I have done a dozen or so triathlons, but only three of them have been wet suit legal. Until this weekend, the legal ones had strippers (wet suit strippers). Without that help, I am terrible. In the long jog to T1, I was able (with some difficulty -- to the extent that I am sure it slowed me down) to get my arms out, but once I got to my bike it must have looked like a fluorescent green squid was attacking my legs and I couldn't get it off me. According to my Garmin, I was at my spot in transition for well over 2 minutes, most of it fighting that dang squid. I did rub tons of Body Glide on my lower legs, ankles and feet before putting the squid on, but . . .
So what am I doing wrong? Is there a magic technique? I pulled the wet suit inside out over my legs as far as I could get it. I then stood with my right foot on the left leg of the wet suit and tried to pull my left leg out (and visa versa). That baby wouldn't budge. I eventually got it off by sticking my fingers between the wet suit and my ankle and pulled it double inside out (i.e., there are now four layers of wet suit over my foot) and push prodded and eventually got it off. So not only did it take a long time to extract each leg, it was also exhausting.
So I will admit i am an old man (64) and weak and that was exacerbated by (i) a medical false alarm that kept me from training for three weeks this summer (and when I got back I focused mostly on B and R) and (ii) that #@!!! long swim. But sadly, I will not get any younger, so I need to figure out how make getting the wet suit off easier. Should I get a different wet suit (one that is not so tight around my lower legs)? Do I need to practice (I have not done any wet suit practice swims other than twice in a pool -- I understand the chlorine is hard on wet suits -- how do I simulate a 1/3 mile jog in the pool area, etc.)? Do I need to cut the wet suit off at mid calf? Is there some magic that I need to learn?
HELP!
So what am I doing wrong? Is there a magic technique? I pulled the wet suit inside out over my legs as far as I could get it. I then stood with my right foot on the left leg of the wet suit and tried to pull my left leg out (and visa versa). That baby wouldn't budge. I eventually got it off by sticking my fingers between the wet suit and my ankle and pulled it double inside out (i.e., there are now four layers of wet suit over my foot) and push prodded and eventually got it off. So not only did it take a long time to extract each leg, it was also exhausting.
So I will admit i am an old man (64) and weak and that was exacerbated by (i) a medical false alarm that kept me from training for three weeks this summer (and when I got back I focused mostly on B and R) and (ii) that #@!!! long swim. But sadly, I will not get any younger, so I need to figure out how make getting the wet suit off easier. Should I get a different wet suit (one that is not so tight around my lower legs)? Do I need to practice (I have not done any wet suit practice swims other than twice in a pool -- I understand the chlorine is hard on wet suits -- how do I simulate a 1/3 mile jog in the pool area, etc.)? Do I need to cut the wet suit off at mid calf? Is there some magic that I need to learn?
HELP!