A poor kid in a rich man's sport

To take a break from the running blog that I've been starting, I'll focus back on triathlon. I've been stressing about money a lot recently. There are some things that I want and some things that I (think I) need, but I just don't know how I'm going to pay for them. I used to think it was expensive to get a new baseball glove or bat or cleats... That is nothing compared to the cost of being a triathlete with decent gear! There are some crazy facts about how much the average triathlete makes and spends! (triathlete demographics) According to surveys done by usatriathlon.org, the AVERAGE income of a triathlete is $126,000!!! That's more than I make on my teacher's salary. And here is how much they are spending annually - $2,274 spent on bikes in past 12 months, $564 spent on race fees in past 12 months, $524 spent on bike equipment, $370 spent on training, running and athletic footwear, and $277 spent on nutritional supplements. That totals over $4,000! Per year. Now granted I won't spend (another) $2,000 on my bike this year, but signing up for my one ironman this year cost $600 - more than the $564 average. Plus I haven't signed up for any other races, yet. You can see why this is starting to stress me out. 

So here is a list of toys and races that I would buy/sign up for assuming I had a lot of money...(and keep in mind, this is the frugal way to go at the year - if I were one to spend frivolously, I could spend a lot more!)

Race wheels - $1000

Oakley jawbones - $200

Asics Gel Hyperspeed 4 Shoes - $60

Giro Prolite helmet - $140

Foam roller for my legs/back - $35

NJ Devilman half - $150

Jerseyman half - $180

4.4 Mile Bay swim - $40

IM Louisville or Chesapeakeman- $600/$250

Poconos 70.3 - $275

That totals $2680 if I do IM Louisville or $2320 if I do Chesapeakeman. I don't have that kind of money. And I didn't take into account any travel arrangements, nutritional needs, or any maintenance I might need on my bike or current clothing. Some of this stuff I will inevitably have to pay for, but the other stuff will probably just have to wait until next year...or the following.

So if you would like to make a contribution to the "Pete is too Poor to be a Triathlete Fund" please contact me and I will be glad to take your money. 

In other news, I had a nice 2.5 hour - 20 mile run on Wednesday. Besides some sore feet, I feel good. I think I've made the decision to wear the KSwiss for the marathon. I'm going to test it out Sunday with a race prep run. Tuesday and Thursday this week I didn't run. I just rode on the trainer for 30-45 minutes. It felt great. I'm looking forward to getting back on the bike as well as getting back in the pool. I think mixing up the workouts, although it can be stressful, is really much more enjoyable than focusing 100% on one discipline. 

Time for class!


A quick addendum since I have a couple extra minutes. This is the minimum I think I'll spend this year...


Bike tune ups - $100
Shoes - $80
Sunglasses - $75
Jerseyman half - $180
4.4 Bay Swim - $40
Poconos 70.3 - $275
Travel/Lodging - $400
Nutrition - $150


So I guess I need to find at least an extra $1300 lying around somewhere...