Ok, the Basics. Dont let anyone sell you on High End Gear. Unless you've reached the level of a category competitive racer, you'll be fine sticking with inexpensive gear that fits and feels good to you!
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| The Swim |
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Swimsuit—A snug-fitting suit reduces drag in the water. Its pretty much personal preference. Multi Sport shorts come in a brief, short and long leg short. They're made to be versatile and dry quickly. The less changing clothes you have to do, the easier and faster it is. A tri suit with bike shorts (chamois) and form-fitting top that can be worn throughout the entire race is easy as its a no-brainer, but not everyone is comfortable in such revealing apparel.
Goggles—Any, as long as they fit well and allow you to see.
Swim Cap—Usually provided by the race, but you'll likely want one for training, too.
Wetsuit—Optional unless you train or race in cold water. A wetsuit helps keep you warm and buoyant, thus preserving some of your energy for the rest of the race.
Lubricant—Optional. Lubricants such as Bodyglide® help with wetsuit removal and prevent chafing from clothing. (Petroleum-based products such as Vaseline can degrade wetsuit material and are not recommended for that purpose.)
The Bike
Bike—A road bike's lighter frame and narrower tires will be faster than a mountain bike, but like we mentioned before use whatever kind of bike you have and you'll do just fine. If you plan on riding a mountain bike, spend $20 and get the skinny road tires to help you move along easier and faster.
Shoes—These can be your running shoes used with toe clips on your pedals or rigid biking shoes with cleats that attach to the pedals. The stiffer soled bike shoes deliver more power to your pedal stroke and can prevent your feet from going numb as you ride.
Helmet—Any approved bike helmet that fits.
Sunglasses—Protect your eyes from glare and grit on the road.
Bike Gloves—For shorter (sprint-distance) races you can omit these to save time. Your hands probably won't feel the difference. Nice to have on longer rides and good for protection too.
Shirt—This can be your swimsuit or the top you wore in the swim; some like to have a dry shirt on in cooler conditions. Some races provide a performance shirt, but try to stick with a vented performance shirt that wicks moisture away from your skin and keeps you comfortable out there.
Bike Shorts—Optional. You may want to wear a tri suit with a thin pad for the whole race.
Socks—Optional. Avoid cotton which will cause blisters.
Water Bottles—One or two, depending on the distance and the temperature. One of your bottles should be straight water, and the other should have a performance mix in it. We provide an excellent, high quality Performance drink for our team members and racers.
Bike Pump/Spare Tube/Patch Kit—Keep in a small under-seat bag or attached to the frame. Expect to get a flat and you will be well prepared. Nothing is more frustrating than standing on the sidelines during a race with no way to fix your tire! You'll also need to know How to Fix a Flat.
Bike Computer—Optional, competitive racers use a computer to stay on par with their speed and time.
The Run
Running Shoes—Add speed laces to save time! We prefer Lock Laces™ they're only a couple bucks, but having laces come untied is just a pain!
Socks—Unless you have leather-tough feet, you'll most likely want socks for the run to prevent blisters.
Sun Hat—To shade your face. Personal preference. Checkout Sweatvac.com - performance products to help keep the sweat out of your eyes.
Transitions
Towel or Transition pad—To wipe your feet off after running from the swim to your bike.
Gels, Bars or Sports Drink—Keep handy for the bike ride and the run. As mentioned on the bike. A Gu packet is the most handy. We've tried eating an energy bar, but its really hard choking down a bar while trying to change, run or bike. Sample a few of the Goo packets out there to see which you like best.
Sunscreen—Apply before the race, before you leave the house is best. Especially in Colorado or you will get fried, trust us here.
Day Pack or Duffel Bag or a 5 Gallon Bucket—To carry all your gear to the race and keep things organized. the Bucket - got this tip from a Danskin veteran racer, she said these are a great idea. It carries your stuff, and you have a seat to change on.
Heart Rate Monitor—Optional. Helps keep you within your target heart-rate zone for effective training. Dont try to do this your first Tri. Once you've been training optimally for some time and know where you should be, you'll find it useful, but that takes time and some self-education.
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Be Prepared—Like a Boy Scout, the more prepared you are, the more fun you'll have, the smoother everything will go and there will be no confusion in your transitions leading to a better race. Having everything setup and packed the night before is the best thing you can do to ease your mind, nerves and let you really enjoy yourself. Know exactly what you are going to wear, socks and all, and you'll look like a pro and feel even more confident.
Have fun! Your reaching a higher level or fitness and getting strong - keep it up!
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