My friends shop around and plan their outfits for special outings way in advance. I on the other had tend to wait til a couple minutes before said outings to get ready EXCEPT when it comes to racing. For some kinds of events,  like the ESCAPE to MIAMI TRI, I don't mess around. I start shopping around for  RACE DAY OUTFITS a couple weeks in advance.

This time in particular I didn't get my suit until last week...which isn't ideal. I would have liked to have had it a couple weeks ago (at least) so that I could have used it in a couple longer workouts to make sure I felt comfortable in it, but in the NON-STOP world I (and most of us) live in, if I even get 1 solid workout in with the new outfit... I'm a happy camper.

I know that race day outfits will vary from the elite/professional triathletes with head to toe matching TRI SPECIFIC GEAR to the first timer with bathing suit and shorts----AND that what people are wearing may not necessarily be any indication of how well they will do during the race. Let's face it, even if your suit repels water, it doesn't mean it will swim for you, or if you have a super lite carbon fiber bike, it's not going to pedal itself up the bridges. You are going to inevitably have to put in the leg work. However, I am aware that there are benefits to dressing appropriately for the occasion, so lets take a look at what I found.

For the swim- something tight with the least amount of drag.
For the Bike- comfortable for my buttock (24 miles), shorts long enough to prevent high leg chafing, shorts that don't squeeze my leg too tight nor waist either (creating the dreaded muffin top look) and that are not too LONG-- (I don't like the way that looks or feels, personal opinion-plus terrible tan lines to get rid of later).
For the  Run- something COOL(as in breathable) that I won't feel super claustrophobic in.

Overall I was looking for something that I could be comfortable in, wouldn't SLOW ME DOWN, had the least amount of wardrobe changes to shorten the amount of time I'm in the transition zone,  within my budget,  and (let's face it) something that looked good too! We all know that when you think you look good, you feel better, and you feel stronger--the mind in a powerful weapon, and so is your EGO!

So first thing I did was poll and ask my runner/biker/swimmer friends, coaches, and (former)teammates  to see what they liked. And  additionally did some research on the side. The general consensus seemed to be that the first decision you had to make was whether or not you wanted to race in a Tri-Suit.

If you decided to go with a TRI-SUIT then your next decision was whether you wanted to race in a ONE-PIECE, called a TRI SUIT or a TWO-PIECE suit, called a TRI KIT (thanks Marcelo). The decision seems to be purely subjective. One pro that I can see to wearing a 2- piece tri-suit is that you have the option to take off the TOP during the running if weather is getting too warm by the time you are finishing your third leg (the run).

If you opted out of the TRI-SUIT options, then you have a couple other decisions to make.  Some lower budget options are doing the tri in a full piece or 2 piece (sports) bathing suit then quickly slipping some biking shorts over your bathing suit in transition so that you can bike comfortable and later run with that same outfit. 

If you haven't found your outfit yet, don't FRET. Though there are thousands on online options, being that the race is a couple days away, you probably should opt for purchasing something locally that you can TRY ON. There are a couple places in town, that I've listed below, that have suits (and many more if you just run a Google search of your area). Check out these stores early in the week so that you can get at least a  swim, run, or bike-ride in before the BIG DANCE.

-Happy Shopping

That moment when you get in the shower after a run and instantly feel pain and burning all over your body and wonder:
Why am I more in pain now than while out there running?

There are certain friction areas that can really put a damper on your day. It happens to me often in certain areas like: under my arm where my sportsbra rubs against the underarm close to my  armpit, or  right at the base
of my diaphragm  above my top abs-- where the bottom of the sports bra ends, and also the arch of your foot just to name a few common areas. he good thing is that there are ways for you to minimize and even prevent chafing. The clothing you wear and the products you use can make all the difference.

Here are some tips:

CHOOSE RUNNING CLOTHES MATERIAL WISELY. Opt for synthetic clothing or clothing that doesn't retain water. Especially in HOT AND HUMID places, there is no way around SWEATING like an animal while out on runs, even if you get out there before the sun comes up. Though you may feel like you are "investing" all this money into clothes you are just going to wear while sweating, it truly is something worth splurging on. YOUR BODY WILL THANK YOU!

WEAR THE RIGHT SIZE & STYLE CLOTHING. We all have distorted views of ourselves and often think that we are SOOO much bigger than we really are, but it's time to start wearing OUR SIZE CLOTHING. In fact, this isn't just about working on your self esteem, it's about avoiding chafing because chafing, itself can also be caused by lose clothing moving around and causing friction for long periods of time in the same areas.  Try to lean towards wearing an outfit that is a little tighter fit. If you have SPANDEX, they are a great option to wear alone or underneath other shorts.

USE PRODUCTS THAT WILL HELP YOU. Luckily there are a couple quick fix options that have your back (or underarm) if you happen to decide to go for a run when you realize you are in a lose cotton shirt. One of the oldest tricks is using Vaseline. It's great, cheap, found almost everywhere (gas stations, Walgreens, grocery stores...). However, one pet-peeve I have is how greasy it leaves your hands, and can get in the way if you are doing any other training that same day (like biking). A product that I've now started using and just have in my car at all times is DRY GOODS. It looks like a spray deodorant. It goes on quick, is refreshing, absorbs extra moisture, and leaves you to worry about the things that really matter while you are running...like where are you going to eat as soon as you finish, or more importantly, WHAT?!? hahaha.

For more info about DRY GOODS contact Mike at mike@drygoods.com / 305-769-8397 or simply stop by SoleRunners.

- Happy Chafe-Free Running