Racing Abroad Part 1 - I always wanted to and now I am...debate, research, discussions, approvals and booking !

Although I am still fairly new to Triathlon, I have had the idea of doing at least one race abroad.  Not sure why...it costs probably two or three times as much as doing a similar race at home and the extra logistics of getting your bike and kit on a plane and arriving in the same location as you, will add extra effort to what can already be fairly complex preparations.

That said, the idea of a warm sea, some super smooth roads and the fun of sharing a race weekend abroad with mates outweighs the other aspects I'm sure.

I had previously come close to entering a race abroad (IM 70.3 Austria) but in the end didn't have the confidence to enter having never raced the distance before.  Having since completed two 70.3 distance races in 2017, I'm now a lot more confident.

I had being chatting to a great friend and training partner about racing together and choosing a nice location abroad to do so.  Spain looked like the favourite although the challenge race in Sardinia looked very tempting also.  Toward the mid of this year those discussions got more focused until we had agreed (subject to head office approval) to book an event.  It was going to happen !!

So, after some final destination debate and aforementioned head office approval (which was a smoother process than I ever expected!), it happened.....I entered the 2019 Iron Man 70.3 in Mallorca.  Not long after, another great mate and training partner entered, so there are now three of us racing (so far).

I am really excited about the thought of racing abroad.

Having never raced abroad before there are going to be a lot of new things for me to consider, like getting my bike to the event, booking flights and hotel (not that I haven't done that before), deciding the best time to arrive and how long to stay after, taking all my kit and nutrition under a weight restricted bag policy etc. 

Both mates mentioned above have raced abroad, so I can learn from them and take advice from their experiences.  At the same time, I thought it would be nice to share the entire 'journey' in an 'diary' style series of articles, adding details each time things are booked, paid for, or decisions are (eventually) made, capturing travelling, race day, post race - the whole thing.

So, booking the event.  Well, there isn't much to write about here.  We'd made up our minds that Mallorca was going to be the race for us.  Having already done an iron man branded event before, I receive notifications of when events are open for registration.   Making sure that me and my mate agreed on the same race - it was simply a matter of registering and paying.  If you haven't done an iron man branded event before, they operate a price tier structure, where there are so many places available at tier 1 (the cheapest), then when these sell out, Tier 2 pricing starts and so on.  Ideally, you want to get in at Tier 1. 

Somehow, even though I applied pretty much as soon as registration opened, I found myself in Tier 2 at wait for it......295 Euro !!  Yes, you read correctly, 295 Euro just to enter.  The best bit is yet to come, that price doesn't include the 'processing fee'.  This was an extra 23.60 Euro - and now I'm just thinking, I paid by card, so I bet my bank stiff me for a non sterling transaction fee...!!  I was so eager to book, I forgot about that.

Still, I was in !  That was it, as easy as a few details and I'm now schedule to race a half iron man in Mallorca in May 2019 !!!

One thing that mates and me always discuss is this subject of booking fees or admin fees.  I can perhaps appreciate a couple of quid maybe to help with costs, but paying a flat percentage.  That means the later you book, the more you pay in admin fees as the tier prices rise.  Surely, given everything is done on-line, it cannot cost more to process your application and payment whether you apply at the start, or near the end.  At 23.60 you can help feel you are getting shafted here.

Surely it would be better to just make the entry price a bit higher and cover the admin fees that way, then as a competitor, you wouldn't feel like you were getting done over so much? 

Anyway, I've entered, I want to race the event and the admin fee isn't a deal-breaker.  So now begins the process of finding some accommodation, half decent flights and deciding whether to use a bike box ,or a transfer service.  Watch this space, more updates on this adventure to follow.

Race Review - Clacton Triathlon 9th September 2019 (My first sea 'swim')

I was thinking about how to open up this article and had the idea of saying that, since I have now mastered, or conquered the open water lake swim I wanted to test myself in a sea swim....but the more I thought about those words, mastered, conquered, the more I thought, I'm not sure that is right !   I have certainly got over my previous fears and apprehensions around open water swimming....but mastered, conquered.....mmmmm I'm sure if you saw me swim you'd perhaps challenge my choice of words.

