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Izzy Southway

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2013 TV Advertisement Triathlon Festival southern cross 10

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Townsville Triathlon Festival. TP Human Capital Teams Triathlon TV commercial. 2013 event.

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The best triathlon motivation video of the year

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I spent about 5 years of my life wanting to do a triathlon. I didn't know how to do one, and I didn't know anyone who had done one so I never did one. I thought triathlons were only for insane athlete types who could run marathons in 2 hours and hold their breath for 30 minutes. So, for the longest time, I didn't do anything at all. Triathlons seemed impossible - way to difficult to even attempt. It was best to leave it to all those crazy marathoners who like that stuff.

When I finally decided to do my first triathlon, I realized that not only is a triathlon not impossible. Since then, I've done dozens and dozens of triathlons and pushed my limtis more than I thought I ever could.

If you want to do a triathlon, but aren't sure you can do it, rest assured - you can train for your first one in just 3 months. There are countless triathlon training programs you can use to get started on, but if you just want to go out and do your first one - this article is everything you need. Here we go.

How To Sign Up For A Triathlon

If you want to sign up for your first triathlon, it's pretty simple:

Step 1. Visit TriFind.com. This will be your new best friend.

Step 2. Find a date 3 months out from now. (If you're not ready for a triathlon yet, don't worry - you'll be able to run your first race in 3 months).

Step 3. Find a race labeled as a "sprint triathlon." The exact distances will vary for these shorter triathlon shorter races due to the terrain of the specific course, but most sprint distance triathlons are about this distance:

Step 4. Choose a race close to you that's 2-3 months out and sign up. Now. Put your credit card down and sign up. Congratulations - you just finished the hardest part. (If you're having trouble finding a race near you, search BeginnerTriathlete.com, TriMapper.com or SlowTwitch.com and find a race that works for you).

Now that you have a solid date in the calendar, lets get started.

What Triathlon Gear Do You Need?

Triathlon gear can get expensive fast. A $5,000 bike here. A $300 wetsuit there. Not to mention shoes, jerseys, bike kits, and more. It can add up quick. Fortunately, you can do triathlon on a budget. The rule of thumb to live by is to work with what you have and upgrade as it's warranted.

I did my first 10 triathlon races on a $150 bike I bought off craigslist. I didn't use a wetsuit for my first few races. They're expensive and if the water is above 84 degrees Fahrenheit, you won't be allowed to wear them anyways. So while you might see pro triathletes carrying around gear you don't even know the name of, you can run your first triathlon with much less gear than you think you need.

Truth be told, to run your first triathlon, you only need 5 things - all of which are probably hanging around in your garage somewhere.

That's it. If you have those 5 things, you'll be ready to go. You might not look as cool as the pros, but you're not going to be winning thousands of dollars in prize money either.

It's much better to be on a terrible bike and be slow than it is to spend a couple thousand on a new bike and still be slow! For your first race, you should spend your energy and focus on getting better. Then, if you decide to do another, upgrade your gear as you get better and better. You don't need to start out with a thousand-dollar setup - you just need to start.

Training For A Triathlon

Training for a triathlon is intense, but it's totally possible. If you pick up a training guide, follow the workouts, you can be ready to go in 3 months. If you're not a swimming, biking or running pro - don't worry. These will give you a crash course on each discipline in a triathlon and have you more than confident in your ability to finish come race day.

The Swim

The swim leg of triathlon is simultaneously the shortest and most universally feared part of the race. The key to the swim is to stay relaxed and calm. The worst thing you can do is to try and go too fast. You'll probably end up going faster than you should, tiring out and possibly panicking.

Instead of trying to go fast, focus on smooth movements and moving effortlessly through the water rather than moving at a frenetic pace. If you start to get worried, slow down, tread water, breath and keep going. Remember, go at your own pace - just because there are a lot of people around you splashing everywhere, doesn't mean that everyone is going much faster than you - it just seems like it. Swim your race at your pace and resist the urge to try and go as fast as possible.

