I don't know man, but it is alot. Did Florida 70.3 this year, plus IMLP. Wife is doing LP and I am doing IM Moo. Plus, going to Clearwater next month for the 70.3 thing. She got a new road bike, I got a new road bike, plus I am looking at a new Tri bike. Coach is $100/mth, Pool/gym is $85/mth, I eat like a horse, I train 15 hrs a week....

Oh the horror....

But I love it. I feel great, she is happy, plus, what the hell else would we do?

---

--------------------------------------------------------
John Behme
Charlotte, NC

Next year I will spend in the $10K range. This includes a new bike, and IMFL. Some years are more than others.

---

This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time. - Fight Club
Industry Brat.

I figure next year I will spend $2000 or so. No big races are planned, just local stuff, so that $2K will be for a new frameset (Cervelo P2K), my annual fee for the sports facility and masters program, and a new pair of running shoes in the spring.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I've probably spent $10,000 on bikes and new equipment.

probably $2,000 on tires, chains, cassettes and other maintenance items.

probably $1,000 on race entry fees.

probably $2,000 on costs related to travel to races.

probably tens of thousands of dollars in cost of manhours lost lurking and posting on Slowtwitch.

But what it's returned to me is ... priceless. Worth every penny.

And I'm in a happy place now with my equipment, so next year should be easier on the wallet.

I don't want to know.

---

----------
Fortitudine Vincimus

Assuming no new bike frame...probably about $1000 for tires/chain/maintenance, nutrition, running shoes, running shirts/shorts, etc.

---

---

I would NEVER want to add that up!! :-)

I was just looking at that in Quicken yesterday.

• Cycling $2,800
• Nutrition $300
• Race Travel $1,300
• Race entries $2,200
• Running $200
• Shared Apparel $300
• Swimming $350
• Other(cross-training) $200

Total around $8,000 for the last 12 months

---

Swim - Bike - Run the rest is just clothing changes.

I'm just converting to Quicken and decided this is one thing I need to track. I'm still inputting & sorting data from 2006, but it's not looking good. It really was a wake up call as to how much I spend. And 2006 included no HUGE expenses like an IM or a new bike, just the basics of racing, training, keeping up with equipment, gym fees, workout clothes, etc. Way less than $25,000 but way more than I realized.

---

----
Suffering on the the bike is always more fun than suffering on the run.

And people wonder why the 18-24 age group is so small. Seriously. I'm a 22 year old student and have to do my tri's on a second hand steel frame. Even then, there are so many expenses associated just with training that make this sport inaccessable to many people my age.

even with hard core penny pinching, i probably made it though the season spending about $1500-$2000

---

___________________________________________________
Team Medique Powered by Silber Investments

want to race as much as you want next season, get a few bike trinkets too, but still save 80% of your costs? ask me how.



(answer: save some big bundles of cash by not doing any ironman-brand races.)

---

---

Where would you want to swim ?

I'm in the same position, stuff is expensive! Bikes especially, but I'm working on convincing my parents to help me buy one and call it my xmas gifts.
On the other hand, the benefit of being a college student is that I'm not paying for pool time or coaching (college coach coaches me, separately from his running teams). Pool time is expensive, apparently!

To answer the original question... I have nooo idea, and am not even sure how to go about estimating it.

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

want to race as much as you want next season, get a few bike trinkets too, but still save 80% of your costs?

No because the more you spend, the faster you are, right?

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__________________________________________________

You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

"And people wonder why the 18-24 age group is so small. Seriously. I'm a 22 year old student and have to do my tri's on a second hand steel frame ... "

Conversely, they wonder why the 45, 50, 55 year old folks can be so strong. Many of them are at a place in life where the kids are gone, the job is settled, they have time to train and money for the best goodies. (Experience talking ... oh, except for the strong part.)

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Bob C.

The "science" on any matter can never be settled until every possible variable is taken into account.

after ice hockey.... triathlons really aren't that bad..


Grant

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Grant
----------------------------------------------------
Proudly sponsored by Desoto Sports
Please Support CAF every little bit helps http://raceforareason.kintera.org/grantreuter

Wife and her greyhounds: 250-400/mo

Matt and his triathlons: 3500/annual (Bought a new bike)

Wife and her triathlons: 75/mo

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Matt Amman

[reply]after ice hockey.... triathlons really aren't that bad..


