Spending money on our little hobby...

How about all of the little stuff like a race belt, speed laces, etc... they may be little, but there's a lot of stuff that can add up, some useful, some not so useful. It may be nice to give a heads up on that stuff too.

By the way, I thought that the post was pretty good. 

Edited because I read the blog too fast and went back--you addressed all shoes.
You put cycling shoes, but what about running shoes...so many choices from the Newtons to your regular Nike running shoe, to racing flats vs. this or that.  You did address HR Monitor, and included the Garmin 305 as it has HRM, speed, plus cadence, etc...however, maybe adding "bike computer" for those that may not go Garmin, but have a HRM and a bike computer.  (I have the 305 too, so just playing devil's advocate! )  Let's not forget the ever popular products like Body Glide, Chamois Butter, etc.--depending upon how you use it, how much you use, and at things like 14 bucks a pop for chamois butter, that can add up too.   Last thing I would mention, and only because I had one today, what about things like massages?  They can be costly--thus why it is not a regular indulgence for me--but I do own "The Stick" and some folks have foam rollers--so things maybe injury preventio n items? So, in summary
- Running Shoes
- Bike Computer
- Injury prevention: anti-chaffing, massages, muscle recovery products

Nice blog BTW--since I first a post with it linked at the bottom I've been reading it...great write ups.

Are you just interested in the biking costs of triathlon?  What about pool memberships, swimsuits, goggles, swim caps, towels, towels, towels, shower shoes, and special shampoos.  Gear bags?

For running - clothes, running shoes, sport bras (some for running, some for biking)  socks, sun hats for summer, and all that warm winter gear (mittens, jackets, hats, etc)

 And sunscreen - lots of it!

Very nice BLOG!  Good info.

RE wetsuits....I bought one two years ago for my first HIM and then got sick in the ocean and DNF'd - mainly becuase of the added buoyancy of the wetsuit.  The thing has been hanging in my closet ever since....and will probably hang there till it dry-rots and then I'll throw it away.  I will limit my tris to races where wetsuits are not required or optional.

~Mike

This is a great post for people like me who came into this sport knowing nothing about swimming and biking/bikes.  I've so far trusted that my LBS owner is selling me the right stuff, but I read all the articles, posts about biking here on BT to have some idea of what I should be getting. 

My best 'worth the money' purchase so far has been my clip on aerobars for my road bike. (I'm not ready yet to make the financial commitment to buy a tri bike).

My next best purchase (which quite possibly should be number one)  has been my BT membership.

Awesome blog entry!

I can't believe wheelbuilder.com, what a great site! I'll definitely keep that in mind for next season!

Fred..love your blog...

I'm thinking recovering from IM training and racing you have more spare time on your hands

Well done... 

it is exceptional...and nice to read someone that has been somewhat frugal with their equipment yet is so fast....in a sport where we think we have to get the most expensive.  I've been feeling so lowly at my races this year, the only one without a fancy carbon bike with zipps and an aerohelmet....and you're continued proof that its not about the bike.

and way to push the coaching. Not enough newbies think about how important this is to success. 

I got one: flowers and/or dinner dates for the spouse/significant other whomyou ignore because of training. My wife also does tris so I'm exempt.

That's a cool blog, Fred. Some good info there.

Great blog, thanks.

How about your everyday food, since you're eating 3x more than 'normal' people....

Every long training ride/brick during IM training cost me about $15-$20. Everyone else is spending that money on a movie or drinks or something, I'm spending it on training. That includes the cost of consuming a gel every 25 mins, gatorade (which is cheap), and the $6 I have to spend on ice for my bath afterwards. (My shower has one of those dials that you just turn counterclockwise and the farther you turn it, the warmer the water gets. I can't keep just cold water coming out of the faucet - usually gets to room temperature - so I need about 40 lbs of ice for my ice bath in the summer. Total bummer.)

Yeah, I bought the wife a set of earrings before we left for my IM and STILL bought another set while we were away ....... but it is worth it!