You might feel great coming out of the water #1, but you still have 2 legs of the race left to go. If you spend all your energy there, you'll be struggling on everything else. If you really want to improve your time, the bike and run legs are the longer segments where you can really make up some serious time - save your energy for then.
How To Improve Your Swimming Form
If you need help with your swimming form, here's a few things to keep in mind.

Swim on your sides. Try standing against a wall with your arms over you head - they should be the same height. Now rotate your hip and reach up with your right arm. See how your body just got longer? You want to do that in the water. Make yourself long on each side and focus on smooth strokes as you rotate from one side to the other. Use your momentum as you swim from side to side to propel you forward.

Focus on each stroke being efficient. You might think you're going faster, but a few strokes with proper form will take you much, much farther than several rapid strokes that don't propel you forward at all.

Look straight ahead (or down) while swimming. You should be looking at the bottom of the pool or lake. If you're in the pool, your lane will have a line in it. Look at that - when you see the "T" coming up, it means you're coming up on the wall.

If you're still having trouble, pick up a copy of Total Immersion. Spend some time watching and then implementing it. Above all, get in the pool and just practice, practice, and practice some more with getting comfortable in the water for periods of time.

The Bike

You can spend hundreds on bike fit systems in search of a perfect bike for your first race, but if you're using the bike out of your garage or borrowing one from a friend you can give yourself a quick DIY bike fitting by keeping these things in mind.

Wear the gear you plan on biking in. There's no use getting fit in one outfit, with one set of shoes, when you'll be racing in a completely different one.

Stand over the bike. There should be about a 1 inch clearance between your body and the top bar.

Extend your leg all the way to the bottom of a pedal stroke. Your leg should be 80-90% extended. If it's not, you won't get the full power out of each stroke. If it's extended too much, you'll lose all your power at the bottom of each pedal stroke.

Adjust your seat so that your knee is above your foot. When your leg's extended, you should be able to drop a plumb line from your knee to the ball of your foot.

When leaning forward, your body should be at a 45 degree angle, which your back arched and your arms slightly bent in order to absorb the vibrations from the road.

No matter what bike you're on, if you have poor cycling form, it can be uncomfortable. Make sure you don't end up with a weird kink in your back or neck after a few miles by following these tips on the bike:

1. Your back should be arched and your head should be focused on the road in front of you.

2. Your elbows should be slightly bent, but not locked. This lets your arms serve as sort of "shock absorbers" for the bumps in the road that you'll be riding over.

3. Your shoulders should be forward so that your chest can help carry your upper body weight.

Use smooth strokes while pedaling and be sure to not only push downward on each pedal stroke, but pull upward. This will help you pedal more efficiently, not to mention make you go faster.

The Run

Running is such a basic skill, but so many people do it poorly and end up injured. There are lots of blogs you can read for running advice, and I can't cover everything, but here are 5 simple steps to better running form:

1. Run using a mid-foot strike if you can. Avoid over- striding, which will cause you to strike with your heel and waste energy.

2. Keep your shoulders back, and your head up.

3. Look ahead. Focus on the ground about 20-30 feet in front of you.

4. Let your arms swing naturally at your side. Let your arms swing forward and back (not side-to-side). Keep your arms bent at the elbow about 90° and keep your hands unclenched.

5. Skim the ground. If your feet hit the ground too hard, you may be putting yourself at risk of injury and losing your momentum throughout the run. Run like you're a stealthy ninja, not a thundering giant who needs his footsteps heard. Land softly and quickly and use the spring of your foot to take the next stride.

If you find yourself running more and more, you'll want to go visit a running store and have your gait analyzed in order to get more personalized advice and find shoes based on your running style.
Triathlon Brick Workouts
You'll want to practice brick workouts a few times before your first race. A brick workout is a workout where you incorporate two disciplines and transition from one to the other in the middle of the workout as you would in a race. The most common brick workout is the bike to run transition, although swim to bike transition can also be done. The first time you do a bike to run brick workout, you'll be inexplicably sore.

