Originally Posted by
pjcampbell
OK I signed up for my first sprint, the JerseyMan, this Sunday. If there was an Olympic distance, I would hav edone that but it was sprint or half. No thanks on the half!
I bought a Descent tri-suit and a Zoot. The Descent seems nicer and was more $$$.
So here's some dumb questions:
Do triathletes shave their arms, armpits and legs?
Can I go with the #1 buzz and not wear a cap on my head?
When I go from the swim to bike, I assume people would typically at least dry their feet off? Do people typically wear socks on the ride? I have never ridden w/o socks and don't really want to. Same with running...
Can I skip "wearing" a number until the run? I bought a belt. Does someone write my # on me or should I bring some sort of marker to write it on myself???
What else am I forgetting.
Good questions!
Shaving: it's not necessary to shave any parts of your body. Some triathletes and cyclists shave their legs (including me) because it's easier to treat road rash on a leg with no hair on it. Also, it just feels good and you look like a "real" cyclist
But there is no compelling reason to shave anything at all, so don't worry about it if you don't want to. And I've never seen a male age-grouper triathlete with shaved armpits and arms.
Swim cap: you are almost always required to wear the swim cap, so that the spotters can see you easily when you're in the water. I'd forego the close shave on top and just buzz it and put the cap on over the buzz, if you want to cut it short for the race.
Swim-bike transition: if you have triathlon-specific bike shoes, they are generally designed to be be worn with wet bare feet (to save you time in transition), so you don't need to dry your feet and you don't need to put socks on. However, if you're rocking cycling shoes, your best bet is probably to dry your feet, put on socks and be comfortable during the ride.
Running without socks: don't do this unless you've practiced it. It's worth the extra 5 seconds to put on socks, compared to the two weeks you'd be sidelined due to the blisters you accumulate during your sockless run.
Number on run: you are usually required to wear your race number on the run. Just safety pin it to your race belt before the race starts, and then put your race belt on as you're running out of T2.
Body marking (writing your race number on your body in Sharpie): the race staff will take care of this for you when you register/pick up your packet race morning. Be sure not to apply sunscreen before you get body marked!