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Racing with rings
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I was recently married and my stunning new wife (love you, sweetie) has utterly refused to let me race without my wedding band. Furthermore, she insists that my future livelihood depends upon me not losing said band during a race.

With this in mind, I have the following question:

What do others do with their wedding rings while racing? Tape it on? Have their S.O. hold it for them? Chain it to their leg with a steel chain and deadbolt lock? :)

Thanks!
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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For my recent wedding, my wife and I bought a Ti rings. Better ride quality and all : )

Actually mine is just tight enough that it won't slide off my knobby knuckle without a bit of force, but if I lose any more weight before the racing season I might put a piece of tape just above it to hold it in place.

***
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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I shuck mine for races involving water. I never swim with my wedding band -- or any jewelry save a watch. My wife doesn't make a big deal about things like that. I've actually lost about 25 pounds since we got married, and my wedding ring got too loose. I didn't wear it for about 4 months and she never said a thing. I recently got it re-sized and have started wearing it again, and I wear it when I run and ride, but never in the water. I'm just too afraid I'll lose it. If it's a really big deal to her, take it off for the swim but put it on in transition. It would take maybe 5 extra seconds, and marital harmony is worth the extra time. Besides, when you're swimming, you're not really in a position to strike up a conversation with a hottie.

RP
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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Good question. I have always had my wife hold mt wedding band when I race. Better for your spouse to have it than end up on the bottom of a lake.

Evan Nitschmann
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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I always wear it except when my weight gets so low that I'm afraid of losing it in the water then wife holds it
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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Once knew this wild guy who had his ring tatooed on his finger. He said he never had to worry about losing it, catching it on things etc.
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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Sorry I forgot to ask is that the one in your nose or is it a finger ring?
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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I have been married just over 2 years. When I race or do any swim workout I typically give my wife my ring or leave it in her office. (It is very convenient to have a wife work at the Gym). My fingers are real small except at the knuckles. When my hands get wet, the ring comes over very easy, but it is difficult to put on dry. I find the few times that I have gotten in the water with it, I concentrate so much on making it back to the wall with it that my hand position is wrong and my form and feel for the water definitely suffer.
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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I lost a some weight between my wedding and first tri (15 lbs) and the ring was a little big to begin with. I did my first tri with the ring on and spent the entire swim with my fingers held tightly together praying that it would stay put (it did). Now I give the ring to my wife before the start but don't know what I'll do if she isn't there, maybe leave it in the car or try the tape thing. I have had the ring resized so that it takes a little more force to get it over the knuckle but I don't think that I want to worry about it during the swim.
Most of my friends take off their rings before the start of the race.

A
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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First off, congratulations.

Give your ring to your S.O. to hold for the race. I lost my band in the middle of the Keahou swim, in 30+ feet of water, after racing with it for 10 years. The replacement never held the same sentimentality.

I've had friend put their band onto a necklace, but we've all seen those clasps break as well.

Besides, it's not like you are going through the aid stations saying: "how yooous doing?" to the volunteers. :-)
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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I always wear my wedding ring for tris. This was no problem in the first season. But in the season opener tri last year I lost in the first half of the swim.
In the cold water my finer 'shrunk' and the ring could slip of. Now it is on the ground of the lake.
For Christmas I got a new wedding ring. I will remove for all races next season.

Felix

http://www.weilenmann.ch.vu
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Re: Racing with rings [denewone] [ In reply to ]
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I concur with the 'tat' solution. Maybe she would be amenable to matching tattoos that say, "Tagged", "Married", or some such ...
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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haven't taken my ring off in thirteen years.. during which time I've swum through class IV+ whitewater (not intentionally) and ten-foot surf, among other entertainments. I have large knobbly knuckles, so the ring stays put without any ado. It gets taken off every few months, just to make sure it still can be removed..

A strip of duct tape between the first knuckle and the ring ought to do the trick, make it thick enough that the ring can't slip. Problem-solving 101 - if you can't fix it with duct tape, it's probably going to take a 2x4..

"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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I don't like to race without my ring !!! All the times that I did it .... My results weren't good !!!!