Anyway, this is a race review piece.....  So, the Clacton Triathlon 2019.   For a while now, I have been aware that a few Triathlon races I would like to do, include a sea swim.  In the scale of swim challenges, for me at least, sea swimming comes right at the top.  I have graduated from the pool, to open water swims in lakes, but the sea, this holds a lot more challenges for me (swell and current being the main ones).  As such, I wanted to test myself on a sea swim and see how I went.

It isn't as easy to train for a sea swim as it is for the lake.  I'm sure there are groups that host sea swim training, but until now, my 'training' has been to swim in the sea when I go on holiday.  So, next best thing, enter an event with a sea swim and give it a go, hopefully taking some confidence from having now done plenty of open water lake swims.

And so, I ended up signing up for the Clacton Tri.  I entered with a couple of mates, who had done the race before, so had a good idea of what was in store.  Clacton is a local event, only being an hour or so away. 

Like my first half iron man race, I felt myself getting anxious a few days before race day, thinking about the sea swim and what it might be like come the day - would it be calm, or windy, or cold....I eventually stopped worrying and just focused on packing kit and making sure I was ready as it was an early start on race day.

Race day dawned early.  The alarm woke me up at 4am and I desperately tried to eat some breakfast, but this is one thing I'm still to master, eating at such an early time of day.  I got enough down to feel full and made sure I took something to snack on pre-race, as the start times were at least 4 hours away.  My good mate had volunteered to drive again and duly picked me up bang on time as usual, 5am.  Bikes and bags loaded we were ready to roll.

The Journey down was full of the usual Tri related chit chat, the day seemed to be shaping up ok weather wise. It was mild and dry so all looked good.  We arrived in good time and met up with another mate.  Registration was easy and quick, goody bags in hand it was back to the car for final bike checks and then off to transition to rack and set up....I should have been more worried about conditions when the guy at transition said to me 'with those rims, you may want to try racking your bike, but if it moves around too much in the wind...feel free to lean it against the outside fence'....but it didn't really register.    

It soon did though whilst setting up my transition. I began to realise it was a lot windier than it had been when we left home.  There were a few sponsor flags letting me know there was a stiff wind out there.  Thoughts turned to the swim again....but the sea looked fairly calm still.

Race briefing done and a quick trip back to transition to make final checks and then there is the wait before the first wave of swimmers are off.  I was in the second wave (the worst swimmers go early I think) whereas my mates were off slightly later.  It was a fair walk to the swim start so we all decided to wander down, arriving about 10 minutes before my scheduled start.  All seemed well, I wasn't nervous, or anxious.  I think it helps being with mates, as you naturally chat and discuss things and it just means there is less time to focus on things you might otherwise worry about.

Before I knew it, the first wave was off.  We watched with interest on which lines people took to allow for the current, which would be taking us toward the first turn buoy and then pushing us to the finish.  There were a couple of swimmers who got marginally the wrong side of that first buoy and they really struggled against the current to get back round it.  This would be useful information for us later swimmers.   And then it was my time, we all lined up in race number order and the 'register' was taken, we were all accounted for and then made our way down the causeway onto the beach.  Swim instructions given and then we are allowed into the water for a warm up.  Water temp is a pleasant 17 degrees, but still feels cold the first time it finds skin through the wet suit and tri suit !  Back out of the water and all lined up in classic beach start poise, we wait for the klaxon and it happens...I need the loo !  I'm still to work out why your body, given all the opportunities to empty excess fluid always chooses the time when you are no where near a toilet.  There is the option of using the wetsuit which I know is never going to happen, so I resign myself to wasting time in T1 by having to use the loo.....and then we are all running toward the sea, we are off.  There's no bay watch dive for me, I'm more of a walker until I get to the point where I can sort of fall in and start swimming.  I head straight out - as instructed, not heading for the bouy but letting the current take me toward it.  This is actually quite hard I think, there is a swell coming at me and I find it hard to find a rhythm in the water.  I'm not quite sure what to do,  the wave I started in soon breaks up, unlike in a lake swim and soon we are all scattered about the water.  I focus on making forward progress, but find it hard.  I'm going to have to use breaststroke to allow me to swim head up and try and catch the swells, and then try to swim front crawl in between the swells.  All I can think of is my mates watching from the sea front thinking 'what on earth is he up to....why is he swimming like that'.  After what seems like an age, I make the buoy and turn.  