Grant[/reply]
I know nothing about ice hockey (although growing up in NY with a last name of Esposito, I was forever asked if I was related to Phil and Tony). What make it so expensive?

Ice time mostly.

My first travel season oct-march or so was 1200 just for ice time. then everyother weekend we had a two night hotel stay + travel expenses. so another 100-300 every other weekend depending on where we stayed just on hotels.

then i had spring league and summer league which were another 400 a piece.

So it starts adding up thats not even counting equipment and hockey sticks that i went through.

Grant

---

Grant
----------------------------------------------------
Proudly sponsored by Desoto Sports
Please Support CAF every little bit helps http://raceforareason.kintera.org/grantreuter

I spend about $500 year on entry fees and ~$400 replacing equipment (running shoes, bike tires, chain). I've found penny pinching is very relative, and there will always be someone cheaper than me and much more frivolous than me in the exact same circumstances. But it's no wonder not many people sign up for IM's our age. I'm fortunate to work for a bike shop to offset some costs.

A lot. But most of that is travel costs and I'd travel whether I raced or not. It's all what is important to you.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I agree. Its no wonder the 18-24 category is so small, how could I ever afford the IMNA entry fee? I am a grad student(I study the association between colon cancer and type 2 diabetes) with a pathetic stipend and I can barely afford to train. I was lucky that my parents bought me a new road bike this year as an undergrad graduation gift, but last month I had to halt my running training until I sold more of my used textbooks. Then I could buy shoes to train in!

"people wonder why the 18-24 age group is so small."

I was talking to Litespeed Smith about that a few days ago. He's 19 and has a Litespeed Blade and Blue Rc4. He also took the past year off to work before going to university so he could purchase these nice bikes.

LS was telling me the university that he wants to attend next year has a tri club with about 100 members and 90% are female. We concluded that young women are probably much more willing to show up on old clunker bikes that fit within their student budget than are the guys. The toys are more of a male ego thing and when young guys feel they can't afford the coolest bike, they stay out of the sport altogether in many cases.

LOL. Last year at the end of undergrad I had to donate blood plasma a few times to get money to buy new running shoes so my feet would stop hurting me. I'm a grad student now, so I can't sell these textbooks like I could in undergrad!

I like your practice of tracking this in Quicken. I will probably set this up in Excel. In any case it is an excellent way of getting out of denial about how much we're spending. Thanks for the idea.

I'd guesstimate $10-12K this year

over 25K?? wow, that seems excessive.

Counting the new bike ($2200) I bought last November, I was at around 4k for the '06 season. I only did 2 races due to an injury and knee surgery over the summer though.

for '07, here is what I'm planning on.

• entry fees ($6-700)
• travel (big chunk towards renting an RV for Wildflower) ($2000)
• specialized nutrition, i.e. cans of InfinIT, gels, bars, etc. ($300).
• misc bike stuff, i.e. tires, bar tape, a repair stand and some tools to complete my home workshop ($400)
• apparel...some new DeSoto 400 mile shorts, a pair of jammers and a bike jersey or 2. ($200)
• running shoes, 3 pairs ($300)
• masters swim ($240 for the year)

Just over $4K total. I don't have a coach. I only plan on racing locally (driving distance) this year and already have the major pieces of gear that I need. With the exception of race wheels, powermeter, and an aero helmet, that is. Which. depending on Uncle Sam and my tax refund, ight be in the cards this year.

Could I afford to spend more? Yeah, I could, but to your point, it would be to the detriment of other things in my life...i.e. kids pre-school, retirement/college savings, nice dinners out with my wife, real vacation (no racing), living in a nice house, etc, etc.

