Sounds Like I Need a Wetsuit

So I've registered for the "Score Clinic Triathlon" in Taylorsville on May 15th. It's a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike and a half-marathon (13.1 mile) run. The swim is a two lap rectangle in Taylorsville Lake. The bike course is "challenging but scenic" on rural roads passing through several small communities. The run course is an out and back with several challenging hills. Sounds fun, huh?

After talking with a few people that competed in this triathlon last year, sounds like the water is still pretty cold in May and everyone wears a wetsuit on the swim. I've discussed my view of wetsuits in the past. The rules state that if the water is at or under 78F, then wetsuits are legal. My beef with this is that 78F is warm water. The idea behind the wetsuit is to protect your body from hypothermia in cold water. Wetsuits not only keep you warm, but are also very helpful when it comes to swimming faster. This is why people wear them even when the water is comfortable (i.e. 78F).

At this point, I'm going to assume that I'll need a wetsuit come May. So which type of wetsuit is best? There are full sleeve wetsuits and sleeveless wetsuits. The sleeveless variety will offer greater shoulder flexibility, but your shoulders and arms may get cold without the added protection. You will be kept the warmest in a full sleeve wetsuit. Then there's the issue of cost. How much am I willing to dish out for a suit I might only wear a few times????

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT:
2:25 on the bike. Pretty steady pace throughout. I didn't push it too hard considering I felt a little twinge in my knee with every pedal rotation. I completed the workout, but I paid for it the rest of the day. My knee was pretty sore once it stiffened up...looks like the bike workouts might be on hold for a while!

TODAY'S WORKOUT:
Even though my knee was still a little sore this morning, I decided to go on a run anyway. The duration was cut in half at the advice of the PT. Had a good 7.40 mile run in 0:57:15 for a pace of 7:44 min/mile. My knee felt good after about a mile or so. However, once I quit running, it tightened up pretty quick. I'm starting to see a lot of swimming in my future until the knee heals up!!