While your legs will be warmed up from the bike ride, they'll also be quite tired and the first couple times you transition from biking to running, you might feel like your legs are asleep. Get used to that feeling - it will go away after the first 1/4-1/2 mile - but the first few times, it will feel like forever. At that point, you want to keep an eye on your watch. The fatigue in your legs may make you run faster or slower than you're accustomed to so make sure you continue at a pace that's sustainable for you for the rest of the race. If you practice these a couple times while practicing, you'll be much more prepared for it when race day comes.

Triathlon Nutrition

Nutrition is often referred to as the fourth element of training because it can have such an effect on the outcome of a race. This is especially true when it comes to longer distance races, such as a half or full Ironman. Nutrition is an area that can get really complicated really quickly. The easiest way to avoid that is to keep things simple:

Stop eating junk food.

Stop drinking pop, juice and other beverages besides water, tea and Gatorade (after workouts).

You just cleaned up your diet 80%. Boom.

I advocate a paleo diet as outlined by the Paleo Diet For Athletes. It's a modified version of the strict Paleo diet that allows lots of starches so your body utilizes the energy from fat stores as much as possible, while only using carbohydrate-based energy when you need energy quick. There's, much much more to this, but the incredibly simplistic version is this:

Eat lots of fruits, nuts, eggs, meats and vegetables. Before and after races, focus on starchy fruits and vegetables (bananas, sweat potatoes or squash) in moderation. These will break down into glucose quickly while replenishing your quick-use energy stores. If you need energy supplements throughout the race, use them as necessary.

Sample pre-race breakfast.
You want to eat something 2-3 hours before your race. A good rule of thumb is 200-300 calories/hour before a race you're planning on eating. For example, if you're eating 2 hours before a race, you'd try to eat 400-600 calories (200-300 calories x 2 hours).

I use this pre-race breakfast almost every race.

It's not only effective, but you can eat it anywhere. If you're on the road for a race, you can hard boil the eggs beforehand and eat them wherever you want or microwave them, if you don't have a stove nearby. The eggs provide the protein your muscles will need. The banana is the most portable food in the world and is a great starchy fruit to make sure your body's energy stores are topped off right before your race.
To Carbo-Load or Not To Carbo-Load? That is The Question
Actually, it's not much of a question at all. For your first race you don't need to carbo-load. If you eat properly, your body will store enough energy for 90-120 minutes which is more than enough time for you to finish your first sprint distance race. The truth is for the shorter races in triathlon (I know, right now a sprint triathlon might not seem very "short", but in the scheme of endurance racing it is) the only thing carbo-loading will really do is upset your stomach if you're not used to it so don't worry about it until you're on to much longer distance races. If you find yourself running out of energy during practices, you can easily handle your energy levels through a variety of gels or other nutritional supplements ( Shot Bloks are my favorite) - so carry them with you and take them about 40 minutes into your race (while you're still on the bike) and you should be good.

Wrapping It Up

Triathlons aren't just for Lance Armstrong look-a-likes and genetically-enhanced humans who've trained in the lab the last years. Triathlon is one of the fastest growing sports in America - and there's a good reason why. Everyday, normal people are deciding to try it, push their limits and have a ton of fun along the way. Even if you're not in great shape, if you can exercise for 15 minutes at a time, you can start training to run your first triathlon in 3 months (seriously). It's not always easy, but if you work on it and train hard, it's totally possible. But there's one more thing left to do - stop reading and start training. Good luck!
Want to get started in Triathlon? Start training today and run your first triathlon in 3 months with Impossible TRI.

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The Ultimate Beginners Guide To Triathlons

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I spent about 5 years of my life wanting to do a triathlon. I didn't know how to do one, and I didn't know anyone who had done one so I never did one. I thought triathlons were only for insane athlete types who could run marathons in 2 hours and hold their breath for 30 minutes.

