Inexpensive Christmas Gifts for your Triathlete

 2010 has been a tough year financially for many and 2011 looks at least as challenging. We're noticing that more people are foregoing Christmas presents this year or setting modest limits. Maybe you're a Secret-Santa on a budget looking for a gift for someone you know is a multisport enthusiast ? So we set ourselves a £30 limit and came up with this terrific list. Some of this is specialist stuff so you'll need to plan ahead. We've provided links to suppliers so you can checkout the products.

Free : Yes Free. It's setting up an on-line training log for your significant other. Training Peaks is a free on-line resource and it allows you to track your training over the weeks & years. In the free format it's fairly basic but still it does "what it says on the tin". Spend a little time figuring out how to enter data and you will be rewarded. The much-beloved athlete in your life will be very grateful for the time you've invested to get them started. You can even choose to buy from a range of pre-written training plans which can be downloaded directly onto your Training Peaks calendar. These plans are priced in $ so right now with the exchange rate at £1=$1.60 these are great value for money. Some training plans will additionally send you day to day workout files for your Garmin which are easily imported and match the pre-set workout plans on your Training Peaks calander. For example you can pick up a 12 week Level 4 10k run plan by Matt Fitzgerald for $30 (£19). Find the link here .

This is a bit of a cheat but for a little outlay you can subscribe to the "premium" version of Training Peaks - that enables you to add your own workouts, copy & paste etc etc. I think it also excludes distracting adverts on screen. You could provide a 3 month subscription for $49.99 (£31). That would let the athlete in your life experience the training log in all it's glory and the data is not lost when it reverts back to the free "basic " package. Compare the packages here If Training Peaks was eventually chosen as a permanent training diary you would take out an annual subscription at an even better price. Occasionally there are 30% off offers - which is what I use.  

Quirky and amazing and under £6 check out this tyre removal lever from Crank Bros. The "Speed Lever" is very creative and comes with it's own lifetime guarantee. You can find it here.

Elasticated laces (under £6). Save precious time in T2 (bike -> run transitions) by losing traditional laces. Use these options with your running shoes. They should be changed seasonally so even if your athlete has them already they will not go amiss. There's a traditional range available from PureTri.Co.UK. However Triathlete-Europe Magazine recommended Zero-Friction lace guides from Speedlaces.Com. These actually add guides to the shoe's eyelets & are worth a look. Don't seem to be available in the UK but can be mail ordered from the US. Check them out here.

M&S Scottish Smoked Salmon Selection Platter. An absolute bargin at £13 for M&S's premium Lochmuir branded salmon. Christmas simply isn't Christmas without smoked salmon and no-one does it better than M&S. Give yourself and your athlete a treat & buy 2 : one for Christmas & one for New Year. Remember Lochmuir is rich in long-chain Omega 3 fatty acids - being healthy (and sustainable) has never tasted so good.   

Baby Powder : Say What ?  Yes, Baby powder : Maybe about £2 + 10p for the bag (?) It's really helpful to add baby powder inside the sleeves and legs of the wetsuit. But as important is a high quality plastic bag - so pay the 10p for a "bag for life" and give it along with the baby powder. Check out Chris MacCormack in the clip below. Chris is the reigning Ironman world Champion (see Blogpost 1) so he knows what he's talcing about.

Swimming noseclips. I cannot tell you how many of these I lose each year. If you can afford it buy 2. Sneak into the athlete's swimbag and find the brand they use. Available in loads of places but Wiggle have a great selection from £3. Try here.

Triathlon Specific T Shirts. CafePress have a huge selection and you can choose organic cotton if that's your thing. Not only for the athlete but for the triathlon widow/er in your life. Simply type "triathlon" into the search box and scroll through the options. Allow 2 weeks for delivery. Try here.

Wrist ID. OK this ships from the US but don't be afraid of that. Mine came with no VAT payable on arrival and no admin fee from the Post Office. It shipped in 10 days & they marked the package "gift" with a $ value of $1. This item costs just $23 including ground shipping making the cost in total just over £14.50. And what's a wrist ID ? It's security for your family when you're alone on that long cycle early in the morning. You get to personalize the wrist strap with your name, address, 2 contact phone numbers, basic medical alert and a slogan that's meaningful to you. It could be ... "Pain is Temporary Quitting is Forever" or "We were on a break" or "Why don't people eat more salmon ?" Just whatever. This is such a useful and personal gift that you should check out the website here. Lots of different styles too. The website takes only 5-10 mins to input the data order but be quick orders need to be in by 25th Nov to cope with the cheapest 1st class ground shipping rate.

 Spinnervals Cycling DVD to use on the Turbo Trainer this winter : £19 for 45m of cycling hell bliss. Join Coach Troy (aka Satan) and 20 competitive cyclists in this 45 minute high intensity workout. An exciting combination of interval sets including ladders, superspins, tempo sets and sprints, "No Slackers Allowed" is for any athlete hoping to improve all aspects of their cycling fitness but there's a range of DVD's so you can pick one that suits. Long Argyll nights are a problem for the working triathlete and you need to resort to a trainer. Stick the DVD into a laptop in view of your trainer and away you go. Coach Troy will make you wish you never bought the thing ! Check out the range here.

