Stuff I'm Using: TomTop Underwater MP3 Player

I got a job offer on Tuesday! But it's just for a part-time job with Quiktrip. Great company, great benefits, but not enough to fund my triathlon habit.

So I'm trying to monetize my blog just a little bit more. Please forgive the blatant commercialization.

I can't bear to endorse just any product, so I'll only profile things I actually use.

TomTop Waterproof MP3 Player


I can't believe how much these things have come down in price! I first used the Finis SwimP3 for underwater music, and it cost around $125. Then I got a cheap, made-in-China player a few years ago from Amazon, and it was $45, and the cheapest I could find. Now you can get one for $20! It works perfectly well, too. I don't imagine it will last for very long, but that's to be expected. Besides which, my expensive SwimP3 only lasted for 18 months, before the chlorine and water corroded the connections. A cheap, waterproof MP3 player makes a nice investment for long, endurance-y swims.

The Most Necessary Thing

I don't have a coach. I don't have a power meter. I don't have a GPS device. I don't run in Newtons, don't ride on Zipps, and don't own a swim skin.

I've considered purchasing all of those things. I've thought about spending money I didn't really have on things I don't really need, because they might (in most cases, will) make me faster. And in terms of improving speed, all of these tools are reasonable investments. I'm on the fence about Newtons (seems to me that they could go either way), but all the others, I firmly believe that they will make you faster.

But I'm not going to spend money on them.

Why? Because at this point in my training, they're not necessary. Sure, I could probably ride faster with a pair of Zipps. And I could probably get more speed out of myself with a GPS device, a power meter, a coach. But the truth is that I can still get so much out of myself just by swimming, biking, and running, that the improvements I would see with a monetary investment aren't necessary right now.

Hard work in the workouts is (right now) the most necessary thing for me.

Same goes for the workouts themselves. This year, I think I can drop 20-30 seconds off my mile pace in the 5k just by continuing the pattern of training I've been doing: long run, tempo run, intervals. There's still plenty of room for improvement for me with getting all my runs done, too. So I probably won't consider adding in additional workouts (hills, for example) on any regular basis until I see the current performance gains I'm making level off.

Chances are good that in a couple years I'll start to see my improvements plateau; my times won't get faster, my results won't improve. That's when I'll consider hiring a coach, purchasing new training tools, upgrading my equipment. And that's when I might start looking for new training methods, concentrating more on strength and plyometrics, re-evaluating my plan.

But for right now, consistency in working hard is my most necessary thing.

What's yours?

Beginners' Guide: Cold Weather Gear

My first winter training in Kansas, I half-heartedly looked for a guide to how much money I would have to drop for cold weather gear. I asked schoolmates from colder climes (i.e. Chicago) what they wore while running in the winter. I looked for articles on Trifuel and Ontri. I browsed forums. I wished for a blogger who would tell me all I need to know.

So to prevent my newbie readers from having to work so hard, I've collected what I've learned since returning from Southern California (where "cold" was anything below 60* and "windy" was gusting to 8 MPH).

Swimming
Even with a wetsuit, don't bother. The water is going to be too cold for any but the most brazen, and there's no reason for you to swim in the open water, anyway (other than earning valuable badass points). Stay in the pool and work on your technique. You can wear your wetsuit there, if you want to (if you have one).

Biking
Ah, the gear required for biking--it makes paupers of us all. Presented in order of importance (in my experience), with options for those of you who have no money (or who spent it all on your bankruptcy-inducing bike).

1. Tights. Cheapskate option: wear a pair of running tights (or two or three) over bike shorts.

2. Hat/ear warmers. Cheapskate option: wear an old stocking cap, if you don't care about moisture control.

3. Full-finger gloves. Cheapskate option: wear a pair of $1 knit gloves over cycling gloves.

4. Toe warmers. Cheapskate option: put plastic bags (like the kind your newspaper comes in) inside your shoes to block the wind.

5. Balaclava. Cheapskate option: tie a scarf or bandana snugly around your face, and pull your ghetto stocking cap down all around it.

6. Wind vest/jacket. Cheapskate option: any wind-resistant jacket will do the trick, although most won't breathe as well as technical apparel.

And if it starts snowing? You're screwed anyway (for road biking, anyway; there are plenty of people who ride in the snow, but not usually on road bikes).

