Basic Triathlon questions from those who don't know

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Dingley Apr 2019 4:36pm, 17 Apr 2019 38 posts	0 Dingley sounds like a plan Cyclops, that will be the problem with "Real food", finding somewhere to keep it as it will be more bulky
Gobi Apr 2019 4:41pm, 17 Apr 2019 66,732 posts	0 Gobi 12 hours of ultras i have used chips, boiled potatoes, gouda, hamburgers and pizza. Sadly for me the best I ran was on fluids, 17 gels , half a banana and 2 dry biscuits 100km - 8hrs, job done
Dingley Apr 2019 8:54am, 18 Apr 2019 39 posts	0 Dingley Respect - Gobi
jda Apr 2019 9:04am, 18 Apr 2019 4,305 posts	0 jda "best I ran was on fluids" we all knew you could walk on water My first triathlon-support of the season, Clitheroe this weekend. Wife is doing it. Lucky with the forecast for the time of year.
LindsD Apr 2019 2:31pm, 18 Apr 2019 27,300 posts	0 LindsD I'm from Clitheroe. Didn't know they had a tri.
Gobi Apr 2019 10:29pm, 29 Apr 2019 66,799 posts	0 Gobi hahaha JDA :¬) I'm on a new Journey - Week 4 of Dark Yoga gobi70.wordpress.com
poppyH May 2019 5:33pm, 3 May 2019 810 posts	0 poppyH I have an OW swimming question or 3. My mum has talked me into a mile swim in Henley in July. I'm a reasonably confident pool swimmer and can swim a mile of crawl/breaststroke in the lido so the distance isn't too daunting. I'll work up to completing the distance in crawl only. It's the wetsuit that scares me, do I need one? Would it help even if optional? And do they even come in size 20/22? (Not going to aim to lose weight to fit something, it's not worked before...)
Cyclops May 2019 5:45pm, 3 May 2019 3,802 posts	0 Cyclops Wetsuits really help as they make you much more buoyant and swimming is generally easier (although you do move your arms differently as a very high elbow position is difficult). Open water is 'harder' than pool swimming as you don't push off at each end so have to swim 'further'. Some people get a bit freaked the first time they go in open water as it looks so different. I think OWS is much nicer than the pool.
Sweetie May 2019 8:05am, 4 May 2019 4,069 posts	0 Sweetie Hi Poppy, I would definitely go with the wetsuit, as cyclops said, it offers a lot of benefits and the vast majority of people swim much quicker in a wetsuit than without (although I seem to be an exception to that!). When I first started OW swimming I also found the wetsuit gave me a lot of confidence because you just can't sink in it, you bob like a cork, so the buoyancy is really reassuring. I would also try to get a least 1 dip somewhere OW to get yourself used to it, is quite different to pool swimming - the temperature, the murkiness, no push off the wall every 25m, etc. You'll feel much more confident if you've had a practice first, so you can enjoy the event more. Regarding wetsuit fit, have a browse online and find something in your price bracket and then email the manufacturer with your height and weight and they'll be able to guide you to the best fit. I had trouble finding a good fit because I am short but quite big boobed and so the suits recommended for my height were too tight across my chest but I found the couple of manufacturers I emailed were hugely helpful, then I ordered a couple of sizes on wiggle and sent back the one which fitted least well.
LazyDaisy May 2019 8:57am, 4 May 2019 26,575 posts	0 LazyDaisy Absolutely agree that a wetsuit is desirable, but I think some events say if the water temp is above a certain figure they are not advised - but that's unlikely to be the case at Henley. Worth checking though. Try and get as much OW practice as you possibly can, and if your local tri club or whatever offers introductory courses, it'd be worth it just to get used to acclimatising and being in water where you may not be able to see the bottom. Wetsuits need to be pretty snug fitting and can feel a bit constricting on land but once you're in the water they should feel comfortable. Some places hire wetsuits to try out before you buy - have a look around online to see if there's one near you. Very best of luck - let us know how you get on!