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 2009-08-20 10:33 PM |
Regular  126  |  Subject: Frustrated : (I've been training for tris since March and I have done 1 this summer with another planned for Sept. I would like to do Olympic distances next year and HIM the following. However, the cost of this sport is killing me. I need a new bike, wetsuit cycling shoes, helmet, sunglasses, gym membership, pool membership I'd love to have some coaching etc, etc. I know most of this stuff is a one time or occassional purchase but I'm a full time student and I have another year left and I just can't swing it. I'm thinking about bagging triathlons for a year or so until I can afford this sport. I had to cancel 2 tris this summer because of travel expenses. AHHHHH sorry had to vent. |
| 2009-08-20 10:36 PM in reply to: #2361599 |
Veteran 294 Germantown, WI | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( I hear ya! Do what you can for now. Patience has its reward though. |
| 2009-08-20 10:43 PM in reply to: #2361599 |
Master 1402 Highlands Ranch | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( 2 words: clearance sales |
| 2009-08-20 10:50 PM in reply to: #2361599 |
Extreme Veteran 612 Chicago-ish | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( bigguy - 2009-08-20 10:33 PM I've been training for tris since March and I have done 1 this summer with another planned for Sept. I would like to do Olympic distances next year and HIM the following. However, the cost of this sport is killing me. I need a new bike, wetsuit cycling shoes, helmet, sunglasses, gym membership, pool membership I'd love to have some coaching etc, etc. I know most of this stuff is a one time or occassional purchase but I'm a full time student and I have another year left and I just can't swing it. I'm thinking about bagging triathlons for a year or so until I can afford this sport. I had to cancel 2 tris this summer because of travel expenses. AHHHHH sorry had to vent. I think some of those things are wants more than needs. I would like to have a new bike, a wetsuit, a tri suit, new goggles, a new helmet, new running shoes, etc, but I don't need them. My hybrid got me through my first sprint just fine and will continue to work as will my husband's extra helmet, my old goggles, my tri shorts and t-shirt, my current running shoes (which are fine, they're just ugly) and so on. A gym membership is necessary as is a pool for winter training but coaching is an extra that you can do when you have the money. I may not look as cool as the folks with all their shiny drool-worthy gear but that doesn't mean I can't be out there too and so can you. |
| 2009-08-20 10:56 PM in reply to: #2361599 |
Regular 113 NYC | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( Craiglist is a great place to sell all the things you don't need. A car? Sell it. Ride your bike everywhere. A bed? Sell it. Use a sleeping bag- act like your camping, you'll have a ball. TV? Sell it. Who needs a tv when you are in bed by 8:30pm everynight 'cause you gotta get up and train in the morning? The more you train the more you save. Who has the energy to go out on weekends after the long bike on Sat and the long run on Sunday? Make friends and get a lift to races. Have them pay for a hotel room and you sleep on the floor. Where there's a will, there's a way... |
| 2009-08-20 11:00 PM in reply to: #2361599 |
Master 1472 | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( Pool? Yes, during the winter. Gym? Not neccessary as far as I am concerned. Although here it is both for one price. WHy do you need a gym membership AND a pool membership? |
| 2009-08-20 11:05 PM in reply to: #2361599 |
Member 46 South Jersey | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( You mentioned you were a full time student - doesn't your college have facilities (gym and pool) that you can use for free? Or at least for a nominal fee? I know alot of colleges (at least in this area) have Masters programs at their pool, that students can attend at a discount. participate in local tris until you're out of school and can afford to travel. Or try to get in with a tri group or even convince a friend to do races to help split travel costs. as for the equipment.... yeah, its expensive! but on the brightside- once you have the basics they will last you for a while :-) |
| 2009-08-20 11:12 PM in reply to: #2361599 |
Regular 95 Oregon City, Oregon | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( Swim membership - yup, suck it up and pay for it. Sorry. Gym membership - nice, but you can get by without it if really needed. Bike - I ride a MtB, others ride hybrids or old road bikes. Are you going to place - no. But that doesn't prevent you from training. Wetsuit - live without it until next year, but keep an eye on Ebay. I picked up a new suit for $140 (about three rentals). Clothing - go check out dollar stores. I was in one a couple weeks ago and was amazed at how much technical gear was there. A lot of it was branded or from events - but so what. For $1 or $2, who cares. Check out garage sales (while the season is still going). You can find all kind of things at garage sales for cheap. You didn't see where you're from, but unless it's a really horrible northern climate, you should still be able to get some training (bike/run) in during the winter. Head to the library and see if you can check-out some workout videos. There's a lot you can do in your house/appt for cheap. And to repeat earlier posts - look for clearance sales this fall. Watch craigslist and ebay. And be specific about gift requests or ask for gift cards. If you're really into the sport, you'll survive. |
