I got so cold I had to drop out of a duathlon on a rainy 53 degree day. I was wearing a sleeveless top, shorts, and fingered gloves. And because it was a du-, I didn't even start off cold and wet like you will coming out of the swim. This was on a course in the mountains--on the long downhill, I was coasting so I wasn't generating heat and had 35-40 mph winds. It probably isn't as bad on a flat course.

I did another race that had air temps in the upper 40s with water in the upper 60s. Because it was sunny, I was fine with my wet tri shorts, a dry jersey (dried off in T1 and pulled it on rather than wearing under the wetsuit) and arm warmers. Again, full fingered gloves.

Tough call. If it was just a bit warmer and shorter you could probably just suffer through it.

i like arm warmers you can have them rolled up before the race and put them on like a condom (on your arms). A vest goes on easy but lots of them are like parachutes. Gloves are nice for riding but hard to put on. If the race is not really technical you can just pull the arm warmers down over your hands. I would probably use toe covers instead of socks. I sometimes sprinkle cayenne pepper into my bike shoes but if it is raining hard while you swim it might just wash out.

thanks for the replies...water temperature is hovering around 57-60 degrees currently....glad I invested in a new full sleeve synergy wetsuit this year and already got a few open water swims in wtih those temps.

should be an interesting race...

looks like i need to just reconcile the fact T1 is going to be longer trying to put on a dry shirt(s) over a wet body along with socks and maybe gloves, might have the same delay in T2 if I am a drowned rat coming off the bike and want to start the run with a dry shirt and socks ....

either way its going to be cold and wet.

Never heard of this, and I am intrigued. What is the purpose of putting pepper in your shoes? Does it simulate "heat" on your toes? I wouldn't think it would have much effect unless you have open blisters.

Though now I'm thinking of when I used to work in a plant that processed hot peppers, and how vital it was to wash your hands before using the facilities, as well as after...

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"Test everything, cling to what is good." - St. Paul

It might be a little safer to use toe warmers from Hot Hands. They last all day.

Also, you might want to check the weather. I am doing the race in Charlottesville on Sunday, and in the last 24 hours, they have raised the predicted high by about 10-15 degrees.

I'll be at Devilman too. Doing 50 duathlon. Forecast is changing every 12 hours and none of the forecasts for this week have come true. Weather right now around here seems unpredicable. I am confident it wont rain sunday morning. But bringing rain gear in case. My philosophy with transition time says a few seconds spent to increase comfort will more than pay for itself during the next leg with better performance through increased energy output and decreased mental strain. So I'll eat 10 seconds putting on waterproof shoe covers for the bike. Time well spent.

Slightly off subject but- I'll never forget seeing Matty Reed hauling ass out of the IM Boise 70.3 T-1 like a giant black sausage in the howling wind on that freezing cold day. On first glance I thought someone was so cold that they had brain freeze and forgot to take the suit off (like you sometimes see someone set out on the run with a bike helmet still on) and then I realized it was a VERY smart move. Flexible enough to swim could be flexible enough to ride - worth a try.

How'd you make out?

I did the 50 mile Half-Lite Tri.

That was the coldest water I ever swam in. I ended with a 12 min T1 because my hands wouldn't work. Couldn't get socks on or clip/zip anything. Bike was the worst. Completely soaked through with numb hands and feet. T2 was slow but not as bad. Run was mostly ok. I kept my bike clothing on and wasn't until mile 3 that my feet finally were no longer numb. At that point I just had to deal with all my wet clothes (long bike pants, jacket, long sleeved shirt) and the extra 15lbs of water they soaked up.

Pretty miserable all around but I learned some things for next time.

I think there were about 80 finishers and over 200 signed up for the 50 mile tri. Not sure how many people were no shows versus DNF.

On a positive note, I was super impressed by a phyically challenged woman who did the event with a hand powered trike. I doubt she was bitching like the rest of us.

So, how was it? I dns'd. I made the call on Friday: I do this for fun and racing in Sunday morning's weather was not what I would have considered fun.

The Turtle doing the same thing.

If I did that in low 50s I'd overheat and fall off the bike.

'Nothing new in a race' doesn't even begin to cover riding in a wetsuit!

Tough. 40s and low 50s is the in-between temperature. Little colder and it's winter gear for sure. Little warmer and you could wear regular tri or cycling clothes with leg and/or arm warmers to be removed when you get warmer.

What do you think about a short sleeve jersey, and a thin windproof/waterproof jacket? With shorts. Take leg warmers with you just in case.

I finished the 50 half lite tri on sunday ..//What a misery that race was from start to finish.

Swim: coldest water I've swam in , never found a good stroke or breathing but ended up with a decent swim split..

T1: slow...put on socks longsleeve shirt and a windbreaker for the bike

Bike: I could not feel my hands or feet 20 miles into the bike, could barely shift gears and couldn't squeeze my water bottle to drink, torrential down pours and 49 degrees the whole time.

T2: hands no longer working, couldn't unclip my helmet. un-zip my jacket or put my race belt on, saw many others experiencing the same thing. took me 9 minutes to get out of t2.

Run: ran like a frozen version of the tin man for the first 4 miles of the run, and then settled into a very slow cramp 8:30/mile pace for the last 4.8 miles...

Ended up 3rd in my age group about 30 minutes over my goal time haha , but I raced the race I was given.... 84 finishers out of 200 entrants tells the story of the day. Good Job Bob

Great job to you as well. Your write-up reflects my experience almost exactly (except for the podium).

Had I known about wearing the wetsuit on the bike I may have tried it. I think it was cold and wet enough that it would have been a good option for 40 miles.

Bob

It's not a clothing recommendation, but at cold long distance triathlons I've started the bike leg with a bike bottle full of hot chicken broth.

Slow transition option: I bring it in a thermos and have a volunteer dump it into a throwaway bike bottle for me while I'm changing in T1.

Fast transition option: I put it in a thermal bike bottle before the swim. It's not as warm at the start of the bike leg, but still pretty good.

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Sharon McN
@IronCharo
#TeamZoot
Clif Bar Pace Team 2003-2018

I did the Devilman as well......same experience....as I was running to T2 I couldn't get my helmet unbuckled...as I was running in the
transition area I asked a volunteer to unbuckle it for me....had trouble getting shoes off...stopped trying to get socks on and never
got my lace locks tight so my feet are a bit of a mess.

With that said I'm glad they didn't cancel or alter the race in any way. Wussification didn't happen for once!

Mark

IM Boise 70.3 that Matty Reed (and others) rode in a wetsuit was cut to a 15 mile bike the day of the race. I wonder if anyone wrote a letter to WTC demanding a transfer or refund option since that wasn't what they paid for?