It is at this point the swell and wind really starts to kick in.  Swimming (for most of us) becomes even harder.  I stick to my breast stroke and front crawl combo.  It sort of works, but isn't perfect.  At times it is like a roller coaster as the swell lifts you up and then drops you down.  I take on board plenty of salt water via the mouth, nose and ears.  At points, I really don't like it and get quite worried about my ability to carry on.  I look around and see everyone else suffering the same and no one is signalling to be pulled out, so I  just carry on.  At times, the swell is high enough to obscure the coast line and bouys so I'm swimming blind for periods of time.  This is a whole new ball game !

Just to make things that touch more comfortable, my goggles have steamed up and I can't see that well, I manage to stop and take them off, rinse them and get them back on.  It does add to the confidence being able to see.  And then, just as I think it can't get any worse, I get cramp in my left leg, it locks solid.  I'm now swimming on a roller coaster with one leg.  I think it must be the combination of my survival swim technique and the salt water/wetsuit giving slightly too much bouyancy, as I notice my legs are often higher than the rest of my body.  Eventually I manage to clear the cramp, not that it makes much difference.  I continue with my combination of breast and front crawl, still drinking way too much salt water.  How much longer until this is over.....I steal a glance at the Garmin and it tells me I'm 1200m in...good news, not much more of this to go.  Eventually I make the last bouy and turn for shore.  It is the first time I can actually string some strokes together.  I have to breath to the right which I never usually do, but I can live with that.  Eventually I get the instruction that I can stand....and I'm done, I've survived my first see swim.  I run up the beach full of myself and head for transition and that much needed toilet. 

Of course, running via the toilet is not conducive to a flattering transition time or overall race time.  But my main goal of the day was that swim, so I can't say it really worried me. I can't really seem to control when I need the toilet, so its just one of those things.  But...seeing my Garmin ticking over 6 minutes, I knew it was a particularly slow transition.  That said, aside from the toilet break, I didn't do a bad job, the wetsuit  is off quickly and I'm out on the road fairly quickly.

The 40k bike was a 2 lap affair.  With those wheels of mine, I noticed it was still quite windy but there were some nice sections where I could get tucked up on the Tri bars and maintain a reasonable speed.  It wasn't a closed road bike section, but the course was well marshaled and the marshals told us when the junctions were clear.  In places I was able to average over 20 mph so I was pleased with how the bike went.  There were places where a slower bike in front meant a queue of cars in front, so you had no choice but to slow and be patient.  Again, just one of those things.   I enjoyed the bike leg, a couple of 'moments' from those deep rims, but that aside, it was an uneventful bike leg.  I clocked somewhere around 1hr 15 from what I could see off the watch.  Not too bad.  Into T2 to ditch the bike and get onto the run.

The simplicity of the Tri suit really comes into its own here and coming off the bike to the run is so easy.  Elastic laces also are a great time saver.  With no toilet stop I was out a lot quicker from T2 !   Into the run and you have that initial worry about how the legs will feel.  Not too bad, but I did have a small niggle in the hamstring, I'm guessing from the cramp I had in the swim?  Anyhow, I settled into a stride on the run, not quick by any means.  The run was an out and back.  I seemed to struggle on the way out, it was into the wind, but I just couldn't really find that much speed.  I did find it a bit easier on the way back with the wind behind and the sun starting to warm things up.  

I eventually crossed the finish line in somewhere around 2:49.   My pre-race prediction of being last against my other two mates, was spot on.  But not to worry, it's not always about winning or beating your mates (although that must be nice....I will be sure to write a nice post on that when I have experienced it - haha).

