It is that time where a lot of triathletes are getting close to their biggest race of the year.  As athletes look ahead to their race, one of the most common questions is… will the race be ‘wetsuit legal’?

When referring to ‘wetsuit legal’, athletes are looking to see if the water temperature will be cold enough, to enable racing in a wetsuit.  For Ironman races, this means temperatures where the water is below 76.1’F.

Many athletes crave the ability to wear a wetsuit, because they are not strong swimmers.  Wearing a wetsuit provides a lot of buoyancy and makes swimming ‘easier’ for those of us who are on the slower side.  While this is fine, I have adopted the approach that I need to be prepared to swim in a wetsuit or without one.

The swim at Ironman Chattanooga can go either way regarding wetsuits.  For this reason, I have been mentally preparing to swim without a wetsuit.  Then, if the race does turn out to be wetsuit legal, it will be a bonus.