Triathlete Gift Guide

This year has been quite eventful in our household with tons of racing, and none of them closer then the next state away, hence the long hiatus. So while we decompress and finish up our race reports from the year, we thought we would do our duty and compile a gift guide for the triathlete in your life (or the gift guide to give to your friends and family for what to buy you!). Ok, maybe it's also to help point Joe in the right direction of what I want myself. Whether you have a triathlete that is just starting out, or you have a seasoned veteran that has everything - hopefully this gift guide will provide some inspiration on what to get your athlete. Or will give you some ideas on how to treat yo self!

1. Boco Gear Converter Run Glove, good run gloves are a necessity in winter running conditions.

2. Wahoo  Fitness Pain Cave Bundle, upgrade your, or your athletes pain cave with a Kickr and the necessary accessories - a mat to catch the seat that will be pouring and a desk to hold your computer.

3. On Running Cloud Waterproof run shoes, these are a necessity for enjoying your run in snowy or wet conditions. Not only do they keep your feet dry, but they keep them warm too! Don't suffer the dread-mill all winter when you can run in these beauties! There are great colors for both men and women. These rose colored ones are on definitely on my wish list *hint hint, Joe*.

4. Carhart Gaiter, a good stiff fleece-y has become an essential in my winter running gear. I love a good stiff gaiter because I like my neck and mouth protected but still relatively free.

5. Animal Print Cycling Face Mask, for a fun, yet functional gift that my mom actually gave me last year. It's a fun, unique gift for your fiercest runners!

6. Lululemon Cold Pacer High-Rise Tight, these are on my personal wish list - a comfy and cozy Tech Fleece tight that keeps you warm on runs so you can spend more time outside, and less running like a hamster on the wheel.

7. Lululemon Keep the Heat Thermal Tight, warm tights to keep your game tight and your legs warm.

8. Wyn Republic Little Black Tri Shorts, winter is the perfect time to try out some different brands and find your favorite shorts. I haven't tried these yet, but fast friends have recommended them so on the list they go!

9. Tres Pinas, Women's Black on Black Cycling Bibs 2.0, I recently came across Tres Pinas this year on the race course and just love the brands style. I'll be asking for these bibs to up my cycle shorts game and get acquainted with the brand.

10. Louis Garneau Course LGneer Race Cycling Bibs, these are Joe's favorite bibs and ones that he constantly reaches for on every ride. While the price may be steep, think of it more as an investment in your.....self. You will definitely get your moneys worth out of these puppies!

11. Sarah Marie Design Studio Sweatshirt, Run All the Miles, Pet All the Dogs? This epitomizes every run I have. If there is a puppy, I must stop to give it all the pets. A great gift for the running dog lover in your life!

12. Athia Skincare, my absolute favorite skincare line for athletes. I'll do a whole post on this skincare line that has been the only line to help me combat the effects of sweat and chlorine has on the skin. I became an ambassador for Athia because it works, and it works well. Feel free to use EADRIAENS15 for 15% off your purchase!

13. Zwift Subscription, the ability to take your training anywhere...well virtually! On top of the virtual training, Zwift offers everything from packages, to subscriptions to the ability to utilize sturctured workouts made by top coaches. 

14. Every Man Jack Sandlewood Body Kit, while this may seem like an obvious item since Joe races for Every Man Jack, they honestly make some amazing products for both men and women (Own Beaurty). I love that EMJ uses as manu naturally derived ingredients as possible, and that the company and tri team are constantly giving back to the community. For example with every purchase of EMJ products this month with the discount code of GMG20 you not only get a 20% discount, but 10% of the proceeds goes to research for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention.

15. Bike Repairs and Overhauls, off season is the perfect time to get your bike repaired or overhauled in preparation for the following season. It would be much less stressful to have your bike away for a week getting restored to it's original glory during the winter months, than requiring repairs leading up to or during race season. My absolute favorite shop to work with is Now Bikes in St. Paul, MN. If you are in the area, or are able to make the trip to see the bike technicians at Now, you will not be disappointed in their attention to detail. I love that every single person in that shop makes you feel welcomed, as part of the family, and are all straight shooters. They never encourage you to make a purchase of something they themselves don't already own. If you are unable to get to these bike wizards, then I encourage you to work with your local bike shop. 

16. Roka Swim Paddles, what better way to luer yourself or your athlete into the pool than with some new swim accessories? Nothing like new toys to make you scamper through the winter weather to the pool to jump into some chilly chlorine!

17. Gu Nutrition System, a great way to try out new nutrition or stock up on old favorites with the Gu Nutrition System kit where you get to build your own system. My favorites include the stroopwafels and Lemon Berry Roctane, while Joe's favorites include Espresso Love Gu and Summit Tea Rocktane.

18. Dura-Ace R9100 Power Meter, want to up the ante on your training? Get a power meter. I noticed massive improvements when I shifted from training based on perceived exertion to training to power. Power doesn't care how windy it is, whether or inside or out. Power is power, and data that never lies.

19. Sock Guy Socks, great quality socks with loads of different patterns that would make great stocking stuffers!

20. ENVE Wheels, Joe's favorite wheels that are the lightest, and most aerodynamic wheels on the market. They have great stopping ability to dry AND wet conditions.

21. Roka Swim Suit, my favorite swimsuit. The quality is amazing, it doesn't wear like most swimsuits do in chlorine. The material is thicker than most swimsuits, and holds up to all workout distances. 

22. Roka Drag Suit, Joe's personal suit choice for a comfortable suit that doesn't...migrate. Joe would recommend this suit keep everything in place, and provide additional drag to help you get faster.

23. Roka F1 Goggles, my personal favorite in the goggle game.

24. Ceramic Speed Oversized Pulley Wheel for Shimano 9100, the oversized pulley wheel on my rig which provides watt savings and more drive train efficiency. 

25. Ceramic Speed Oversized Pulley Wheel for SRAM eTap, Joe's oversized pulley wheel for his SRAM drive train. 

26. NormaTec System, the gift that keeps on giving: recovery. This is an item that will get plenty of use all year long, and will become a staple during race season.

27. Theragun, they say 5 minutes of  Theragun work is equivalent to 30 minutes of massage. Truth be told, I didn't fully believe it until I tried it. Holy. Buckets. This tool is magic! Recovery is the greatest gift you can give a triathlete, because in order to continue pushing ones body to become faster,one needs to be able to recover. And quickly.

28. Sidekick Curve Muscle Scraper, another great recovery tool. And the best part about this one is that it is easy to pack and take with on any adventure.

29. Garmin Forerunner 945, for triathletes data is everything. A little help in that department is this watch. The battery life on it is amazing, you will not be finding yourself with a dead watch mid Ironman. 

30. Garmin Edge 1030, I recently purchased the Garmin Edge 1030 when my first Garmin Edge (the previous model) completely died. The week of an Ironman race. Fortunately, this Garmin Edge is incredibly user friendly with a most impressive battery life.