There are always positives to take from any race.  I entered with the intention of getting over my fears of a sea swim.  I'm not sure my fear really went completely, but having completed one in some rougher than average conditions I have gained the confidence that I should be able to handle sea swims in the future, so it will no longer stop me entering events that have them.

Would I race Clacton again?  Yes, I think I would.  It was a small local event and it's nice to support those.  I went with mates, which is always a great way to race.  Parking was easy and free.  Registration was quick and well organized.  It was a decent course, well marshaled and friendly, with some support from locals.  There was a place to get food and drink afterwards.  All in all, I really enjoyed it and am sure I will be back.

To TT or not TT...that is the question...what is the answer?

I never studied Shakespeare in school, I wasn't in the 'bright kids' stream so got to do other books as part of my English study....but I'm sure he coined a now famous quote from Hamlet along the lines of whether to choose a TT, or not a TT.....

Recently, a great friend of mine has decided to give Triathlon a go.  As I now have some experience of training, racing and kit demands, I've been happily sharing some of my approaches to a lot of questions any newcomer is bound to ask themselves of a sport that encompasses three different disciplines.

For me, one of the biggest and most agonizing decisions centered around the bike.  Now, having been a bike rider for ever, since I was a youngster, I already had a couple of bikes to my name when I decided to take up Triathlon.  However, my road bike had been neglected somewhat in favour of my (at the time) new found passion for mountain biking.   

I didn't fancy riding an MTB in a triathlon event ( I hadn't realised there were off road events at this point) and as my circa 1990's steel frame road bike was showing its age, I knew that a new road bike was required for my first adventure into triathlon.  But should it be a TT bike, or just a normal road bike.

Given an unlimited budget and space to store them, then my 'ideal' set up would be a winter bike, a summer bike, a TT machine AND a mountain bike.  I'd probably want an 'old' hack for the turbo also !  So that's five already...but that was never going to happen really. 

So, a key decision for me was, if I'm going to add one bike, what do I get?  A road bike, a decent one that will serve me well for training and racing.  Or, a TT bike?  I loved the idea of a TT bike and started to canvas views of friends who had them.  Of course, they loved these machines and the speed they allowed you to achieve but there were some caveats.  They were predominately one-off bikes.  You use it to race and for some training rides.  But I got the sense they were not the most comfortable bikes to ride (over a distance) and they weren't so great going up hills/climbs and possibly for some  technical courses.

Regardless then of the cost of a TT, it seemed like it wouldn't get so much use, making it hard to justify.  So, I made my mind up, as much as I wanted a TT bike, I was going to focus on getting the best road bike I could afford and use it for both training rides and racing.

So....you know what comes next...research.   I made my mind up, I was going to spend £1500 tops and I wanted a Boardman.  I was distracted in my research by the idea of a second hand TT, the prices looked reasonable and the bikes were also so good looking.  Again, using friends to discuss, I decided that second hand probably wasn't the way to go for now.

I head off then to the local bike shop and ask to see some Boardman bikes and talk about my budget...an hour later, I've bought a Trek and spent beyond my budget !  Of course I have.

But, I was super happy with my purchase.  When it comes to bikes (and other bits of kit) I'm not averse to buying a previous years model to save some money and in the case of my Trek, get a better spec'd bike than I could afford new.  Compared to the steel frame I'd been using previously, any new bike was a massive upgrade.....even if it was the previous years model.  

So how do I get on with my 'one bike' strategy?  Do I regret my choice?

Well its not quite one bike only.  I have the 'luxury' of my old road bike which I'm now using for indoor turbo rides, but my Trek is covering all outdoor training duties and racing.  I'm happy with my choice of taking a road bike instead of adding a TT as it does provide good value for money being able to be used for training as well as racing duties.  

As you can read from other posts, I have spent some money on upgrading my road bike. adding aero wheels, tri bars and a tri specific saddle, all of which I can remove when training through winter.  So, although I have 'one bike' as it were, it does cover a couple of bases nicely.  Ok, its not a full TT machine, but with the addition of the aforementioned items, there are some gains to be made for sure, but then I have the convenience of all those things being removable and I don't have to explain to my main sponsor why I spent thousands on another bike which doesn't get much use.

