Azalea anyone? Brrr

It's such a short race, T1 may be a big way to be competitive. Keep it as simple as possible and don't take forever getting dressed. Get out of the pool, throw on a tight fitting long sleeve shirt, gloves, and go. Don't worry about comfort too much. You'll be redlining the bike and run and that should keep you warm enough.

Thanks for that. I've been out of the scene for a while so I can't remember what it feels like to come out of the pool with the adrenaline flowing. Simple it is!

Ya, bro. Transitions are the fourth discipline in tri. Keep it simple to keep it short. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

d00d, that's about what it was when I last raced it a couple of years ago. I pulled on a long sleeved bike jersey in T1. Don't remember about gloves but I probably had them in my back pocket and put them on on the bike. As you know from experience, pulling on anything on top in T1 when you're wet is a mess. My T1 was weak. I don't remember the cold on the bike being paralyzing
So maybe you can dress on the cold side.

How would you manage the arm warmers? They might be even worse than a jersey to get on? Or do you basically put them on once you're on the bike? What about compression socks on to start the race? No wait, I think they're illegal for the swim. Anyway, gloves are pretty time efficient because you can put them on on the bike.

Not sure if my musings helped. In any event, good luck! You're going to be fast!

Its a long run from the pool to T1. They allowed people to place things by the back door of the pool. You could pull a long sleeve on while you were running to T1. I had a jacket there, but took it off in T1. This was my first tri last year and I thought it was cold. Think it started in the 40's. Remember being cold for the first 1 mile and after that I was fine. I didn't have any bike jerseys or gloves. Just a long sleeve running shirt.

I have some wool (I think?) arm warmers that I got from running warehouse when I ordered some shoes. I roll them up like donuts so I can slide them over my wrist and roll 'em right up.

But I might just play it by ear the morning of. Thanks for the feedback!

good point, smoom. putting anything on a wet body is hard. i have a long sleeve cycling jersey that zips up in the front. easy to put on, even if you're wet.

I've raced it the past 2 years and this is by far the coldest it will have been. Good points by all. Definitely recommend sticking a zip up jacket or something easy to throw on when you get out of the pool en route to T1. Correct that compression sleeves are not allowed for the swim. This bike will be colder than B2B 70.3 2 years ago and I tried to go at it with only a long sleeve tee, bad choice. If you have shoes covers, highly recommended and if you have ever used a cap under your helmet, that is a huge heat saver as well. In the end it is a very quick bike ride and the wind is supposed to be pretty calm, if you go light on clothing, I don't think you will be too bad. I'm going with long socks (normally I go bare foot on the bike), I taped up the vents on my bike shoes and a zip up jacket outside the pool. I will have gloves attached to my bike to possibly put on once I get going. Good luck and welcome back to the addiction.

How did everyone do?

Was very happy with the result: about 90 seconds faster than last year. Tried to go as minimalist as possible, b/c historically my transitions are poor. Went sockless and didn't notice feet were cold until I couldn't feel my toes when I put on shoes in T2. That was different! Didn't affect my run, at least not based on my goal time.

Regarding T1, I was in middle swim wave, so with the delay in start times as the race went on, it was likely 38-40 when I emerged from the pool about 9:50 a.m. It was cold but not unbearable. I biked in what I swam in (tri suit) and the goosebumps were gone by mile 2 or so. Hands didn't feel cold, and legs and arms were good in the sunshine. I figured it was a short enough race that I could deal with the cold, and I did, save the numbness. So maybe socks next year if similar temps.

But it better not be this cold! Temps Friday night/Saturday morning were 20-25 degrees below normal for this time of year in Wilmington.

Awesome. This was my first tri ever last year and I was bummed that we were leaving foot NH on Friday. Really would have liked to compare year one and two

It was a great race!

I started 34th and believe it was around 35 or so when I started. I debated all morning on what I would wear when I got to T1. I had my arm warmers rolled up and my gloves laid out ready to go. I threw my helmet on, sunglasses on, shoes on (I can't flying mount yet) and off I went. I never even thought about wanting the extras.

I never felt cold at all.. until I got to T2 and tried to put my running shoes on. Then I realized my fingers weren't working very well. I couldn't get the backs of my shoes out from under my heels so I just took off running anyway. It worked itself out shortly and the run was plenty warm.

Other than the side stitches I keep getting when running off the bike, it was a great race.

My wife didn't start until almost 11:30 if I remember right. She wore a long sleeve shirt and gloves for the bike and said she got a little warm but was ok. It was maybe high 40s by then? I don't really remember.

Looking forward to it next year.

Race was cold but it didn't really feel that cold once we all got going. Being able to place items outside the pool definitely saved time and in a race like this the transition times definitely made a difference. I threw on a long sleeve wool shirt as I ran from the pool to T1 and that was my warmth for the ride//run. If I had spent the 2 seconds to put on my gloves in T1 my hands might not have froze so much and made sliding my running shoes on in T2 such a pain but ah well.

I enjoyed the race overall.