Huub Archimedes 3:5 review, it works

I have been one lucky swimmer, if you can ever call me a swimmer. I am a typical triathlete, I have no swim background and now as an adult I am trying to find my inner fish. And trust me, that fish is well hidden. But back to why I am a lucky swimmer. I am lucky since I have had a chance to try both Huub Archimedes 4:4 and 3:5

This is how Huub is describing the difference.

http://www.huubdesign.com/science.html

 



3MM UPPER BODY MATERIALS AND 5MM LOWER BODY MATERIALS

85% of triathletes come to the sport from a non-swimming background and many suffer from low sinking legs in the water as they swim. Of course the buoyancy of any wetsuit helps bring the legs up higher but never before have wetsuits been designed specifically for these swimmers with a large buoyancy difference between the upper and lower bodies. Until you swim in one of these suits you won’t believe how high your legs can be, they will feel glued to the surface and your potential as a swimmer will be truly unleashed!

As we designed these sophisticated high technology suits, we increasingly moved away from neoprene towards new materials with properties of increased buoyancy and specified levels of stretch.



4MM UPPER AND LOWER BODY MATERIAL THICKNESS

Our 4:4 wetsuits are for the stronger swimmers who already have a great horizontal position and do not need the redistributed buoyancy of a 3:5 wetsuit. You’ll find perfectly distributed buoyancy to maintain the balance, harmony and efficiency of your stroke technique just as it feels in the pool. Like to use a bit of kick as you swim? No problem, these suits will let you do just that with a smooth natural action.

 

This is how I swim and guess what suit was the best for me?



Yes, for me the 3:5 is a better suit. Do not get me wrong. When I tried the 4:4 it was an amazing suit I had problem understanding that just move some rubber around it would be a difference. But for a swimmer with no swim background, the 3:5 is a kinder suit. It helps you to deal with your issues. To describe it in cross country skiing terms. The 3:5 is a ski that will make a lesser good skier ski better, the 4:4 is equal to skies made for the best. I could feel the difference and I could really feel that my body position was better in the 3:5.

 

Huub Archimedes is a well made suit. But any user should make sure they take the time to put it on correctly. It is not rocket science, but if you want to get the best out of the suit it has to fit, it is that easy. You would not start running without tying up your shoe laces or start biking without clicking in your shoes. Putting on a wetsuit is the same.



 

Good news, another week of good training

It is time to get serious; it is time to feel tired, to be hungry and to wonder if you will ever feel prepared. I feel all of them. With a big red circle around August 3 on the calendar, it is not hard to get motivation to get out the door and work out.

 

Over the last weeks I have done a good job. I know I am training less hours than most so I try to make every hour count. So where am I?



Swim: I am getting better and can swim longer in the same speed. I guess both my endurance and form has improved. It is kind of strange that the swim leg of Norseman is the scariest one for most participates. When you think about it, you are fresh when you start swimming, you will not be fresh when you have 10 miles left of your running.

 

Bike: I know I will never be a mountain goat but mixing up long and easy rides with intervals have pushed my biking to a higher level.

 

Running: You will not think about Sebastian Coe when you see me running these days. I am not running like a feather, but more like a diesel engine. I do not need to be fast on the run, but I need to be strong. Hopefully my long runs have given my muscles more than one reason to keep going.

 

But back to training, I am training between 11 and 14 hours per week. This is what I can do right now balancing work and family life. I think it is quite a bit and I am actually a little bit proud myself. Many long distance triathletes will call me a wuss and not serious. But that is the charm with triathlon, there is more than one way to the finish line, and with my way I will still remember the name of my son.

This is a journey and it is up to me to enjoy it. I have done a lot of good work, the last week was good, now I just need to keep going.

Where am I six and a half week before Norseman?

