grandhavenbill's group - FULL (Page 10)

Knowing what time you ran today, it seems waiting for your next 5k in better weather is going to be like waiting for santa on Christmas Eve....you know the goods are coming but the wait is gonna suck.    Great Job!!!

Hey John,

20 pounds could indeed influence the fit of your suit.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a huge fan of DeSoto products.  I'd definitely give them a look.  Even if you don't have a dealer close by, the folks in San Francisco will take VERY good care of you over the phone and gladly exchange sizes if needed.

Brad:  Village Bike is (or at least was) a DeSoto dealer.

Nice run today Brad!  It was pretty sloppy over here too.  Are you going to be running the Irish Jig?

I'm concerned about just getting out of a wetsuit, something I know I'll get over after a race or two.  Then of course I'll worry about the fastest way to get of of a wetsuit.  Until then, I see GREAT things about DeSoto.  Have you worn a one piece before and if so how does the two piece compare to it?

There is a size 6 black pearl in the classifieds right now but I looking at DeSoto's sizing it might be a hair small for me.

Honestly, this wetsuit thing is driving me crazy!

Bill, when you have some time for mindless typing, please explain what Bike Porn is and more importantly what the "rules" are.   Thanks.

edit...i know its bikes not people

Definitely something you should practice at least a few times before your first race.  Be sure and do it in a simulated race condition (i.e. all amped up) as that rascal seems to fight back the faster you try to get it off! 

I started out my tri career in a borrowed sleeveless one piece.  I can actually get out of my 2 piece quite a bit faster.  Check out Emilio's video on the DeSoto website.  It also fits MUCH, MUCH better than any one piece I've ever had on.  The benefit here is that you can tailor the top and bottom and the move independantly.  I have a long torso and could never find a one piece that was long enough on top without having rediculously long legs that didn't fit.

Thanks John. yeah, I can't wait for the next one. Bill, yes, my next one is Spectrum Irish Jig. Are you running it?

I'll check out Village Bike Shop. I think I got the ok from the boss to buy a wet suit. You swear by the 2 piece, huh? I'll check them out.

Brad,

Yes on the Jig.  We have a Triple Crown team from work, should be about 12 of us running this year and a few spouses/kids.  Best turn-out in years.  Come on spring!

I am indeed a big fan of the 2 piece suits.  Of course, like everything else in this crazy sport, you will also find folks at the other end of the spectrum.  You can double check on Emilio's website, but I'm pretty sure he has a 100% satisfaction return policy.

Hi Bill,

I'm having trouble finding any good wetsuit choices in GR. Gazelle only has a few Zoot Suits, and Village Bike doesn't carry any wetsuits anymore. I'm headed to Detroit this weekend. do you know of any over there? I'll also post in the Michigan forumn. 

Brad,

Couple of options off the top of my head:

1) BikeSport in Dearborn (Tom Demerly's shop) is supposed to have a very large selection of suit manufacturers/styles. 

2)  Mission Bay Multisport in downtown Chicago also has a good selection.

I'd suggest calling ahead just to make sure they have good inventories.  Shouldn't be a problem since we are quickly heading into the season.

Don't let them try to sell you a Cervelo! 

Yes, I wear my shorts and jersey under the wetsuit.  It is no fun trying to pull on a dry jersey over a wet body in T1.....

They can try to sell me a Cervelo all they want. And if I was going alone they may be successful. However, my accountant and social planner will be with me and certainly won't allow it. I've got her convinced on the wetsuit, I'll be lucky to walk out of there with anything extra.

Sounds good on the clothes underneath. Now could you just write an official looking letter to my wife that says it is required? Otherwise, I'll probably have a pair of cut off jeans and a old tee shirt on under the wetsuit!!

Ok, another question. I'm doing a short spash and dash in Arizona at the end of april. The swim is only 750 meters. I asked the AZ thread about water temp, and it looks like it will be wetsuit legal. One person brought up a great point. With it being such a short race, you may loose more talking off the wetsuilt than you gain by wearing it. Do you agree?

