Mine was found totally by accident. I was seeing a consultant for a suspected Sportsmans' Hernia and he found an inguinal one instead. Totally unrelated, nothing to do with the problems I was having that led me there (other side, different area). And then after seeing the surgeon for the inguinal pre-op, we found there was one on the other side and it became bilateral repair.

I was asymptomatic other than the lump he found, and whilst it did warrant surgery due to the size and proximity to "the lads", I agreed to put the procedure off until after my 'A' race that year (IM Austria). Didn't bother me at all.