Running
Possibly the least pleasant activity to do when it's cold and windy (right behind swimming and cycling). Most of the equipment you'll need to run comfortably (or rather with as little discomfort as possible) can cross over between bike and run. The one thing on which I strongly advise you to drop money is a pair of quality thermal tights. They should be fuzzy on the inside (you might want two pairs: one thermal and one light). Layering is a must. Smart Wool is, well, smart. Gloves, stocking cap, balaclava, all can be used for biking and running. If you're dealing with a nasty wind chill, wear pants and a jacket that will cut the wind (I wear a pair of $20 Adidas warm-ups when it's windy out). You might want to wear two pairs of socks (both wicking! not something that you can skimp on!), and the plastic bag trick works for running too.


Note on safety
Snow is okay; ice is not. If the road is slick, suck it up (buttercup) and get on the treadmill or the trainer. I know, I know, it's super boring. You can alleviate the boredom by downloading one of my (awesome) podcasts, though! Hurray! In all seriousness, be sensible. If you're going out when it's cold, bundle up, use common sense, and (always always always) let someone know where you're going and when you'll be back.


The coldest weather I've braved for running was temps in the teens with a negative wind chill; the coldest I've been out on the bike was in the high twenties. It can be done, and with relatively little up-front investment, but you kind of need a badass mindset to begin with. If you don't really, really want it, you're never going to get outside and run when it's below freezing. Then again, if you don't really, really want it, you probably wouldn't be doing this crazy sport.


I should also mention that Kansas has had a run of unseasonably warm days. By which I mean it's 10:00 p.m. and 60* F (with no wind, WTF?). So if all else fails, you can come visit me.


And I'm not (by a long shot) training in the coldest weather here (although I'd bet money that I get the worst winds). Northerners, Bostonians, residents of Lake Wobegone, what do you think? What are the best cold-weather investments for newbies' money?

Beginners' Guide: The Cost of Setting Out

If you're considering getting involved with triathlon, you've already figured out that this sport ain't cheap. In fact, short of polo (which requires a horse as well as a bunch of goofy-looking clothes), it might be the most expensive sport ever created. Although if you can think of more expensive sports, let's please discuss (read: make fun of) them at length in the comments!

And at this point in the year, you've probably already weighed the costs and benefits. But just in case you're still on the edge ("I don't know if I can afford this . . . or if I want to!") or thinking about getting more serious ("I really liked doing that race; maybe I'm ready to invest a little more deeply in this thing.") I'm providing this Beginner's Guide to choosing, purchasing, and paying for gear.

For the absolute first-timer n00b: The Bare Necessities
Believe it or not, you need very little to get started. 

Swim

For swimming, get a pair of goggles. You can get them anywhere, any kind (I have one pair bought at a big box store on vacation that actually worked tolerably well), but keep in mind that you get what you pay for. My recommendation? Speedo Vanquisher. That's what I use, and I love them. The link takes you to the mirrored version ("Vanquisher Plus," fancy pants Speedo), which I like because they transition better to outdoor (i.e. race day) usage. A pair of those will set you back $15 at your local swim shop (I got mine at Amazon.com for $10.50 + shipping).

Swim cap? Eh . . . if you have long, floppy hair that won't stay in a ponytail, you'll probably need one. If you can handle practicing with your hair in your face, just wait until race day, when they'll probably give you one for free. After a few races, you'll have so many swim caps you won't know what to do with them all!

For swimwear (remember we're looking at the absolute bare necessities), here's what I suggest: Fellas, use an old pair of bike shorts. They're going to stretch out with the chlorine (and, if you're outside, they'll fade in the sun), so do not use your $100 Descente comp shorts (you know who you are, cyclists). If you'd like, you can drop the extra $20 for a jammer-style suit (looks like bike shorts without the padding). Or be super trendy and buy a speedo! Women, if you don't have a training swimsuit your cheapest option is a grab bag suit, which you'll probably be able to find for $20-$30. If you have a local swim shop, they might have that option, also. If you're picky about color, pay the extra $5 to pick your style. And I strongly recommend that you buy a 100% polyester suit; otherwise, you might be buying a new one every other month (I know I have!), as they stretch out considerably as the lycra disintegrates from exposure to chlorine.
 
