I've noticed a very typical cascade of emotions that regularly accompanies my early morning 5K Masters swim workouts. For my peers in the sport, maybe you can relate. For anyone else, maybe you experience this with other exercise challenges. Either way, I got a good laugh out of it, and it's pretty insightful as to why "just showing up" is really half the battle...
Night Before Sad. This is an improvement on what used to be "anxious" when I first joined the group, but only marginally. When I worked for a consulting firm I often had to travel from Monday-Thursday, catching a very early morning flight. On Sunday afternoons, I would get what I called the "Consulting Blues" when packing my suitcase for the week. This is significantly less, but slightly reminiscent.
4:30AM Indifferent. At this point, I have tunnel vision toward coffee. My task is to make it and drink it, and that is where all my focus is.
5:15 Creative. I find myself thinking "Maybe today should be a rest day," or "I haven't prioritized a run in a while, I wonder what Coach would say if I ran first and just did my own swim after."
5:30 Cold. What's nice about this is that much like the coffee that came before it, en route to the pool, I'm just focused on trying to get warm, so there are no negative emotions, simply a primal drive to warm up.
5:50 Rushed. Funny how after everything I laid out above, I hurry up and rush in the locker room to ensure I don't miss 100 meters of warmup.
6:00 Anxious. Oh the warm-up. Can't go without it (trust me, I've tried, miserable result) but it's literally equivalent to needing to stare at the 6-inch needle (Coach Mohammad) prior to the Epidural (the main set).
6:20-7:25 On. This is the beauty of swimming with a group, most of whom are faster than you. I have no choice but to just swim. The god-honest truth is I generally don't have enough time in between intervals/sets to do any thinking, so I just swim.
7:25-8:00 Euphoric. My arms feel like rubber, my form is lost, but I'm cooling down!!
8:00-8:15. Rushed. Got to get to work, whether that be another shorter training session or the office.
Post Training for the Morning: Happy. Hungry. I've never done a Masters workout I regret, and I've never not been pretty ravaged at 10AM on a Mon/Wed/Fri.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
My Theory on the Lance Armstrong Confession
Sharing here because I haven't heard this theory on Lance Armstrong's potential confession with conditions anywhere else yet, and it makes sense to me. Disclaimer, I'm not a psychologist or cycling insider, and put these thoughts together in the middle swimming with an ankle band on (pure misery), so take em for what they are worth...
1) Lance Armstrong Understands the Evidence is Too Much to Overcome: Self explanatory. The case against him is so strong, and will only get stronger over time as more cyclists/doctors/friends need to rid themselves of having the weight on their chest. Lance doped, and we don't need him to tell us.
2) Lance Armstrong (LA) Liked being a Public Hero: Hard to be a public hero, let along be out in public, given his denial in the context of the mounting evidence mentioned in #1.
3) For Lance, It's Not Enough to Apologize and Walk Away: A "confession" (in quotes since we all already know what he is speculating telling us which makes the whole thing a bit odd to me) and true, heart-felt, very well written apology may enable LA to show his face in public, but I don't think he would have hero status; certainly not in the minds of the people, and probably not even in his own mind, which matters a lot to a guy who loved nothing more than being the man.
4) Confession with Conditions Ripe for Redemption: All the reports thus far say that LA is considering speaking with authorities if there is potential for his lifetime band from competition to be reduced...this is the golden nugget in my opinion, and gives Lance a chance to continue his fight even after admitting he doped. The story will change slightly from "I never cheated" toward "Everyone was doing it and I am really the best against a level playing field," but the point is it allows LA a big huge "but" each time he says "I cheated." More details on what I mean by this in the next points...
5) Hey, I was Pretty Good at this Triathlon Thing: Say what you want, but when LA entered the sport of triathlon, he showed potential promise at racing long-course events; enough to draw Macca and Crowie back to Kona (in their own words). I can't stay definitively but I highly doubt Lance was doping during his recent return to triathlon; it would have been downright stupid given the level of scrutiny and testing. If he was not in fact doping during the return, then one could say Lance was a FOP professional triathlete clean.