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__________________
JP

my twitter feed

This last 12 months it has been WAY too much!! Lessee:

new bike $2k

fitting + parts $250

saddle $100

trashed front wheel driving over it w/ car (w/ <60m on it :-p) $125

PT SL w/ cover, etc - $1300

new base bar - $75

tires/tubes - $150

Tri club membership - $200

Race entry fees, various - ~$1400

IMLP lodging, gas, food, etc - $800

replace fork after bike blows off roof of car going to IMLP - $425

new wetsuit - $400

Doug Stern swim lessons - $300

Health club membership - $360

Y pool fees - $300

race and training apparel - ~$400

shoes - $225

training plans/TP.com/CP software, etc - $350

625x HRM - $275

race/training nutrition (Infinit, recovery, Gu's, etc) - ~$600+

Travel to Kona, lodging, rental car, etc etc etc - $5k+++

Visiting Hawaii, competing at Kona - priceless*

(*although it took well over $15k to make this priceless thing happen)



Is it to the detriment of other things in my life? HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Well, yeah, I coulda plunked all that $ into my daughter's 529 plan, sure. But her Daddy woulda gone insane if he couldn't train. And her Daddy is an IRONMAN now too :-)

That being said, this was a one shot deal for me. '07 will be an IM-free (hence Kona-free) year for me, so the tri-related expenditures will be a tiny fraction of what I blew on it this last year. And, many of the larger ticket items are one-time capital expenditure purchases (bike, PT, HRM, wetsuit) that I will have for many years to come.

All things considered, it was a relatively "cheap" mid-life crisis management tool; much less expensive than a sports car and/or an extramarital affair and subsequent divorce :-)

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float , hammer , and jog

Not even close to your 25K but quite a bit when you add trips, although part of that can be considered under the "family vacation" category. Next year hopefully is a "new bike" year so that will add thousands to the equation but I personally are planning on doing less of the sprint races that are $50-60 each.

Peace

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______________________________________
"Bros b4 Hos, man" House MD

Team Aquaphor 06-08

I'm with Greg..although I haven't done an IM yet in any case, I search for cheap(er) races or package deals. I have a wife, two girls with way too many expensive activities, and other priorities for my budget, so I'm forced to be creative.

This year I paid $250 (I think it was) for a season package from Sommersports to race in Clermont. That included about 6 races (sprints and Olys), finishing with the FL Challenge half later this month. That was dirt cheap! When I can, I either drive down the morning of the race or stay in a homestay for $20/night.

Other expenses:

Used Calfee Tetra Tri: $500

race wheels (used Rev-Xs from the classifieds here): $200

PT Pro, complete with nice Bontrager Aero Lite rim: $500

Probably $500 in other bike expenses, including parts to build a new road bike that's not done yet. I did the 6 Gap Century last weekend on a 28 lb., $200 steel Windsor Leeds road bike.

I pay $80/mo for the YMCA, but that's a family membership and my whole family uses it regularly, so I consider that cheap. I swim at the YMCA and at a free city aquatics center that's near my work.

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Kendall Frederick

Orange Park, FL

As a member of said tri-club, as well as a 22 y/o grad student, and having done this sport for the past 6 years.. if you want to make it a priority, money should not be an issue.
I pay for all my own racing/training/equipment, however I have been lucky in that my parents do well enough to pay for my tuition through undergrad. I have several good friends who do not have that however, and still manage to make it work. I rarely go out drinking, I eat well, but stay away from most junk food (costs alot), have a reasonably cheap apartment, worked every summer of university, as well as having a part time job during the school year. My parents contributions to my triathlon career have been a $400 bike when I started (grade 11), and race fee's till grade 12, as my graduation/birthday present they paid for an airplane ticket so I could go train in victoria for 2 months.
I have managed to upgrade my bike twice since then, both time buying a used bike, and selling my old one, but its still not top of the line.. 2004 cervelo soloist with 9 spd ultegra. I have a coach who helps me on a pro-bono basis, I swim on the university swim team, run on the cross team, and bike with the locals..
- I have seen many beginners with crappy (in terms of this board) bikes, and I don't think its a question of ego, I just think its a priority thing..
My totals FYI..
national center fees (6 weeks)- 200
race entry - ~250-300
OAT fee - 40
Running shoes - touching on almost 600 now
Bike equipment - new cassette, chain, 4 tires - 140
1 running short/2 pairs socks/gloves/toque - 80
3-4 things of gatorade powder
10*oatmeal to go bars - 50
can't think of anything else.. I usually buy everything on sale, no special nutrional stuff..
I guess I'm saying that if you make it a priority, it can be done.. thats all

Oh, one other factor, for those of us who are self-employed, is how triathlon affects our income.