| 2009-08-20 11:28 PM in reply to: #2361599 |
Master 2665 The Whites, New Hampshire | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( First thing: stop believing that all the pretty porn pics you see on here are must-haves. There's a reason people start entire threads to show off their new gear - it is a toy, it is fun, it is a step up. Bike: do you have one that goes forward? If not, can you borrow one for awhile? If not, can you swing $300 and haunt your LBS until they have an oldie-but-goodie on sale (fall is a GREAT time for finding those!)? Wetsuit: where do you live? I live in New Hampshire and I don't own a wetsuit. Seriously NOT a necessity. Cycling shoes: what are you running in? That'll work, and your transition will be faster. If you can, get yourself some cages for your pedals. Usually around $10. Helmet: Okay, yes, this is an absolute MUST HAVE. Go down to Target, spend $30, and get an ASTM/SEI helmet. As long as it has the letters on it and it fits, you are good to go. No reason to spend any more. Sunglasses: Nope, don't need 'em. Plan your routes better. Sure, they are nice, but not necessary. Gym membership: um, why? What would you get at a gym that you don't get running and cycling outside? Remember, they hold races in the rain, the wind, the hot sun, you should train in them, too. Pool membership: not necessary. Nice, but not necessary as long as you already know how to swim. But, as someone else said, you are at school, do they have a pool? Coaching: whoa, WAAAAY down the line. Don't even be thinking of that right now. Travel expenses: closer tris, tris close to friends/family, emailing the RD to ask about ride-sharing with people from your area, etc. Here's the thing: you are in the stage of seeing all the toys and not thinking they are pretty shinies, but that you HAVE to have them. No you don't. You need an engine way before you need any of that stuff, and the great thing is that as long as you have shoes you can run in and a reasonably functioning bike, you can build your engine just fine. All the rest is fluff. Nice fluff, yes, but fluff. Besides, you'll appreciate the new toys a LOT more if you've laid down a few years without them, first. You'll also probably figure out after a few seasons just how unnecessary all that stuff is.  |
| 2009-08-21 7:14 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
Regular 126 | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( Thank you all very much, I just needed to blow off some steam. I live in PA and it's going to be getting cold soon so Im looking for an indoor pool thats convienent for me. All the places are either too expensive, too far away or not open enough hours. However, I think I have solved that problem. My other big gripe is that there really weren't any close tri's that I could do this year but next year after some training there are a couple that I can do. I'm feeling a lot better again thanks for the encouragement. |
| 2009-08-21 7:19 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
Expert 790 Frisco | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( pic up a part time job working a couple of nights a week. you can do it. |
| 2009-08-21 8:17 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
| New user 476 | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( Do not confuse the WANTS with the NEEDS. You don't NEED a ton of fancy equipment. You may WANT it. It may make training easier. It may make you a faster. You do not NEED a lot of fancy stuff. You've already done a tri so you must have a bike, a helmet, the basics. Prioritize your WANTS get piece by piece. |
| 2009-08-21 8:21 AM in reply to: #2361798 |
Regular 126 | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( Boogie7247 - 2009-08-21 8:19 AM pic up a part time job working a couple of nights a week. you can do it. I do have a job I actually just went part time , I was full time and going to school full time, because school is much more intense this year. Im also getting married in October so that took up most of our money. Like I said I'm ok now I just needed to vent. Hopefully my fiancee doesn't read this or she'll know I don't NEED the stuff I tell her that I have to have. Thanks again. |
| 2009-08-21 8:49 AM in reply to: #2361910 |
Champion 10154 Alabama | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( JC5066 - 2009-08-21 8:17 AM Do not confuse the WANTS with the NEEDS. You don't NEED a ton of fancy equipment. You may WANT it. It may make training easier. It may make you a faster. You do not NEED a lot of fancy stuff. You've already done a tri so you must have a bike, a helmet, the basics. Prioritize your WANTS get piece by piece.
