When sat down to write this article I ran to my closet and started rummaging through my tri gear to see what kind of experienced recommendations I could share with all of you. Interestingly enough I found a mixed variety of tri clothing, including some men?s tri clothing. I?ve made purchases based on recommendations by other women, some items were purchased because I liked the look (admit it, we all do it!!) and some of the men?s items were purchased because I could not find the women?s version.

Regardless of how we decide to purchase our tri clothing, it is essential for the clothing to be comfortable. There is nothing worse then being distracted in a race situation by what we are wearing. It is something we do not want to be thinking about on race day. There are great companies out there that make a wide variety of clothing for both training and racing. One of the best ways to find out what will be most effective is by talking to other women. We are usually pretty good at sharing with each other the details of what is good and not so good about certain materials and how they fit our bodies.

How training and racing clothes fit is a personal preference. Tri clothing is by nature on the tight side, and the reality is we want it to be a little snug. Sizing does vary depending on the material used, and of course by clothing company; so trying clothing on is recommended, even more so if you are trying out a new item. Each athlete must consider how comfortable she is with the fit of the clothing she is going to wear. Do you feel comfortable training in a swim suit, but feel self-conscious at the thought of racing in it? Race in it, everyone else is and buy your self one of the great skirts out on the tri market for post race activities. The important thing is not to test clothes on race day. If you find your choice un-comfortable, there is not the time or the place to make a switch.

I would recommend trying out all new clothing in a training environment. If the fit is not comfortable, you can switch; or if you are training you can always bring a change of clothes just in case. This gives us the opportunity to determine if the clothing will be comfortable to race or train in. Consider also the distance you will be going, something tolerable for a shorter distance might be a nightmare on a longer day. The superstitious among us may feel that ?you don?t race in the same gear that you train in.? I do believe the best thing we can do is to wash and wear our race clothes a couple of times before race day to ?break it in? so to speak. I like to have clothes specific for race day, as I it helps me focus and leads me to believe that I will go faster on race day ? so why tempt fate?

The point is that you want to give thought to what you are racing in. Once we have found something that works we do not want to spend time thinking about it. On race day the last thing we want to be thinking about is what we are going to wear. Make that decision and be done with it. Be prepared with various options to accommodate for the thing you cannot control ? the weather; consider having the following extras available: long and short sleeve tops, and riding shorts versus a tri suit. The key again is, have these clothing decisions made and readily available prior to race day; on race day your attention should be on racing not on clothing. Training and race clothing is a very personal choice and preference. It is based on the materials, the company, sizing, and availability of women?s specific clothing. Choose to wear that which is comfortable, both physically and psychologically. Have fun tri-ing new things out and share your findings with the rest of us gals. I love trying new things out. My husband refers to me as ?a marketers dream come true.?

Below is a list of some of my favorite tri gear. Happy Training...

Zoot... Sugoi... Louis Garneau... TYR... Speedo... Terry... Tricks...