9 replies to this topic

[NvrGiveUp]

hi all
this is leaving it last minute.. but ive a race this arvo.. and not sure if i should wear the HRM before the swim leg starts.. or put it on right after the swim leg during T1...

can anyone give a n00b some guidance?

Cheers.

[TynoMite]

If you're in a trisuit, I'd go with it for the whole thing.
Less chance of it coming off in the swim if the trisuit holds it in place.
If you swim bare chested, try putting it on in T1.
It's just one more thing to remember though.............

[NvrGiveUp]

ok thanks tyno

[blair]

I'm doing a tri tomorrow and will be putting my HRM on in T1

[Jason M]

Too late for today, but for the future:

I always wear the HRM if swimming in a wetsuit.
Never wear the HRM if not, as they tend to cause too much trouble during the swim, even with a trisuit. Best to experiment with your own gear in training before hand.

Will only put on the HRM during a race in T1 if it is an half ironman or longer. I don't believe HR tells me anything during the race in anything shorter.

[NvrGiveUp]

well putting the HRM during t1 was a pain in the ass.. but not as much as putting on a wet shirt during T1!

im just a beginner triathlete and find that HRM's help me monitor how hard im pushing during the race.. maybe one day when i get to elite levels like jason i wont bother putting them on for anything less than HIMs..

[Peterhorse]

too late for the race obviously but i was going to mention almost exactly as you said - would be an annoying thing to try and sort as well as cost you time. i'm a realtive noob also but already have learned the value of saving seconds to minutes in T1 and T2 which is much better than having to try and gain 2mins on the run leg!
i stopped wearing socks for the last 2-3 tri's to save 20-40 secs.
i will wear the HRM in races sometimes but I find it is more likely to hold me back than anything, but i like having the data to learn about where my various zones and limits are. i waer a one piece tri suit so the option is always there to have it in the swim
PH

[miners]

As P.Horse said (who is definitely not a Noob - the secret to these short tris is to strip it down to the basics. The time you save stuffing around in T1 will more than make up for by any concern or anxiety over whether you're biking or running hard enough.

For sprint races, you want a trisuit (no clothing changes whatsoever), if you're a strong enough swimmer you don't want a wetsuit to slow you down in transition, no socks, no sunnies or even a cap for the run unless it really is a hot day (and yes, if you're skin conscious, then wear sun-protection at all times, yada yada...), and try and learn how to leave shoes clipped into the pedals on the bike and get into them on the fly. In fact, in my recent sprint races, I've even regressed back to toe-clips. This way, you pull the racing flats on as soon as you leave the swim, and apart from the bike helmet, no more changes to be made till you finish the race.

[NvrGiveUp]

hey thanks for the tips guys..
for the race on saturday my mistakes in t1 were: fiddling with the HRM.. and trying to put on a cycling jersey.

will have to get a tri suit once ive got the cash. These things are bloody cheap!!..
dont think ill bother with wetsuits until im doing longer distance tris.. (ie >1k swims)..

[James77]

NvrGiveUp, on Dec 8 2008, 08:00 AM, said:

hey thanks for the tips guys..
for the race on saturday my mistakes in t1 were: fiddling with the HRM.. and trying to put on a cycling jersey.

will have to get a tri suit once ive got the cash. These things are bloody cheap!!..
dont think ill bother with wetsuits until im doing longer distance tris.. (ie >1k swims)..

Hi,

Another newbie - only 2 tri's down - wore the HRM under the tri suit in both and I find them fiddly enough without wanting to do it in t1 ha ha so put it on before swim and if it falls off then woudl not go anywhere anyway.

I mainly use it as post race analysis and to quickly look at during race - but over the shorter distances it is not much use.

It did annoy me a little on the 2nd race so when racing next will decide to continue or not.

I find HRM is best for training anyway and could see benefit in half and full IM

oh - btw - I have seen some cheap tri suits around latley - around $100 and even below