In my case, I have started to admit that it negatively affects my income. One, I am training more, and working fewer hours, thus reducing income. Two, I have cut down on conference-going and meeting-going, in order to free up both more time and more money for triathlon. Conferences, for me, are a way of meeting people who might hire me in the future. So, that will affect my future pipeline of income.

Not saying it was a good business decision. It was a BAD business decision. But, after you work for yourself for a few years, you get freaking sick of focusing on your business. You just want to invest in yourSELF. That is what the triathlon has been about - a rebellion of sorts. Me before my business.

I don't know how I could spend $25k on this...or any other hobby. Between races, airfare, and bike maintenance, I figure around $2k.

I guess it all depends on how much one wants to have the best gear, coaching, and equipment. I'm comfortable on my bike and have no desire to change. I'm not good enough to merit race wheels and other such equipment that can marginally improve performance. But I could see if you got an uber-bike, race wheels, aero helmet, computrainer, coaching, hi-end apparel, did a bunch of races...you could spend a lot more.

This season, I anticipate spending around $500:

• Triathlon Wetsuit: $200
• Running Shoes and other clothing: $100
• Entry Fees: $160
• Parking at races and expos: $20
• Triathlon Club Membership: $20

---

"Real winners aren't content with yesterday's victories"

Doing two Iron distance races in the past two years has cost me dearly... I'd say between 2003 - 2006 I've spent close to 20k that includes a new 5k bike back in 2004... Has it be detrimental to anything else... the answer is yes... My wife believes that if we can afford to due IMLP with the whole family then we should be able to do a Disney Cruise with the 3 kids.... My response to that... We just spent the vacation money on IMLP;-) However, the wife may divorce me if we don't book that trip soon.

2007 season I will be racing on a budget... No new "toys"... I have everything and more. I will be sleeping in a tent at Mooseman & Timberman... I'll be sneaking into YMCA's to swim... Basically, I'm shooting for less then $1000 which will be race fees, gas, camping grounds.... Gels/Gatorade/Cliff Bars may put me over that number....

I wish all bicycle retailers could read this thread, as some of them "still don't get it. Although traithletes use Quicken to calculate their expenses, they are very liberal in spending $$ on this sport.

If the same question were to be asked on a Road Bike forum, instead of calculating carbon fiber and $500 entry fees, they would be adding up the jars of peanut butter and jelly they spent for their nutrition as their big expenses.

Hooray for the likes of Mission Bay who caught on to this whole triathlon thing early on!

the funniest thing about my sepnding habits is that they compound. i might not have bought race wheels, but after a new bike they didnt seem expensive any more. same for different nutrition, tires, a fuel belt, or whatever other crap i decided i 'needed' that week. i cant imagine how many times i have said "i spent 400 on the race, what $XX for this YY". i thought skiing was expensive...

Great after reading this I think I need a second job. It looks like I'll be doing about 3 - 5 out of state races next year. I was thinking about getting a tri bike and race wheels. Add in all the other junk I buy and I could spend 6-8k easy.

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~~~ ><)))))))))))))))))))))))*> ~~~~~ ><}}}}> ~~~~~~
Marc

http://www.triformore.com

[reply]Entry Fees: $160 [/reply]

Wow.

Here in northern CA, that buys, what...One to two races a year?

I'm trying to be better, sign up for affordable races run by outfits such as Sky High and OYM.

But, just one half ironman or Escape from Alcatraz puts you over the $160 mark around here.

That's so true.... After spending 5k on a tri bike, dropping 1k on a road bike frame was a drop in the bucket... Dropping $400 on a wetsuit this year didn't seem that crazy... but 3 years ago spending $125 was a lot of money... It's marketing at it's best.

This was an expensive year, but next year will probably be similar if I get a new road bike (Soloist?) and or cross bike.

entry fees (~ $550)

travel (~$1500)

specialized nutrition gels, bars, etc. (~$600).

misc bike stuff, i.e. tires, tubes, Cyclops trainer, chain, aerobars, 3 race wheels, bike shoes, pedals, cassette, night lights, some tools ($2700)

apparel...including winter wear. ($330)

running shoes, 3 pairs ($300)

YMCA fees ($360)

P3C ($4600)

10 hours per week training plus extra for travel/logistics.

