Something special for the Triathlon Youths

Creating a triathlon wetsuit for the stars of tomorrow left Huub with a few challenges. The key to the suit after consultation with coaches, swim experts and human movement specialists was flexibility, comfort and warmth. So there is your balance, more flexibility and lighter neoprene but keeping warmth in due to less body fat and more susceptible to cold body make up. Huub addressed this by investigating the best quality materials in combination with highest grade "Plush" linings which deliver increased warmth to the backing of a thinner and lightweight 3mm chest and 4mm thigh and hips neoprene.

Good body position is not a major weakness in junior athletes, but good practice in a wetsuit will assist pool swim events which are the majority for junior athletes.

By taking a 3:4 combination Huub have managed to retain the incredible flexibility while delivering the benefit in position and sensation of a slightly raised leg position that works with young females and males without over compensating for natural buoyancy.

The Huub Atom wetsuit, designed for ages 8-13 features:

• Incredibly flexible and durable Smoothskin neoprene


• Flexible superstretch lining and facing in key stretch-reach points.


• Insulation lining for young healthy fat void bodies


• Superstretch ankles for ease of release in transition


• 2mm superstretch sleeves


• 3:4 Buoyancy combination delivers natural buoyancy with body alignment enhancement

Come in to see the HUUB range in store and don't forget you can book your expert wetsuit fitting through our website www.amphibiankinggalway.ie ensuring that you get the perfect wetsuit for you right from the start.

Related articles

• What's a triathlon wetsuit? (amphkingwest.wordpress.com)

Ready to be Vanquished?

On being demoed the Zone3 wetsuit range we were really impressed in Amphibian King with the quality of the materials and the manner in which they had been designed and put together.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/rX7j0HFfEo4]

I was so impressed that I put my wetsuit from last year up for sale and ordered a Vanquish for my 2013 season and beyond. I've still got my original wetsuit which I will continue to use for training and hopefully I will get the benefits of the technically advance Vanquish when racing. (Bit like the wetsuit equivalent of having a training shoe and a racing shoe).

Features include:

• The Vanquish makes use of some of the World’s highest performance materials and combines these with a thoroughly researched panel design to ensure maximum flexibility and balanced buoyancy.


• Aerodome neoprene designed with air bubbles built between the fabric layers producing up to 30% more buoyancy than conventional neoprene. Featured on the top of the chest to help aid the essential course sighting when swimming open water and also on the thighs to help support the core leg muscles


• Buoyancy carefully balanced through the suit to ensure the optimum streamlined swimming position and maximum efficiency through the stroke.


• Stylish graphite neoprene on the arms and gold and bronze tones for an exclusive look.

 

You get a Zone3 wetsuit storage bag when you look under the suit. Perfect, ventilated bag for storing your suit between swims with a sturdy shoulder strap for carrying it around.


 

 



V-shape neck design with built-in moulding which keeps the suit in position at the sides but allows a lower and more comfortable ‘T-shirt’ fit on the front keeping the suit away from the adams-apple



Speed Channels on the chest to divert water flow and direct more water on to the legs to increase natural buoyancy and to give a boost with each leg kick.



Sensory Catch Panel: Aeroforce fabric is used on the forearms to give an improved feeling and catch in the water. Rather than a traditional rubber fabric, the Vanquish uses a double layer of high performance, water-repellent lycra fabric. This firstly reduces arm fatigue as there is not as much buoyancy resistance during the catch phases of the stroke but also allows the swimmer to improve their efficiency in the water. No water can enter the suit but you will feel the coldness of the water on the forearm panel which helps to align your hand and forearm during the stroke to give more propulsion and also a more natural feeling swim.



Designed with an ultra thin one-piece shoulder panel stretching from elbow to elbow. As soon as you put this suit on you can feel the difference! Maximum flexibility meaning you can increase your distance per stroke, conserve energy and minimize any shoulder pain.

Upwards breakaway zip design for even quicker transitions and protection from having your zip pulled down during a race.



Pro Speed Cuffs^TM on the arms and the legs for rapid removal after the swim to ensure the quickest transitions, saving you vital time on any course.

