As a triathlete, chances are you spend a lot of time consumed with conquering the challenges of the body. Maybe you’re not a strong swimmer, so you’ve logged endless hours in the pool trying to overcome that. Maybe you’ve had to overcome a strong feeling of being out of breath while running. Whatever your physical challenges, you’ll probably feel pretty good when you start to master them.
Here’s the thing, though. On race day, it’s not necessarily the physical challenges that are going to pop up. Chances are you’re going to be dealing with mental hurdles as well. Fortunately for you, some of those mental challenges can be dealt with by choosing the right gear. For men, triathlon clothing comes in a number of configurations, including full suits as well as separate tops and shorts. In any case, triathlon-specific clothing can help you overcome hurdles such as these:
That Wet Feeling
After the swimming section of the race, you might feel really distracted by the wet feeling that lingers in your clothing. Good triathlon clothing for men will dry quickly, keeping that annoying wet feeling at bay.
A Sore Backside
If you’re not wearing clothing with the proper padding during the bicycling portion, your backside might hurt during the race, and might really, really hurt after the race. Triathlon clothing will have a good amount of padding in the groin and backside area, but not so much that it’s distracting or annoying during the running or swimming portions of the race.
Getting Too Hot
If you’re participating in a race in the summer or in a hot climate, you’re not going to be able to take away all the feelings of being overheated. However, good triathlon clothing have venting or will be made from UV fabric that minimizes heat buildup.
Help in the Water
You may have prepared extensively for the swim portion, but on race day, you might feel a little overwhelmed or even panicky about getting in the water. Tri clothing, and especially tri wetsuits, tend to have a small amount of buoyancy added, helping to keep you afloat in the water.
Of course, your tri clothing needs to fit well, have few if any bulges, and just generally feel comfortable when you put it on. If the clothing you try on doesn’t have those things, keep looking.
