Would you forego wetsuit in sprint (Page 2)

This seems plausible to me as well. I've only tried the one wetsuit brand and others may fit me better.

Didn't mean to cause confusion before about sounding like the OP - just had a similar experience as the OP and since it's the internet I couldn't resist throwing my money in the jar!

Being a baseball catcher for 13 years did make my thighs an abnormal proportion to the rest of my body. I definitely have to buy the "relaxed" jean cuts because the others I can't get my thighs into. No offense to the ladies, but man did that make me sound like a woman

Hey folks, thanks for the replies. Been in Vermont catering to my brother who crashed in the Gran Fondo (during the Lincoln Gap segment which is over a mile @ 24% on the descent, crazy) Shattered the left clavicle into 4 pieces. We live in NYC, but Vermont Orthos and surgeons treated him well. Reconstruction expected to be a success except for some potential minor nerve tingling or numbness in the area.

Anywho, I respect so many experienced opinions here. Let me clarify; it's not that I hate a wetsuit, I mean, I DO FEEL the buoyancy and it shows in time and effort. What I have been thinking (and I see Cyclone brought it up) is that fit and constriction could be the issue. I know it was mentioned as to why I'd dismiss all other criteria that could cause the cramping. It has been because I've 'troubleshooted' it down. Intensity, effort, distance, weather, sodium intake etc. For years since bodybuilding I have always contended with lower body wear that is too tight in the thighs and glutes areas and when trying to get larger fit in that region have issue with waist being too large. I have 3 tears in this wetsuit and they are all in the thigh area. That makes sense because that is where I struggle to get it up and comfortable. Unfortunately, cost of wetsuits and frequency of use make it highly unlikely I am dropping another 3-400 on another suit.

For those that wondered, the cramps start to creep up after about 20 + minutes IN the suit. Hopefully a non-issue in sprint events

Sorry again for being MIA, it was a scary call to hear your brother went down in a crash

Edited by TJHammer 2015-06-24 10:24 PM

Hope your brother has a speedy recovery.

As a Florida resident there just aren't that many swims that are wetsuit legal. I think I wore mine once in a sprint, and I really don't think it advantaged me to do so. The Oly's that I have done , however, are early and late in the season and have been wetsuit legal. The one I did without a wetsuit I wished I had had the suit on. I am a strong swimmer so I think the time advantage is negligible for me, much more of a comfort issue and time in the water figures into that equation.

I would not wear a wetsuit for a sprint. I doubt I'd wear it for an oly either. I've done one oly with and one without and didn't see much difference. I can't stand wetsuits so I much prefer to forgo their use.

PS I just saw the note on your brother...I hope the best for a speedy recovery.

If I wore one I'd actually be spotting you closer to 4. I look like a drunk Houdini escaping a straight jacket trying to struggle out of one of those things and it never goes smooth. I tried cutting the legs short and everything, but it still causes me issues.

Do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall?

Shane

I think it's too tight fitting. But in addition to the time of taking it off, I also can't wear my watch, so there's additional time to put that on as the sleeves are tight enough that it is a struggle to get it over the watch and it ends up pressing buttons and screwing everything up. Also, I always have trouble figuring out where to put it. I'm normally one of the first couple people out of the water and so everyone's bikes are still racked and there's nowhere to put it without it getting on other people's stuff/bikes. I try rolling it up but the arms and legs flop everywhere. So add that all up and I'm adding way more time than I gain.

Let me throw some more fuel onto this fire: This sunday's sprint tri - pristine lake - expected temp 75 degrees - 500 meters. hmnnnnnnnnnnnn

Roka Sim shorts. Worth a few seconds per 100 and they're easy to get off.

I live my wetsuit and we go every distance together.

Taking it off is 10 seconds if your slow at it like me.

Wore the wetsuit, light swim warm up in wetsuit. Within first 100 yards, it got very bunchy and crowded - took on a good amount of water and swallowed, coughed, a bunch of times, heart rate spiked, wetsuit felt even tighter, breathing rate rose, breast stroke to recover, lost at least a minute in that time. T1 took about 40 seconds too long. Everything else I did in that race was up to current level and progression expectation. I know this wetsuit has got to be too tight, I still hate the wetsuit experience, I appreciated the wetsuit in the recovery to calm my HR down. I prob could've placed top 12 overall and finished 4th AG. The swim/wetsuit/T1 the culprit. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Edited by TJHammer 2015-06-29 7:28 AM

Woulda, shoulda, coulda...You need to train in it to race in it.