I don't feel disadvantaged in races.  Ok, so I'm not operating at the sharp end where perhaps a TT machine could deliver the marginal difference that might get you onto a podium - so that isn't a worry for me.  That said, although I regularly get overtaken by rapid ladies and men on TT machines, I have myself overtaken a few people on pure TT machines myself.   So all is not lost with just going down the road bike route.

By covering so many more miles on the one bike, I get used to riding it, how it handles and rides in different conditions, so this gives me confidence when I'm on the bike trying to get the most out of it - which is important for me.

So, there you go, my view for what its worth.  If you are thinking of getting into Triathlon and are unsure about the TT versus road bike question, then you can consider a road bike only to cover all your requirements for training and racing.

Parcous Chrono wheels reviewed

I've posted a 'review' of the purchase, set up and use of my Parcours 'Chrono' wheelset.  

Head over to the 'tri'd and tested' section to read what I have to say.  

Not qualified to give swimming tips..but I couldn't keep this one to myself

I deliberated for a good few days about writing a post that suggested I would be providing a swimming tip - yep, quite absurd isn't it.  If you've read some of my previous posts on swimming, you will know it isn't my forte.

But, in an effort to get my 'page views this month' up from zero, I thought anything was worth a try.  If this doesn't work, I still have the option to turn on the setting that records a page view every time I log on myself to check my page views.....

Does this really qualify as a tip in the sense that you will see a drastic improvement in your swim technique or speed ?  Highly unlikely.  Is it perhaps more just a case of common sense - more likely. 

So, to set the scene.  It's a regular kind of Thursday, my good friend and some time training and racing buddy is on a taper week for an upcoming Iron Man race and invites me to join him for a lake swim after work.  So, we arrive at the Tri Farm (See here), get changed and wander down to the lake.  I remember to dip my goggles into the water first so they don't fog up....but as soon as I'm in the water and put them on, of course, they fog up.  So I clear them and set off for the first marker buoy.  En route, they fog up, so I stop at the marker, clear the goggles and off I go again.  No sooner do I set off, than they fog up.  This time, I can't be bothered to stop again so just plough on.

My navigation gets worse and I have to keep stopping to see where I am versus the next buoy.  This process repeats itself for the first lap (800m).  At the end of the lap, I clean the goggles, they fog up and again, I leave them.  I complete another awful lap of unsighted swimming, going off course, stopping to see where I am and become increasingly more frustrated at what feels like a waste of £7 quid entry on what is a lovely evening to be swimming.

At the end of my second lap, some strange things happen.  I challenge myself to an extra lap, the lake isn't due to close, I'm sure I'll have time to get round once more....that'll be an all-time open water distance PB for me.  But what if I can't make it, can I cut across the lake and take a short cut - as with me, the usual doubts try to outweigh everything else.  After a few seconds deliberation, I decide I owe it to myself to get one more lap in, I can't get out now after two awful laps.  But, the goggles...the fog will surely return and make the last lap just as rubbish as the other two.  And then I recall, didn't I see my training buddy spit into his goggles before he set off?  But surely, that's an old wives tale, it can't work can it?  

So there I am, treading water and spitting into my goggles.  Back on they go and off I set, expecting 'the fog' to descend any time.  But, guess what, no such fog descends.  The goggles stay clear as day to the first buoy and the second.....my navigation is immediately much better and it feels as if I'm swimming quicker, my confidence has returned.  What a great last lap, I was amazed at how much better I swam.  It had to be faster I assumed, based on the fact I didn't stop and my navigation was better as the goggles stayed crystal clear for the whole lap.

It seems obvious really, but I'd never considered how much fogged up goggles could impact a swim.  The change in my swimming for that last lap was remarkable, just from having clear goggles and being able  to see where I was going.

So there you have it, my first (and I'd suggest maybe last) open water swimming 'tip'.  Make sure your goggles are treated to a pre-swim anti-fog treatment or you are spitting on them before you start and as I did, reap the benefits of a better, more confident, straighter and generally more enjoyable swim.

