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Agonizing Question, Swim Skin vs. Wetsuit

atasicatasic
in Racing Forum 🏎

 Here is the long of it. 70.3 Kansas is coming this Sunday. Water temps are heading high and will approach legal limit for wetsuit.

I am a 30min HIM swimmer. I overheat badly in a full sleeve wetsuit anywhere upward of 71-72F temps. I don't have sleeveless and will not get it this year. I do have a swim skin, full leg, Velocity++.

I am torn between the wetsuit=speed gain=heat exhaustion vs. skin=slower speed but better than option 1, no overheating. I know I am looking at a time loss vs. wetsuit.

A: Should I suck it up, wear a wetsuit, gain time advantage, hope for the best after, risk killing my bike and run after?

B: Take the swim skin, dial back the swim time goal and have good bike and run more likely after?

I am thinking correct here. Any thoughts, suggestions and experiences are much appreciated.

 

Comments

  • DellerDeller
    My sense is that the standard haus philsophy is ROI: are you really going to gain so much time via wetsuit that it makes additional suffering and possible dehydration issues worth it? Even the mental advantage of feeling cool and confident coming out of the swim translating into a smooth, focused (faster?) transition would be worth the small amount of time you'd gain from a wetsuit.

    While gains due to equipment and form are modest and incremental, damage to finish time due to dehydration or other internal issues in my experience is usually precipitous. Speaking as someone who ended up in the medical tent with severe dehydration after Eagleman a couple years ago having thought that I was hydrating adequately, anything to make sure you are cool and smooth is well worth it.

    Eric
  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch
    Agree with Eric. How much time would you expect to gain with the wettie? If you know you overheat badly in the wetsuit and you know it's going to be a hot day anyway-then why risk 5 min on the swim to overheat and suffer on the bike? Once your body starts to heat up, it's really hard to reverse that process in the middle of a race without standing down.
  • Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
    You mean you don't own 4 wetsuits??? image

    What the WSMs said...bet that 90% of others will roll the dice and you'll be better over the final 6 miles of the run!

    P
  • atasicatasic

     Thank you guys. I will be swimming it in a swim skin. I am fairly confident swimmer with a good body position, no need for added flotation. Yes, speed would be nice but as you validated my thought not at the expense of potential heat exhaustion. I am looking for unrestricted stroke and temperature comfort in order to come out ready to execute.

    Just wondering if I am a rare example of being so heat sensitive in a full suit. Anything over 71-72F makes me overheat very easy at race pace. Cap makes it even worse as heat has nowhere to go and we release 70% of it via head.

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    1. For a triathlete, you are a "fast" swimmer. The faster one is, the less benefit the wetsuit provides for speed.

    2. You are probably working harder than most slower swimmers - part of the reason you are faster (the other is better mechanics and body position), so you are generating more heat than most. That's part of the reason the pros have a lower "no wetsuit" threshold than AGer's do. Classic story: about 9-10 years ago, at IM Australia, with water temp 72 (their upper limit), Tim DeBoom was wearing a fullsuit. After 20 minutes, he became unconscious from overheating and had to be pulled out by lifeguards. When they unzipped his suit, steam rose off his body.

    BTW, after Sept 1 this year, IM and IM 70.3 (WTC versions) races will NOT allow the post 2005 "speedsuits".

  • cfletchercfletcher

    I say go with speed suit.

  • atasicatasic

     Thank you so much, everyone. Thanks for giving your input. Swim skin it is. I am actually excited now to be comfortable.

    I did an OWS last Saturday, the water felt warmer than the pool. I wore my Helix and get this, black silicone cap, air temp was 90F. Per week 19, it was a 1900m continuous swim at race speed as a MS. I swear I thought about dieing multiple times. I wished a monster came out and took me. I wasn't quitting, but wished it was over now. When I got done, I was dizzy, thirsty, got my cap off, my head was blazing hot, you could do some eggs on top of it, I swear, took the suit of, sweat was collecting in droplets all over my body, it was also blazing hot to touch. I gulped two bottles of Infinit instantly and was still thirsty. I was thinking to myself, how about some 56mi cycling now and a half marathon. It was more than obvious, no way.

    Everyone, thanks for your feedback. It is very valuable. Hope to do the same for you in the future. Looking forward to that swim now. Heading this afternoon for another OWS, MS 6x150 + 8x25, this time in Velocity ++.

  • Chris GChris G

     Glad you made the choice.  Now you can move on to worrying about other things.  Oh and if an any point in one of your swim training sessions you really think you are going to die, it is ok to stop.  If you feel like you are going to die during bike intervals though, you know you are doing them correctly...

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