6) Confession that Lets LA Race Triathlon Gives LA a Chance At Redemption, At Least in His Own Mind: I would bet that LA's thought process may go something like this: "Well, I'm certainly damned right now, but c'mon, everyone in the peleton was doing it. I can tell the public that everyone was doing it and I was the best against that level playing field, and then train my ass off and try and win/place highly at Kona to be able to show the public that I am the best against a clean -- God, I [Brad, the author] hope so anyways -- playing field too." This at least allows LA to be a hero in his own mind, and will help him sleep at night because he can still tell himself he is the best before his head its the pillow.
A lot of folks have said that LA wants the conditions because he loves racing and seeing himself ranked against others, but I think it is actually because he think he has a legitimate chance of winning in triathlon and using that as his "but" after he has to say he cheated.
Potential Problems: Aside from everything logistically and legally (e.g., civil suits against him, etc.) there are a few other problems with the above theory.
1) Lance Armstrong Understands the Evidence is Too Much to Overcome: Self explanatory. The case against him is so strong, and will only get stronger over time as more cyclists/doctors/friends need to rid themselves of having the weight on their chest. Lance doped, and we don't need him to tell us.
2) Lance Armstrong (LA) Liked being a Public Hero: Hard to be a public hero, let along be out in public, given his denial in the context of the mounting evidence mentioned in #1.
3) For Lance, It's Not Enough to Apologize and Walk Away: A "confession" (in quotes since we all already know what he is speculating telling us which makes the whole thing a bit odd to me) and true, heart-felt, very well written apology may enable LA to show his face in public, but I don't think he would have hero status; certainly not in the minds of the people, and probably not even in his own mind, which matters a lot to a guy who loved nothing more than being the man.
4) Confession with Conditions Ripe for Redemption: All the reports thus far say that LA is considering speaking with authorities if there is potential for his lifetime band from competition to be reduced...this is the golden nugget in my opinion, and gives Lance a chance to continue his fight even after admitting he doped. The story will change slightly from "I never cheated" toward "Everyone was doing it and I am really the best against a level playing field," but the point is it allows LA a big huge "but" each time he says "I cheated." More details on what I mean by this in the next points...
5) Hey, I was Pretty Good at this Triathlon Thing: Say what you want, but when LA entered the sport of triathlon, he showed potential promise at racing long-course events; enough to draw Macca and Crowie back to Kona (in their own words). I can't stay definitively but I highly doubt Lance was doping during his recent return to triathlon; it would have been downright stupid given the level of scrutiny and testing. If he was not in fact doping during the return, then one could say Lance was a FOP professional triathlete clean.
6) Confession that Lets LA Race Triathlon Gives LA a Chance At Redemption, At Least in His Own Mind: I would bet that LA's thought process may go something like this: "Well, I'm certainly damned right now, but c'mon, everyone in the peleton was doing it. I can tell the public that everyone was doing it and I was the best against that level playing field, and then train my ass off and try and win/place highly at Kona to be able to show the public that I am the best against a clean -- God, I [Brad, the author] hope so anyways -- playing field too." This at least allows LA to be a hero in his own mind, and will help him sleep at night because he can still tell himself he is the best before his head its the pillow.
A lot of folks have said that LA wants the conditions because he loves racing and seeing himself ranked against others, but I think it is actually because he think he has a legitimate chance of winning in triathlon and using that as his "but" after he has to say he cheated.
Potential Problems: Aside from everything logistically and legally (e.g., civil suits against him, etc.) there are a few other problems with the above theory.
- Personally, I think it is a long-shot that LA can really compete with the top dogs at Kona. Triathlon is not a 112 mile time-trial, and running a marathon after biking for 112 miles is different than running a hard tempo run after 56 miles (the latter, something LA showed us all that he was pretty good at).
