As I’ve moved into early 50’s my vision is going to crap – first presbyopia and now imperfect long distance vision. Pretty much in glasses most of the time, even have prescription Oakleys for run and bike.
Considering getting contacts for general daily use, but have no experience wearing them. For those of you contact lens folks – do you hesitate to wear them on race day?
My only concern is having them get dislodged and “lost” in the anterior orbit. I’ve had to help my wife on a few occasions fish them out. Would be an annoying distraction during a long full distance event.
No issue with mine, even during races where goggles came off during the swim. The only time my contacts dislodge is when I’m tired and I rub my eyes which you probably wouldn’t do during a race.
As I’ve moved into early 50’s my vision is going to crap – first presbyopia and now imperfect long distance vision. Pretty much in glasses most of the time, even have prescription Oakleys for run and bike.
Considering getting contacts for general daily use, but have no experience wearing them. For those of you contact lens folks – do you hesitate to wear them on race day?
My only concern is having them get dislodged and “lost” in the anterior orbit. I’ve had to help my wife on a few occasions fish them out. Would be an annoying distraction during a long full distance event.
Before getting Lasik, I raced in contacts for years. No issues.
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My only concern is having them get dislodged and “lost” in the anterior orbit. I’ve had to help my wife on a few occasions fish them out. Would be an annoying distraction during a long full distance event.
I’ve been wearing contacts since I was a teen (in my late 30s now) your fear while warranted I think is pretty rare…unless your contacts don’t fit your eyes well. Swam all through high school with them and only had 1 issue in 4 years of competitive swimming. Never had an issue on any training ride, run, or race.
Sure it happens where you rub your eye and next thing it’s missing somewhere in your eye but not like a monthly occurrence. It’s happened MAYBE 2 times over the last year and it’s usually because I rub my eye and it’s already pretty dry.
With that said it’s no different than a flat or other random malfunction that happens from time to time and you should prepare keep an extra pair of contacts or glasses in transition. I use dailies so I just keep an extra pair in transition so that if something happens I just pop it in.
I find it much more freeing than prescription glasses plus swimming is so much more enjoyable being able to see than everything past my elbow being fuzzy.
No contact lens hesitancy here . You can expect them to give you as many problems in a race as you can in general, so just be prepared. The worst that happens (rarely) is dust/debris gets on one and then I have to race a minute or so until tears wash it out. If it is extremely windy/dusty then I will wear sunglasses over my contacts to minimize any issues. Just for reference I wear gas permeable lens.
some will say you shouldn’t wear contacts in the pool due to risk of infection… its possibly true but as long as you practice good lens hygiene and replace them if an infection does occur i don’t think its much worse than without.
always wear sunglasses on the bike as wind and dust can cause issues
some people just don’t tolerate contacts but for most, if you get the right fit, they are minimal trouble. they get themselves in awkward positions occaisionally but very rare in my experience - possible but low on the list of race day risks. just be really careful about cleaning your hands before handling them
otherwise really not much issue. certainly a better option then either wearing your glasses or racing blind. if you’re really worried just have your glasses in transition so you have a backup if you do lose a lens in the swim (i should probably do that but never have)
Never had a problem. I don’t carry extra lenses into transition. I’ve worn hard, go or soft for over 40 years. I do always wear non-prescription transition sunglasses (where they go from clear to dark depending on the light) to reduce the wind in my eyes and occasionally have had bugs hit the lenses which might have otherwise gone in my eye. Even at night, while running (I don’t ride outside in the dark) I wear them.
As many have said, it sure is great to be able to see while swimming (I always wear goggles).
Wore rigid gas permeable contacts for years for most training days and always on race day with no issues.
When I was living in Houston, I did prefer my prescription glasses for rides on extra hot days. Seemed to reduce irritation from the sweat pouring into my eyes.
Since then, I’ve had IOL implants and don’t miss the contacts or glasses one bit.
Just because most don’t have a problem doesn’t mean you won’t. Sunglasses did not keep my eyes from drying out. Annoying as shit. Tried prescription goggles, sunglasses. Only okay. Lazik in 2011. Good for a while, but increasing age (now 58) and decreasing body means nothing will be the same again - just have to roll with it. Good luck.
I only use contact lens for swimming (pool and sea) or Multisport activities involving swimming from one hour to 12 hrs plus. I use a daily lens that I usually remove after the activity. Just a simple daily lens with no correction for my astigmatism or long-sightedness.
Of course there are problems sometimes but in all the years I’ve been using them I can hardly remember a problem. I do remember IM Canada in 2007 where I went out on the bike without my sunglasses. Despite my fears, riding for nearly 6 hours without sunglasses did not cause any problems.
I’ve worn contacts for 18 years, every day. The only issues I’ve had is water getting in my goggles really bothers me and sweat can really burn if it’s a hot humid day and it’s rolling into my eyes.
As I’ve moved into early 50’s my vision is going to crap – first presbyopia and now imperfect long distance vision. Pretty much in glasses most of the time, even have prescription Oakleys for run and bike.
Considering getting contacts for general daily use, but have no experience wearing them. For those of you contact lens folks – do you hesitate to wear them on race day?
My only concern is having them get dislodged and “lost” in the anterior orbit. I’ve had to help my wife on a few occasions fish them out. Would be an annoying distraction during a long full distance event.
I’m 53 and have been wearing lenses since I was 12 years old and inn 100s of races have never had a single issue
I don’t want to be the one guy who has had an issue, but here goes…
I’ve worn contacts for at least 25 years. Soft 1yr replacements which then turned to 3month, but switched to dailies 3 years ago. I even waterski/wakeboard in contacts without goggles.
Never had an issue in a ride or a race until an Olympic Tri in September when a contact dried out and blew out of my eye onto my cheek halfway through the bike. I finished the race with just one contact despite having a spare pair in transition because I didn’t want to lose more time. I thought maybe I was forgetting to blink and the airflow was different between my sunglasses and aero helmet, which I don’t usually ride with except for during a pre-race check ride.
But then a few weeks later I had the same thing happen when I was flying along on a training ride with the same sunglasses and my road helmet. Again, made it home ok with good vision in my other eye that still had the contact.
But that’s only two rides out of thousands of rides in that time period, and I will still keep wearing contacts unless it seems to become a recurring thing.
Been racing for over 20 years and have been wearing contacts for about 30. The only issue I ever had in training or racing is one contact got knocked out when I got kicked in the face during the swim. I was still able to race, including doing the bike, with the one contact. I’ve never considered not wearing them.
Get Lasik if you can. Life changer. Contacts are horrible for your eyes.
I got laser surgery after getting an eye infection during an iron distance event.
My doctor said the contacts likely were the cause of the eye getting scratched and infected.
Also, lost a contact during a half ironman once. That sucked but was doable.
Also with me: the only times I had a contact lens falling out was on the bike, but the last few years not anymore. As I remember well now, it might have to do with a helmet change: visor now instead of sunglasses before.
But I had it only a couple of times in further countless rides. Never in swimming.
If it were to happen: you still got a second contact lens. And my sight is not so bad I could not finish a race without lenses (which never happened though).
I wear contacts and have never had an issue with them during a race.
To those who have lost them on the bike, going at high speed can make your eyes water which can make your lens come out. I had this happen skiing once. Try close fitting sunnies and carry extra lenses on the bike.