Brad,

Unless the water is really chilly, 750m is on the edge in terms of the benefits you'd see with the wetsuit vs. time lost getting out of it.  Especially if this will be your first race in a wetsuit.

A note when you try them on this weekend, they will feel uncomfortably tight.  This is a good thing, you want them to feel like a second skin.  The latex will loosen/soften when wet.  You do NOT want any gaps between you and the suit!  Make sure you also raise both hands overhead with the suit on to make sure you can......If the torso is too short, it might feel OK with your arms at your side, but it will limit your ability to get a full stroke out front.  Obviously this is NOT good.....

On the shorts/tops, check out e-bay and some of the online sources for closeout deals.  You should not have to pay full retail for this stuff....

ok so i bought a zoot flash today.  its the bottom of the line entry level but at 200 bucks about the same as renting for a few races as discussed.  i found no reviews on it so i'll post one after a few workouts and races in it.  

man it was weird putting that thing on.  took about 20 minutes.  felt good though.   one thing i did like about it was the owner of our local tri store said the rubber is a bit tougher the the higher priced suit, which is great for a clumsy fool like me.

Bill, how long before the start do you start putting your suit on?

 i'll echo the previous thoughts...THANKS for all the time you have spent w/ us!

Glad to help!  I was fortunate to have a co-worker who has been doing tri's a long time to help me thru my first season, so I know how helpful it is to get the voice of experience.  I, too, had MANY questions!

I typically put my wetsuit on about 15-20 minutes before heading down to the water.  Gives me one last chance to hit the porta-johns (we will have the peeing in your wetsuit discussion later) or take care of any transition area organizational issues.

Couple other wetsuit pearls of wisdom:

1) Be VERY careful with long fingernails and/or jewelry.  Many-a-wetsuit tears have been caused by same....

2) Wetsuits dry out over time and are more prone to tearing when this happens.  Soak your suit in a tub of water for 5-10 minutes a day or two before your race/workout if it has been awhile since you've used it.

3) Putting a wet wetsuit on a dry body, or vice versa, is REALLY difficult......

4) Can't say it enough, PRACTICE YOUR T1!

So my wife and I were heading to Detroit to catch up with some friends, so I figured it would be a good chance to go wetsuit shipping. The driving was horrible. I pulled a girl out of an overturned car on our way. That was a pretty good indication that maybe we shouldn't drive any further than we had to. So I asked my wife, could you look up Bikesport on your Blackberry to make sure they are open on Sunday? Good news, they are open on Sunday. We'll just drive the extra hour each way Sunday morning. They open at Noon. After an hour of driving we are sitting in the parking lot of Bikesport waiting for them to open. I noticed the sign says closed on Sundays. Long story short, lots of extra driving, still no wetsuit.

If anyone is interested, Bikesport in Houston, Texas is open on Sundays. Bikesport in Dearborn, MI is not.

Brad,

That just plain old sucks...It was definitely nasty out this weekend.  I had to drive over to GR on Saturday for a final exam and it took me almost 30 minutes longer than usual....

I'd suggest taking the Amtrak down to Chicago but then you'd just get stuck in Holland for 14+ hours...... 

Damn Brad....I'm glad you were there to help out the girl.  Did she survive? 

Thanks for the info about the store here in town

i've been following the OLY program for the 1/4 IM in april.  but w/ the sprint coming up this sunday should I taper the training back a bit this week?  here's my scheduled week.  Red is optional.  Quality are speedwork...(this the first week speedwork).  i know I won't be doing sat and sunday work.  What are your thoughts on the rest of the week.  I've been going over this again and again.  i dont think i'll have a problem picking up next week if i back off this week (taper).  maybe take next monday off....thanks  edit..its swim bike run

The girl walked away with no apparent injuries. She was a bit shaken up though.

It looks like we might be the last men standing. No other posts for 10 days. Good luck on your sprint Sunday!

good to hear she's ok.  its too bad we are the last, i see some have still been hitting their logs.

thanks.  i'll post something, may not be tangible with 30 beers in me, on how it went sunday afternoon.  i am starting to feel the nerves!