Are you the person that when you start out for something new, want to have the best equipment to help you attain your goal? Are you like me? reading blog posts, information online about the latest watch that has this new function about when you need to pee and for how long and say “oh shit, this will help me finish the ironman! I need this!”.
Well my advice is don’t be, try to start as frugal as you can, buy used equipment, start training with the shoes you have, swim in a lake or ocean (if you have one near you), don’t go all out, be smart and most importantly spend the money where is needed (at ice creams and pizza after long sessions).
I will give a run-down of what I have spent my money on, and how much it cost me, and will put a small comment of how I used it and if it was worth the purchase.
Ironman Cost Details
| No. | Title | Description | Was it worth it? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ticket for ironman entry | Duh (I think you get this) | Yes / Well without it you don’t race!, so I guess yes | 700$ |
| 2 | Triathlon Bike | Giant Trinity Advanced Pro 0 (2017) | Yes | 3500$ |
| 3 | Shoes Pair 1 | New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v8 | No / it tough me a good lesson that because someone says that the model of NB xyz is the best, doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best for you. | 120$ |
| 4 | Shoes Pair 2 | On CloudFlow | Yes / they have helped me a lot in my running and they are super light, and I love the way they feel on my feet, and I find them amazing for triathlons (again this is my opinion and my feet talking) | 140$ |
| 5 | Garmin Triathlon Watch | Garmin Forerunner 935 (with running / swimming heart monitors) | Yes / It is good to first log your efforts in order to have a benchmark of if you are improving, to understand your body’s reactions to all the load you are putting it threw, so I have to say that for me it was a good investment, as it helps me keep track of everything, and help me understand where I need to push more to help me improve. Could I have done it with a cheaper watch? Yes I could have most definitely have done so. Also remember my last post, “relax and enjoy the race / session etc., you don’t always have to chase that power output, that pace or that time. | 500$ |
| 6 | Strava | Subscription to Strava Premium | No / I believe this was an overkill as I was already using TrainingPeaks, and this was not needed, but I still love using it and looking at my stats there, as it does pretty decent analysis, and I also like the community aspect around it as well. | 80$ |
| 7 | Training Peaks (TP) | Subscription to TrainingPeaks Premium | Yes / TrainingPeaks is my go to guide, when I first open my eyes, it is what I follow blindly as a guide, I must look at it around 5 times a day, planning, changing sessions around, scheduling my weak. | 120$ |
| 8 | TP IronMan Training Plan | Subscription to TP IronMan 24 Week beginner plan | Yes / I didn't want to reinvent the wheel, and I wanted something ready that I could follow, without having to research and understand what the best plan is. | 150$ |
| 9 | Garmin Edge 520 | Cycling bike computer | No / If you are starting off, this is something that you don't necessarily need, but it is good to have, as your watch has all the functions that you need. | 250$ |
| 10 | Cycling Helmet | Bell Star Pro | Yes | 180$ |
| 11 | Cycling Seat | ISM PR 2.0 | Yes / Your ass is gonna hurt after those long rides, you need to make is as comfortable as possible! | 140$ |
| 12 | Cycling Back Light | Cheap Red back light | Yes / especially if you cycle at night | 10$ |
| 13 | Cycling Front Light | Lezyne Macro Drive 1100XL | Yes / a good light for seeing where you are going in those dark nights that you cycle all alone at 1:00am | 80$ |
| 14 | Bike Pump | SAPO ART 098 One | Yes / You need this no doubt | 25$ |
| 15 | Swimming Classes | Total Immersion (TI) | Yes / I learnt how to do Total Immersion swimming style which conserves a lot of energy. Having said, yes you can definitely omit this cost and train on your own and make yourself faster via tri clubs that may offer such sessions for free | 650$ |
