Friday, June 18, 2010

Cute Triathlon Outfit (aka Tri Kit) for a Novice Beginner Triathlete

I am competing in my first triathlon this summer! It is an all women’s triathlon and will include swimming 400 yards in a quarry, biking 13 miles, and then running a 5k (which is 3.1 miles), this is known as “sprint distance”. The event doesn’t take place until August, but I figured it was a good idea to come up with my triathlon ensemble (aka “kit”) long in advance so I can be comfortable training in it and thus be comfortable to race in it. I had alot of things to consider before choosing what to wear.
1.) It must be a waterproof to swim in
2.) It must be form fitting to cut down on drag
3.) It must be lightweight and cool - who knows how hot it could be that day!
4.) It must be made of very comfortable materials
5.) Preferably bright so friends and family can spot you among the 100’s of other participants.
6.) It must not be terribly expensive- I am a novice, not a professional tri athlete.
7.) Most importantly it has to be cute!

So after doing some homework on outfits typically worn by women tri athletes, I took on the challenge of putting together my own.

Here is what I came up with:

For the triathlon top I chose a cropped, bright yellow zippered vest from the surfing company Body Glove from Swimoutlet.com. Not only is it actually a swim suit top, but it looks like a cycling jersey ( perfect for the biking segment!)  and is tight enough to be a sports bra (perfect for the running segment!). I’m loving the contrasting black zipper and that it has a slightly 80’s sportswear vibe (even more so when you consider it comes in hot hot pink and neon green also!). 

For the bottom part, I chose the Nylon Tricot Short Short from American Apparel in black. It is listed in two places on the website, once in the swimwear section and again in the shorts section. I really believe it’s more a swim suit than it is a pair of shorts you would want to wear in public with every day apparel, but for the purposes of the triathlon it’s actually perfect that they claim it can be worn either way… versatility is the key.

So here it is… my novice triathlon kit!

If you live in the Northwest Ohio area and think you might be interested in trying this triathlon with me, it’s not too late to sign up! Check out all the information here from Elite Endeavors