Nothing new on race day.That is the replica Omega watches cardinal rule of triathlon.Dont scarf down a breakfast burrito race morning when youve been training on oatmeal.Dont wear compression socks if youve never put them on before.And dont swim in a wetsuit you havent taken for a considerable test swim.Ive been racing tris for six years, so I should have known better than to make race day at Ironman Arizona my first swim in a new wetsuit.I didnt have the chance to swim in open water while training and was afraid the lifeguards at the local rec center would tackle me if I tried to jump in their pool dressed like a human tire.But I was an educated guess.In 2006, I bought my first triathlon wetsuit: a Quintana Roo Superfull.It was the morning of a race in Ventura, Calif., and a guy from a local tri shop told me I would either freeze or sink or both without one.
So he brought me the QR Superfull and made me pay later (I believe about $375).I wore that suit every weekend for ocean swims and through almost replica Tag Heuer watches five seasons of racing before I ripped it down the side putting it on last September.The suits coloring--a big silver V down the front--made me look like a whale, but I didnt care; the suit made me swim like one, too.I had to try out the new version.For peace of mind, I pulled on the 2010 QR Superfull the day before the race, then jumped into a 55-degree private pool.I took two strokes before I deemed myself ready for Ironman--I hate cold water.My first impression: Damn, this suit is hot! As in,Erin, you look smokin hot! I posed for a photo (see above).In the 2010 suit, the whale design is replaced by a y, technical-looking blue and silver motif.
I thought I looked like an intimidating replica IWC watches triathlete who knows what shes doing.The QR passed my first test of women-specific tri products: must look hot.But how would it perform?In my search for a replacement for Whalie, lets call her, I strayed to other manufacturers.I hyperventilated in one suit because the neck felt like it was choking me--the material in that area was too stiff and I couldnt swim in it.I was paranoid a similar strangling sensation would destroy my Ironman swim.