Double...Triple...Quadruple....Quintuple...Deca...Double Deca...what's it all about and why I don't get it

For someone like me, who is fairly new to Triathlon and has not long just completed half iron man distance, the challenge of completing a full iron man still swirls around my mind....could I do it, do I want to do it....where would I find the time to train?

As I struggle to get to grips with the thought of taking part in an Iron Man distance event - and believe me, you have to get it right in your mind first, I was drawn to a race report on a Tri website as I was browsing one lunch time over my plain chicken and brown rice (I must get some better lunch recipes).  This race report appeared to be talking about some people that had just taken on and completed ten iron man distance races (yes TEN)....I must have read that incorrectly....but it turns out I hadn't.  I carried on reading and there it was, in black and white.  A race that consisted of ten back-to-back IM distance races.  Well, when I say 'race' it would seem more like a holiday doing that many IM races one after the other surely.

Imagine the conversation with the wife/partner.  You: "I'm just off to this race, you know, the one I entered last year...'  wife/partner: 'oh yes, sure...remind me, what time are you due back so I can get dinner ready......You: 'About this time next week....'

I started to contemplate this more and thought, well, other sports have their 'extreme' or ultra versions don't they.  There are 'ultra' distance runs (100k runs, London to Brighton etc.) and races across deserts, bike races across whole countries. So I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that triathlon has developed something similar and gone 'extreme' or 'ultra' as it were. I was still struggling to get my head around it though - I don't get it, what is the point of it all I thought?  Further research was required to slate my thirst for more information and to try and make sense of it all.

Why does it bother me so much, I hear you ask (well maybe you don't ask but go with it for the sake of effect...pretend you are interested).  Well, it goes like this.  I love the history and back-story of some of the 'marquee' endurance events.   The Marathon for example, with its length having been based, according to the myth, on the distance the Greek messenger Pheidippides ran to get from Marathon to Athens and of course the name of the event being a nod to the town he left from.  I have entered and completed 7 marathons and I always think of it as 'the' distance to make a claim to having completed.  And that is where it ends for me, I have no compulsion or interest to take up Ultra distance, or any distance beyond the marathon, it just doesn't appeal to me to go further.  

Triathlon is the same, I love the backstory to 'Iron Man' and the 'how and why' behind how it came about.  A debate at the Waikiki swimming club awards to figure out who were the fittest athletes, swimmers, runners or cyclists.  The idea was sprung that the way to find out would be to combine the Islands three toughest endurance events of the time on the Island   (the Waikiki Rough Water Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (112 miles, originally over two days) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles)).  Whoever finished first would be called the Iron Man.  Isn't that just a great story and a fascinating way for an event to unfold.  Again, for me, just starting out in Triathlon, this would be the 'marquee' event for me, the one I strive to complete, to be called an Iron Man.  But would I want to go beyond that, I'm not sure I would, what would be the point?  Nothing else has that history to it, a reason for being.

So, back to that ten consecutive Iron Man race.  I'm still fairly new to Triathlon so hadn't yet worked out if this was some sort of once-off race or something more regular, were there less than 10 race formats, more than 10?  I was curious to make sense of it so started to use the power of google to see what I could find out.

A few searches later and I arrived at the 'International Ultra Triathlon Association' (http://www.iutasport.com/).  I thought triathlon in its 'standard' guises (sprint, Olympic, 70.3, Iron Man) was 'Ultra' enough.  It certainly feels that when when I'm training, or racing, even over shorter distances.  But no, here was an association that clearly catered to a different level of triathlon event.

I couldn't believe what I was reading.  I'm sure you might want to browse the site at your leisure (you can check world records at these distances), but the standout point for me was the race distances, all based on full Iron Man race distance:

Source: International Ultra Triathlon Association (http://www.iutasport.com/)

So the race report I read about the ten iron man race wasn't even the half of it....you can race twice that...the Double Deca. The only double deca (ok, not quite the same but you can see what I did with the play on words there) I am ever likely to complete is the cadbury version...readers of a certain age will know what that is....but here it is if you aren't so sure....

