Spirit of 78 Triathlon

Mustache

Mandatory for all athletes.

The least an athlete can do is show up at the Spirit of 78 Triathlon with his best mustache. The style is is hown choice, it can be the common mustache, the classic, the Mexican, the musketeer or the French, and the closer to the one used in the seventies, the better.

Beard

Taking the style a step further.

An alternative to a mustache is to grow a beard. Here, it is also up to the athlete to choose the beard that best suits their appearance. It could just be longer whiskers or a musket accompanying the moustache, it could be a full beard or a lumberjack beard.

Steel Bicycle

The ideal are bicycles from the seventies and eighties.

It is advisable to use bicycles older than 1999, normally with a steel frame, with the brake cables passing outside the handlebar straps. However, aluminum bicycles from this period can be used. The pedals, if they are made of ribbons or clip-on pedals of the time, the better.

Speedo

Sunga, slip, speedo, .

This is a piece of clothing that is mandatory for anyone who wants to belong to the Ladies & Gentlemen Club. In 1978 there were no trisuits and athletes competed in equipment that allowed them to swim comfortably. Swim trunks were the shorts of choice in swimming and were used in other activities. The trick in cycling, use lots of Vaseline.

Top

With straps, preferably above the navel.

Like the Speedo, the Top is essential to be a member of the Ladies & Gentlemen Club. In Hawaii the heat is constant, by wearing a sleeveless and short top they managed to keep their bodies cooler during the race. In October in Porto the heat is still felt, so this piece of clothing helps everyone who chooses to wear it.

Seventies Sneakers

Like in the 70s with little cushioning.

The sneakers of the time are just an option, at the time they don't have the cushioning that the current ones have. Its use should only be done if you are used of training in shoes without cushioning or barefoot shoes. Athletes that use sneakers with carbon plates will be excluded from the Ladies & Gentlemen Club, even with all requirements met.

Gears on the Frame

They force you to take your hands off the handlebars and divert your attention to the road.

It was only in the mid-90s that gear change systems on the handlebars were introduced, until then these were located on the frame, creating extra difficulty for cyclists, forcing them to take their hands off the handlebars and divert their attention to the frame. It is a requirement on bicycles of the period.

5v Compact Cassette

Let's see who is tough enough to accept the challenge.

In the 70s, there were few bicycles with cassettes with more than 5 gears and without being compact. Therefore, this is another requirement for anyone who wants to present themselves in the race as faithfully as possible to the heroes of 1978. As there are practically no pronounced climbs, using them will not cause any more difficulties in the race.

Food

When people still didn't think much about nutrition being a decisive factor in completing the distance.

This is a point that may be a bit controversial. In the 70s there were no gels, isotonic drinks or energy bars, athletes ate their everyday food. At Spirit of 78, few athletes opted for this solution. If you want to do this, talk to a nutritionist and practice your diet a lot.