Just happened to me last weekend on the bike. I quickly rationalized that I “didnt like them that much anyway” and kept riding. The number five guy in the race actually picked them up and handed them to me after the run much to my surprise.
So, if it was you, would you leave them in the road or go back and pick them up?
You shouldn’t bother buying anymore equipment for yourself. Just send your money to me. 
on the bike? bye-bye sunglasses.
on the run? turn around…
thats why i race with 40$ sunglasses. i know the $1.88 they cost to make vs. the $2.99 that is costs to make the $150 ones may lose me a watt or two;-) but i’ll live with that.
I’d only leave them if it was an A race.
Come to think of it, it probably wouldn’t take any longer to go back to get then a quick change on a flat tire - so I might even go get them then.
Unless it was the Olympics, I’d turn my ass around and get 'em.
Now that I’m thinking about it…for $150 bucks…there’s another Olympics in 4 years, right??
must be nice to have a real job!!! i for sure turn around and grab them and ride harder for the rest of the ride…
Here’s the way I look at it…
The entry fee for a sprint almost certainly is less than $150. Going back and picking them up may or may not cost you a podium spot, even if it does then for less than $150 you can do another sprint the next week. So I would go back and pick them up.
Also I guess you could get dinged for abandonment of equipment as well.
Why would you take the time to put on/wear sunglasses during a sprint??
Unless I am winning the thing (I’ve gotten 2nd overall in three sprint triathlons- never won one…) I go back and get them. If I am winning, I figure it is the cost of doing battle.
no watch and no sunglasses in sprints or olympics.
glad your physcial prep allowed you to win though:-)
So, if it was you, would you leave them in the road or go back and pick them up?
I am never in any danger of breaking a course record. I would go back and get them for sure. Besides, what are you going to wear in the meanwhile? It may seem like a calculated risk, but the glasses really are worn to protect your eyes. Also, couldn’t you get dinged for a littering penalty or something by leaving them?
Bernie
Why would you take the time to put on/wear sunglasses during a sprint??
Two words: contact lens.
In the heat of the moment you may consider the race more important. But after winning a medal that cost the organizer about two bucks you can then kick yoursef for a less than wise financial transaction.
I leave my $150. sunglasses at home on race day and use the $20. ones.
Just happened to me last weekend on the bike. I quickly rationalized that I “didnt like them that much anyway” and kept riding. The number five guy in the race actually picked them up and handed them to me after the run much to my surprise.
So, if it was you, would you leave them in the road or go back and pick them up?
Hmmm…tough question, since I’ve NEVER bought 150-friggin’ dollar pieces of plastic!
I use these instead:
http://www.labsafety.com/...afety_Glasses/36294/
They’re just as comfortable and work as well as the “name brand” super-expensive glasses…and at $9 a pop, you don’t care if they get destroyed or lost. Besides, nobody’s gonna mess with you if you have “Smith & Wesson” on your eyeglasses 
As an aside, has anyone else ever noticed that it’s always the expensive glasses that get scratched, crunched, or lost? It’s always the cheapo ones that last forever and never get lost…why is that???
The number five guy in the race actually picked them up and handed them to me after the run much to my surprise.
Did you buy him a beer as a thank-you?
How about “You pick them up because it’s you shouldn’t leave your trash on the course and makes it harder to get a race permit for next year.”
Granted, it’s expensive trash but to the local residents, it’s trash and a reminder of what a pain it was to have the triathlon in the town, roads, park etc. If I were to pick up a pair of $150 glasses I wouldn’t know that they were valuable.
I’ve seen this in races where people launch water bottles turn around and look at it, and keep riding as it slips into the protected marshland we are racing through - very nice. No need to hold yourself up for two minutes so that the rest of us can have a race next year, your time this year is more important than the existence of the race next year for the other 500 of us out here.
“has anyone else ever noticed that it’s always the expensive glasses that get scratched, crunched, or lost?”
Back in the late 80’s I went through three pairs of Serengeti (sp) Drivers in one season. At the time they were $150. sunglasses. I lost the first set, sat on and broke the second and then bought a third which the lens dropped out and smashed on the pavement about three weeks later. After that I only wore $20. or less expensive sunglasses.
The only reason I have a set of $150. sunglasses now is because my brother gave them to me last year as a gift.
hold on a minute there sparky!
you mean to tell me that whether or not I get an age group “podium spot” isn’t as important as things like, umm, say the environment? or a RD’s ability to get a municipality to issue him a permit? wait one darn tootin minute here! it seems to me that you need to work on your narcissism a little bit. Remember, self absorption is a muscle too! Use it or lose it!
I suggest you do 20 X “it is all about me” on 30 sec rest at 80% FNF (FNF= functional narcissism factor) warm up and cool down with " If I win everyone will think i am really cool"
I left behind a water bottle once, at least temporarily. After the race I drove out and picked it up on my way home, along with a nice Polar Bottle that someone else left behind.
As far as $150 sunglasses, yes I would get them, because I am cheap that way.