The only 'double deca' this writer is likely to partake in

But of course, that isn't the end of it, once you've had your double deca, you can upgrade to the triple deca if the double deca didn't satisfy your appetite.  Just look at the numbers....Swim 114km, Bike 5400km and run 1260km.   To get some context on that, I had a fairly busy season last year (2 half iron mans and an Olympic distance) and managed to cover the following in training AND racing:

Swim - 51km
Bike - 1762km
Run - 487km

So what I managed to accumulate in one year of training and racing doesn't come near some of these races !  I really struggled to put that into context - I'd spent a whole year effectively, covering less distance than some people would cover in one race.

And this brings me back to that question I keep asking myself - what is the point?  I guess you could say that about any endurance event, why do a Marathon, why do an Iron Man?  But, where does the idea come from to do 10, 20, even 30 Iron Man distances back-to-back.  Why not 15, or 25, why not more than 30? 40, 50 maybe.  Where would it stop and why would it stop at any given number, who would decide?  This is the bit I struggle to get.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking anything away from anyone who wants to do, or has done a double Iron Man, or even a Triple, or even 30 of them back-to-back.  These are super-human feats of endurance for sure and deserve the utmost of respect.

And I get the desire to strive to take on better and bigger challenges.  Its how most of us, I guess, get to run half marathons, or marathons for example.  We might start with a 5k and then strive to complete a 10k and so on, until we run a marathon, or more.  I get that, it makes sense.  After you've done the Iron Man, what next....where do you take it.  I guess where there is a demand for more ultra and extreme versions, they will be provided.  People always want the next challenge.

Having said that, you don't hear of people climbing Everest, coming down, then doing it again....and again...and again.   Maybe there are some challenges for which an exponential increase in the amount of times you do it in one go, is just not feasible.

For me, as I mentioned earlier, it is the provenance and history of certain distances or races, their background, how they came about, that attracts me to want to take them on.  

I thought doing some reading and research and writing up my thoughts here would help me get it....but I still don't. Why 10, 20, 30?  Maybe in the same way that the debate started at the Waikiki swimming club, perhaps a similar debate started after a 10 Iron Man event and the conclusion was that a 20 race combo was the only real way to settle it...and then at the 20 race event someone said, you know, we should really be looking to do 30 Iron Man back to back.  Who knows.


So there you have it, my views on the crazy world of ultra triathlon, I take my hat off to those that are involved and take on such feats of endurance, but I'm still not sure I really 'get it'.

How much ?!! What might it cost to get into Triathlon

As a newcomer to triathlon, one of the things that first struck me was the cost of entering races.  My first race, which was a sprint distance, cost probably twice as much as the most expensive run event I'd entered.  Also, as I started to take advice and tips from experienced friends, I realised there was almost an endless list of kit that I could buy, some of which I would class 'nice to have' (Aero wheels), others pretty much 'must have' (e.g. wet suit).  

At around the same time, a friend pointed out to me a series of articles by a pro athlete, Brad Williams (https://www.bw-tri.com/) who was writing a similar series of articles, giving insights to the costs of being a pro athlete (income from sponsors, race placings etc.versus the costs of being an athlete). It made really interesting reading to get an insight into the finances of a pro athlete.

I can't imagine for one minute that reading how much a part-time age-grouper spends is anywhere near as interesting as it would be versus a pro athlete, none-the-less I thought it would still be interesting - and sobering - to see how much my foray into the world of tri had cost me...so far, without the 'benefit' of being able to offset any costs against race winnings and sponsorship.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, you could look at this list and think, in order to race, you don't need half of that kit - and you would probably be right.  After the 'must have' items, its all very personal what we choose to buy and spend our hard-earned on.  What I've done is just list out here what I've bought or had to spend on and the associated cost, on my way to competing in my first half iron man distance events.

Spend to arrive on start line of first half Iron Man

Listing everything out I was moderately surprised but not shocked at how much I'd spent.