My kids are out of the house and I now have more time to get fit. No detriment except for less time with my wife. This last two years have been exceptional. I feel much more alive and excited about life since loosing 50 pounds 4.5 years ago and getting in great shape. The competition is great and helps keep me motivated.

   I'm going to focus on tri this year, and it is extra painful when coming from MTB racing. Even in local mtb racing you win merchandise in beginner and sport classes and get cash payouts in expert. The little sprint tris I have done left me with 75-85 dollar entry fees and a plexiglass award. Thanks for making me question why I am doing this again. :)

Ditto - I don't want to know.

This last two years have been exceptional. I feel much more alive and excited about life since loosing 50 pounds 4.5 years ago and getting in great shape. The competition is great and helps keep me motivated.

PRICELESS!!!

Spent a "butt load" on coaching in times past (swimming on deck private with a really GOOD coach), tri specific coaching with a World champ personally, lots of running shoes, and a FREE BIKE & CLOTHES.......but when it ALL comes down to it....best money spent is on good food and balance in life. Great bed sheets have always facilitated a good nights sleep and THAT is important to athletic performance!!!!! Food, sleep, and relaxation to balance good old fashioned HARD FRIGGIN WORK.

The money is not a problem. I've spent a lot but I'm single with no real obligations, and it was worth every penny to get healthy again.

Time is the real issue for me. There were periods this year when I trained 15+ hours / week, plus the travel time of getting to places to train. It was great, but I'm reevaluating my decision to do IMAZ next April because of what it will cost me to train for that race. My academic career is at a rather critical point, and I think my IM plans will have to be put on hold if I want to make it to the next level.

Then again, the training really helps with the job stress. I'm currently trying to find the right balance.

---

__________
there was no one chasing us... distance is its own reward.

as another member of the said team, you make a very astute comment about the females showing up on clunker bikes. we definitely do have some girls on some tricked out rigs, but the majority of our team is just raw talent and hard work on borrowed equipment or entry level bikes.
the guys are a different story, you'd be amazed who's riding what, even as students. interesting theory on the egotism in this age group, but the point stands true, esp. at races like IMC/Kona - holy shit tricked out rigs in the <24 AG.
i, like dave, have been lucky to have parental support for tuition, this frees up a lot of extra cash for buying stuff for racing and riding. bought 2 race bikes myself, as well as 2 commuter bikes (different cities). have been paying my race fees for the past 3 years (parents paid the first IMC race fee in 03, they were as excited about it as i was). i've been really really lucky to have my parents help out with room and board for most of the bigger trips (denmark, kona, IMC), but it's a pretty self-sustained habit. they covered everything growing up (hockey/football/t&f/waterskiing/snowboarding/etc), but tri was a post-HS involvement for me, so unlike a lot of the KOS athletes I've met back home, i'm pretty much solo in terms of capital investment. there are some <17 year old kids back home riding zipps and tricked out rigs...very supportive parents ;) (like Sergio M's son, it's a question of priorities and sport of choice).
and to second dave, it's not terribly hard to live cheaply as a student. pretty much all of my disposable income goes towards sport, i hardly drink, and rarely go out. it's great that many of my friends (almost all now...it's becoming a cult) are on the tri team, so we can hang out while keeping fit for free instead of going out to get smashed and spending $60/night drinking...

one of the things that I think also has to be mentioned about this sport is how cheap it is in comparison to many other "white collar" sports (and tri is definitely a white collar sport). the g/f sails...you can't buy boats for <5-10k, and those aren't even the big boats. other friends horseback ride...any idea what a good horse costs/year?
as a coach once said, this sport is like nickels and dimes compared to many.

