Tris with men? And fins question.

[Offthegrid]

I'm sure I'm near my quota of questions for the month, but two more:

1. What are tris with men like? I've done two Danskin (all women) tris, and they really cater to first-timers, so no fears. But if I go co-ed, I'm really worried about getting beat up on the swim and annihilated on the bike. Also I wonder how many women will be in the tri. I'm thinking about the Devilman sprint in May in New Jersey as my first for 2007, but I'm very nervous about signing up.

2. Why do swimmers use short fins like zoomers? I'm curious: Why use those instead of the long fins?

[Tri Girl]

Can't help you with the fins question, 'cause I don't use them, but I can answer on the tris with men.
In my opinion, doing them with men is great! They are fast, and are good eye candy. I've never been fearful of getting swam/ridden/run over by any of them. Since none of them are in my gender's age group- I usually give them no second thoughts. If you want a ballpark figure of how many women may be there, you can look at the results from the previous year and see how many signed up in the past. For the most part, your odds of coming in last (male or female) are not very high- and at our club's races the last place person gets far more cheers than the first place person (all the finishers come over to cheer them on).
Give it a shot- you won't regret it!

[jsgeneroso]

Hi.

Can't answer the fins question either. But i can answer the tris with men: they are so fun I think because it becomes such a diverse group and K like watching everyone of all ages, sizes and shapes complete a triathlon.

I've never tried an all women's tri..can you give feedback on that?

Have a great day!!!

[Bluetree]

I use short fins about half of the time, and am slowing phasing them out. Fins help you build leg strength, but there are pros and cons to using them, especially for a beginner swimmer:

Pros:
• Helps build leg strength (greater resistance)
• Fins allows your body to process more oxygen, for a longer amount of time, building endurance
• They allow you to focus on your upper body technique/stroke, as fins act as a slight flotation device.

Cons:
• You cannot compete in fins
• You can become dependent on them

[Offthegrid]

I've never tried an all women's tri..can you give feedback on that?

The all women tris are awesome -- it's very girl power.

Danskin is great, especially for first timers. They do a big cheer with each wave before the swim -- "let's go girlfriend" and "I am a great swimmer." If you come in last in that race, they give you a huge basket with $200 in exercise equipment (I never finished last, though).

It was just very empowering. And I didn't worry so much about my weight because it was all girls (and there were some bigger than me, too). I guess that's really the reservation with going co-ed is having to dress in tight tri clothing.

[jsgeneroso]

Hmm. At a co-ed tri, I don't think you would have to worry about your weight either. Everyone is pretty focused on their groove and very very supportive.

[mcoleman]

The co-ed tris are fun. We have a local sprint series of 4 tris that we do. It is a wave start with 2 waves for women-over 35 and under 35. I am a slow swimmer, so I love it when it gets to the run and I can pass a few guys!

My very first tri was small and had less than 10 women. It was the first year for that event and it was cold. They had shortened the swim due to strong currents. Every time I put my face in the water the cold just took my breath, so I swam with my head up. Needless to say, I was the last one out of the water (with the guard on the jet ski asking if I wanted to climb on). I did pass on the bike and the run, so I was not the last finisher, but I was in the bottom 10. Everyone at the finish line was so supportive. The guys were great.

I learned a long time ago never to look around at a start line and think "I can beat her/him" just based on appearance and I think most people have had that experience. Athletes come in all shapes and sizes. You are much more worried about what other people think than what they actually do think.

Sign up and play with the boys!

[recycle613]

Short fins allow you to stay closer to your normal stroke rhythm. Long fins give you much more leg power and really slow down your arm stroke. Try both and see how they feel. Be careful of straining your back -- esp. with the long fins.

I like both, but usually I do them for exclusively kicking and/or drill sets.