How to get your triathlon wetsuit on…and off

In my capacity as an age-grouper triathlete and triathlon feature-writer, I’m often asked the best, easiest and quickest way to get a triathlon wetsuit on and off. When someone asked me the question on Twitter today, I thought – why not write a quick “how-to” blog post. The open-water training venues are opening up very soon and the first triathlons of the season won’t be far behind. And I daresay this glorious sunshine will tempt a few of you into the open-water. But it’s a bit chilly to go without a wetsuit just yet (don’t be fooled by the air temperature!) And why swim without a wetsuit when the event you’re training for dictates you wear one?

So, here they are: my top tips for getting that skin-tight triathlon wetsuit on – and then off again!

Getting your wetsuit on

Remember a couple of things: firstly, no prizes for being the fastest person to put their suit on. Secondly: yes, it really should feel that tight (it will loosen off a little once you’re in the water, which is all that matters).

The clock doesn’t start ticking til the starter sets you off on the swim. So you can take as long as you like. Leave yourself plenty of time and find a cool spot (it’s amazing how hot and sweaty you get struggling into a wetsuit). Take your secret weapon (thank you to my triathlon pro and super-speedy swimmer pal Richard Stannard for this tip):

Yes, the common carrier bag. Put the carrier bag on one foot, like a sock. Slide that foot into the suit (the leghole, obvs). Take the bag/sock off, repeat on the other side. You should now have the suit on both legs, up to about the knees.

Pull it up. The zip should be at the back. You now need to make sure the groinal area of the suit (I know groinal’s not a word, but how I wish it were) is right up into your groin. Do this by inching the suit up, from below the knees if necessary, in tiny steps. Don’t yank and pull at it – therein lies a future of rips and tears to your suit. Use the pads of your fingers to pinch a bit of suit, and pull it up a few inches…and repeat all over the legs until the groin is in the right place.

Now check there are no rucks or folds behind your knees. This+swimming=ouch.

OK now check the time. Is your wave nearly ready to go? If so, proceed to the next step. If not, leave things here for a while. You really don’t want to be walking round for ages completely zipped up into your wetsuit on a hot day.

Put one arm and then the other into the suit (different arm holes). Then repeat the process you went through with the legs, but with the arms, making sure the suit fits right into your armpits. This is really important. So, inch the neoprene up in tiny bits from the wrists until it fits properly. Get someone to help you if necessary, don’t feel shy to ask, after all you need to keep your strength for the triathlon and it can be exhausting getting a wetsuit on!

Once your arms and legs are in and your groin and armpits are aligned with the relevant bits of the wetsuit, it’s time to zip up. Again, don’t do this if you have a long wait for your swim, it’s just not worth getting overheated.

Ask someone to help you zip the suit up (you may need to breathe out and draw your shoulders together right back behind you). They’ll need to press the velcro flap down over the top of the zip. Get them to hand you the end of your zip leash (if that’s what it’s called?) so you’re confident you can find it on swim exit.

Now just a couple of things to do to really check your suit is fitted snugly. Bend forward at the waist and grab any spare neoprene around your stomach. Yes, it really is neoprene and no I will not believe it is your belly. You are a triathlete! You have trained!

Ease any spare neoprene up, over the boobs (if you’re a lady…) and onto your upper chest/shoulder area. This is really the only area where you want any ‘spare’ neoprene. Can you grab a fistful of neoprene in that dent in front of your shoulder/under your collarbone? That’s OK. Can you grab a fistful of neoprene anywhere else? This is not so OK.

Check again for folds and creases in your elbows and behind your knees – get rid of them.

You’re ready to go (assuming you have your hat and goggles on). Enjoy.

Getting the wetsuit off

OK so you’re out of the swim. Time really does count now so it pays to practise getting your wetsuit off as fast as you can. What makes that super-tight wetsuit come off quickly? The layer of water inside. So act quickly before the water drains out. Here’s the drill.

Stand up out of the water, pop your goggles on top of your head, and start to run/walk towards transition. Immediately, reach behind you for your zipper leash and pull.

As you run/walk along, take one arm and then the other out until the suit is flapping around your waist.

Get to your bike and roll the suit down to your knees. Then lift one leg and the other until you can pull one foot free. Use that foot to stand on the other leg of the wetsuit, so you can pull the other foot free.

You’re done!

If you struggle with this technique, experience dizziness after the swim (me too) or feel a bit flustered, there’s no shame at all in just sitting down by your bike and pulling your suit off whilst you sit on the ground.

Hope that helps!

Do you have any tips or personal experiences to add? Please do!

Edited to add: My friend Dick (yes, really) has alerted me to the fact that “groinal” is, in fact, a word. Thanks, Dick!

How to get your triathlon wetsuit on…and off is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

How I became a freelance journalist (and other FAQs)

Last week I was interviewed by Essential Writers, the website where writers (and aspiring writers) share advice and experiences. Judy asked me how I got started in journalism, how I got that important first commission, and how I handle the ups and downs of freelance journalism.

From my Essential Writers interview:

What inspired you to become a writer?

I always had my head in a book as a young child and wanted to be “a journalist”, although I’m not sure I knew what that meant. I love being creative and also the freelance lifestyle and even the challenges of being my own boss.

How did you find your first writing job?

I’d been made redundant from my event job in London and moved out of London at the same time. It was time for a change. I was also a few months away from my first Channel swim. I knew that, if a pitch for a first-person piece about Channel swimming couldn’t get my foot in the door of sports journalism, nothing would! (Thank you to 220 Triathlon for accepting that pitch!)

Did you face much rejection initially?

I face more rejection now, actually, because I’m braver about pitching outside my comfort zone these days. I deal with it by learning from it and moving on quickly!

How did you come to specialise in writing about triathlon and other sports?

Triathlon and other sports are a huge part of my life so it made sense to write about them. I know the technicalities, the history and the athletes very well, and can write quickly, fluently and with real passion. I went freelance around the time that triathlon and open-water swimming exploded in popularity in the UK, which helped.

If you fancy reading the interview, here’s the link.

Here are a few blog posts about my work as a sport and fitness journalist: sport and fitness journalism online, my favourite commissions (so far!) and some examples of my work from May 2010.

New website – www.nicolajoyce.co.uk – copywriting and sport journalism

Hi all,

With all the race report posts of recent weeks, you’d be forgiven for thinking this blog was solely for my sports ramblings. The idea is for it to be a combination of posts related to work (I have done some in the past – like this one and this one, for example) and posts about triathlon and the other sports I do.

With that in mind, I should blog briefly about my lovely new website which is here. After six years (!) of freelancing, I’ve finally got one place on the web which represents both ‘halves’ of my freelance work: copywriting and journalism.

Please have a click around (it’s the front page and copywriting site which are the new bits) and let me know what you think. Here’s hoping there aren’t any typos! 😉

New website is a post from The Fit Writer blog.