- Even if Lance were to do something so crazy as win at Kona, what about the compounding effects of his doping? Again, I'm not an expert, but I bet some experts will say that what he was able to do while doped up in training years ago triggered physiological adaptations that still help him today in a clean state.
- Finally, while this may give him a chance to be the best in his own mind, I think those that have closely followed the sport and subsequently this saga will have a hard time taking any confession seriously when LA did things like this on Twitter after the evidence was made public
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
5 Simple Food Rules for Endurance Athletes
It is the time of year when triathletes all over are emerging from their "shutdown time" or "off-seasons" (which, let's be honest, are really off-weeks for most of us) and getting back into training. Personally, between the structure of my race schedule for next year and a minor hip injury, I was off for a bit longer than planned, and have emerged with significantly more of me than I would have liked. While this is a minor problem that can be alleviated with a month of solid aerobic training and somewhat selective eating, it forced a pause for reflection and got me thinking about my nutrition more broadly, which I identified as a limiter last year. Long story short, I ate a lot of the wrong foods at the wrong times. I'm sure that this compromised both my workout prep and recovery, and thus had a sub-optimal impact on my performance over a season.
There is so much out there re; nutrition for endurance athletes that it can actually get a bit overwhelming, but I really think it can be boiled down to a few simple rules. Stick to the below and by-and-large, an athlete should set themselves up for both performance and good health. In the spirit of full transparency (and because I am marrying an attorney) I have no formal background in nutrition nor certifications in the topic. These rules are just my take as an athlete trying to make sense of all that is out there and to make it as actionable as possible. Also note, while simple to write and speak about, these rules can be quite hard to follow.
Rule 1: Don't eat sugar unless it is immediately before, during, or immediately after a workout...or, if the source of the sugar is a fruit. Yes, there is some sugar in good-for-you foods like Greek Yogurt which is fine, but I'm talking about the Lucky Charms kind of sugar and the fruit-on-the-bottom sugar...cut that out...
Rule 2: When consuming carbohydrates [especially grains], attempt to eat only true whole grains/foods such as brown rice, quinoa, non-processed breads, potatoes and unlimited vegetables. If you are going to deviate from this, do so sparingly, and ideally, in the meal following a long training session.
Rule 3: Attempt to meet all caloric targets by 90 minutes prior to bed-time. There is nothing wrong with a late-night snack, but keep it small, and ideally, something slow to digest; e.g., casein protein which is in yogurt [or can be purchased in powder form] with some fruit.
Rule 4: Count calories, but not all the time! It is good to "obsess about calories" but *only for short periods of time* so that you can uncover weaknesses in your diet. For example, I found that I can get into ruts where I eat 50% of my calories after 7PM...not good...big violation of Rule #3.
Rule 5: If you are intentionally trying to lose weight, be smart and very scientific about this. Timing is everything, and weight-loss cannot be separated from periodization in training. Remember that while lighter can mean faster faster, stress fractures, illness, and chronic fatigue are always slower...
There you have it. Nutrition in 5 simple rules. Note that this is separate from "fueling" which is what you consume during workouts, and is actually far more complicated in my opinion.
There is so much out there re; nutrition for endurance athletes that it can actually get a bit overwhelming, but I really think it can be boiled down to a few simple rules. Stick to the below and by-and-large, an athlete should set themselves up for both performance and good health. In the spirit of full transparency (and because I am marrying an attorney) I have no formal background in nutrition nor certifications in the topic. These rules are just my take as an athlete trying to make sense of all that is out there and to make it as actionable as possible. Also note, while simple to write and speak about, these rules can be quite hard to follow.
Rule 1: Don't eat sugar unless it is immediately before, during, or immediately after a workout...or, if the source of the sugar is a fruit. Yes, there is some sugar in good-for-you foods like Greek Yogurt which is fine, but I'm talking about the Lucky Charms kind of sugar and the fruit-on-the-bottom sugar...cut that out...