Norseman is creeping up on me; I am at the point of no return. With six and a half weeks left I still have time to get better, but most of my work is behind me. Do I feel confident? Not at all. I do not think you can go into a competition like Norseman and feel you have done all you can. With work and a family I want to spend time with (this is an important point) I do not have unlimited time to massage my own long distance ego. I have followed the program my coach Tony DeBoom has giving me as good as I can, and when it comes to prepare for long distance triathlon, he knows his stuff.

 

So what is Tony’s plan for me the last six weeks?

• Do not eat crap.


• Go to bed earlier.


• Make every workout count.

These are simple but genius guiding lines. Food is the fuel and better quality food will give me more energy. Also, by watching out for what I eat I maybe will lose some extra pounds. The body needs rest and sleeping is a good remedy. Getting more sleep is maybe the easiest way to get better performance. Also with six and a half week left I need to focus on every workout, make every day count.

 

But I always have to remember to enjoy the journey…………

I am now a Huubster (Huub Archimedes review)

Finally I got to test out my new wetsuit. Just like Alister and Jonny Brownlee I am trying to find a second here and a second there, so it is just natural that the three of us ended up in the same type of wetsuit. Well, that is of course nothing but a joke. While the Brownlees can swim I am a 42 years old triathlete trying to survive the swim leg with some dignity left.

 

So what is the difference between my now five years old entry level wetsuit ant the new one? Trust me, a lot. The wetsuit market has become a lot more crowded the last five years and new technologies has been tested, some has been kept other were just gimmicks. My old suit was a good beginner suit five years ago. The new suit is a modern state of the art suit in 2013.

 

The first thing that hit me when I got the suit was that it was well made. This is important since a wetsuit can take a lot of beating and should be made to take that beating. The Huub Archimedes can do that. The second thing was that the suit was not full of gimmicky stuff; it was made for helping you swim better and faster in open water. Sometimes functional is better.

 

When you put the suit on and you have the right size (Thank you Beth from Huub USA) you feel and look like a superhero. The suit’s design is cool and to enhance the design you will automatically keep your tummy in. But the best of all, the suit feels right. This is important, swimming in open water especially with a lot of others, waves, and chaotic surroundings you do not want to feel discomfort from your wet suit. A bad fitting suit will just add stress. For me the Huub Archimedes just felt right.



So did my positive on land experience match my swimming experience? YES, the suit works. Best of all, you do not think about the suit when you swim, it is not in the way. What is important with all suits is to take time to put it on the correct way. If you want to get the most out of your suit, make sure you put it on and adjust it before you zip it up (Check swimsmooth.com for videos). And the Archimedes is a lot better suit than I am swimmer. I was impressed with the comfort and fit, I also swam faster than I have done earlier and due to a good design and quality rubber, I could actually lift my arms over my head after the swim.



Conclusion: Huub Archimedes is a fabulous wetsuit.

Advice from Stuart Macleod (Norseman hero)

If you are a fan of Norseman and like me watched all the videos you can find on Youtube from the race you have most likely watched one with Stuart Macleod. He has not only been the star of the official Norseman's 10 years anniversary video. His support crew has given us three really good videos from 2010, 2011 and 2012.



 

From all the videos, my favorite moment is when Stuart is welcoming his friend Ian an the peak of Gaustatoppen. You can see how happy he is on his friend's Ian Brown behalf.

 

I reached out to Stuart and asked him if he would race this year. He will not race this year, I am sure he is going to enjoy Celtman or another race in his stunning Scotland. But Stuart gave to important advice.

• Don't forget to enjoy it.


• Never ever give up.

It is easily forgotten how privileged all us Norseman racers are. We build up to the race, travel to a different country and will get support from someone that is close to us. The journey of Norseman is there to be enjoyed.

 

Norseman is a long race and everyone will hit dark spots during the race. I will try to say to myself in Scottish, Never ever give up. I will keep moving, even if it slow, carried forward be everybody that support me and have help me to get to the starting line. Yes, I will never ever give up.

Here you have two of the videos Stuart is a part of.



[vimeo http://vimeo.com/14303223]