Thursday, June 16, 2011

Saturday's Forecast: Wetsuit-legal, but barely

I hate the dilemma of the barely wetsuit-legal water as is the case for this Saturday's race.  No reason you can't swim comfortably in just a trisuit in 76 degree water, but wetsuits make you faster. So I will in all likelihood join the crowd (ugh) and wear mine. Sigh.


One of the best parts of swimming for me is the feel of the water and the minimalism of the sport.  It's me, my swimsuit (or trisuit), and the water. (OK, and goggles and swim cap and often the waterproof iPod for training, but you get my drift) Even after I drill with my zoomers, I am grateful for the return to nakedness for my feet. So any swim in a wetsuit just feels a bit like a missed opportunity. But I am also competitive enough not to pass up the opportunity for some free speed. I think these cutoff temps should be revisited with ambient temperature factored in. Thanks for letting me vent.

(As I type this my kids are warming up for the first swim meet of the year. No wetsuits for them! )

The arrows are pointing to my offspring. 
Notice the rebels won't wear swim caps!

As far as a pre-race report and my strategy for this one, it boils down to this:

Swim: start relaxed, establish position, then get busy bumping up the gears, and stay long and lean.
Bike: be careful with the mount, dismount, and u-turn at the far end, otherwise go hard and don't let up.
Run: you got another gear there girl, don't be afraid to go after it.