Rule 2: When consuming carbohydrates [especially grains], attempt to eat only true whole grains/foods such as brown rice, quinoa, non-processed breads, potatoes and unlimited vegetables. If you are going to deviate from this, do so sparingly, and ideally, in the meal following a long training session.
Rule 3: Attempt to meet all caloric targets by 90 minutes prior to bed-time. There is nothing wrong with a late-night snack, but keep it small, and ideally, something slow to digest; e.g., casein protein which is in yogurt [or can be purchased in powder form] with some fruit.
Rule 4: Count calories, but not all the time! It is good to "obsess about calories" but *only for short periods of time* so that you can uncover weaknesses in your diet. For example, I found that I can get into ruts where I eat 50% of my calories after 7PM...not good...big violation of Rule #3.
Rule 5: If you are intentionally trying to lose weight, be smart and very scientific about this. Timing is everything, and weight-loss cannot be separated from periodization in training. Remember that while lighter can mean faster faster, stress fractures, illness, and chronic fatigue are always slower...
There you have it. Nutrition in 5 simple rules. Note that this is separate from "fueling" which is what you consume during workouts, and is actually far more complicated in my opinion.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Product Review: Kiwami Triathlon Race Suits
I want to start by giving a little background about my relationship with Kiwami Triathlon. At the end of the 2011 season, I had started to follow another strong amateur named Bill Robertson; he is an accomplished racer and also an accomplished writer. I noticed he was supported by a company called Kiwami, which at the time, I knew little about. After exploring Kiwami's website and getting into a pair of their tri shorts, I was sold on having them create and customize my race kit. That said, at the time I was still a grad student and my budget was tight. I reached out to Andre (Director of Kiwami USA) and explained my situation, as well as my goals as an aspiring athlete, my credentials as a writer, and my broader involvement in the triathlon community. He saw that there could be mutual value in forging a partnership, and thus agreed to help me out with my kit. Since then, my relationship with Kiwami represents [to me, anyways] the quintessential partnership between an aspiring amateur and company; Kiwami has helped me out with my apparel needs, and at the same time, they have sought continuous advice from me on how to improve both their product and presence in the United States market.
Kiwami is dedicated to continuous improvement and excellence. In that spirit, when I started hearing [more and more often] a similar theme from prospective customers -- "I really wanted to try Kiwami and have heard good things, but the descriptions on their website stink and do not really differentiate between the products, so I went with something else" -- I approached Andre and shared the news. After some quick review, it didn't take us long to realize that they were right; the product descriptions available on the internet were not very telling. So, thanks everyone for your feedback, and consider this an effort to act on it! I was instructed to put the latest and greatest Kiwami racing gear to the test.
What follows is a product review of Kiwami's most popular two-piece triathlon clothing. Consider this Part 1, with Part 2 coming shortly to cover the one-piece options. Everything is broken down into bolded sections for easy navigation. I start with some general topics which, since they apply to everything, I recommend you read regardless of what garment you are considering, and then go into specific products. Everything comes from my own experience training and racing in these tops and bottoms. Not that I would do it any differently, but I want to explicitly highlight that I got specific instructions to make this a "no BS write-up," so everything below represents my honest perspective.
Overall Experience: Obviously I am biased, but you would be hard-pressed to find another company that offers a better combination of quality and service. You won't find Kiwami in stores because they decided to sell DTC in an effort to keep prices in line with the competition while offering higher quality products; e.g., cut out the $$ that goes to the middle man, invest it in the product instead. The kicker is that while most DTC companies struggle with the customer service element since that is not their sweet-spot, Kiwami hits service out of the park. If you call the "Contact Us" number on the website, someone from their team will literally spend more time with you on the phone than your physician; going over sizing, your wants and needs, and then recommending the right product...only to have it shipped immediately and at your door 3-5 days later. The return policy is great, and now, hopefully the product information will be solid too! I will end this section by saying I realize you may be thinking "of course Brad is going to say Kiwami is the best quality, he is one of their athlete ambassadors and even admits he is biased." Against that backdrop, I want to point out that many World Champion athletes across distances ranging from IM to ITU Olympic events (including the Olympic medalist Brownlee brothers) choose Kiwami...and every company in the world is eager to send these guys and gals free stuff...