You beat me to it. I was thinking the same thing. I did my first few triathlons on a bike I bought out of the newspaper for $50. I didn't even know there was such a thing as "biking shoes" at the time. I bought a $20 helmet at Wal-mart.
~Mike |
| 2009-08-21 8:58 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
| Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( A comment on sunglasses - I wear them to keep dirt and stuff out of my eyes because I wear contact lenses. For the bike, I find them fairly necessary (for the run you can always wear a hat or a visor). HOWEVER, you can easily pick up a cheap-o pair of sport sunglasses at Target for $20 or even less. This sport is very expensive, it's true. But you can definitely do it on the cheap - esp. if you go bargain-hunting for the "needs" (like a bike and a helmet - can't do triathlons without those! Just never buy a used helmet - EVER), and don't buy every single "want" - ie, a Garmin, aero-bars, tri-bike, wetsuit, etc. You can do an entire sprint-distance race in jammers and a t-shirt. Goggles are cheap, too. It's mostly the intial start-up cost for cycling and all the fancy 'toys' that really add up. Def. don't bother with the wetsuit - if you do a race where you might need one, you can rent one for fairly cheap. Or just do races in the summer when the water isn't 60 degrees. |
| 2009-08-21 8:59 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
Pro 5011 Twin Cities | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( Clearance sales Bargain shopping Want v. need Ebay/CL/classifieds Coupon codes These things are all yoru friends. For example, at nashbar.com, you can get a pair of shoes and clipless pedals for $60 or less. Use the discount codes they have all the time for 10% off or free shipping. For wetsuits, shop used or borrow if you REALLY need one. Don't be afraid to buy less expensive stuff...I have some stuff that folks would probably turn their noses up at (my trainer is from Nashbar and was $75...my shoes are 8 years old, etc etc), but I do just fine, and some of this stuff has lasted for YEARS and been reliable and worked just fine. And don't feel like you HAVE to have stuff when what you really do is WANT stuff. Need v. want is an important distinction. Finally...don't be in a hurry. It's a sport that takes a long time to find a groove--and it's expensive, and it's okay to ease into it. Edited by mmrocker13 2009-08-21 9:00 AM |
| 2009-08-21 9:03 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
Master 1702 Southern Ontario | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( I raced for years with my bike, no wetsuit and my bathing suit as my "race" uniform. I never used anything other than cheap knock-off sunglasses that I could buy for 10$. You lose them - no big deal. This year I bought myself a new bike, a wetsuit and some fancy tri-shorts - but honestly - I didn't "need" them - I "wanted" them. I had the disposable income to spend. Don't rush yourself just because you think you "should". It's easy to get caught up on here and think you need all the fancy stuff - you can enjoy yourself and race without it all. (I haven't had a pool membership since June - I've been swimming in the lake. This winter I'll have to do something - but until them I'm fine with using nature!) |
| 2009-08-21 9:25 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
Extreme Veteran 465 Atlanta, GA | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( I have seen some people do this and I just started recently doing it myself for my "wants". While training set an amount per mile or per 100 m in the pool or however you want to do it. Say you set it as $0.25 per mile running. Every mile you run, just drop a quarter in a jar. You will eventually save up some money for a new toy, that you really worked for. Good way to save and a good incentive to train. |
| 2009-08-21 9:31 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
Champion 10154 Alabama | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( I know a woman who signed up to do a sprint tri on a rely team; she had the bike leg. She went to the bike store and bought a new bike....for like $800. As far as I know, that is the ONLY race she has ever done. I 'spect you could find her bike on ebay or craigslist...well, not her bike per se but there are hundreds of people just like her! ~Mike |
