Sports Bra and Swimsuit Question

author : acbadger

comments : 9

I am not going to buy a tri-suit before my first tri - I want to make sure I am going to stick with this before I spend a lot of money on it so I want to figure out what will work best.

Member Question:

I am going to wear a normal swimsuit (one piece) for my first tri and throw on shorts and a T-shirt over it for the bike and run. When I did a dry run the other day, I realized a problem -- support!

I am now planning on adding a sports bra to my clothing list, but I can't decide if I should put on the sports bra under the swimsuit and wear it for the swim (which looks kind of funny) or put the sports bra on over the swimsuit after the swim (which might be kind of hard to get it on over the wet swimsuit).

Has anyone ever done either of these before? I am not going to buy a tri-suit before my first tri - I want to make sure I am going to stick with this before I spend a lot of money on it so I want to figure out what will work best in conjunction with my swimsuit.

Answer:

I don’t blame you one bit for not wanting to spend the extra money on tri-suit before finding out if you want to continue to pursue the life of a triathlete. To be perfectly honest, I did the same thing…only with my bike!!! My first triathlon I did was on a hybrid. It was the hardest thing I had ever done! I figured if I could get through that hilly course on a heavy hybrid, imagine how great I would feel on a lighter road bike. As you can imagine, my road bike was the very next purchase I made. This could be the very same path you follow, only you’ll be in pursuit of the best tri-suit!

I agree that you need the extra support! Be sure you have a suit that is appropriate for a triathlon. Speedo, Nike, TYR, all make great suits that will give you a little more support because of the straps and the backs. Don’t go compete in your first triathlon wearing a U-back or halter top bathing suit. You need something that is made for competitive swimming. Also with all the swimmers around you, you do not want your suit to slip off of your shoulders revealing the ‘goods.’ Be sure your suit has a secure fit.

Now, if your bathing suit is still too loose, you can by all means, wear a sports bra for the race. I’ve seen this done a million times. However, keep in mind that the extra layer may add drag to your swim (if you are not using a wetsuit) slowing you down a bit. Perhaps a dri-fit, moisture-wicking bra would be best for the swim. This bra will absorb less water and will dry quickly on the bike. That being said, I agree with you that the sports bra should be worn UNDER your bathing suit. You don’t want to risk losing time in transition trying to squeeze a sports bra on over a wet bathing suit.

The important thing you need to remember is being calm and comfortable during the swim. I LOVE that you did a test run and discovered the support issue…now, one more dry run with the new moisture wicking sports bra and you’ll be ready to jump right in with both feet!! Good luck!

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date: May 1, 2006