Triathlon Training in Vibram FiveFingers: Gear Test
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 2:20PM 
The plan was to do approximately a quarter of the triathlon olympic distances for transition practice and to make sure all my gear was working properly. Well, I showed up at the pool with all of that TRI gear... At least that's what I thought. Opening my bag in the locker room, I found myself towel-less and tri-glide-less. What a way to start. Race day is never perfect, so why should training be any different. I may as well 'getter done.'
I set up my first transition in the change room and my second out where my bike was stashed. I left a duffel in the locker with my Bikilas and a shirt. My helmet and glasses were hanging from the handlebars of my bike in the front entrance. All I needed at my second transition was my running hat. It was time to get started.
In the pool, my wetsuit kept me sleek and buoyant. It took less time than usual to push through my lengths. Jumping out of the pool, I pulled down on my zipper, snagged the stuff from off my face and head, and, with that gear still in my hand, I pulled my sleeves off to entrap my cap and goggles snugly within. I pushed it into my bag, pulled on my shirt, dried my feet with paper towel, and pulled on my Bikilas. With a wider opening than the KSOs, they seemed to slip on with ease. The only problem was a couple of stubborn pinkies that needed some coaxing.
This was my first attempt at using the multi-sport mode on my Garmin 310xt. I first pushed start/stop in hopes of the watch switching to track transition time, but it merely stopped the timer. I started it again and guessed the lap/reset button would do the trick. I watched the display change from 'other' to 'transition,' so I figured myself a genius. Who needs instructions? Well, usually I do, but I forgot to thumb through them before this little adventure.
I headed for the bike, strapped my helmet and sunglasses on, and pushed the lap button on my watch again. It changed from 'transition' to 'bike.' I was feeling pretty good at 3 minutes of transition time and having my Garmin figured out. With a number of previous practices with the PYRO Platforms, I was able to easily slip my feet into place for the next 10 kilometers. After the first steep hill, I realized they were a litle loose, so I leaned over and pulled the velcro tighter. Apart from one de-railer slip, the biking went well.
Pulling back into the pool entrance, I dropped off my bike, exchanged my helmet for the light sun protection of a cap, and headed back out the door. The transition lasted less than 45 seconds... Off for my first run in over 5 weeks. Worried about re-injuring my foot, I tried to take it easy, but I couldn't help my 7:30 minute/mile pace. It felt good to be running again. My gait did seem a little rusty, but there was no pain whatsoever. I have to admit that it was hard to stop at just 2 miles, but my foot is probably the better for it.
All-in-all, the test run helped bolster my confidence for Saturday's race. Below is a list and some links to the gear I used and will use again in a couple of days:
All
- Garmin 310xt with Heart Rate Monitor - GPS-Enabled Training Device that isn't Afraid of the Water
- 2XU Comp Triathlon Shorts - A Garment for All Disciplines
Swim
- ORCA Equip Wetsuit - Voted the Best Wetsuit for Beginners by Triathletes World Magazine!
- Peak UK Neoprene Cap - Kayaking Gear that Doubles as a Warm Swim Cap
- TYR Swim Goggles - note: I use soap for anti-fog
Bike
- Trek 5200 Race Bike - Lightweight Carbon Frame
- PYRO Platforms - Streamline Your Transition Times, A FiveFinger Pedaling Option
- Louis Garneau SDC Helmet
Bike/Run
- Vibram FiveFinger Bikilas - Encourages a More Natural, Healthier, and More Efficient Forefoot Strike
-
Tifosi Logic Glasses - Cycling/Running Eyewear
Run
- Adidas Run Cap - because I don't have any other...
Related Posts:
Another Bikila Resource:
- Vibram FiveFingers is Here! (birthdayshoes.com)
Reader Comments (5)
Good luck man! I wish I was there watching you blow me out of the water.
You'll be there in spirit, I'm sure. It'll be hard to shake the memories of following your backside for so many miles on the bike and putting in a lot of swim laps together. Good luck with your race in a week. Don't let the Pros intimidate you :-)
It would be fun to watch you do all that stuffs..keep it up and push push more :)
Great to hear about the VFFs. But I really don't understand cycling in them. I'll be doing my first tri in a few months and plan on using my cycling shoes for cycling and my Bikilas for running.
The carbon fiber sole of the cycling shoe is just much better at transferring the power to the pedals.
Jeff, you are right about the more efficient energy transfer with high end cycling shoes. I don't own anything other than heavy mountain bike shoes, and I was hoping to also shave transition time by going from the platforms to running without the need to change shoes. I'm also very 'recreation' focused when it comes to triathlons. While the PYROs helped with the transition to running, the platforms were a bit off of perfect. I've seen other VFF users using clipless sandals with success and may give that a try. Perhaps a carbon platform that VFF would fit into??? Hmm.