I had seen TRISLIDE at running stores and at tons of races, as triathletes use the anti-chafing spray on race day to avoid rubbing and blisters, as well as to simply make their skin slippery so the wetsuit slides right off. I usually don't mind a bit of chafing, since I'm out on the course for under 2 hours usually, but if you're doing an Ironman I can see how you'd definitely want to avoid chafing altogether. However, I do often race back to back weeks, and my first few races of 2010 left me with a cut on the right side of my neck from chafing caused by my wetsuit, since I always breath to the right in open water races. It's not a big deal to me, and heals quickly, but does get annoying if it's not healed by the next race. I sprayed TRISLIDE all over my neck the next race, and literally had zero chafing! Sweet.I first heard about TRISLIDE a year ago from one of the athletes I coach, Sean Harwin. He loves the stuff, and uses it under his wetsuit as well as on his heels to prevent chaffing from his shoes. Triathletes usually don't (and should never!!!) wear socks in races, and it's a waste of valuable time in transition 1, and without socks can come chafing on the feet from both cycling and running shoes. TRISLIDE is great for that as well on the feet. I first tried out TRISLIDE at the Boulder Reservoir Stroke & Stride race a month ago, at a Thursday night swim & run event we do just for training, often as our 2nd or 3rd workout for the day which is always fun and painful. Previously, I'd used Sport Shield and Body Glide. Body Glide may be the most popular product right now, and it comes in a deodorant type stick. For me, it's just not slippery enough, plain and simple, and that's my #1 concern, although most triathletes probably care more about the chafing issue. It may do the job with chafing, but it's just not slick enough to help the wetsuit slide right off your skin in transition. So..why not just use 1 product that does both! This is my first season racing as a professional triathlete, and I've definitely learned the importance of fast transitions. When wetsuits stick to your body and you just can't get it all the way off your heel or foot quickly, that's no good at all. I've found Sport Shield to be the slipperiest of the 3 products I've used and is great for this also. It comes in a roll-on stick. TRISLIDE is very close to Sport Shield in the 'slippery-factor', but not quite as slick. It's way more slippery than Body Glide, and I haven't become a big fan of Body Glide, and always wonder why people use it over other products. The spray can TRISLIDE comes in is super convenient and easier to apply than the other two. I often find the Sport Shield leaking in my bag, and somehow it always gets on my goggles leaving a filmy residue. TRISLIDE also can't melt, like Body Glide can, and does. There's no goey mess to deal with.. I learned this at the CapTex Tri in Austin, TX. My cell phone melted in my race bag it was so hot, and the TRISLIDE was nice in the spray can. Body Glide would have been a nice mess all over the place.
Another nice use of TRISLIDE, I've found, is it helps get your skin slick for pre-race self massage. I always grease up my legs prior to putting on the wetsuit, and do a quick 3 minute self massage of my legs to get the blood flowing. You can't really do this with Body Glide, and
Sport Stick is nice, although actually is a bit too slippery in this case to dig out the muscles just a bit. Again, the ability to spray on TRISLIDE is nice here. It also makes it very easy to get the wetsuit to slide ALL THE WAY ON. Getting the arms and shoulders of the wetsuit in the right spot is crucial, because if you don't you'll feel extra drag and tension from it while racing, and who wants more resistance in the swim from improper wetsuit fitting..TRISWIM shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion are other products I tested. My elite triathlon team swims at the YMCA daily throughout the week, with free shampoo/conditioner in the showers, which is almost always my #1 priority: cost. As a guy who probably should spend more time doing my hair (now that I have a girlfriend), I really don't care too much about what shampoo I use to be completely honest. Although I will say (and my girlfriend will too, as she points it out), my skin gets very chalky and white when I use the stuff at the YMCA. Good thing they have free lotion there too :). However, honestly the TRISWIM lotion keeps it moisturized a lot longer than the cheap free stuff at the Y. The TRISWIM shampoo and body wash definitely gets the chlorine out of hair better, leaving it not near as stringy feeling, as well as moisturizes the skin more. I really like the stuff, and you can definitely tell the difference from the cheap stuff at the YMCA. Go check it out at local running and triathlon shops all over, as well as www.sbrsportsinc.com. It's a great company that supports the triathlon community, and supports the Challenged Athletes Foundation as well!
-Ryan
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