Customization: I could not find a better option anywhere, including my local T-shirt store. For between $5-$15 per logo, you can have pretty much anything printed. No rubbing, no peeling, and as little as a seven day turn-around, so this is perfect if you are rushed. You simply send in a vector style logo(s) with instructions on sizing and placement, Kiwami confirms it is workable, and boom, you have a kick-ass kit. This was put together in less than a week:
Kiwami is dedicated to continuous improvement and excellence. In that spirit, when I started hearing [more and more often] a similar theme from prospective customers -- "I really wanted to try Kiwami and have heard good things, but the descriptions on their website stink and do not really differentiate between the products, so I went with something else" -- I approached Andre and shared the news. After some quick review, it didn't take us long to realize that they were right; the product descriptions available on the internet were not very telling. So, thanks everyone for your feedback, and consider this an effort to act on it! I was instructed to put the latest and greatest Kiwami racing gear to the test.
What follows is a product review of Kiwami's most popular two-piece triathlon clothing. Consider this Part 1, with Part 2 coming shortly to cover the one-piece options. Everything is broken down into bolded sections for easy navigation. I start with some general topics which, since they apply to everything, I recommend you read regardless of what garment you are considering, and then go into specific products. Everything comes from my own experience training and racing in these tops and bottoms. Not that I would do it any differently, but I want to explicitly highlight that I got specific instructions to make this a "no BS write-up," so everything below represents my honest perspective.
Overall Experience: Obviously I am biased, but you would be hard-pressed to find another company that offers a better combination of quality and service. You won't find Kiwami in stores because they decided to sell DTC in an effort to keep prices in line with the competition while offering higher quality products; e.g., cut out the $$ that goes to the middle man, invest it in the product instead. The kicker is that while most DTC companies struggle with the customer service element since that is not their sweet-spot, Kiwami hits service out of the park. If you call the "Contact Us" number on the website, someone from their team will literally spend more time with you on the phone than your physician; going over sizing, your wants and needs, and then recommending the right product...only to have it shipped immediately and at your door 3-5 days later. The return policy is great, and now, hopefully the product information will be solid too! I will end this section by saying I realize you may be thinking "of course Brad is going to say Kiwami is the best quality, he is one of their athlete ambassadors and even admits he is biased." Against that backdrop, I want to point out that many World Champion athletes across distances ranging from IM to ITU Olympic events (including the Olympic medalist Brownlee brothers) choose Kiwami...and every company in the world is eager to send these guys and gals free stuff...
Customization: I could not find a better option anywhere, including my local T-shirt store. For between $5-$15 per logo, you can have pretty much anything printed. No rubbing, no peeling, and as little as a seven day turn-around, so this is perfect if you are rushed. You simply send in a vector style logo(s) with instructions on sizing and placement, Kiwami confirms it is workable, and boom, you have a kick-ass kit. This was put together in less than a week:
Sizing: Particular details will follow in the product-specific reviews, but generally speaking, all of the bottoms run true [if not a little big], and the tops seem to run small. For instance, at 6 foot and a broad 160, I am a Med short pretty much across the board, but an XL in some tops. Put simply, the tops are tight and short. While a large top would be workable for me in the shoulders, they tend to ride up on the midsection. I find that an XL doesn't ride up as bad, and at the same time, the material itself still clings to my body very well (e.g., does not catch wind, which is a problem I have had with many other tri tops). All of that said, my overarching [and highly personal] advice on sizing is to size up for comfort in training apparel, but size true for what you will wear on race-day. I say this because none of tops will ever be so tight that they are truly restrictive to the point that they would negatively impact performance, so in my opinion, it's always better to ensure a snug fit on race-day, since wind resistance is killer. If you want more detail on this, check out this great read and diagram that shows just how important a proper-fitting race suit is.
