Say Yes to the Dress - Atlanta?

We are still more than a month away from Iron Girl Atlanta but you need to start thinking about what to wear for the race. The decision is a little more complicated because you will be swimming in water that's warm enough not to require a wetsuit. The typical thing when a wetsuit is required is that you wear your triathlon outfit underneath and then you're already to go when you strip that wetsuit off. Without the wetsuit and without a tent in which to change in, do you wear a swim suit for the whole race? Or do you wear your swim suit and do a towel change into bike shorts or a triathlon outfit? Or do you wear a trisuit for the whole thing - from the swim through the run?

As your coach I do not have direct female experience with what the best choices are. Aside from telling you to NOT say yes to the dress, I was uncertain about how to advise you. So I asked around and got answers from 20 or 25 experienced women triathletes. There were two schools of thought. The first is to go ahead and wear a swim suit for the whole race. The second, more popular opinion is that you should wear a triathlon top and triathlon shorts for the whole thing, including the swim. It was unanimous that you should not try to do a towel/surfer change, trying to get out of a wet swim suit and then putting something else on your wet skin.  And wearing a swim suit for the whole race could lead to some serious chafing.

The best option is for you to GO SHOPPING! Yes, that's right, shopping! Look for some triathlon shorts. The have a soft pad that makes the bike ride a little more comfortable. The pad isn't as thick as it is in bike shorts (which is good because that means you can swim in it) but it's thick enough to be better than plain fabric. You also need a triathlon top that feels comfortable and will move with you as you swim, bike, and run. They normally have a zipper that goes part way down the front.

You can wear this outfit for the entire race. If you really want to it's possible to throw on a t-shirt and/or a pair of running shorts over your trisuit after the swim or after the bike but only if you really want to. Do a search for tri tops for women and you can see what's out there. If there's a good bike store near you they may carry to triathlon-specific clothing. Even better would be to find a triathlon store. (Yep, there are stores dedicated to triathlon!) Go try some on, see what they have, and pick something that feels comfortable and fits well. It doesn't need to be the most expensive. You don't need something fancy but getting something that is specifically for triathlon will help make for a better day.

And one more thing - look for a sports bra that is comfortable and will support you properly. According to a number of the women I spoke with it can make all the difference. Many running stores, including Road Runner Sports and many more, carry a nice selection.

With so many weeks to go before the race you may be wondering why I'm bringing this up now. You definitely need to practice with your new clothing. Do some training in them. Swim at least once. For sure ride the bike a few times. And wear your race clothes when you do some runs. The biggest advise triathletes ALWAYS give to newbies is "nothing new on race day". That means don't try anything at the race that you haven't already tried in training. That includes what you wear! And please, no one say "Yes to the Dress"!