Good luck to you! IMWI is a blast, you'll have fun :)

Personally I prefer two piece tri outfits for longer races (HIM and up), primarily b/c it's easier for bathroom breaks. That said, if you're fast enough that you won't be stopping, it's not an issue. I haven't tried out the one piece Zoot, but I do race in their shorts & think the padding is perfect for what you described.

Wetsuits - another nod to Zoot. I have a Zoot Zenith that I love. And I'd go long sleeve for sure - less chance of chafing and more buoyancy. Just to be thorough - the downsides to long sleeve are temperature (which is impossible to predict at WI), and possible shoulder restriction. But I swim in a long sleeve 100% of the time & love it. The Zenith is very flexible & super buoyant. (I swear I'm not associated with Zoot)

Last thing is to be sure and check the new rules from the WTC regarding wetsuits and make sure whatever you get meets the new guidelines. Since the guidelines just came out, it would be unsafe to assume that a wetsuit is legal without double checking.

hth :)

don't have the ultra, but i raced last year in a zoot trifit one-piece suit. the bra portion could easily be cut out if you're careful, and mine is extremely comfortable. my plans to get a new race suit for this season aren't due to problems with the suit, but rather because i've found a company whose suit i'd like to try (kiwami - currently training in their wahina suit, and it's awesome, so looking at the kaiman x-club).

i think kiwami comes without a bra insert, and is very well reviewed by many ST users. they also have 2 piece options if you'd prefer to try that. http://www.kiwami.com

cheers!

-mistress k

---

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.

Have fun at IMWI!!!! The entire weekend and race is much more fun than a "traveling" marathon. If you intend to eat out the night before the race, make dinner reservations now.

I too am small with a "generous" chest. I do not recommend a specific racing suit, but find one without any built in support. I bought a top and cut away the support, ended up cutting a hole in the top fabric and I didn't cleanly cut away the built in. So the bits of fabric left inside, rolled up and did chaf me in unexpected areas. Not worth it. I know the ones without support are harder to find, but they are out there.

As for the wetsuit, think of it as an investment beyond IM (if you plan on completing tris pre and post IM). So, buy something that works for your area's weather and not necessarily the race itself. I do have a long sleeve QR, and find that often times I get too warm during the mid-summer tris. This is also true at IMWI last year when the morning temp during the swim was around 70+ degrees. And the lake temp was on the border of making wetsuits illegal.

Good luck!