 

I've been in for a swim since I got the suit. The fit is brilliant, the quality neoprene ensures that the fit follows your body shape with no gaping and hugs you like a second skin without being constrictive. The first swim was a bit short to actually check out all the benefits of the features, however, the buoyancy was just perfect! Not too much and not too little allowing me to swim through and under breakers without having to fight the buoyancy and having enough to allow me to lift my legs high and 'body surf' back into shore.

A more in-depth review will follow as I venture more into the open water.

Stay tuned!!

Related articles

• What's a triathlon wetsuit? (amphkingwest.wordpress.com)

 

Is triathlon getting cold feet?

What a hot topic water temperature is right now.

Of course in Ireland open water temperature is never hot, its not even warm, and it is a feature of the typical Irish person to have a body type more suited to prolonged immersion in these water conditions than not.
There's quite a discussion going on over on www.boards.ie in the T/D/M forum about early season triathlon and the combination of water conditions, weather and ITU rules resulting in the swim leg of triathlon being curtailled or cancelled.
But that discussion is nothing compared to the recent back and forth in relation to the changes that have been drawn down for Ironman under the SwimSmart pilot plans.
(I'm only going to touch on this topic as it is a different barrel of fish)
Now we need to remember that Ironman is a corporation defining its own rules, for it's own races. These rules do not form a part of the ITU rules governing the swim.

Modified Swim Starts at Select Races

• IRONMAN will pilot several alternative race starts at select events to further enhance athlete experience and reduce swim anxiety. Three events in 2013 will feature new swim start formats – IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene, IRONMAN Lake Placid and IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant – while two other 2013 events, IRONMAN Lake Tahoe and IRONMAN Florida, will feature modifications in how athletes start their races. 

Pre-Race Swim Warm-Up

• North American IRONMAN events will include a pre-race, in-water warm-up whenever possible. 

Swim Temperature

• Water temperature below 52 degrees Fahrenheit or above 88 degrees Fahrenheit will result in cancellation or shortening of the swim portion of the race  

Swim Course Additions

• Numbered course buoys to assist in positioning of water assets/personnel and provide more accurate communication for locating and rescuing distressed swimmers.
• Anchored resting rafts to be strategically placed along the swim course (please note that athletes will NOT be disqualified by resting on these floats).
• Increased professional swim course personnel to enhance the overall athlete experience.
• Additional rescue boat and personal watercrafts (PWC, kayaks, paddleboards, etc.).

Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/05/swimsmart-initiative.aspx#ixzz2T9YP7D00

Safety has to be the number 1 motivation in making these sort of rule changes. The cynics would have you believe the move by Ironman is to make the events more attractive to non-swimmers or those who are weaker swimmers. So is money the key motivation here rather than safety?
At National levels the affiliation with ITU (International Triathlon Union) provides us with out rules and regulations. And there is a mine of information, which each and every one of us confirms we have read AND understand when we sign into a race. Read it, 139 pages of essential education for any triathlete.
Regarding water safety, the ITU rules are quite clear on what call Race Directors and Triathlon Officials should make on the morning of a race in the event of inclement weather.
From http://www.triathlon.org/uploads/docs/itusport_competition-rules-2013_final.pdf
"Water temperature must be taken one (1) hour prior to the start of the event on  race day. it must be taken at the middle of the course and in two other areas on the swim course, at a depth of 60cm. The lowest measured temperature will be considered as the official water temperature."
They don't leave much to chance and quite clearly lay out the guidelines on the decision making process.


Our own Triathlon Ireland governing body also add a stipulation based on wind factors.

Thinking about our training environment surely by virtue of training in colder waters we should be more accustomed to the cold water and the regulations could be relaxed a little for our more temperate zones?
This leads to comparison with our neighbours the British Triathlon Federation (also ITU affiliated), what do they do when the water is cold?

