Yeah, I have the same question.

I keep a lightweight pair of Rx glasses in my transition bag but that's it. I suppose I could keep a couple of spare contacts in the zipper pack under the saddle but I'm not sure I could get them in out on the course.

Any experiences out there?

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Mr. Uncaptured External Costs

Fossil carbon is planetary poison.

I always have a spare set of contacts in my transition bag. Only once in 18 years of racing have I had to use them...knocking wood for the future.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I started wearing the 1-day disposable lenses for racing and long training days. My semi-hard gas permiable (Boston) lenses would dry out too much or a bit of dirt would get painfully stuck under the lens. The disposables solved that.

I always carry a spare pair of lenses under my saddle on the bike. For IMFL last year, I wore one pair, had a pair in T1, had a pair under my bike saddle, carried a pair in my jersey, had a pair in the bike special needs bag, had a pair in T2, and had a pair in the run special needs bag. About 25 miles into the ride, one lens dried up and blew out of my eye. At mile 75, I stopped to pee and replace the lens. In T1 and T2, I put drops in my eyes to wet the lenses.

This year I'm going to race with 2-week disposable lenses hoping they won't dry up as much.

Other than that, nope, no backup plan. ;-)

Cheers,

Rob

I keep an extra pair in my transistion bag. I'm most worried about having my goggles kicked off in the swim then losing one or both lenses.

In 20 years of cycling and running, I have only lost one lense one time. I got a little too aggresive rubbing sweat out of my eye. I can finish a bike or run leg on one contact and I'm a -8 (i.e can't see the big "E").

After riding through a swarm of nats about 6 years ago, I have never gotten on the bike again without wearing eye protection. This takes care of the wind problem too.

I have only lost a contact one, during a dusty dry MTB course at Big Bear, and unfortunately I lost two spots to finish in 5th because I could not DH the course with speed.

I plan on keeping a set of lenses at T1, but hope to get lazer Lasik this year to take care of that issue.

j

"This year I'm going to race with 2-week disposable lenses hoping they won't dry up as much."


Talk to your eye doctor first with this plan. For the most part, the difference is only in the packaging. The lens is the same, the pricing is different.

Good cycling glasses and overall hydration will help with the drying problem more than drops. (But I think the drops are refreshing nonetheless)

I have lost probably 1/2 a dozen contacts in the last 6 months. So I always carry spares in by bike jersey or even put one under my bike shorts. I do nothing in a Tri if I have lost only one lens. On any "leisurely" bike ride I will stop and replace.

I am not counting the probably dozen add'l times a contact has come out. It usually get's glued to my sun glasses, which brings up another point - finding the optimal glasses to prevent the lens from slipping out in the first place. Having said that that I have even lost a lens with sun glasses and while wearing my LG TT helmet w/ eye shield.

Makes one seriously consider LASIK (wavefront) which I will investigate soon.

Can one race with contacts in the swim? I started wearing glasses after 45 and don't really know much about them. But in recent months (now 52) have noticed changing vision to where I had trouble seeing what was in the bento bag during the Auburb Half IM. I have been using Bolle with Rx inserts for the ditane only. I have both closeup (reading) issues and mild distance. Should contact be something I should/could consider?

Barb

Sure you can race w/contacts. I, for one, do it and I am willing to bet that many, many others on here do.

I would recommend contacts, but strongly recommend you to an optometrist for a professional opinion.

If it works out for you myy recommendation is that you get some good fitting goggles - i/e ones that don't leak. Those dorky-looking aqua sphere masks are excellent at keeping h2o out and your eyes dry. At least they work for me.

One of the other posters keeps a spare pair in T1 - I do the same, and always have a spare in my swim bag just in case (I'd never make it home).

jsargevt

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Do or do not there is no try.

It was actually my eye doctor that suggested the 2-week lenses. Apparently a new lense was brought out this past March or April targetted at people with dry eyes. We'll see what happens. First rides with them are back-to-back 180km rides in a few weeks.

I hadn't thought about overall hydration as affecting the lense drying. Makes sense. Thanks.

Cheers,

Rob

Lasik. Best thing I ever did.

Some notes based on my experience as an optometrist.

- CL's should not be a problem during any stage of a tri. The exeption might be losing your goggles during your swim and washing out a lens. Rx swim goggles are pretty cheap if you don't want to worry about it but that means inserting lenses in T1

- ALWAYS wear shades during the bike and run. Protects your eyes from drying out and keeps out the UV light.

- all eyes are different when it comes to dryness. What works for one will not necessarily work for another.

-backup plans would be spare CLs carried with you. Rinse your fingers off with h20 before inserting the lenses please.

- Adidas and Bolle both make sports sunglasses with Rx inserts which are removable. If you have your CL's in take out the insert; if you lose a CL, take the other one out and put in the insert. Replace CL's with the spare pair later if desired.

- the latest CL material is MUCH more resistant to drying out (silicon hydrogel). Ask your optometrist if these would work out for you (Acuvue Advance or Ciba O2 Optix are examples). The Advance lenses are even available for astigmatism correction.

- consider laser vision correction but watch out for dryness with LASIK

- if you can't seem to wear your CL's for long periods without discomfort, make sure you have some specs to put on during the run in an IM or even 1/2 IM.

hope this helps,

robert

Gary,

Believe it or not many of the laser correction centres are leaning back toward PRK as the primary method of treatment (over LASIK). I was unaware of this myself until recent discussions with 3 different, very reputable surgeons from 3 different surgical centres. Combined with the wavefront technology, PRK is becoming just as accurate as LASIK without the dryness and flap concerns. One surgeon commented that LASIK was definately on the way out in the near future.

Just some thoughts. Do your homework and ask lots of advice of people you trust.

robert

interesting, will definately research it beforehand

thanks

LOL! That very thought was going through my mind during IMFL. Maybe one day.

Cheers,

Rob

I recently had PRK and am now seeing 20/20 vs my old 20/200+. The first few days were rough and then dry eyes for a couple of weeks with drops multiple times a day. I am a surgeon and went back to work about a week after my surgery.

I don't know all the data but the military is doing PRK over Lasik because of the decreased risk to the eye after surgery. My understanding is that with LASIK you have more potential to have a flap problem later with contact sports, flying a jet or CERVELO.....