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Triathlon on a Budget?

How possible is it to be truly successful at the sport of triathlon on a shoestring budget?  What if being willing to give it your all emotionally, mentally and physically isn't good enough when you don't have the finances to back up the ambition?  How can an unsponsored, newly single mom, with a meager salary, survive the world of triathlon?

My first triathlon happened because of a challenge from a friend.  My only goal had been to finish.  I borrowed a bike from a friend who had only done one half and one IronMan, and then retired from the sport.  My parents bought me a wetsuit for my birthday.  I bought a cheap pair of sneaks to run and bike in.  And all of my training was done on the side of the road and in public pools.  The only thing my first Iron Girl cost me was time and the entry fee.

My second tri season, I joined the Y for use of the pool, my parents bought me a new bike, and I invested in better sneakers.  I also joined the local tri club for more opportunities to get open water swims in.  So, my second Iron Girl cost me a little more, the Y monthly membership fee, and the tri club fee.  Still not too bad on the budget.

This year, I need to get the clip in shoes and pedals for my bike.  No more cages.  And of course, my sneakers will need to be replaced.  Probably a few times since my mileage this year should increase a lot.  Then there is the fact that I want to do a lot more races.  That's a lot of entry fees I'm going to have to come up with.  Continuing the Y membership on my new single mom budget is getting harder and harder.  But my boys have fallen in love with the place, so I need to figure out how to maintain that still.  I'll have to renew my tri club membership.  Crap, the fees are really starting to pile up!

So, I ask all of you.  How do you do it?  How do you come up with the money to train for swim, bike, run?  Do you all have sugar daddies?  Are you independently wealthy?  Is there some secret society of sponsors I don't know about?  I want to be successful.  I don't just want to finish any more.  I want to PR at every race.  Something tells me I'm going to need to find some cash cow somewhere to help me achieve this.

Edited to add: The boys father is helping me financially, but any assistance he provides is for the boys.  I will not use any of his money for anything that isn't directly for them (clothes, food, fees for sports etc.).

Comments

Thanks so much for your sweet post on my blog, Caroline. Much appreciated and so nice to see that others have come back stronger even after all of this. My kids mean the world to me. Email me if you'd have any further advice -- I can use anything right now. Thanks so much. You rock!
lbarlow said…
Carolina,

First and most important, congratulations on all of your accomplishments! Training is a challenge in itself!!

While expenses for training and competing in triathlons can add up, my company, XTERRA WETSUITS (www.xterrawetsuits.com), recognizes this and we offer triathlon-specific wetsuits starting at just $99. Unlike any other triathlon-specific wetsuit company, we sell directly to triathletes in order to provide high quality wetsuits at an affordable price.

Also, we sponsor hundreds of clubs and teams, so if you're a member of one of our sponsored triathlon clubs, we offer year-round discounts to their members.

Thanks, and please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions!
Liz
liz@xterrawetsuits.com
Nikki Kendall said…
For me..I kind of cheated. I started teaching at the Y. I took spin classes as a part of my training for my first Tri, and then just simply asked if I could teach. It will cut those costs in half....plus all sports and swim lessons for the boys are half off too! Another tip..buy off season for your gear!

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