During our cool down laps last Sunday on the track, I was telling my friends and teammates, Lynne and Jenn, that as someone who needs to “practice” racing a lot to find her groove, it might take two years of consistent racing before I hit my stride and execute a decent performance. At the time, my legs were throbbing from four stacked days of hard rides and runs, but it was the thought of wearing a wetsuit in the somewhat near future that made my stomach drop, because if the wetsuits are coming… the races are coming.
Finishing the swim at Superfrog, 70.3 in 2017.
My first triathlon was sixteen years ago next weekend, Wildflower, 2005. I remember it clearly because I nearly drowned during the swim. Actually, it wasn't quite that dramatic, but the suit was tight around my neck and choked my throat with every stroke, not comfy at all, and honestly scary. However, a fit fix like that was something I should’ve learned before the race, instead I learned it the hard way during my first swim in the suit on race morning.
*Non-Pro tip* Invest many minutes in transition “hiking up” the wetsuit before the cannon goes off so that breathing is readily available during the swim portion of the race.
Exiting the swim at the Santa Barbara Triathlon, 2017.
Naturally, I have warmed up to swimming in a wetsuit since my first one nearly took me out in 2005, but I still prefer not wearing one while swimming, in a race or otherwise. However, what makes up for the anguish that wetsuits put me through before and during the swim portion of a triathlon, are the mighty hands and determined focus of the wetsuit “stripper” volunteers, who's job is to strip them off of my soggy body after staggering into transition. Unfortunately, my guess is that those miracle workers will not be present in transition during the 2021 race season/COVID times, a change that is completely understandable, but they will be missed.
Just after getting my wetsuit stripped at Ironman lake Placid, 2016.
Truthfully, I’m still not sure how I feel about suiting up in neoprene on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene in nine weeks. Swimming is still kryptonite to my self-esteem. I do want to ride Big Red, and I do want to run a marathon, but swimming 2.4 miles wrapped in a wetsuit through chilly water makes that combo a race, and, well...
Race ready-ish, the Santa Barbara Triathlon, 2017.
The song and video choice today is one of my favorite tunes from the 90’s, Duran Duran’s Ordinary World.