Durability and Drying: I group these together because they go hand-in-hand. If you follow the care instructions and hand-wash the garments in cold water and then air-dry, they will last you many seasons. But since I promised total honesty in this review, I will delve just a bit into what happens if you stray from the protocol. I have experimented (in a rush) with machine washing on delicate and then tumble-drying on the air-fluff (e.g., the most delicate) mode. I have found that this approach has not hurt the integrity of the material itself, but has lead to some peeling of the logo and any other print that may be on the apparel. I would advise you to follow this approach at your own risk, with an understanding that while it may be OK, it's far better off not to be lazy and handwash and air dry. Also worth mentioning here, all of the Kiwami products dry out extremely fast (easily overnight, even after 4 hour rides on the indoor trainer whcih all lead to heavy perspiration), and as a result, they don't hold nearly as much odor as other brands I have worn. I will often go 4-8 wears before washing.
Jammy Swim Bottom: Great swim focused item. More comfortable at the same price-point as comparables from the swim-specific brands. There is no padding in this bottom, so I would not recommend it for any distance above a Sprint, or maybe an Oly if the swim is non-wetsuit. Although I wear this in a Sprint, it's best use is daily at the pool for swim training. Sizing wise, I am in between a Med/Large here; cut goes right above my knee. Holds the upper leg tight so there is no drooping down. No neoprene or any other buoyancy creating devices, but there may be some "bubble-lift" created by the hydrophonic material they use; hard to experiment here because so much changes day-to-day in the pool, but in general I've noticed I am about one second faster per 100/m in these versus a traditional Speedo. Interesting to note that they won't dry [on your body] nearly as fast as the other bottoms, and that probably has to do with the "bubble-lift" trapping some water. I thoroughly rinse them in cold water after every use, and then use the "wringing machine" at the pool for an initial dry, and hang-dry over night. I'm sure they would last slightly longer if I didn't use the "wringing machine," but when I am rushed to get from the pool to the office, it is a must. I've heard mixed things, but expect anywhere from 3-6 months out of these before stretching of the suit occurs. The wide range depends on factors like how you rinse and dry, and chlorine levels in the pool.
Prima XC Top: The most important thing to note here is this top runs very small. At 6', 160lbs I am in an XL and even that rides up in the mid-section while running, so if you are a larger athlete be sure to size up here. The material on this top is interesting; it is legitimately water repellent (e.g., sweat rolls right off of it) which is incredible, but this causes it to be a bit stiffer feeling. Early in a race when you are dry it may not be the most comfortable top, but later in the day you will be very happy that you aren't water logged from sweat and aid-stations. Perfect for long-course hot weather racing where you expect a lot of perspiration and "water-over-the-head" aid-stations. If you don't think you will be wet, I would steer away from this and toward something softer so you can maximize comfort when waterproof isn't a priorty.
Prima XC Bottom: These also run a bit small, but not to the same extent as the top. I am a large here, so the range of sizing will cover pretty much all athletes. I would recommend sizing up, but it wouldn't hurt to call Kiwami prior to ordering these and go over your individual specs to minimize the risk of needing to exchange. In terms of material, see above [Prima XC Top] as it is the same. During a hot indoor workout on the bike, it was cool to literally see my sweat roll right off the shorts. The padding in this short is pretty built up; I would say closer to a true cycling short than most tri bottoms. That said, running off the bike in these was very comfortable; I had no issues with chaffing, rubbing, or padding impacting my stride. This bottom is a great option for all hot-weather races where you anticipate getting wet, or for IM racing where saddle comfort is key and the built-up padding becomes helpful. Also great for use as a a pure-play cycling short.