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Izzy Southway

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Taking part in your first triathlon can be intimidating, whether you're a fitness addict looking to try something new or a complete novice wanting a lifestyle change. However, it doesn't need to be so scary! Here at Human Race we've put together a triathlon guide for beginners to help you out. What does SuperSprint mean? What on earth is a 'brick session'? Do I actually need a trisuit? These are the type of questions we're here to answer and make your first triathlon stress-free and enjoyable.

What is a triathlon?

A triathlon comprises three different disciplines - swimming, cycling and running (in that order). The swim can either take place in a swimming pool or in an outdoor environment (e.g. a lake or river). At Human Race, most of our triathlons take place at Dorney Lake, which is like swimming in a giant pool. The water is very clear and here's a sneaky tip; there's a rope holding the swim buoys in place which runs along the bottom of the lake - you can follow this just like the lines on the bottom of a swimming pool, meaning you don't have to look up and check where you're going as often. We have an excellent swim safety team, who follow the swimmers in kayaks and make sure everyone gets round safely.

Quick-fire FAQs

If you haven't got long, here are some basic answers for the most burning questions. Make sure you come back and read the rest of the guide when you've got time though!

What if I'm terrified of open water? Try our Open Water Swim Seminar on Saturday 21st May, at Dorney. Our training partners RG Active will talk you through everything you need to know and you'll come away ready and eager to take on the open water.

Do I need a wetsuit? As we're in the UK and not the Caribbean, the short answer is yes. You can purchase or hire a top quality Zone3 wetsuit here. The hire is for the season (all summer) so you have time to get used to it before you race in it and you can even keep it if you're happy with it and don't want to return the suit at the end of the hire period.

Can I race with my friends? At Human Race triathlons, you can! We offer Mates Waves, which let participants race alongside each other regardless of age group or gender.

What distance should I choose for my first triathlon? We would recommend a Taster (200m Swim, 5.3km Bike, 2.5km Run) or Novice distance (400m Swim, 10.6km Bike, 2.5km Run). If those distances look short to you, remember that it's more about getting used to putting the three together and getting used to the complexities of transition.

What time should I get there on race day? We recommend all triathletes get to the venue at least an hour before your start time, but if it's your first one, you should allow a bit more time. You'll need to pick up your race pack and timing chip, plus set up your spot in transition, and you don't want to be flustered.

Can I do a run through before race day? Why not come along to one of our Triathlon Training Days? We've got two, one on the 22nd May and one on the 26th June. Our training partners RG Active will run through all elements of the triathlon and answer any questions you have. The event takes place at Dorney Lake, so the venue will be familiar to you come race day, removing one of the elements of stress.

Glossary

As with most sports, there's a whole triathlon vocabulary, and it's easy to get confused by all the jargon. Here are a few of the terms you're most likely to come across, with explanations:

Brick session - a training session where you combine the bike and run disciplines, e.g. a 25min bike ride followed immediately by a 15min run

BTF (British Triathlon Federation) licence - all participants must either purchase a day licence for £6 or be in possession of a British Triathlon Federation licence. The fee provides you with public liability and personal accident insurance cover while you are racing. Click here to find out more about purchasing an annual licence.

Drafting - where a triathlete cycles closely behind another to gain an aerodynamic advantage. In most triathlons, drafting is illegal (except for elite races) and you'll need to make sure you keep a distance of 10m between you and the person in front of you

Duathlon - for people who don't like getting wet! Run - Bike - Run instead of Swim - Bike - Run.

Olympic distance - a 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run

Sprint distance - a 750m swim, a 20km bike and a 5km run

Transition - where you change between disciplines in a triathlon. These are timed separately to the swim, bike and run legs and you'll hear seasoned triathletes obsess constantly about how they can spend less time there!

Tri suit - best described as a triathlon onesie! Wearing one means you don't have to get changed in transition apart from removing your wetsuit, and they are also padded for comfort on the bike.

T1 - the transition between the swim and the bike legs of a triathlon

T2 - the transition between the bike and run legs of a triathlon

Wave - unless there is a very small field, participants in a triathlon will be set off periodically in groups called 'waves'. Participants are usually grouped by gender and age group, though at Human Race, we also offer Mates Waves, which allow you to take part alongside your friends regardless of gender or age.