| 2009-08-21 9:32 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( bigguy - 2009-08-20 10:33 PM I've been training for tris since March and I have done 1 this summer with another planned for Sept. I would like to do Olympic distances next year and HIM the following. However, the cost of this sport is killing me. I need a new bike, wetsuit cycling shoes, helmet, sunglasses, gym membership, pool membership I'd love to have some coaching etc, etc. I know most of this stuff is a one time or occassional purchase but I'm a full time student and I have another year left and I just can't swing it. I'm thinking about bagging triathlons for a year or so until I can afford this sport. I had to cancel 2 tris this summer because of travel expenses. AHHHHH sorry had to vent. Hey, you have the basics! You have a bike... right? You don't NEED a new one. It's the engine. Sunglasses? Go to Target or WalMart and buy a pair. $10. You don't need $100 pair of sunglasses. Shoot, I rode in $10 fashion sunglasses for 3 years.  While a coach would be nice, you don't NEED one. Get some plans out of a book or on BT... or other websites. Doesn't your school have a gym and/or a pool? I know my University had very nice facilities and they were cheap. You can also find local natatoriums, etc. that are cheap to use as well. We have a local pool that HS swim teams use... $2 to swim laps. You don't need a gym membership. Sign up for races when they open and you will save money on entry frees. Be particular about your races. You don't have to race every month... race 2 times a year. Stick to the shorter stuff and the entry fees will be even less! Also, don't travel for races. Shoot, I am a working adult I don't travel to races. I can't afford the hotel room, gas, etc. Why travel? Edited by KSH 2009-08-21 9:33 AM |
| 2009-08-21 9:36 AM in reply to: #2361599 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( PS- If you ever DO need a wetsuit... rent one. I could have bought one for $150 (on sale- sleeveless)... or rented one as I needed it for $45 a pop. I figured out that I would have to rent a suit 3 times to equal the cost of buying. I rarely do races where wetsuits are needed, so I passed on buying one. Renting works just fine for me. |
| 2009-08-21 9:41 AM in reply to: #2362148 |
Champion 10154 Alabama | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( KSH - 2009-08-21 9:36 AM PS- If you ever DO need a wetsuit... rent one. I could have bought one for $150 (on sale- sleeveless)... or rented one as I needed it for $45 a pop. I figured out that I would have to rent a suit 3 times to equal the cost of buying. I rarely do races where wetsuits are needed, so I passed on buying one. Renting works just fine for me.
One word of caution RE renting a wetsuit. Make sure your first OWS in a wetsuit is not on race day! I learned the hard way that the added buoyancy of wetsuit cuased me to bob around on top of the water like a dang cork and, being prone to motion sickness, got sick as a dog and started hurling. ~Mike |
| 2009-08-21 12:46 PM in reply to: #2362160 |
Master 2372 | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( Rogillio - 2009-08-21 9:41 AM One word of caution RE renting a wetsuit. Make sure your first OWS in a wetsuit is not on race day! I learned the hard way that the added buoyancy of wetsuit cuased me to bob around on top of the water like a dang cork and, being prone to motion sickness, got sick as a dog and started hurling.
So, quick question. Am I an evil person for laughing at this?
Seriously, craigslist is a great thing. I bought a MTB and a roadie in the last year and spent $800 total for both. Neither is crap, either (Trek 1500, Rockhopper - both 2 years old). You can get GREAT deals there. I do recommend a good helmet and at least something for sunglasses - I have been pinged on my glasses before and was very glad to have them on. Eye surgery is expensive. Some of the online places have cheap, good biking glasses.
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| 2009-08-21 12:58 PM in reply to: #2361599 |
Regular 534 Philadelphia | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( I can empathize with the OP a little bit. No, you don't need a Garmin or a speedsuit. But you do need these five things, none of which I own right now: Bike Helmet Swimsuit Goggles Running shoes ... and in 10 days I'm a FT student with a PT job too! So I gotta be careful. That said, I've been stalking the classifieds on here, Craigslist, and local freecycle (I just barely missed getting a free bike on freecycle earlier today, blast!). Hopefully I can get it together pretty soon on the cheap. Edited by Silver Bullet 2009-08-21 1:00 PM |
| 2009-08-21 1:01 PM in reply to: #2362660 |
Champion 10154 Alabama | Subject: RE: Frustrated : ( sand101 - 2009-08-21 12:46 PM Rogillio - 2009-08-21 9:41 AM One word of caution RE renting a wetsuit. Make sure your first OWS in a wetsuit is not on race day! I learned the hard way that the added buoyancy of wetsuit cuased me to bob around on top of the water like a dang cork and, being prone to motion sickness, got sick as a dog and started hurling.
So, quick question. Am I an evil person for laughing at this?
No, you are not evil. I can see how this is kinda funny. I can see it now....but when it happened, it was my first DNF and I was crushed! My mother-in-law made a joke about it and said "...well I guess you didn't have to worry about other swimmings crowding you being as you were puking in the water..." At the time (the day after the event) I was sure she was pure evil for joking about it! Now, it's kinda funny.....well....sort of. ~Mike |
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