Woah tri clothes make me look big!!

[Nanci]

Darker colors disguise fat rolls better, I've found. And not-tucked-in waists.

I have this one cycling top I love, the Sugoi Bella Tank

http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=17606

which I first got in black, but then I thought I had to have the red, too. It is very tight fitting, but scrunches a little in the front. So when I finally got the red- OMG, the rolls!! But then I figured, so what, I'll just suck in when I'm around a camera, and make sure it is tastefully scrunched at other times- but only because I love the top.

Would you maybe be less self-conscious in a regular swim suit for the swim, then pull on tri or bike shorts for the bike/run? I've done that before- it's not ideal, but it works.

[Lise]

Hey, lawyergirl,

You might want to check out a "discussion" SadieKate and I had last night about my pictures from the Pleasant Prairie Tri. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=9570

She's right. The shirt's too big. It catches in the wind on the bike. BUT! It covers my tummy on the run! I've decided to bite the bullet and wear either my tri suit (Sugoi, one piece) or my wonderful compression tri shorts and an aero top. If I were 5 minutes faster, and people saw my tummy, I'd be happiest about the time!

Coming out of the water, I'm just so glad to have the swim behind me that I really don't care that much how my stomach looks. But on the run I've got lots of time to think about it. As Rochelle says, however, we're all there to race. And if spectators have a problem, I agree, c'mon, you do it! To tell the truth, it was the heavy women and old men I saw doing Accenture 5 years ago that inspired me to try a triathlon myself. So perhaps I'd be doing a public service!

[Nanci]

You know what's worse than wearing a clingy tech fabric top- wearing a sweat-soaked five pound cotton T-shirt to cover yourself up with. Or even a three pound sweat-soaked not-so-clingy sort-of-technical-looking tank...

[lawyergirl]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I just need to get over it. You all are right - no one is going to have time to check me out in my outfit. I didn't buy anything this past weekend because I didn't think that anything fit me right, but I'm going to keep looking. I guess it's just a wake up call from usually wearing workout pants or bike shorts and a t-shirt.

[Running Mommy]

Ok, I would put good money down that NO ONE has a gut like ME!!!
I've spent YEARS and many dollars trying to desguise it while still being kinda sorta aerodynamic! It was just recently that I finally decided "Ya know what?? S**** (s word for bolt) it, I'm going to wear what I need to wear for a fast transition and not care what I look like!" It's been hard, but I'm REALLY trying to get over the body image thing! I must admit tho, it's hard being a chubby girl in this sport!!! sigh... UGH!

[Nanci]

Denise, "You are an Ironman!!!!!!!!!!!!" How many of the rest of us will ever hear that. Case closed.

[KSH]

One thing I have learned... you CANNOT judge a TRIATHLETE by his/her cover.



Wear what you have to wear... and if the spectators don't like it... screw them... they just don't have to look. Or next time, they can get in spandex and do it with you.

[Lise]

Denise, "You are an Ironman!!!!!!!!!!!!" How many of the rest of us will ever hear that. Case closed.

No joke.

Denise, it took me puzzling over it and saying it out loud before I could figure out what "s word for bolt" meant!

Seeing my shirt through SK's eyes (or anyone's here), I saw all the ways the fabric would catch the wind on the ride. That shifted my perspective considerably.