What to wear: Triathlon

Last summer, when I decided to do a sprint triathlon, I wasn't too nervous about the race. It's not that I was cocky -- far from it -- I just knew that, regardless of how long it took, I would cross that finish line and feel fantastic. There was one aspect I was really nervous about though -- figuring out what to wear.

Whenever I looked at pictures of triathlons or saw them on TV, everyone was either wearing race suits specifically made for triathlon, which was well out of my budget, or sporty swimsuits, which is fine for swimming, but I don't have the confidence to run in front of people in a bathing suit unless I'm actually on the beach.

What I discovered is that you can wear just about anything you want. Ideally, you'll find a race day outfit that does the following:

• provides support where you need it (so ladies, make sure your top fits properly, and guys, same thing goes for the bottoms);
• dries in a timely manner;
• doesn't take a million years to put on, especially when you're wet (this was a big problem for me);
• and is reasonably aerodynamic.

Check out the gallery to see some examples of what you might want to wear. If this is your first race, I don't think it's necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on a specialty suit you'll never wear otherwise. However, if you're serious about the sport, you probably already know what works best for you, so if you have any suggestions, please share!