Girl Gear Review: My Wildflower Race Outfit

Inside Triathlon Assistant Editor Susan Grant competed in the Wildflower Long Course Triathlon. Here, she reviews her race outfit from the event.

The Wildflower course may be known for the hills, but the festival is also quite the triathlon fashion scene. Knowing this, I knew my race day outfit for Saturday’s long course had to be both cute and functional. Keeping this in mind, I decided to go pink from head to toe with some killer shoes that would help get me through the rough trails of Lake San Antonio.

Danskin Women’s Printed Tri Tank Top ($56)

What really had me sold on this tank top wasn’t just the snazzy Hawaiian print, it was the handy dandy zipper on the back. The bike course has plenty of bottle hand-ups, but little fuel, so I needed lots of pocket space that wouldn’t let my gels bounce out. Danskin’s “Stretchfit Body” construction kept the tank top in place and chafe-free for all 70.3 miles, and I even got some nice comments from the San Luis Obispo frat guys manning an aid station who dubbed me “pretty in pink.” Sweet. Danskin.com

Danskin Women’s Triathlon 5” Tri Short ($48)

There’s nothing worse than realizing halfway through a long race that your shorts are uncomfortable. Luckily, I never had to face this dilemma in the Danskin Tri Short. The cute Hawaiian print along the sides pulled my outfit together and was also slimming (not that you really care about that stuff after mile 20). The two rear mesh pockets fit my Thermolyte capsules perfectly and made them easily accessible as well. I found the padding to be adequate through all 56 miles, but still light feeling and non-irritating during the run. Danskin.com

Pearl Izumi Women’s Peak XC trail running shoe ($115)

You know you’ve found a great pair of racing shoes when you notice how great they feel during the last three miles of a half Ironman. The seamless mesh was incredibly quick-drying, especially good when you’re getting sprayed by college students with fire hoses every few miles. Weighing in at just 7 ounces, these are the lightest trail runners I’ve ever seen, but yet the carbon rubber outsole offered maximum traction through the rocky hills on the course. Pearlizumi.com