(Has it really been 10 days? Yikes. I have been a slacker... Rip me out of my routine and throw me in a car for 10 hours with 2 little guys, and I will surely end up a mess. Add a 3-day wedding and a stomach bug, and I am barely able to function. Let alone write a blog post that makes sense. So I dug up a review I wrote for the RMR&T magazine back in September. I have been meaning to edit it and make it more fun before I post it here but it is not happening tonight because somehow I need to drag myself out of bed tomorrow morning at 5 am and ride my bike on the deck before the in-laws and kids wake up. Can't wait for Karl to arrive tomorrow night...)
Also referred to as a swimskin, a speedsuit is a thin outer garment that can be worn in non-wetsuit races. It fits over your triathlon outfit, provides hydrodynamic advantage and buoyancy, and significantly reduces drag. When wetsuits are not legal in races because the water temperature is too high, a speedsuit is your best option. Without a speedsuit, you are forced to swim with your triathlon gear or a swimsuit, which creates drag and slows you down.
I had the pleasure of swimming in the XTERRA Velocity-M Speedsuit for the Las Vegas 70.3 World Championships and fell in love with it. I received a rather large package two weeks prior to the race and was surprised to find a suit in it that is so light and thin that it fits in my fist. Doubting its ability to make a difference in the water, I took it to the pool, squeezed myself into it, jumped in the water… Wow! There definitely is a subtle buoyancy to this speedsuit and it is immediately noticeable. There is absolutely no drag due to its hydrophobic material, which allows you to slip through the water. I have done my share of non-wetsuit swims/pool sprints and I am not a fan of having my tri jersey and shorts filled with water. This is such a great alternative!
However, you have to take into account that you need to take the XTERRA Speedsuit off in T1. Although it takes about 3 minutes to put the suit on, you can rip it off in just a few seconds. This speedsuit has a break-away zipper (no leash necessary) and by simply flipping the zipper up, it will peel right off. I am not sure that any speedsuit will give you an advantage in a sprint or olympic distance triathlon (the time you gain during the swim is lost in transition) but it is proven to enhance your performance in the longer distances.
I was very grateful to be wearing the XTERRA Speedsuit during the swim of the 70.3 World Championship race. I get cold easily and, while treading water for more than 10 minutes before the start, this suit kept me from shivering. My swim time is comparable to that of wetsuit-legal swims and, most important, I felt comfortable in the water the entire time. Because the suit fits extremely tight, I was worried about chafing, especially at the neck, but never experienced any. Taking it off was fast and easy.
I am not easily impressed by gear but this suit definitely exceeded my expectations. I have no complaints whatsoever. I can’t wait for my next non-wetsuit race!
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