Bike

Bike. Ah, the bike. The huge money sink-hole of our sport (but we love it, you know). For the absolute beginner, I recommend that you use your old 10-speed, your $50 big box bike, or borrow one. Unless you are doing a half ironman distance (or longer) for your first race, just use what you have. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten e-mails from cycling or tri mailing lists to the effect of

hey i bought a bike when i started training 5 months ago but i can't do it anymore will sell my bike cheap 1400 obo

These people, for the most part, bought bikes before they were sure they'd be able to commit to the sport long-term and end up selling their gear at a loss. A good bike is expensive (and buying a cheap bike is even more expensive), so save yourself some hassle and do a few races before you make such a big investment. Ideally, check around with people you know and ask if anyone has a bike you can borrow. I borrowed a bike for my second and third races, before I was ready to invest in my own (the first race I did on an old $20 ten-speed from Goodwill).


Bike shorts, I would argue, are an absolute necessity. Believe me, you do not want to be on a bike seat for any longer than 10 minutes without them (although I have dozens of insane people who take spinning classes in street clothes). You can probably find a pair for $20, but pay an extra $15-$30 ($50 is probably about right) to for more padding and nicer fit.

You absolutely positively need a helmet. It is not an option, when racing or at any other time. Figure $30.



Run

For the run, all you really need is shoes, but make sure that you get high quality shoes. Go to a running or triathlon specific store that employs knowledgeable, athletic associates. Have them watch you walk and run and then listen to their recommendations. Do not go to Dicks Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, or some other big box athletic store. Unless you've been running for years and know exactly what (kind of) shoe you need (i.e. motion control), get some advice; it's worth the extra cost. My shoes (I currently trade back and forth between a pair of Brooks Adrenaline and Mizuno Waveriders) cost around $100 (although I get a discount for being a member of the local tri club). You can run in your bike shorts on bottom and a sports bra (or nothing at all, if you're a fella) on top.


And for the first race, that's really all you need. Comes in at under $200.



Stepping it up
But what if you've had your first race, and maybe your second and third, and are ready to invest a little more in all the sweet, sweet tri gear? Where do you start? What gets you the most bang for your buck? And how much is it going to cost? Here's where I'll get a little more into my personal experience and let you know what worked for me. So here's a list of gear (what you need), cost (how many spare organs you'll need to sell), and explanation (why it's worth the arm and leg), in order of importance (that is, this is the order in which I wish I'd bought these items).



USAT membership - $35
Suddenly all of your races just got $10 cheaper! If you're going to do 4 or more races in one year, the USAT membership is worth it.


Bicycle - $500-$1500 (for a beginner set-up)

In almost every triathlon you do, you spend more time biking than doing anything else, so improvements in bike performance are going to give you the greatest improvements in race times. Here's my recommendation: buy a road bike, not a beginner-level tri/time trial bike. If you get a beginner-level tri bike and get really into the sport, I guarantee you're going to want to upgrade that bike later. If you buy a road bike, you'll (probably) eventually end up with two bikes: one for tri racing, and another for weekend rides, local tours/centuries, or commuting. I bought a Fuji Ace on ebay two years ago, and I love it. I'm upgrading to a Cervelo P2C, but you better believe I'm holding on to my $300 road bike (even though it weighs 1.5 metric tons).

Cycling shoes - $60-$120
This is what I bought. Very easy to get in and out of these in transition. Cycling shoes are going to make a big difference in your bike performance, as well. Besides which, if you go to spinning classes, suddenly you look like a "serious" athlete.

Cycling tools - $50+

I recommend buying a multi-tool, a small pump for your frame, and tire levers. That price doesn't include extra tubes and tires. Also, you should learn at this point how to change your own tires (but I can't put a price on that).


Body Glide - $7
Body Glide is a lube that is very (very very very) popular with endurance athletes. Yeah, you can use vaseline, but this feels better.


Race belt - $5
A race belt holds your race number on, so that you don't have to pin it onto your jersey/shorts. Does it make a huge difference in race times? No, not really. It's more for convenience than anything else. This way, you don't have to worry about pinning your number on or putting on a shirt in transition. And it's not like it's a huge investment, anyway.



Heart rate monitor - $80-$200
You might already have a heart rate monitor, but this is a good point to upgrade to a model with more bells and whistles. Is it necessary for your training/racing? Absolutely not; there's plenty of evidence that a scale of perceived exertion is every bit as useful as heart rate monitoring. But it is sort of a cultural thing within the sport. Triathletes just love having numbers to look at and play with, and a heart rate monitor provides those (for a much more economical price than a power meter).


Tri-specific clothing - $80-$150
Tri shorts have a thinner chamois for quicker drying. Tri tops tend to be lighter and more breathable than most cycling jerseys. But--as with the HR monitor--we're moving into matters of style and culture, rather than pure performance boosters.