In a similar theme but hardly "inexpensive" (£135 ish if new) the following gift is probably one of the very best things you can get for your "significant other". If s/he already works out on a turbo trainer through winter then you can hugely improve quality of life for you both if ... you buy yourself a trainer ! You'll see these things on Ebay and can choose a model to suit your budget. But the idea here is you share 2 or 3 hours per week together spinning along to Eastenders or early in the morning to BBC Radio 1/2/4 or whatever. So far as I know Coach Troy doesn't do a "Lovebirds in the morning" DVD but this is a fantastic way to workout - each at your own pace. Improve her bike competitiveness while he improves his base fitness. It's a way to squeeze 2-3 quality hours together over the week - do this over the next 10-12 weeks of winter and you'll see it represents great value for money. More than that : it's a way to improve your health and your relationship. You buying the trainer for you shows you want to spend more time with them - how great is that ! If you can splash the cash or just to get ideas then check out Wiggle - but Crinan Cycles in Lochgiphead or Dales in Glasgow would give you advice - be sure to get a quiet model or you won't be able to hear each other - or Coach Troy for that matter. A great way to buy one would be "Darling, I was thinking about a trainer for my bike, can you help me with some ideas ....." after they've picked themselves off the floor you're in for a solid 2hour analysis of fluid V mag drives V who knows what else. 

What about a book ? This book is the book. Authoritative, densely packed with information and a snip at under £12 from Amazon - of course with free delivery.

"The Triathlete's Training Bible" is the most comprehensive reference available to triathletes, and it speaks to triathletes of all ability levels, whatever their experience. Joe Friel provides triathletes with every detail they need to consider when planning a season, lining up a week of workouts, and preparing to race. With a solid understanding of the science behind his proven methodology, triathletes can easily develop a personal training plan and know how to adapt it throughout the season based on their body's response to training. The third edition, now in a two-color format, includes extensive revisions on the specifics of how to train and what to eat. Triathletes will discover how to: build muscular endurance with a new approach to strength training; precisely gauge intensity with the latest in training technology to maximize form and fitness and reduce fatigue; improve economy in swimming, cycling, and running; competently adapt annual training plans over the course of a season; and, improve body composition and recovery with smarter nutrition. 

2 Packets of Quinoa : under £5. Say What ? Yip. It's odd. But it's interesting and another new thing to share with your partner. Prounonced "Keen-Waa" Quinoa is a grain that comes from the Andes Mountains of South America. Quinoa's origins are ancient - it was one of the three staple foods, along with corn and potatoes, of the Inca civilization. It contains more protein than any other grain; an average of 16.2% compared with 7.5% for rice, 9.9% for millet, and 14% for wheat. Some varieties of quinoa are as high as 20% protein. Quinoa's protein is considered to be of an unusually high quality. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal (similar to milk) and high in lysine, methionine and cystine. Quinoa is light, tasty, and easy to digest. It is not sticky or heavy like most other grains, and it has a delicious flavour all its own. Remember as an athlete the quality of the fuel you provide to your body is essential. This stuff could be a new part of your larder in 2011. Merchant Gourmet make a "ready to eat" red & white Quinoa pack that takes seconds to prepare. I know you can find this in Sainsbury's. Check this out as an example ....

What about new batteries for all those gadgets s/he uses : heart rate monitors (typically CR2032 - but you should have a delve around and check for yourself), the wireless sender on the bike front fork : the cycle computer on the handlebars. These things should be changed in the off season anyway - so this is a perfect time. 3 * CR2032 = under £5 and is soooooo thoughtful. Any supermarket.

• 2 Swim items : antifogging liquid for the inside of goggles : under £6 from Wiggle : here. and what about a neoprene swim cap (under £15) from Evans cycles ? Perfect if you have an open water swimmer in your life : checkout the link here.   

Finally (you will be very relieved) another DVD. This gives a focus on the athlete's core and will help with overall flexibility. Triathletes are notoriously "inflexible". Checkout this review : Carmichael Training’s Core Strength DVD offers a quick, condensed and intense core strength and flexibility workout. Led by coach Jason Koop, the DVD (Under £20 from Wiggle : here) is broken into three sections that focus not just on the core but also the abdominal muscles, the lower back, IT bands, and hamstrings. Each ten minute section as exercises that shift the focus around the body for a balanced approach. The warm-up sets consists of calisthenics-style, heart-pumping routines moving into the main, strength building set, and finally into the elongation, cool-down set with yoga-style poses.

During the winter season when many cyclists are confined indoors, this short workout is an ideal supplement to break the monotony that can come from hours spent on trainers. Don't get the idea that it is an easy 30 minute routine; it is an intense 30 minutes and the first time I did the routine I was sore for three days. Currently I am doing the routine two or three days a week as part of my preparation for Spring racing.

If you do decide to purchase this DVD, there a few things to consider. Though not noted on the exterior or DVD sleeve, the workout requires a medicine ball, and - ideally - two physio balls. The exercise balls are well worth the investment and for this routine. If you need a stability ball - then Amazon can provide (see end of this entry). 

So that's it. Add a comment if you've found inexpensive stuff that could inspire others. Take care out there and creative shopping.