Average costs related to triathlon

Hi,
I'm sure this thread will be wrought with other opinions but here's my experience with expenses. It's all about finding what works best for you. I don't have a coach, though I'm sure it could help...especially with my swim. I just can't spare the expense. I have used free online guides and my local library along with a million YouTube videos to help sort some of those things out. Every race you'll learn something new.

As far as pool fees and a gym membership, it's a must do unless you are in a place where you can get outside access for much of the year in my opinion.

The amount you spend on races themselves can vary quite a bit, but don't forget about the other costs associated with our sport such as travel for races (if you are doing that), bike maintenance (if you can't do it yourself) and the accompanying equipment.

Best of luck,
John

First, to other posters, OP is a Japan-based expat, which may explain some of the high costs she mentioned!!

I tried to respond earlier but bad Internet ate my post when I submitted it-trying again.

I think like in anything else, you have to prioritize based on your financial situation and how important this is to you. I personally don't have a high income (elementary teacher), so I have to do that. I would say that there is really no getting around pool fees--investigate what options are there for you, and choose what will allow you to get in consistent training. Consider not only the cost, but how useful the pool actually is. By this I mean, is it available at times that you can swim? Are there lanes/times set aside for lap swimming or are you in there with dive-bombing kiddos? How crowded is it? Some facilities have membership or punch-card deals that can save $ if you swim a lot--not sure about Japan though.

Probably second priority would be some kind of swim instruction. Maybe there is a master's group at the pool?? Yes, you can "economize" with books and videos and the like; personally, I find it hard to learn much of anything that way. Maybe for some people.....My problem is I don't really know what I'm doing in the water unless someone tells me--and I've been swimming since before I could walk! But I guess books and videos are better than nothing.

Joining a tri club--very, very optional. There is none here; I like to joke that I AM the Saigon Tri Club. You can do so to find people to train with, but in many cities there are groups of people who meet casually for rides or runs, maybe setting it up on Facebook or meeting at a regular spot. I realize it can be harder as an expat (and, in Asia, sometimes, as a woman), but it might be another free or low-cost option.

Coaching--You might consider holding off on this until you have more background in the sport and a better picture of your goals, strengths, and weaknesses. There are plenty of quality free programs on this site, and even more for the fairly inexpensive bronze and silver memberships. I trained for pretty much all my races until last year using programs on this site. I only moved to individual coaching after a couple of years where I repeatedly struggled with getting results in races that I thought reflected my ability. I simply didn't have the knowledge base I needed to improve my strength on the bike, balance training in the three disciplines, and get to races healthy; nor did I have the time to keep pursuing it. But I did get to pretty competitive times for my AG (a 1:15 sprint, 2:41 Olympic, and 5:31 HIM) entirely self-coached. While a coach will certainly take your money and many coaches are happy to work with beginners, you might think about holding off for a bit until you start getting the feeling you've gone as far as you can go on your own.

Equipment: You don't need all the latest gadgets, and they don't have to be new. Triathletes, especially those in a wealthy country like Japan, are always upgrading. Secondhand stuff is a huge savings. I will be riding my seven year old, secondhand tri bike, that I bought off a Japanese expat here, at Worlds in a few weeks.

Races: Consider them part of your yearly travel budget. Talk with family and choose one or two destination races a year (if you can afford it) that would also be a fun trip for them. Keep the others as local as possible, especially if you don't have to fly with your bike. (Very difficult for me personally, as there are NO triathlons locally, and only a few in Vietnam!)

And....maybe you have to give up some things if you really want to invest in your sport. Look at your budget and think what really doesn't matter so much to you. I don't have an I-phone or motorbike, for example, or stay in fancy places when I travel or go out to eat as much as a lot of my colleagues. I'd rather spend that $ on other things, including triathlon.

I'm very new to the sport (did my first sprint a month ago) and have tried to do it as cheaply as possible since I didn't know if I would continue with it after I completed one. (so far I am still training...)

I haven't paid anything to this site as of yet; I didn't find it until I was well on my way in my training by the time I did. I did join a local club though, at a price of $35 for the year. I'll be honest though, I mostly joined because I got invited to their season kickoff dinner/meeting and won a few prizes and felt a bit obliged to join because of that. That said, I am glad I did because they do have quite a few training opportunities that I've participated in, and the social aspect is definitely a plus for me too.

I guess I do pay pool fees, as the YMCA I go to rents the local school's pool. I try to get there twice a week, and most weeks it's the only time The Y sees me. My wife already had a membership, so adding me to that costs $11 more a month if I remember right. I think if you can find a gym that has a pool you would be money ahead to join there instead of a pool only. It also gives you a place to work out during inclement weather.

I don't know about swim coaches. I never had a private lesson (I swam on my high school's swim team way back when...) but I can't imagine why online videos wouldn't get you most of the way there before hiring a coach to fine tune your stroke.

While it would give you a destination for a vacation, I don't think that airfare would be a requirement to enjoy this sport.

The prices you listed for race entry fees seem high for here, but the link you provided implies you are from Osaka, Japan, so that might have something to do with differences in prices. This may also explain the need for airfare if there aren't many races locally.

As for the equipment, I kept mine to a minimum. I bought a used road bike and upgraded it a little bit. I haven't bought a wetsuit yet. I wear a pair of triathlon shorts and a T-shirt while training (and race day) and I rode my bike while wearing my running shoes. I swim in the tri shorts and a pair of goggles.

J White

Thank you all for your answers ! (weird, I had subscribed to this thread, but didn't receive email notifications).

I understand that costs vary greatly depending on the region and goals of the racer, which makes it very difficult to estimate cost averages.

I will therefore evaluate the costs in my region, taking into account that as a beginner secondhand gears are more than enough, and that as time goes, if I want to compete in times, my costs will definitely go higher.

I will come back to this thread after I compile enough data and will look forward to your opinions, thank you!