---

---

"Anyone can work hard when they want to; Champions do it when they don't."

next year should be cheap...no IM's, and free road racing ($60 club fee covers ALL my road races)

in previous years:(cdn)
tri bike - 3500
road bike - 2200
powertap - 1700
IMC - 3200 (4 times, including charitable donation 2 years)
IMC room and board: 4000 (three years)
Denmark Trip: $15000 (3 people, 2 weeks)
Kona: 3000 or so...still sorting that one out
Local Races: 400/season
Bike Gear: 2000+??? (not really sure...it just kind of accumulates)
Commuter Bikes: 700 (and adding...still parting up one of them)

then there are the assorted travel costs, time costs, nutrition, and a whole whack of other stuff that i wouldn't even think to add in normally.

that said, i've got co-workers at the hospital that paid $50k last year to become a member of a golf course, and then pay $5k in annual dues for <30 games...
i think we get the better end of the deal

---

---

"Anyone can work hard when they want to; Champions do it when they don't."

I'm one of those fortunate women whose children are grown and prospering. My husband is fine & happy in retirement. I have free time for the first time in my LIFE! So we got a second place in Florida. Most of my big expenses were incurred this past training season. New bike $5K, that was the big one. Fees for 2007 already paid (HIMFL, IMFL). So next year should be easy, mostly for the coach $150/mo (he's good), swim coach $85 a session (she's great too), nutrition lady $$??? i dunno yet, gym memberships in one state or the other $50/mo, winter running clothes for up north, and the other big one is airfare per month to get down to FL, maybe $200 or so. Standard 40 hour week at the office, so no lost income like the self-employed guys (ouch that must hurt.)

You young college kids, I don't know how you pull it off. I didn't have two pennies to rub together when I was in grad school/law school. But this lifestyle sure beats my mom's post-kid years back in the 70s ... valium, Homemakers' club, and waiting for my dad to come home from work.

Scary to think about, especially since I'm 23, was unemployed for three months this year, and made minimum wage for the other months ... but in 2006:

Club/Association Fees: $120
Running Shoes: $400
Cycling Equipment, etc: $500
Other Equipemnt/Apparel: $300
Nutrition: $110
Race Entries: $800
Travel: $350
YMCA: $720

Total: $3300 ... not that bad to pursue your passion for an entire year.

Still, needless to say, my savings were depleted significantly. Hopefully 2007 will not be so expensive and I can't start saving for real-people things (like a house, etc)!

Coaching, trainer fees, Masters Swim $2,400
Gym fees 1,200
Computrainer 1,800
Wetsuits 600
Travel 2,500
Clothing 1,000
Entry fees 600
Bike stuff, goggles etc 1,000


About 11-12K a year, I suppose...

On the detrimental issue. I would also say that it is somewhat detrimental to my earning capacity as I should be at work right now. Instead I am here posting this message. I am actually considering selling my business so that I can train more. I don't know if that's a bad or good thing...

Swim Coach $750
Races $350(last year) $750(upcoming year)
Bike $1000(averagin out big and small years)
Travel $250 (last year) $750(upcoming year guess)

$2000-3500, Definately a significant chunk

My wife and I figure it costs $100/week just to be able to train and show up at races.

Add in toys, entry fees, and race apperal you've got a couple more k.

Just did the math and its looking like next year will be about $8K for races/nutrition/training/equipment.

Triathlon - $8K
Wedding/Honeymoon - $50K

Needless to say liquidity will be strained!

Is your honeymoon in a spaceship headed to the moon? 800 people coming to your wedding? That's an impressive sum.

---

____________________________________________________
"don't you know that slow is the new fast? :)" -Turtlegirl
"I'm not a Dr., I just played one with your mom...." Stallion1031

Cycling $2,800
Nutrition $300
Race Travel $1,300
Race entries $2,200
Running $200
Shared Apparel $300
Swimming $350

Qualifying for Kona......priceless.........

I wish!

---

I shall never misuse Rex Kwon Do
I shall be a champion of freedom and justice

This is exactly how I look at it. I grew up with an outrageously expensive sport, played that until college when I played another outrageously expensive sport for my college (golf), and now I'm with tris.

---

----------------------------------------------------------
Existence precedes Essence.

and it was worth every penny to get healthy again.

The healthiest I have ever been is when I would hike an hour per day, and eat healthy unprocessed foods. It didn't cost me a penny.

You really don't HAVE to spend anything to get either fit or healthy.

Nothing wrong with doing it but there are choices.

---

__________________________________________________

You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

So did you spend money on hiking shoes? On buying those healthy foods?

