Subject: RE: Carleton place Tri a TriWhen I did my first try-a-tri I wore a standard pair of baggy beach trunks in the lake, then put on a cotton tee-shirt when I got out of the water an wore that the whole race. It did the job but the shorts were like a parachute in the water, and putting on a wet cotton Tee was a pain in the @ss. If I went back in time, I'd spend $50 and get the following: 1. Some cheap swim jammers or speedos. I got a pair on sale for $20 at a local swim shop. They make shorts for training in the pool, and let you swim in proper position. An you can use them to race a short triathlon. (My background was NOT swimming, so I feel a bit 'fruity' wearing these in public at first, but quickly got over it when I saw tons of other guys doing the same. ![](https://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:EKnj0jkFFzDcTM:http://www.metroswimshop.com/images/705671.jpg) 2. Get a cheap tri-top from a bargain bin at the local tri store (D'Ornellas in Scarborough had some nice Pearl Izumi's for $16 ). The tri-top is snug enouogh to swim in and you just get out of the water and keep racing without having to worry about dressing. ![](https://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:j9GIuMddpypmHM:http://media.rei.com/media/gg/33404fbc-8094-4c41-853e-d4e39719babb.jpg) 3. Make your own race belt. These are the elastic clip-on belts that triathletes usae to put their race numbers on - It saves you from having to pin on a race bib. Just clip in and go. All you need is a 40" black elastic band, and a plastic clip. Pin the bib to the belt. Voila. less than $4 at Walmart. ![](https://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:cn7e1sAEODFVnM:http://brad.sweat365.com/files/2007/04/race-belt-2.JPG) Cheers, Mark |