Of leotards, unitards, spandex,lycra and other skin-tight garments...

Triathlon Gear Lesson One - Tri Suits

A Triathlon suit usually comes in either of 2 designs - a 1-piece or 2-piece. They are made from very stretchable, but breathable materials - which usually ends up in a merry mix of Lycra, Nylon, and other proprietary 'skins' which have their own claim-to-fames. Tri-suits usually have zippers - some in front, some at the back - which, at the end of the race, are most often zipped down and stuffed with all sorts of sponges to help fight dehydration.

I just recently found out why, in longer distance events (like a Half Ironman or Ironman distance), racers prefer to wear a 2-piece - simply because it is easier to take a leak.

On your right is a sample of a Cervelo 1-piece Tri-suit. Lovely.

A tri-suit IS NOT A LEOTARD. It is ALSO NOT A UNITARD. For those who don't know any better, here's the 411 on UNITARDS and LEOTARDS...

According to Wikipedia a Leotard is a 'skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso and body but leaves the legs free. It was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1842–1870), about whom the song "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" was written.Leotards are worn by acrobats, gymnasts, dancers, thespians, and circus performers both as practice garments and performance costumes. They are often worn together with tights. There are sleeveless, short-sleeved and long-sleeved leotards. A variation is the unitard, which also covers the legs.'



Although some triathletes have been known to be acrobats in the water, and have been seen dancing whilst crossing the finish line, they DO NOT wear LEOTARDS.

A Unitard, on the other hand, is 'a skin-tight one-piece garment with long legs and sometimes long sleeves. It differs from a leotard in that a leotard does not have long legs. Superheroes are often depicted wearing unitards.






Although some triatheletes may be considered superheroes, they DO NOT wear UNITARDS.



A cycling bib is a 'pair of cycling shorts that are held up by a bib (integral suspenders/braces) instead of an elastic waistband. Pro and serious riders tend to prefer bibbed shorts over non-bibbed shorts, due to the discomfort that often occurs with an elastic waistband, such as tightness (digging into skin) and chafing. The bib part of the short is made of spandex and polyester with large sections of netting to help cool down the rider.'

Although some unitards may look like cycling bibs, cyclists DO NOT wear UNITARDS.

As a side note, Freddie Mercury (the legendary frontman of Queen) was known to wear alot of Unitards during their concerts (or were they really Cycling Bibs? :P).

Was Freddie Mercury an avid cyclist? How can we forget his song 'Bicycle Race' which came out in the album 'Jazz'. In the same album, he tells 'Fat Bottom Girls' to 'Get on your bikes and ride'. Avid Cyclist? Perhaps.

I want to ride my bicycle...I want to ride my bike...

Talk the talk, walk the walk. Next time you talk to, or about a traithlete or cyclist, do us all a favor and DO NOT use the words LEOTARD and UNITARD. Unless, of course, you want us to call you a RETARD.

End of Lesson One ;)

PS: Not all people look horrendous in UNITARDS and LEOTARDS. See below...

AAV Triathlon - October 12 2008

I arrived in AAV early, and had the chance to survey the 'famous' Ocho-Ocho bike route - which caused more than half the participants to be disqualified last Animo Tri. It was quite simple after all, that is, if you could keep track on which part of the bike loop you are on - fatigue does not help matters at all.

Got inked, got my race kit, and all was set. Luckily, I was given a corner spot - this somehow makes the transition area 'roomier' and makes it easier to locate. After preparing my transition area, all I needed to do was to warm-up (which I did not do). 'Start line stress' got the best of me, and the bathroom beckoned.

I started off in front - hoping to break away and miss some of the kicking and shoving which usually comes with a packed start. I got my rhythm after a few laps, and was in the zone (which is rare because I dread the swim). I had a perfect swim, except for the fact that I had to wrestle Alf for over almost 500 meters. I got out of the pool in just under 17:30 - way quicker than my usual swim time. Maybe the wrestling helped.

A quick transition, and off to the bike leg. I was riding my Cervelo Soloist (aka Sandy) for the first time (built the bike day before the race). I had not been training on dropbars for the past 6 months, so the feeling was alien to me. Levy aka 'Happy Hour' passed me during the last lap of the bike leg - I had been waiting for him to pass me all along. Except for the humps and the fact that somebody was drafting off me on the bike (You know who you are - Mahiya ka! Have some pride!), the bike ride was good. No excuses tho, I hit my target, finishing the bike leg in 1:00 flat.

Another perfect transition, and off to the run . I was feeling a bit dehydrated at this point, and I was beginning to fight cramps and a side stich. About a kilometer or two into the run, Phillip 'Foreign Runner' passed me too. I was certainly struggling. It was at this point that I realized my 'dream' of breaking the 2hr mark was not within reach. I dug deep but it was not enough. I bonked...

A run time of 42minutes brought the total to 2:04. I managed to finish 5th in my age bracket, and 23rd overall. What suprised me was that I posted a the 7th fastest swim split. I cannot complain about my time since it was decent, considering the fact that I had spent the past month vacationing.

Thanks to Hannah for full race coverage (despite her aching legs from her previous day's Half Marathon). Thanks to TEAM SUPER for support as well! You guys really ARE SUPER! Thanks to Vince for the parts :D

Congrats to the Winners, Suzi for finishing 1st in her age bracket, Levy for finishing 3rd and Phillip for finishing 4th in their age brackets.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Hello. This being my 'first' blog (I used to blog on Multiply, but have decided to change formats), I would like to introduce myself to those who will chance upon this blog.

I am Javy Olives. By day, I am a corporate slave, working as a Product Development Manager for Chikka. By night, I am a roadie/P.A. to my wife Hannah and her band SessionRoad. Somewhere in between, I find time to surf the net, listen to music, watch movies and sweat.

Sports has always been a huge part of my life. I have been competing since I was 6 years old. I have been fortunate enough to represent both La Salle Greenhills (during Grade School) and Ateneo de Manila (High School and College) for Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, Track & Field and Golf. I have been fortunate enough to train under great coaches and compete alongside top-notch athletes, whom I respect very much (Save this for another blog).

I love music - especially 70's rock. I married a rockstar, just to make sure that when I have kids, they would have some musical talents (no offense to my family but we DO NOT have musical talents).

Around 10 years ago, I was forced to quit competitive sports before what would be my last UAAP season. I had torn my ACL and miniscus on my left knee during training. That was the end of my sports 'career'. I chose not to have it operated. Somewhere along the line, I had also torn my right ACL. Simply put, both my knees are screwed!

Over the past 10 years, I have been doing less strenuous sports - like Golf, and the occassional ABL season.

A few months ago, I decided to accompany my wife, Hannah, to her first 5k run - the Mizuno Infinity Run. I promised to run alongside her, and I did. Since then, I have 'forgotten' (more like disregarded) the fact that I have bum knees. Since then, I have been swimming, biking and running my way to a healthier future.

I now join road races, triathlons & duathlons. I also quit smoking and drinking heavily :P

This is me. Welcome to my Blog!