| 16 | Nutrition Expert Advice | Nutrition Coaching | Yes / This is one of the most important foundations for IM, if you have the time and expertise do it on your own, but if you need some expert help use someone who knows their shit | 300$ |
| 17 | Garmin Power Meters | Garmin Vector 3 Power Meter | No / If you are starting out to train for an IM Power meters are not a necessity, and if you believe they are go for a cheaper model. | 1000$ |
| 18 | Bike Multi-Tool | WOTOW 16 in 1 | Yes / You need such a tool for any small repairs / adjustments that you need to make | 9$ |
| 19 | Triathlon Race Belt | Synergy Running Tri Belt | Yes / This is something that if you don't have you can get disqualified | 16$ |
| 20 | Arm Sleeves for the sun | Freemaster arm sleeves | No / I never used not even once! | 12$ |
| 21 | Thinvik Bike Race Number Plate Holder | Thinvik Bike Race Number Plate Holder | No / I didn't use it, but if you want to save your bike from the stickers it does help, but I kinda like them on there 🙂 | 12$ |
| 22 | Lock Laces | Lock Laces so | No / I didn't use them at all, but other Triathletes live by them, for me it didn't make a difference | 8$ |
| 23 | Placement Mat | Kona mat for placing your stuff | No / I didn't use it; It may help for some smaller olympic races that have one transition area, but you can always use a towel | 25$ |
| 24 | Energy Gels | Huma Chia Energy Gel | Yes / I found them pretty good compared to the rest that I had tried over time; Can't say that I would have them for desert, but they are good | 100$ |
| 25 | Pro Bike Tool CO2 Inflator | Pro Bike Tool CO2 Inflator | Yes / Accidents do happen, while I didn't use it, I felt safe having it on me combined with CO2 cartridges. I have seen others use small pumps as well instead of such a tool. | 20$ |
| 26 | Bike Gloves | INBIKE Cycling Gloves | Yes / While many don't use gloves, what I noticed is that when I increased the load to longer rides by grip went numb, and I lost strenght, which took 3-5 days to come back (it is a common cycle injury), and these gloves help absorb the shocks | 16$ |
| 27 | Speed Hound Swim Buoy | Speed Hound Swim Buoy | Yes / I used this one multiple times on long swims, especially when I was alone at the beach and was able to store by cell phone etc. in it - MUST HAVE | 30$ |
| 28 | Swim Googles | TYR Black Hawk Racing Mirrored Goggles | Yes / I liked these the best, but you have many options to try out of | 30$ |
| 29 | Swim Tri Suit | Synergy Triathlon Wetsuit | Yes / This also depends on the location you are gonna swim at. Some locations depending on the day of the swim and the temperature (>26C), may not allow swimsuits - In all honesty a swimsuit may save you 5-7 minutes (so don't sweat it). | 160$ |
| 30 | Misc Stuff | Various smaller items, such as sunscreen, glide for the various shaving part etc. | Yes | 300$ |
| 31 | TriSuit (one piece) | Zone3 Tri Suit | Yes | 200$ |
| 32 | Cycle Pants | PH cycle pants for those comfy long rides (they provide extra padding) | Yes | 150$ |
| 33 | Cycle Shoes | Giro | Yes | 120$ |
| 34 | Cycle Shirt | ENDURA | Yes, they give you a lot of space to carry things, and are super comfy for the long rides | 100$ |
| Total Cost | All Products | 9,253$ | ||
| Total Cost of mistakes | Things I could have not bought | 1,500$ | ||
| Total Cost (minus crap) | 7,753$ |
So there you have it, I spent around 9,253$ over a period of almost a year (so that amounts to 25$ a day), but I could have done without 1,500$ of mistakes or things I didn’t actually need. If you take that into account I spend around 6,663$ (around 21$ a day).
Lastly, I truly think that you can do an full IM with 20%-30% reduction in the above number if you look into borrowing, lending and stealing what you need or even buying second hand (which a lot of people are out there selling).
Peace out, and I hope this help, also don’t forget that the above numbers take into consideration that you do not have any equipment beforehand.
Note: I have not included the tickets / hotels as those could be a lot less or more depending on where you are traveling to or from (or even maybe nothing if you do it in your hometown).