---

__________
there was no one chasing us... distance is its own reward.

The way I see it, things like the bike(and all the parts, fittings and clothes, etc), wetsuit, goggles and pool membership are the only expenses I would count.

I dont count the gels and nutrition, because I am going to eat food, no matter what I am doing. Instead of spending my Sunday spending my money on wings and pizza, it is spent consuming sports nutrition stuff, while I train.

As far as running shoes go, I dont count that either, because it's not like I am going to go barefoot, if I don't run. I have to wear shoes anyway, rather than another pair of casual shoes, I am strapping on a pair of Mizuno's. The same goes for tri related clothing. Since I spend a lot of time training, I spend less money on blue jeans and other casual clothes (since I spend less time wearing them) and spend that money on training and racing clothes.

Yea we spend some money on this sport, but we forget where else we would be wasting that money and time.

i tell my wife, "triathlon is cheaper than rehab!"

i am well over $25k this year.

Flights, lodging, rental cars at races in San Diego for the half, Wildflower, Coeur d'Alene and Kona.

Computrainer class twice a week. Monthly coaching fees. Once a week massage. Vo2 Testing. 2 one week training camps. miscellaneous $100 trips to the bike shop and Sports Basement...

Actually, I've always eaten pretty healthy and it's quite cheap. It's amazing how much processed food costs. I would eat the same whether I spent $20,000 on triathlons or not. As for hiking boots, I just use old runners.

My point however was in response to some who suggest you need to spend a lot of money to get fit and I don't think that's the case at all. There are some very fit and healthy people who have never done a triathlon.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL YOU ARE GETTING ME TO DO THIS EXERCISE!

LOL.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

If you are only spending 5% of your tri budget on entry fees, then you probably have a lot more gear than you need. Focus on what's important.

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"When I first had the opportunity to compete in triathlon, it was the chicks and their skimpy race clothing that drew me in. Everyone was so welcoming and the lifestyle so obviously narcissistic. I fed off of that vain energy. To me it is what the sport is all about."

This year I had major unexpected out of pocket expenses from knee surgery and rehab. Rough estimate for this year.

Out of pocket surgical and out patient fees and copays: $2500
Physical Therapy and chiropratic: $3000
Massage work: $3000
Masters Swim: $400
Health Club and Yoga fees: $1200
Shoes: $500
Orthotics: $300
Clothing: $250
Bike parts and maintenance: $1250
Equipment (balance board, swiss ball, bands,...): $200
Race fees: $650
Coaching and laboratory analysis: $1500

Somewhere in the vicinity of $15K

Next year certainly less medical related, but I'm getting a new bike and will have at least one and hopefully two trips for IMLP and Hawaii. So I expect around the same dollar amount. Pretty expensive hobby.

More then I wish to know about. No way am I adding it all up. As it is my wife lets me buy anything I want for training and racing. At 51 I have enough expendable income that it doesn't matter. Lots of our short (3-5 day) monthly vacations are "race weekends". Nearing or just over 5 figures.

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Paul

Well, I'm not one of them. When I was younger, sure. A pair of running shoes and a few weeks was all it took.

I did okay getting in shape on my 16 year old bike, but part of the incentive was that I had promised myself a new one if I did it.

Did I need to spend the money to get fit? No. But I sure as hell enjoyed it a lot more.

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there was no one chasing us... distance is its own reward.

all of it...

In the first 3 years i think i spend something like $15.000 total (= all the money i didn't have to spend on rent+food).

This year i've gone back to school and will probably have problems with even being able to pay the entry fees of the races i want to do (will probably do 1 LD race + 1 IM- distance race and a couple of cheap races nearby) so no races outside of The Netherlands for me this year (and the next 4 years). Thank god i can swim for E1,-.

So i think i'll spend something like $400 this year (although I did start studying nutrition this year, so maybe i should count that as money i spend on triathlon.)


I probably shouldn't have spend all my money on equipment the last 3 years. Oh well, at least my bike looks fast (although it isn't pink)

Orbea Ordu 4000
New race wheels 1500
Tires,cassettes,chains,etc 1000
Coaching 1800
Gym/pool 1000
Camp in Ca 1350 + airfare
IMB and IMFL ?

Holy crap better find a second job or just not
tell me wife.

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the will to win is greater than the skill to win