Because triathlon is three sports in one, there is a lot of gear needed! You should see the list that I use to pack for races and camps! It’s long! There are also so many choices/brands/models of each tool or piece of gear I thought it might be helpful to show some of my favorites! So here is the list. I’ll start with the swim gear.
- The Magic 5 Goggles: These are one of my newest finds. Custom fit goggles! I had seen their ads on FaceBook and Instagram and was intrigued but it took a recommendation from a fellow triathlete for me to actually try them. I was not disappointed! These are amazing! So you go on their website and order which style you want. Then they send you an email with instructions to get their app. From there you send them a picture of your face from the sides and front and they use that to make you your custom fit goggles. There are only certain goggles that I can use that fit and don’t leak. These types are usually uncomfortable because they are made with the harder plastic/rubber. The Magic 5’s fit perfectly, dont’t leak and are very comfortable. I’m definitely impressed!
2. TYR Catalyst 2 paddles: Paddles are a must for triathlon swimming. They help enforce correct technique (i.e. early vertical forearm). If you aren’t using good form, they’ll fall off (as long as you’re only using one loop around the middle finger). They develop upper body strength as they add resistance through the stroke. In triathlon, you want to only kick enough to keep your body in a good position in the water. You don’t want to waste energy and increase your heart rate by kicking too much. Also, because you can go a lot faster with paddles, they help you get a feel for how to be most efficient in the water. There are many different types out there. I just like these ones. The point is, USE PADDLES!
3. Blueseventy Helix Wetsuit: This is Blueseventy’s top of the line wetsuit. I’ve gone from buying a used Xterra wetsuit from Ebay, to the Blueseventy Reaction, to the Helix. I’ve learned that having a good fitting, high quality wetsuit is important! It needs to fit snugly and at the same time give you enough give in the shoulders for full range of motion. This one has lift technology in the right spots to aid in keeping you in a good position in the water. The inverse zipper helps prevent chafing on your neck. It’s super thin on the inside of your forearms so that you can get a feel for the water during the catch.
4. Wahoo Kickr: Living in Minnesota where there are only a few months out of the year you can ride outside (on a triathlon bike, without a ton of winter clothing on), an indoor trainer is a must. For about 6 months I used a Kurt Kinetic trainer. It did the job but for the amount of time I would be using it, I invested in a smart trainer. Having a smart trainer makes training much more efficient. I don’t have to load my bike up, get all my gear in the car and find good roads to ride on and no flats or safety concerns to worry about out on the road. I can just have my stuff ready the night before and hop on in the early morning to get my training in before work. The smart trainer allows for very specific training sessions. I can do power or speed work at a specific wattage target. I can get the full, engaging experience of Zwift on the smart trainer including the automatic added resistance when going up “hills” and the fun of riding with other people. This direct drive smart trainer also gives you an almost real road feel!
5: Garmin Edge 820. It doesn’t necessarily have to be THIS particular bike computer. I like it, but a good bike computer is also a must have. I use mine always on outdoor rides and occasionally, along with Zwift, on my indoor rides (lap power if I need to hold a certain power for a certain amount of time). For outdoor rides, this is nice to have to monitor heart rate, power, average power, speed, average speed and elevation gain. I also have it set up to give me the “200 calorie” alert, which reminds me to fuel….. I don’t need reminding!!! Fueling on those long rides is like my little reward every 30-45 minutes!!
6. Garmin Heart Rate Monitor- HRM Even the best fitness tracking watches are not accurate in tracking heart rate at the wrist. Prior to knowing I needed a chest strap, I tried running by heart rate and I could be running or walking and my heart rate would show the same. It would act up if it was cold out and almost always shows a higher heart rate than what it really is which makes heart rate training useless. This heart rate monitor is comfortable. It doesn’t chafe my skin and I rarely notice it when it’s on. It also tracks some cool running metrics like R/L balance, cadence, vertical discplacement, stride length, and ground contact time. If there is something I need to work on with my run form, I can look at this data to see if I’m making improvements and if those improvements translate into faster running.
7. Aftershokz Aeropex I wanted something wireless and that didn’t fall out of my ears constantly like earbuds. My friend and teammate told me how much she loved hers so I bought some! I love them! They have a pretty good battery life (5’ish hours), you can use them while biking as they are bone conducting and you can still hear traffic. They don’t fall off or out and don’t make my ears sore! I got the Aeropex model so I can stream my music from my phone. The X-trainers are more like an MP3 player where you have to download music onto them but they are waterproof! So you could wear them while swimming. (I personally do not listen to anything while swimming).
8. Hokas: As a physical therapist and having gone through different running courses who recommend running in a more minimalist shoe, I was against Hokas for the longest time. The thought of a minimalist shoe is that it has less of a sole so you can feel the ground and less cushion so you’ll be less apt to heel strike. As my run volume increased, I wanted more cushion so I bought a pair of Hoka Rincon and Carbon X and ended up loving them both! The Carbon X is a racing shoe with a carbon plate and bit of a rocker bottom and the metatarsals. It’s super stiff and reactive but has a lot of cushion. It’s super light at 8.5 ounces and more like a minimalist shoe with a drop of only 5mm. I use these for racing and speed work and my Rincon for training and longer runs. (Pictured are the Rincons)
9. TRX straps: I actually don’t have the TRX brand but the point is using a suspension trainer! It is relatively inexpensive, extremely versatile, very effective for improving strength, take up very little space and can be done in your home. Take any exercise (ex, plank) and do it with the TRX to increase the difficulty of the exercise because it engages your core more and challenges your balance and flexibility. You can work every muscle with this because it’s so versatile. You can easily adjust the straps to use it for any exercise. Because it’s so adaptable, all levels can use it. If you do it correctly, it’s HARD!!! I alway say my TRX sessions never get easier!
So there it is, some of the “must needs” for triathlon training according to me!
Great post here.
Thank you!