So very similar to ITU with a little bit of clarity on the length (which is linked to duration) permissible in the event of a swim shortening. They also leave a little gate open by saying below 11°C it is recommended that open water swimming does not take place. They don't state it shouldn't take place, it could but is not recommended and then there is a little caveat about considering air temperatures.
Very much left open to interpretation and probable abuse by Race Directors and competitors alike.
That then led me to think about our Scandanavian counterparts. They of the frozen plunge pools and saunas. If anyone is better suited or conditioned to swimming in cold open water, it has got to be those living and training close to theArtic Circle.
What do they do?
Surprise, surprise, the rules are the same ITU rules (except in Norwegian).

So while the rules are very definitive and quite clearly the governing bodies are singing from the same song sheet, what does this mean for early season racing?
My Norwegian is a tad rusty but their first sanctioned OW race appears to be a sprint race on 15th June.
Even in the UK most of the calendar at this time of year (May) is either duathlons, pool based swims or sprint distance triathlon. A very definite weighting on the duathlon and pool based side of things.
The problem is hypothermia.
In 'The Chilling Truth about Cold Water', it is explained that:
"Cold water carries heat away from the body 25 times faster than air of the same temperature and as a result, the body core immediately begins to lose heat to the outside environment."
"Within 20 to 30 minutes depending on water temperature, body core temperature drops to below 35C... this cooling, if not checked, leads to disorientation, unconsciousness and eventually death."
The critical bit for triathletes is:
"...the steady decline in core temperature will continue until after the person is removed from the water."
This is the massive safety risk in triathlon. Not the risk of freezing to death in the water, or sudden heart attacks triggered by the cold. Its the disorientation, loss of dexterity and the risk of continued lowering of core body temperatures whilst on the bike leg of a triathlon that is the main problem.

Like all solutions, if you remove the cause of the problem in the first place, there is no problem.

So while the Ironman decisions are defined as improvements in water safety, the main goal is to make their events more attractive to punters.

The ITU rules are to save lives.

So no matter how ready we think we are for the open water, or how frustrated we get when swims are shortened or cancelled, it is Safety First each and every time.

Maybe the solution would be to rethink our calendar for triathlon in Ireland?

Related articles

• Ironman Makes Swim Starts More Safe (fitnessfatale.com)
• Ironman Making Changes to Swimming Portion of Races After Deaths - Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
• Ironman's SwimSmart Initiative - "Integrity" and Knowing My Age Group Rank is Not Worth a Life (lifewithnolimitscoaching.com)

What's a triathlon wetsuit?

Loiter around the start of any open water triathlon and you will see as many different wetsuits as competitors. 

In Ireland the water conditions are rarely near or above the limits set by ITU governing the requirement of compulsary wetsuits in the swim leg, so inevitably you must wear a wetsuit in triathlon racing in Ireland.

HIM - Day: The Storming of Ladies Beach

Pre-dawn on Sunday 4th September, the alarm toils like the watchman's bell.


Looking out. A sky that hints of promise, a sky full of threat. What will the day bring? All I know is there'll be 2000 fellow athletes and peers on the prom in Salthill within the next short while, full of eager anticipation.

Caroline Kearney Triathlon (13th August)

It was another brutal night lacking in sleep that led to me rising at 5.30am to prepare breakfast and to pull myself together in some form of order for racing today.

Another lake spin / swim / spin, this time with sunshine!

Friday afternoon (3rd June) again saw me keen to get out for an open water swim in Loughrea. I had been tempted by Renville a couple of evenings on the way home, but just didn't seem to make time for it.

Anyway this time crunched triathlete is enjoying the doubling up of training sessions where possible so a cycle out and back was on the cards.

2XU wetsuit trial

Wednesday evening saw us again meeting at the pool at the Kingfisher Club in Renmore.

V:2 from 2XU

My brand new V:2 wetsuit only arrived in the courier van during the day so I was very eager to try it out  in comparison to my current Orca Alpha which is almost 3 years old now. In fact I had bought the initial release of the V:1 wetsuit (V = Velocity) in the spring of 2008 having been present at the prelaunch presentation of the wetsuit by (then) sales rep Mike Trees (now Managing Director) of TCL. I had spotted the suit at the ITU Worlds in Hamburg September 2007 where it was being launched into Europe.