It's a kind of superstition.... By the way, my ring is really aero, and because at that time I didn't have money, I bought a very light one !!!!! ( just kidding !!! ).

Luiz Eng
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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I have a ring from my unit in the military and a ring I bought from a Beduoin nomad in the Sahara during the Marathon des Sables. I never wear rings on my finger but I do wear these occasionally around my neck on a chain that is pretty heavy. The first couple times you train with it around your neck you notice it, but then you get used to it and you don't notice it. You're lucky to be married and happy.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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As with all things fit is the most important. Now I only know 10 people who can do proper ring fit. I am starting a school where for a small fee I teach you to properly fit a TRIATHLON ring, as you know this takes a slightly different angle,
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
I was recently married and my stunning new wife (love you, sweetie) has utterly refused to let me race without my wedding band.


I have no desire to ever take my ring off. Never have except to be cleaned. I tear a piece of athletic tape down the middle and wrap it around my finger b/n the knuckle and the ring and then it is locked on. If your union means as much to you as mine does to me, it will give you strength later in the race.

Good luck,

David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.
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Re: Racing with rings [david] [ In reply to ]
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I have convinced my wife that it is best for me to keep my ring in a drawer at home. I play water polo (you have to take all jewellry off, its in the rules) and Golf (messes with my grip) and have started doing this madness as well. I only have to wear the ring when I go out without her or when her mother is around. I think this is the best solution.

____________________________________________

"which is like watching one of your buddies announce that he's quitting booze and cigarettes, switching to a Vegan diet and training for triathalons ... but he's going to keep snorting heroin." Bill Simmons, ESPN
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Re: Racing with rings [Yarf] [ In reply to ]
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Hook it to your watch band up near the watch. Just make sure your watch band is clasped before diving in the water. I prefer velcro bands. Your wearing your watch so technically your wearing your ring. Explain that it sure beats it falling off accidentially, you slamming on your brakes, crashing and breaking bones trying to catch it as it falls off your finger.
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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one strip of electrical tape around the ring does the trick. once on the bike, i peel it off (it's gets a little annoying if on over an hour) and i'm golden for the rest of the race. works for me, it does.
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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        You didn't say whether this is the standard round tube wedding ring or the special aero tube ring. The latest wind tunnel results say that the aero tube ring can save you up to three minutes in a 40km time trial?

Sorry guys, I couldn't resist.

---------------------------
''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! đŸ˜‚ '' Murphy's Law
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Re: Racing with rings [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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i have to say i concur with the posters who've lost weight during their tri careers and leave their rings on shore [hopefully in the warm hands of their s.o.'s].

tape might work, but if the ring means a lot to either or both of you, don't race with it on. and i think i have to recommend against d.dude's solution...

i was on the beach at pacific grove last year just before our wave went off and realized i had forgotten to give my ring to my wife for safe keeping. ours are unique [we designed them] and would by tragic to lose. needless to say, i was s**tting bricks when i realized i'd have to hold on to it through a boiling sea of arms, legs and kelp. luckily, it stayed with me, and i went on to have a great race. my watch wasn't so lucky -- it DNF'ed and was added to a steadily growing collection of timexes out there for the sea lions to wonder at...
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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My rings are either left home in the jewelry box or passed over to the husband before the start. Not only do I have the shrinkage of fingers in cold water issue, I also get the opposite: when I start getting hot and/or dehydrated the fingers tend to swell up. And if they swell up enough, it hurts, darn it.
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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I never swim or bike with my wedding ring on. I wouldn't want to lose it. Also, during races or training you can get "finger swelling" and mine sometimes gets tight when this happens. My wife doesn't care if I'm wearing it or not though so I just play it safe and leave it behind.
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Re: Racing with rings [trimanjay] [ In reply to ]
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Interesting post. My wife both tri together but neither of us wear wedding rings ever. It's the second time around for both of us so the ceremonial traditions that seem important the first time just don't seem to matter that much to us now. However, if we did wear rings no doubt we'd take them off for tris for fear of losing them.
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