Distances available at Human Race Triathlons

The idea of taking on an Olympic distance triathlon straight away would be intimidating for anyone, so it's best to start a little smaller. It also depends on you and your strengths - if the swim makes you nervous, then it's best to go for a Taster even if you think the bike and run legs look a little short. Practice makes perfect! Here at Human Race we offer:

Taster Triathlon: 200m Swim, 5.3km Bike, 2.5km Run

Novice Triathlon: 400m Swim, 10.6km Bike, 2.5km Run

SuperSprint Triathlon: 400m Swim, 21.2km Bike, 5km Run

Sprint Triathlon: 750m Swim, 21.2km Bike, 5km Run

Olympic Triathlon: 1500m Swim, 42.4km Bike, 10km Run

What kit do I need?

Triathletes are famous for being gear-obsessed! You'll hear all sorts of discussion around aero bars, time-trial bikes and watches, but don't panic about the potential bankruptcy just yet. For your first triathlon, you can easily get by without most of it. Here are the essentials for each discipline:
Swim

To tri suit or not to tri suit? Tri suits can be expensive, so if you'd rather not invest straight away, you can simply wear a swimming costume/shorts underneath your wetsuit

Wetsuit - UK lakes and rivers are (unfortunately) generally pretty chilly, so you'll want to get yourself a wetsuit. As well as keeping you warm, wetsuits provide a significant amount of buoyancy, making the swim feel much easier. In addition, if the water is under a certain temperature, they are actually compulsory under British Triathlon rules (see chart below). You can purchase or hire a top quality Zone3 wetsuit here. The hire is for the season (all summer) so you have time to get used to it before you race in it and you can even keep it if you're happy with it and don't want to return the suit at the end of the hire period. Click here for more information.

Goggles - lots of triathletes have fancy open water swimming goggles with various tints and lenses, but you can just use whatever goggles you use in the pool!

Towel - you probably won't bother drying your body (unless you're changing into dry clothes) but you'll want to dry your feet to make it easier to get them into socks and shoes.

Bike

Bike - don't believe the tri-geeks, you don't need a time trial bike! Plenty of people take part in triathlons on mountain bikes, hybrids or the battered old road bike they've had in the garage for years.

To clip in or not to clip in? If you're a beginner and haven't yet used cleats (where your shoes clip into your pedals) then that's fine, you can just cycle in your running shoes. You'll actually have a bit of an advantage in transition because unlike those using cleats, you won't have to change your shoes!

Helmet - these are compulsory!

Clothing - if you've got a tri-suit, then you're already sorted. If not, then you'll want to wear clothing you can comfortably run in, so you don't have to change in transition. If you're doing a Taster or Novice distance, then the bike leg is short enough for you not to worry about having padded shorts - these are uncomfortable to run in and won't help you much.

Race belt - this is a belt that you attach your race number to, meaning you don't have to use pins and make holes in your favourite t-shirt.

Run

Shoes - the beauty of running is that all you need is a pair of shoes! Plenty of triathletes have specific triathlon running shoes that are easy to slip on, but you can use the trainers you normally run in. If you're comfortable wearing no socks, then go for it, but don't try this for the first time on race day!

Elastic laces - if you're going to go for any slightly unnecessary extra, we would recommend these. Elastic laces reduce the time it takes to put on your shoes down to mere seconds, and eliminates the risk of tripping over your laces on the run because you didn't do them up properly in transition!

The Swim

Open water swimming is the discipline that puts most people off attempting a triathlon. It doesn't need to be scary, and you can eliminate any worries you have about it by following our top tips:

Practice makes perfect: if the first time you swim in open water is on race day, that's a recipe for panic and stress. Find where your local swimming lake is (check out a list here) and train there regularly

If you've never been in open water before and the idea really terrifies you, try our Open Water Swim Seminar on Saturday 21st May, at Dorney. Our training partners RG Active will talk you through everything you need to know and you'll come away ready and eager to take on the open water

On race day, make sure you get in the water with plenty of time before the start. If the water is cold then you'll need time to acclimatise before the gun goes. When you get in, concentrate on your breathing, making sure you take slow, deep breaths to calm any pre-race nerves.