Wetsuit - $200-$500
By the time you buy a wetsuit (unless you live near the ocean or in a very cold climate), you've arrived. I would consider a wetsuit a transitional purchase; if you're going to drop a couple hundred dollars here, you're probably experienced enough to do your own research.


Conclusion
So that's kind of the quick-and-dirty guide to what it'll cost to get started in the sport. For your first race, assuming you're starting completely from scratch (i.e. most people already have goggles, running shoes, and maybe even bike shorts), figure about $200 for equipment, $50 for race entry, and $10 for training aids like gels and sports drink. After that initial foray into triathlon, your gear upgrades can be much more spread out (i.e. I bought a bike two years ago and a wetsuit last year), so you don't have to worry as much about up-front costs.


In the long run, though, how much will this sport cost you? Here's a rough approximation of what I've spent on triathlon in the last three years (and this is with minimal research, so I'm probably low-balling it):


Gear: $2,010
Races/travel: $1,230

Memberships, maintenance, and miscellaneous: $350


And looking at those numbers . . . those are pretty big. Have I really spent almost $4,000 on my hobby? Yes, over the past 3 years. I absolutely have. 

And I can say with no hesitation whatsoever that it's totally worth it.


Fellow veterans, do you agree? Newbies (and tentative explorers), what do you think?

It's Worth It

You know how to sacrifice. Whether you're a runner, a triathlete, a duathlete, or a weekend warrior at the gym, you know how to sacrifice.

You know about 5:30 wake-up calls to get in a workout before work. You know about 4:30 wake-up calls to get plenty of time in the transition area before your race. You know about forking over thousands for a bike, a new cassette, the deepest dished wheels, the slightest aerodynamic advantage. You know about missing weekend revelries because you want to prepare your body for the next day's long run. Maybe most significantly, you know how to deal with temporary suffering in the moment--the grueling intensities required for threshold workouts and race day performance--in pursuit of a goal that means that much to you.

You--an athlete--know how to sacrifice.

Regular people, not so much.

This article comes from the annals of personal finance (another topic of great interest to me, poor, debt-laden college student that I am). It touches on the idea that people would rather have what they want now (a $4 latte, God forbid) than something immeasurably better later (a $50,000 college fund). I would guess that athletes aren't quite as bad at this, at least in a relative sense; if nothing else, I would bet that you're able to discipline your spending better now than you could before you started making the sacrifices required for training--or would be capable of that discipline if you tried. Of course, we might forgo the $50,000 college fund for a $5,000 bike, but the principle still applies: we're used to sacrificing; we are athletes.

I want to talk briefly about an investment that I believe is worth sacrifice: a gym membership. First I'll cover what I see as the benefits of gym membership, then the sacrifices necessary for gym membership, then I'll add some caveats. And in the interest of full-disclosure, I'll also note that I am not a member of a gym; I am an employee. In other words, I don't pay for my gym membership. So know that while I try to convince you why you should.

First of all, believe it or not, my gym membership saves me money. My gym provides shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, hairspray, blow dryers, and towels (I'm sure there are other things, but these are the ones I use). Since I'm at the gym pretty frequently, I mostly shower there; it's a rare day when I shower at home. If I were really serious about my frugality, I could conceivably avoid showering at home altogether. The point is, I don't spend much money on toiletries. I use shampoo maybe once a week; I don't have to own body wash; my deodorant sees half the use it normally would. I actually don't use hairspray or a blow dryer, but if I ever want to, I don't have to buy them first. Are the savings from these toiletries significant? Nah, not really. And I still have to budget for toiletries, because I still have to buy toothpaste, floss, toothbrushes, and face wash. But these are little benefits of gym membership that you could make work for you, if you were so inclined.

But there are many other benefits of gym membership besides the minuscule savings related to toiletries. The biggest one, at least in my mind, is a swimming pool. I live in Kansas. It is currently snowing outside. Now in the summer, I can usually find time to go out to the lake and swim for free (if in dirty, fish-infested, slimy, dark, disgusting, algae-filled water). In the winter, not so much. If I don't have a gym membership, I don't do swim training between October and April. Well, November and March, if it's a warm year. In addition, my gym has a hot tub, a heated therapy pool, a dry sauna, a steam room, and--this is a big one--a SwimEx. That means that my longest swim this season will not be 60 laps in a short-course pool, but rather an hour spent swimming in place, with no need for turns or the consequent disruption of my pace. All of these things are out of reach for me. I have no idea how much an indoor, never-ending pool would cost, but I'm pretty sure that the gym membership is a better deal.

