a) Strip in the transition area... Ummm NO!
b) Bike and run in a speedo... I doubt that'll be comfortable
c) Get a tri suit?
What's a Tri Suit? Well it's basically a suit that look like a swim suit plus shorts put together :D
It's made out of fast drying material so you won't be wet for long. It has a special cushion at the crotch which is supposed to make it more comfortable to bike (I never knew that existed). Also, some tri suits have other features like pockets for storing "fuel". Very cool stuff! They're affordable and I've seen some on sale for about 60$. My issue is that my hip to waist ratio is 0.7 and today's clothing isn't designed for that (strange as most women are pear shaped). Hence, my pant size and shirt sizes are different making it hard to buy one-piece items that fit. The other thing with a one-piece tri suit is that you would probably only use it in race situations just because it looks so intense. However, there're two piece tri suits which look pretty much the same but you can wear them on their own. There's also the bonus peeing factor :D
In terms of a wet suit... I'm taking the gamble of not wearing one. On the website it said that Lake Ontario will be somewhere between 16-23C and I used to swim in 20C water as a kid all the time. Also, I shouldn't be in the water for more then 20 minutes and I'm sure I'll be warm from intensive swimming. Maybe I should measure the temperature of my current pool before I say anything :P
Apart from that I'll just stick to my 99$ old mountain bike :P I've got quite a new pair of running shoes and whatever I can just bike in them. I have all the other general stuff like sunglasses, hat, and helmet. I could use a better pair of goggles but I'd need that for general swimming anyways. In terms of "Fuel" I'll make my homemade Gatorade (water, orange juice, honey, salt) and bring raisins. Probably won't be needing to eat much during the event...
Now on the other note, since I will be a graduate student I'll actually be getting paid now. Getting paid to learn- AWESOME! My stipend is 17,000$+ tuition and I can get more money on top of that if I win a scholarship. Just what I love about science lab based graduate school :D I've made the decision to live downtown Toronto because I think the experience will be totally worth it and I can afford it. Everyone I know recommended it (except my grandma) so I'll go with it. All in all after doing some budget planning and accounting paying back my student loans, I actually have money to spend on whatever I want. I'll be able to do races and not worry about costs. When choosing shoes I won't have to hope that the ones that fit me well are on sale or cost less. And... I could potentially save up for a good bike :P
Am I missing anything? Would you go with a one or two piece tri suit?
I have no idea what to recommend as far as a tri suit goes. I didn't even realize that they came in two pieces! I would research online and read about the pros and cons to both, and then maybe go try some on before purchasing. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanx Michelle. That's exactly what I'm doing along with trying different things during my training :)
DeleteI do not do tris exactly for the cost reason. All the gear seems too much for me when running is what I really enjoy anyway. But way to go for doing it and using an old mountain bike, too. Sweet. 2 piece tri suits seem muc more suitable :)
ReplyDeleteYup in running all you need is a good pair of shoes and everything else is a cherry on top :D
DeleteI like the 2 piece because I can then use just the shorts for biking.
A tri suit can be beneficial because it is a bit more comfortable for the bike and run, but I have seen plenty of people who didn't wear something like that and swam in a bathing suit, then just put shorts on over it.
ReplyDeleteI have a one piece tri suit, but I think a two piece would definitely be better for using the bathroom. I like that nothing moves around with the one piece though.
Good luck with starting in the lab this week!
Really... I'll give it a try to bike in my wet bathing suit plus shorts. I can see how a one piece would be more aerodynamic but if the two piece is really tight then it should do the job :)
DeleteOh Nadiya! So many interesting things in this post! Thank you for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all: "The Peeing Factor"? That should be a title of a book or at least a blog post :p
From what I remember Lake Ontario is always stupid cold, like 10 degrees Celsius. Several years ago I took a sailing course and one of the last tests was to capsize your boat in the lake and then get it back to normal. Of the 5 of us in the boat, 3 got hypothermia. That being said, you should be fairly aggressive in the water and the cooling factor shouldn't be too bad. Just make sure you do some open water swims in the outfit to get used to the added buoyancy and that it doesn't chafe in funny spots.
Living in downtown Toronto is great... for a short amount of time. I lived 4 years in UofT residences and can't complain. Most of my friends lived in the "student ghetto" and did just fine. But it can be really creepy when it gets dark, and in winter it gets dark before 5pm. You'll probably need roommates, but everyone is looking right now.