At Dorney, the briefing takes place while you are bobbing in the water waiting for the start. Experienced triathletes will position themselves at the front of the group, and when the gun goes, all sorts of chaos will begin. You don't need to be a part of that! Hang back - you can even leave a few seconds before you start swimming, allowing everyone to swim away from you to make sure you've got clear water.

If you get tired and can't maintain front crawl for the whole swim, it doesn't matter! Plenty of people resort to breaststroke to give themselves a rest, and lots of people swim only breaststroke. However, this can get pretty tiring as when wearing a wetsuit, your legs are more restricted, making the breaststroke kick more difficult, so make sure you get lots of front crawl practice in.

Transition

Often referred to as 'the 4th discipline', transition is one of the areas first-timers are most worried about. Here are our top tips for making T1 and T2 as stress-free as possible!
T1 - Swim to Bike

Before your triathlon, run through in your head (several times!) what order you want to do things in transition and create a mental checklist of everything you need to do.

Wetsuits are easier to take off the more water they have in them. Just before you get out of the water, pull the neck of your wetsuit open and scoop up a load of water into the suit.

When you exit the water, don't take your goggles off, just lift them off your eyes onto your head. That way you have both hands free!

As soon as you exit the water, unzip the back of your wetsuit and take your arms out so you're only wearing it from the waist down

Remember you must put on your helmet before even touching your bike! This is a British Triathlon rule.

Dont panic! The more flustered you get, the longer it will take to do everything. And remember, this is your first triathlon, so who cares if T1 takes you 7 minutes?!

Flo from Human Race's 'T1 routine':
1. Take a scoop of water into the wetsuit before exiting the water
2. Exit the water and put goggles onto head
3. Unzip wetsuit while running to my spot in transition. First I pull the left side of the wetsuit just off my shoulder, then I pull my right arm completely out of the suit, followed by my left arm
4. Get back to spot in transition, roll wetsuit down to my ankles and (very ungracefully) pull it off my feet
5. Dry feet and put bike shoes on
6. Take swim cap and goggles off head, put helmet on
7. Put race belt on
8. Take bike off rack and head to Bike Out

Helpful articles from our Training section

Pick your event!

Our triathlon season starts in May, and runs up to September. We've got a selection of distances and 3 different venues. Dorney Lake is pancake flat and the lake water is so clear you can see the bottom, so is the perfect choice for your first triathlon.

Nuffield Health Eton SuperSprints - 21st/22nd May, Dorney Lake

Eton Sprints - 22nd May, Dorney Lake

Windsor Triathlon - 12th June, Windsor

SteelMan Triathlon, AquaBike and Aquathlon - 26th June, Dorney Lake

Lidl BananaMan Triathlon & Duathlon - 9th July, Dorney Lake

Shock Absorber Women Only Triathlon - 10th July, Dorney Lake

Diamond Triathlon - 14th August, Dorney Lake

Woburn Abbey Triathlon - 10th/11th September, Woburn Abbey (Bedfordshire)

HSBC Triathlon - 18th September, Dorney Lake

Ask a question

Got a question that hasn't been answered here? Let us know by filling in the form below and we'll do our best to help. Please note that if you have a question regarding entering an event or about an event you've already entered, you'll need to email our Customer Services team on races@humanrace.co.uk. This form is for general triathlon advice only.

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Triathlon Guide for Beginners - Human Race

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Taking part in your first triathlon can be intimidating, whether you're a fitness addict looking to try something new or a complete novice wanting a lifestyle change. However, it doesn't need to be so scary! Here at Human Race we've put together a triathlon guide for beginners to help you out.

