The Ultimate Top Eight Gifts for the Triathlete Who Has Everything
by Campfire Endurance Coaching Athlete Amy VT
Triathletes are pretty particular about their gear, if not certifiably exacting. The latest models, lightest material, freshest colors, and most inventive bells and whistles are overwhelming, and personal preference and style can make gift-giving seem nearly impossible. So what do you get the triathlete who has everything? Here are some sure-fire bets of various costs that any triathlete would thank Santa for, no doubt.
#1 CAMP CAMP CAMP CAMP!
Dream gift! If you purchase a slot in a triathlon training camp, you’re giving the gift of training, camaraderie, coaching, and an ultimately memorable experience. There are tons and tons of camps of different styles, durations, and foci all throughout the year, and all over the world. Check out our 2022 Annual Spring Training Camp in Bend, Oregon for the ultimate gift. If you’re purchasing for a partner, perhaps you’ll get to lobby for your own retreat sometime in 2021 for a quid-pro-quo. If you’re thinking YOU would be the best recipient for the ultimate dream gift of Camp, just forward this list to your friends and fam.
For the next two weeks, during the Black Friday holiday period, you can get $200 off Bend camp with the code BEND22BLACK or a free month of one-to-one coaching (a $400 value) for the month leading into camp (current Campfire Endurance Coaching athletes, sadly, cannot take advantage of this second offer). If you’d like the free month of coaching, simply don’t enter the coupon code at checkout but DO select the option for the free month when you fill out the form.
Camp 2018 in Bend, Oregon
#2 Zealios Skincare Products
Sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, anti-chafe creams, recovery salves, and body lotion all specifically designed for the rare physiological traits of the species triathlete. You really can’t go wrong, here, and there’s more. Zealios is an awesome company run by rad peeps out of Bend, Oregon; they offer the cutest little bundles (cuter than baby Yoda) to make for perfect holiday gifts. Be careful, though, anyone who uses Zealios who is not a triathlete might turn into one.
#3 INSCYD test or WKO5 cycling consultation
What gets measured gets managed, goes an old business maxim, and the same can be said about your training. Although we tend to focus first on the subjective side of an athlete, once that is taken care of we love to dive into the numbers. By purchasing an INSCYD test, you get physiological testing without having to head to a lab. You’ll learn about your anaerobic threshold (we usually call that FTP), but you’ll also learn about VLamax (sometimes called “the secret weapon” of elite coaches) and FatMax, the fastest speed you can move at your most efficient mix of fats and carbohydrates.
We can also sit down with you and look at your cycling through the lens of WKO5, TrainingPeaks’ excellent cycling analysis software. Get a much more accurate sense of your functional threshold power (FTP), and what you should focus on to improve your cycling. If you hire us for a cycling consultation using WKO5, you get:
An initial phone call to run through your current WKO5 results
A series of tests to perform to properly “feed the model”
A second phone call to analyze the results of the test and to prescribe training interventions for the most efficient improvement
#4 Swim Camp
Nothing boosts your swim more than an intensive, dedicated stretch of time in the pool with coaches and lanemates. In addition to two amazing days of training at the Juniper pool in Bend, Oregon. Our 2022 Swim Camp runs from January 21-23, and is jam-packed with workouts, individualized sessions, video analysis, classroom time, and fun time.
From the first out of the water at Kona, to those who just learned to swim and are worried about cut-off times, everyone needs a personalized analysis by an expert coach. Campers will also receive state-of-the-art video analyses that provide:
Personalized analysis of your strengths and weaknesses
Drills intended to correct or limit the stroke dysfunctions
Suggestions as to how to best train to achieve your goals, given the framework of your current abilities
#5 Travel Torque Wrench
You’ll have to check to ensure your giftee doesn’t already have one. If not, drop everything and get a travel-sized torque wrench right now. Don’t even read the rest of this list. Torque wrenches are crucial to triathlon and TT bike maintenance, since carbon frames, seat tubes, and complex headsets require a specific application of force while tightening. As triathletes travel all over the world for races, it can be dangerous guesswork to make adjustments without a torque wrench, or a hassle to find a mechanic at the race site.
Any brand that looks relatively like the below pic is ideal, so long as it’s sold by a reputable cycling retailer, is relatively lightweight and compact, and has at least eight attachments. Borrow a paint pen or label gun (my mom has both) because everyone will want to swipe your athlete’s new prize possession. We won’t offer a special link because we obvi recommend you try your neighborhood bike store and #shoplocal.
#6 MarcPro Recovery System
We guarantee you that every triathlete who doesn’t have a set of MarcPro wants one. This contraption is an EMS device that delivers the most effective muscle recovery available. Essentially, it gives off these crazy vibes that are adjustable and science-based, creating non-fatiguing muscle activation. Marc Pro makes it easy to recover faster, so your triathlete can perform at her or his best, which is an ideal gift, right?
#7 Blueseventy Gear
There are just a handful of world class wetsuits and swim skins out there, and we stand by BlueSeventy. Their entire website is on sale for the rest of November 2021, so you really should load up now. The best part about this gift, apart from the discount, is that you have options: wetsuits, swim skins, bags, or even goggles for a budget-friendlier gift. Sizing is essential for the suits, but you can always exchange them. If you’re unsure what a swim skin is and if your athlete needs one, all you need to know is that races in tropical locations require them, so you might want to start dreaming of vacay 2022.
Conversely, we recommend avoiding these items: hydration systems (too many options), helmets (unless you know exactly what they want), bike travel cases (unless you really know exactly what they want), magazine subscriptions (the quality varies), and bumper stickers (if you have to ask...). Gift cards are also always a winner, in which case we recommend your local bike shop or local manual therapist, like a massage therapist or acupuncturist.
The above list, however, should give you some much more exciting ideas for your giftee, or maybe you, yourself, in which case you should just forward this message to your whole family. If that’s too blatantly hinty, send us their email and we’ll forward it for you.
Happy Holidays from the team at Campfire!