for time.

Yeah I think I'm at about 10-12 minutes for a 400m freestyle - it's pretty ordinary seeing me go haha. But nothing I couldn't make up on a bike* leg or run leg and still finish a competent mid pack by the end.

*Even on a mountain bike lol