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It is important to consider the fit when buying a wetsuit and it's important to try to select the correct size for you. A triathlon-specific wetsuit is designed to improve the swimmer's body position in the water and allow for efficient movement while swimming. This is achieved by combining buoyant and flexible neoprene panels into a comfortable, form-fitting suit.

Functions of a wetsuit are:

to provide additional floatation

to reduce drag through the water

to offer a degree of comfort from colder water

Although there are many different wetsuit brands on the market, they all fit differently. Zone3 have gained so many industry awards over the last six years because the panel design, use of materials and fit is said to be the best in the industry. From research conducted by Zone3 80% of customers will buy a Zone3 a wetsuit having tried on at least two or three other brands purely based on the feel and the fit.

It's important that you do your own research and don't get persuaded by price or if an elite athlete wears a certain brand. FIT is much more important than any gimmicky features, price, branding or colours!

When referring to the sizing chart to determine what size you need, there will be people who fit more than one category or size. Here are some guideline for choosing what size will be best:

A person's weight is more critical than their height

Athletes who have never worn a wetsuit before tend to prefer a Comfort fit so start with the bigger size

If you have experience using wetsuits and is looking for a Performance fit, try the smaller size

See sizing charts here
Putting your wetsuit on:
Open up the zipper and grab the suit from the inside of the crotch and turn the upper body inside out (you should leave the arms right-way out).

Remember the zipper goes in the back.

Start by pulling the legs over your feet while holding on to the inside of the suit and move the legs up your body as much as possible. Depending on how long your legs are you will show 1-15cm of skin above your ankle.

Once the suit is on over your hips, you may need to adjust the suit further. Being careful not to damage the neoprene with your fingernails, start down low and work the material up the legs until the lower leg seam is across your knee cap and the suit is snug in the crotch.

Take your time with this and do not put your wetsuit on too quickly as it may result in tearing.

Once the suit is fitted correctly in the lower body you then can pull it up over your shoulders and arms.

Once you have got the suit completely on, have someone help you with the zipper. If you are uncomfortable with this you can do up the zipper yourself with the pull cord.

When doing up the zipper make sure the inner flap along the zipper is not bunching up or folded over.

Determining a good fit:
Remember, all swimming wetsuits are designed to be tight fitting and like a second skin but you should the water has entered the suit it will mould better to your body shape.

The most important thing when determining whether is the right size for you, is first making sure you have put the suit on correctly. The correct fitting wetsuit might feel much too tight/loose/big/small if it's not being worn in the correct position so please follow the videos above.

Here are a few more tips:

Remember that you don't need to bend over to touch your toes or do a squat in your wetsuit. The important thing is that you should be able to go through the motion of swimming relatively easily on land.

Check to see that the suit pulls into your lower back and there is not a big gap. If there is, try bringing the suit higher up on the crotch and bringing the neckline higher. If there is too much excess fabric in any particular area this could mean that the suit is too big and may let water in.

With your arms extended from your sides (parallel to the ground) the material should be close to your armpits. In this position there should also be some small bumps or folds on the top of the shoulder. If either of these thing is not the case you may need to move the arms of the suit towards your shoulders. To do this, extend one arm over your head and carefully slide the arm of the suit towards your shoulder.

With your arms extended in front of your chest and crossed at the wrists there should be a minimum of gaping at the neck or billowing in the chest. A small amount of space or folds is expected.

If you feel that the neck is uncomfortable try pulling the suit up in the back of the legs, butt and especially though the zipper. Grab the base of the zipper and work any excess material towards their shoulders. This will relax the fit in the front of the collar. Swimming in a wetsuit can take some time to get used to because the neck needs to be higher than any other garments to ensure water entry is kept to a minimum.

Remember that the suit will only fit better once it is wet and will also mould to your shape the more you wear it. You can view this link to see how the triathlon industry experts have rated Zone3 products over the last few years: Click Here.

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Beginners guide to swimming in a triathlon wetsuit

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It is important to consider the fit when buying a wetsuit and it's important to try to select the correct size for you. A triathlon-specific wetsuit is designed to improve the swimmer's body position in the water and allow for efficient movement while swimming.