Prima Classic Top: While this top shares the "Prima" name, it is quite different from the XC. For starters, the Prima Classic runs much more true to size. I am in between an L and XL, and while I am comfortable in either, I prefer to train in an XL and race in an L -- following my logic in the sizing section that I want to optimize around comfort in training, and around aero-dynamics in racing. Even though the XL fits snug, I figure if a large doesn't ride up on my mid-section too badly, there is less likelihood that it will catch any wind at all. The other major difference between this and the XC is the material. The Prima Classic is much softer and smoother than the XC, but this comes at the cost of sacrificing water repellence; although the Classic is fast drying, it still carries some moisture. In practice, the Prima Classic top is great for athletes that 1) are larger and simply cannot fit in the XC 2) prefer early race comfort and are not concerned about carrying a little moisture later on and 3) cooler weather races where it is anticipated that the athlete says dry. If you don't anticipate extreme sweat and/or dumping water over yourself at aid-stations, I would go with the Classic over the XC in almost any circumstance; the material is that much softer. That said, in hot weather races, the Prima XC ends up becoming more comfortable by the end of the race since it literally does not carry any moisture.
Prima Classic Bottom: Same material characteristics as the Prima Classic Top above. For sizing, like most Kiwami products, size down one degree in the Bottom versus the top; so for the Classic, given I am in between an L and XL in the Top, I am comfortable in either an Med or L in the Bottom. The other difference between the Classic and the XC Bottom is the padding. The Classic has a slightly less built up pad, and the cushioning itself is made of a softer material. Personally, it is plenty of padding for me, and I prefer the softer material in the Classic versus the XC Bottom.
Quick Summary of the Classic Family: Larger athletes should look toward the Classic over the XC in all circumstances Size down by one degree in Bottom versus Top for both. Cool weather races where waterproof isn't a priorty I recommend the Classic full suit. In hot weather races, I recommend the XC, or a combination of the XC top and Classic bottom since I personally find that softness on the bottom and water repellence on the top are the most important factors. The other thing to keep in mind is specific to the shorts, and that revolves around athlete preference on the amount of padding; think of the XC as closer to a cycling short, and the Classic more similar to a traditional tri short. That said, I had no 'problems' running in either, just the Classic is more comfortable.
Twinki Bottom: This is a highly versatile short with sizing that runs true, and if anything, unlike most Kiwami products, these may even run a bit on the larger side. This short is made from a very soft material that although not water repellent, is extremely quick to dry. The padding is sufficient, but less built up than both of the Prima models. This is a perfect option for Olympic and HIM distance races, as well as for use as an everyday training short. The Twinki's strength is in the comfort it yields running off the bike. Of course this comes as a result of having less padding, but if you are an individual that doesn't need much in the way of padding, this could be your best option for any distance. It is also a bit more flexible than the Prima bottoms.
Tempo Top: Sizing runs true, although athletes may want to order up here as well. I am right in between a Large and XL, and like I point out in the section on sizing, during training I'll wear an XL, but at a Sprint Tri, I would want to be in a Large. This is a great "everyday" top in the sense that it is extremely light-weight, simple, and comfortable. While not water repellent, the Tempo hardly holds any moisture at all during workouts, and drys out within a few hours of even the sweatiest indoor sessions. The Tempo does not give the same attention to structural fit as either of the Primas, meaning that while it doesn't provide that extra level of compression, it does become a great choice for athletes with unique physiques that need some additional flexibility. Pairing this with the Twinki bottom seems to make a lot of sense.
***Note that this review will likely be edited over time to account for factors such as product-life and also to include additional products as they are released. Remember that "Part 2" will focus on one-piece suits and released shortly. If you have any questions or want to follow up on anything written above, don't hesitate to contact me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)