Your stipend won't be going too far. Most of my classmates that went on to study full-time were excited at first by being paid to study. After a little while they said they get paid "just enough to eat if they were lucky." They don't call them "starving students" for nothing. I'd probably hold back on the expensive tri-bike, especially since it's liable to get stolen in downtown Toronto.
Aww sry for keeping you out of the loop about the peeing thing. If you want you can try putting on a pair of wet tights and see how hard it is :P
DeleteI will definitely be making a trip to Toronto Island beforehand and testing out the water. I guess it also depends when you went sailing.
Haha. I'm actually staying at the Grad House because it's cheap and they match you up with people (res worked well for me at McMaster) Also, I am very frugal and I don't drink so I really don't spend much money. I remember everyone always complaining in undergrad about money to me and I was like Meh!
Don't worry it'll take me A WHILE (few years to get a cheap one) to save up for a bike and it will never be left unattended. Also, I've heard that training on a mountain bike is better to build up strength.
I'll take your word for it on the wet tights ;)
DeleteAnd Grad House is a really good choice. Relatively good price, right on campus, all grad students, apartment style, and your commute will be through campus which is much less creepy. Congratulatons!!
Haha I love the part about the commute being less creepy :D Not to mention I'll be saving good 2.5-3 hrs a day of commuting that I can actually use towards training ;)
DeleteAnd you'll be right by the "AC" (Athletic Centre). I think you get free membership as a student. One of the few Olympic size pools in the province!
DeleteAnd an indoor track!
Oh to be young again...
I know!!!!!!!!!!! I used to use the McMaster indoor track and Olympic pool all the time :) Ooh yes, sneaking in a run before my 8:30 classes was the best and reminds just how much free time one has when they don't have to commute!
DeleteOh I've been to the Toronto pool for a synchro competition and I remember there being two pools side by side. One Olympic and one regular :P There's length swims at 7am which is perfect before the lab :D
I think you should go with the tro suite but you said that you cabt find it in your size. Any where close...slightly bigger size?
ReplyDeleteBtw #Respect biking swimming running whoa.
Havr missed you, whats up.
Moving to downtown will be fun Iam sure. Will you be renting your own apartment or sharing?
The temp of the lake sounds cold to me. But, Iam no triathlete;).Congo on the graduation.
xoxo♡
I really don't know how the tri suites will fit until I try them on. The material is stretchy and tight so maybe I'll find a middle ground between my shirt and pant size.
DeleteI wish I could afford to rent my own apartment lol. Nah I'll be sharing with another 2-3 people... Shouldn't be too bad as I've lived in a house with 5 other girls before :D
What an exciting time for you!!!! Your new lab and income sounds like it will make life a lot more fun!!!
ReplyDeleteVery exciting indeed. I was telling my grandma about all the "fun" plans that I have once I live downtown. She's like wait wait... there's are all fun but what about the lab. Lol! Nah, the lab counts as fun :D
DeleteDo you read Carrie's blog, fitnessandfrozengrapes.com? She does lots of triathlons and might be able to point you in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteYay for Tornoto!!! Which neighborhood will you be in? I wish I could come visit you - it's such an amazing city!
Thanx for sharing the blog with me, I'll check it out :)
DeleteI'll be living right beside the University, so it's about a 20-30min walk away from the lake. Do visit Toronto but when it's warm :P It's really beautiful beside the lake and there're festivities going on all the time.
Yes, tell me about it! It is a very expensive sport!! I'm hoping that investing in all the kit is going to keep me motivated to continue participating in tris going forward!
ReplyDeleteI bought a one piece tri suit myself. I got it for cheap online but the problem was that the front of it was really weird and didn't cover enough of me (!) so I bought a separate tri top to go on top which I think actually works well. I wanted a single piece because I don't like it when my top rides up when cycling. Because the whole suit is quite tight, the top part acts as a sub for a sports bra and I then have my tri top on top. Perfect. It also tends to be cold in London, so the dual layer is probably a good idea!
That's really cool about the grad program! It's all sounding super exciting! :)
That's what I'm scared of too :( I'm fairly small chested so I'm sure I'll have the same problem :S Didn't know about the subbing for a sports bra part but that would definitely be useful. :P
Deleteps- I have disabled anonymous comments due to spam.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a two piece only because I feel it would be a more practical purchase that could be worn in multiple places/for multiple reasons, not just one day of competition. But that's the budget side of me speaking ;)
ReplyDelete