My wife counted in every parcel and packet and reminded me 'something seems to arrive every day for you....what could you possibly need still'.  My consistent repetition about having to cover three sports probably lasted for the first week of deliveries but thereafter I was having trouble making up credible stories !!!  I guess the amount and range of kit you buy depends on a lot of things (budget, aspirations etc.) and any previous endurance sport background - so for example you might already have a decent bike and not need to buy another.  Although I had a road bike already, I had it built in 1997 and wasn't sure it was up to getting me round a half iron man which was my main goal.  My most recent history, before taking up triathlon, was running marathons, so I had very little run kit expenditure.

Also, it is fair to say I didn't buy a lot of this equipment just to do one half iron man.  Unless you are confident enough to select that distance for your first event, you will want to do some shorter distances beforehand, so a lot of this gear I had already bought and tried out beforehand.  But the intention was to buy equipment I knew would support me on the journey to my first 70.3 start and beyond.  So these costs above reflect an accumulation of spend over 18 months or so.

Of course, although I didn't realise it at the time I started, you can actually hire a fair amount of the kit you need to start racing, for example bikes, wet-suit etc. You could buy second hand off other triathlon mates you might have, given there are always upgrades going on. So again, where I have racked up a fair chunk of costs here, that is because I have bought everything new, but there are other options.  If you think Triathlon might not be for you, then used or hiring might be the way forward.  That said, when it came to a wet-suit, I just couldn't get over the idea of hiring a suit that someone had already used !!

So, what have I learned from writing all this down?  First and foremost, Triathlon isn't a cheap sport to enter, whether that is to cover the cost of the kit you will need, or from the expense of race entries.  Unlike me, you might want to take some time to consider some of the more expensive investments if you think your career might be short lived.  I just didn't consider that - I just went out and bought what I needed with no thought as to whether I'd like it or not.  That said, for things like my wet-suit, I did go in at entry level as I couldn't see how much better a £500 suit would be to my £150 version.  There were cheaper suits than the one I ended up with, but like I said, I wanted to try and ensure I bought kit that, despite being at the cheaper end of the scale in some cases, could serve me well for a few 'seasons' as I was convinced Tri would be for me.  Like any 'investment' it is worth spending time on some research and speaking to friends who are already racing and had to make these decisions.

Where I've spent money over many months on a wide range of things, kit, nutrition, race entry, getting to races etc, I quite easily lost track of just how much I had spent.  Putting it all down here is a timely reminder of why my Wife was so concerned every time the DPD delivery guy arrived at our front door and maybe gives some insight into the sort of money you could well part with over time.

Clearly, there are a lot of variables here.  I could have bought a cheaper bike, I could have bought one for thousands more.  I have not raced abroad, which itself, brings additional costs and expenses.  The bigger races I've done I've raced with a friend which cuts down on travel and accommodation expenses for example.  As such, you could well spend a lot more than I did to get started, or spend a whole lot less.  But, at least by looking at this list, you get some idea of some of the costs to be considered if you are considered starting out in triathlon.

Now I have got this kit though, subsequent seasons shouldn't be so expensive in theory, unless I cannot resist upgrades and sales (yes, I know, my wife is right, it is only a bargain if you need it).  But, seeing how much I have spent so far, I've a feeling that unless I start winning races and/or get sponsors, my buying might begin to level out for a while.....

I didn't put the list together to dissuade anyone from taking up Tri, more to give some sort of insight in to the sort of money you might part with as a result of getting hooked on the sport. I've probably missed things....like lake swimming for example, how could I forget that !  £10 per swim and from memory I had at least 4 or 5 before my first race and thereafter for ongoing training.  But at least here are some of the key things I thought were required to see me onto that 70.3 start line and to see them all in once place, reminds me of all the smaller items which don't compare to say a bike purchase, but do rack up to a fair amount over time.

After all the expense though, I'd not change anything.  I don't regret spending any of the above to take up Tri.  I love it and it has turned into a lifestyle, rather than just train and race. So, spend as much or as little as you want, go in fully aware, 'eyes wide open' to some of the outlay you might face, but whatever you do, don't let it put you off taking up this amazing sport, or carry on participating if you've already started.

I have no intentions of stopping and will still be 'investing' here and there when the opportunity arises !