TYR Transition Bag Review

One thing on my Christmas List this year was a tri or transition bag. I had been using a very old backpack for triathlons during transition and just getting to transition to carry my gear.


Here is a link to the bag on the TYR website. It retails for $66.00
TYR Transition Bag
My review in summary:


Although I have not used the bag for a race yet, I give it a very high rating and am very happy with the bag to date. The main features I love about this bag:

• SIZE
• COMPARTMENTS -Internal and External
• WATER-PROOF BAG
• QUALITY AND VALUE
• COMFORT

SIZE

The bag is larger that I thought it would be based on a first glance on the website. It seems to have ample space for everything I will need to take with me to a race, including running shoes, bike shoes, swim cap, goggles, phone, keys, wetsuit, extra clothes, water bottles, towel and enough space for any extra clothes or nutrition.

COMPARTMENTS AND WATER-PROOF BAG

The best thing about this bag is the large number of compartments, both inside the bag and on the outside of the bag. As you can see from the pictures below, on the outside of the bag are great pockets with velcro closures for a phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses or other smaller items.

Also external is netting, meant for a helmet. If you have a larger helmet or an aero helmet, it may not fit in this designated space but it could also be attached on the outside with the clip attached to the bag.

The other great part is the waterproof bag that is detachable. It attaches to the inside of the bag and can be removed. I use this for my swimsuit, goggles and cap when I go to the gym. It's nice to not get the rest of the bag wet!

The bag zippers all the way down on both sides of the bag; unlike a backpack that usually only zips 1/2 way down each side, this bag zips all the way down both sides for easy insertion and removal of your gear.

At the very bottom of the bag is a separate, zippered compartment that was made for wetsuit storage. I haven't used this compartment yet but look forward to the day when I have a wetsuit to put in there!

Inside the bag are individual netted compartments, suitable for storing bike shoes, running shoes, dry swimming gear, paddles or clothes, nutrition and toiletries.  My swim fins also fit within the main section of the bag.  This bag has more than enough storage space for everything.

QUALITY AND VALUE

Keeping in mind I've only had the bag for a month, it does seem like a high quality bag. It really is more than I was expecting at this price-point.  Some of the other transition bags on the market retail for upwards of $100.00.  At my level, I'm just not ready to spend that kind of money on a bag and I'm glad I didn't -there is no need to!  I can't think of anything this bag is missing -it has everything I need and the material of the bag is nice, thick, and doesn't look or feel cheap at all. It will be interesting to see how it wears over time and if it holds up to constant use and abuse.

COMFORT

As you can see in the picture, the bag has nice, thick backpack straps, a chest buckle and waist buckle too. It also has a nice, sturdy handle at the top of the bag. I have been using the bag nearly everyday when I go to the gym to swim, spin or run on the treadmill. It works great! It is nice to finally have a bag that divides out my gear and I don't have to go digging around in one main compartment to find everything. It is a little large for the gym, a bit bulky but it still fits in the 1/2 size lockers without any problems.  I also put the bag on while riding my bike since there is usually a need to ride the bike to transition with gear. The comfort level was great -no issues or rubbing. The straps are fully adjustable so slipping shouldn't be a problem either.

What kind of transition bag do you use?  What features do you like best about it?

Happy training everyone! Stay healthy and make great choices!!

At the End of Week 3

It is Friday and this means I am nearing the end of Week 3 of my tri training plan. I must pat myself on the back!

Okay, maybe the pat is a bit premature. After all, I do have 17 more weeks to go until my race. No, I deserve it. This really is the most working out I have done in 10 years. The last time I worked out this much was when I was training for the San Diego Marathon in 2000. That was all running, strength training and Pilates. I was in the best shape of my life.

Fast-forward ten years, one move from San Diego to Colorado, a new job, a marriage, a now nearly four year old and other life moments and here I am. I like where I am but I can't wait to go where I want to be -completely fit, confident and ready to take on the world!

So I am still roughly following my tri training plan by Matt Fitzgerald. For any of you out there familiar with the book/plan I am following Level 4 of the 1/2 Ironman Plan. In part, I randomly decided to follow Level 4. I have always been the type of person that would sign up for and complete lots of races: 5Ks, 10Ks, sprint triathlons...but I never truly trained for them. Well, Level 1 of the plan is for those that want to be able to complete a 1/2 Ironman. I want to do more than just complete this race. I want to feel great doing it and establish a strong personal record. Based on these thoughts, I chose Level 4 since it falls right in the middle of Level 1-7.

To date I've been substituting my long weekend rides for a long, performance based spinning class at my gym. The spin class is awesome -very challenging and also quite educational. I'm lucky in that the instructors are both amazing and at least one of them has completed multiple Full Ironman races not to mention a plethora of many other races around the country. They are great resources and it nice to have access to such experienced athletes.

Speaking of spinning, the class is great because they talk about cadence and hill climbing and sitting in the saddle, getting out of the saddle and getting into aero position, throughout the class. Working on my cadence and even the awareness of my cadence and power is high on my list of things to focus on during my training. For previous races, I showed up with my bike, got on and biked. I never trained for the cycling portion. Sad, I know, but very true. I think I have the potential to be a pretty strong cyclist if I train right and put my mind to it as well. My goal is to maintain or exceed a 18.5 mph average. I'm hoping to beat this for my first 1/2 in May.

Today was an 1 hour 10 minute run at moderate intensity (I ran outside today on trails) and also got in around 1600 meters of swimming. Tomorrow will be another run -around an hour. I moved my plan around the past few days so we will see how I feel after doing a few days of back to back running for the first time.

Off to bed....we can't forget how valuable our sleep is, now, can we? Stay healthy!

First Week of Official 70.3 Training Done!

I did it! I made it through my first week of tri training for the Florida 70.3 Ironman on May 16th, 2010. The nice part about the first week is that I was on vacation the whole time. This made it much easier to get to the gym everyday or run outside to get in the time and miles. This week should be a bit more challenging since it is back to the daily grind and typical schedule with work, family, cooking and everything else in life.

I did feel pretty amazing all week. My body is not used to working out 9 times in a one-week period. This week has made me realize what a slacker I usually am about my workouts. I've realized that "working out" 3 times a week does NOT cut it at all! No wonder I still need to shed some pounds. No wonder I am not as fit as I want to be. By following the Triathlon plan this week, running for longer that I would on my own, swimming more total meters than I would on my own and by spinning and pushing myself more than I have in over 10 years -I realize that my own way of working out is not working! I don't push myself like I need to!

If you don't have a workout plan -GET ONE! I'm telling you -it will make amazing differences in your life. Would you do a swim or run Fartlek workout on your own? I didn't. Would you push yourself to complete more than you really feel like doing mid-stream during your session? I will now!

I did get on the scale today (Mondays are rest days for me) and after one week of working out like crazy I gained about 5 lbs. Not kidding. I'm not sure what is going on -I doubt I built 5 lbs of muscle in one week. I want to believe that I did not eat more due to the increase in training but I can't be certain. I did not count calories last week but think I need to for Week Number 2. Maybe I am kidding myself and did eat a bit piggishly to compensate.

So, for week 1 workouts -swam Wed, Friday and Sunday, biked on Tues, Thurs and Saturday. Unfortunately the weather was not great and besides one run workout outside, all biking and remaining runs were in a spin class or on the treadmill. The weather isn't going to improve this week either (highs around 10-20 F) so tomorrow my bike workout will be in a spinning class at my gym. I think spinning classes work me harder that I would bike on my own. Anyone else feel this way?

Have a great week and make great choices -stay healthy! See you next time!