In addition, I have my choice of a variety of cardio and weight machines, lots of free weights, stability balls, wobble boards, foam rollers, yoga mats and tools . . . some of those things I have at home, but there's no way I can get the variety in my workouts that I am able to have at the gym; I simply don't have enough money for all that equipment (not to mention I have no place to store it).

Finally, my gym offers a wide variety of aerobics, pilates, cycling, water aerobics, and yoga classes. All these classes are taught by certified instructors, a.k.a. people who know what they're doing. Which means that if you don't know what you're doing, you can exercise in a safe and supportive environment because you have a fitness professional watching out for you. All of these factors add up, and so I think that a gym membership is going to be beneficial for most people.

As I've pointed out, there's no way you could afford to equip yourself with the kind of resources (equipment and personnel) that are available at a gym. But still, the money for your membership fees has got to come from somewhere. You can total up those little toiletry savings and see exactly what they could do for you. I can't really guess what those savings would be; I don't know how much soap you use. But I know for sure that it's not enough to pay for a gym membership every month. So this is where you get into the real sacrifices. At my gym, you'd have to sacrifice $40-$50 a month for a membership. Where does that money come from?

My best suggestion is to kill two birds with one stone by trimming off habits that are both calorically and financially expensive. For example, my mom eats lunch out every day. Not only does this cost $4-$7 every day, she's probably getting 200-300 more calories per day on average than she needs at lunch. So, conservatively, if she were to make her own lunch--or even bring something like a Healthy Choice microwave thingy (shudder)--she could save a couple bucks every day and cut back on the number of calories she consumes. And there's your gym membership. Another one I've heard at work (I'm not a membership sales person, by the way; I'm a fitness class instructor and trainer) is smokers claiming that they want to join a gym but can't afford it. Well if you have an addictive habit (I'm looking at you guys with an overpriced coffee in your hand), get rid of it, or at least scale back. Like get a cup of coffee once a month, or go out to lunch once a week with friends, or limit yourself to only smoking cigars occasionally. Or--and here's one that hits close to home--only have one drink when you go out to a bar (if there's a two-drink minimum, make the second drink something without alcohol).

I know it's not as easy as I make it out to be; when you don't buy your morning shot of caffeine, it's not like that money goes into a special high-yield fund; it just languishes in your checking account until you do something else with it. Or anyway, that's how mine works. My point is that the money is there if you want it; I'm trying to take away that excuse of "I just don't make enough." No, you make enough; it's a question of priorities.

But money isn't the only thing you have to budget; the other resource you need to make a gym membership work is time. I know several people who have been members at Genesis since last fall, who are just now getting into the gym. The trick, once again, is sacrifice. Are you a mother of two who works full time, makes delicious and nutritious lunches for your husband and kids, knits, is on the PTA, and volunteers at soup kitchen on Saturdays? Yikes, your schedule's full! And you still make delicious and nutritious lunches for your kids and your husband? I am impressed!

But can you wake up at 5:00, get a 5:30 aerobics class in, and be home in time to wake the kids up for school? Probably, yeah. It might be hard to get used to it; you might be a very cranky aerobics participant for the first week or so; but you can budget your time to get a workout in. Once again, just a question of priorities.

I'm not saying that everyone should belong to a gym. You know, a lot of people would be fine with walking on a bike path three or four times a week, or running on a treadmill while watching a movie with the family. And those are good options. You definitely don't need to be spending $450-$600 a year on a gym membership in order to be healthy and fit. What I'm saying is that membership at a gym, with the availability of showers, saunas, steam rooms, pools, multiple cardio and weight machines, group fitness classes, and fitness professionals, is a worthwhile investment. You might own a treadmill and some dumbbells, but there's no way you could afford to have the variety of equipment available at a gym. And you can always rent a yoga or aerobics video at the library, but that's nothing compared to having a certified instructor come over and physically adjust your position so that you get the safest and most effective stretch.

If you're reading this, you're probably an athlete. You know how to sacrifice. But maybe you're not an athlete; maybe you're not even particularly fit, physically. I can tell you from experience (before I got into triathlon, I was not physically active at all) that it might be a long process to get used to making these kinds of sacrifices, but it's not particularly difficult if you ease into it. Before long, you won't even miss that overpriced coffee.

::Note:: This is the first time I've tried to write anything relating to finance; it's not really my topic, but I felt inspired. Any feedback is totally welcome and appreciated.