It’s been really tough coming up with some new gift ideas this year, mostly because – okay we’re going to brag a bit here – we’ve given you so many great ideas in the past, especially our 2014 gift guide. Seriously…I looked back through the previous guides and all the ideas are still pertinent and should please any triathlete and the special people in their life, including the trisupporters!
What makes our task a bit more difficult is that along with “normal” tri gifts, we try and find some out of the ordinary gifts and not all the usual clothing and gear. We want to give you some ideas that maybe you’d never think about or didn’t even know existed. That said, we did manage to come up with a few new ideas for the Triwivesclub Triathlete Holiday Gift Guide and here they are…
NOT FOOLING AROUND GIFTS
Trek Travel
Yes, this is a gift from the same people who made my triathlete’s bike! They have put together bike trips around the world, such as a California Wine Country Luxury to a Mallorca 7-Day Ride Camp with a trip from Prague to Vienna thrown in for the family. Now, of course it means you have to like or at least be willing to ride a bike, too, but you can choose from a variety of trips.
Tour de France bike tour. Photo credit Trek Travel.
They offer 4 levels of activity from leisure to avid; from world class accommodations to camping; and from family trips to race bike tours, like Tour de France. The trips are pretty much all-inclusive, except for your travel to and from and range in price from between $1,000 – 5,000 per person. And when I say Trek Travel is all-inclusive, I’m talking about the use of one of their Trek bikes, sure to be a triathlete pleaser!
Triathlon Training Camps
If you’ve heard your triathlete talk about wanting to step up their game, there are several ways to go about it. They can get a coach or a new coach or attend a triathlon training camp. Just make sure it’s one you can enjoy, too.
Mark Wilson can satisfy both. He’s a Professional Life & Triathlon Coach and the Founder/President of the Hudson Valley Triathlon Club. He not only provides coaching services to triathletes of all abilities, but leads several clinics and 4 to 7 day triathlon camps across the country. And, they’re in some of the best spots for a vacation for both of you or the family. We’re talking Naples, Napa Valley, Mont Tremblant, Lake Placid, and San Francisco to name a few. We’re sure you’d be happy to play tourist while your triathlete trains!
Then, there’s shortly going to be a whole new level of triathlon training camps coming to the market. Triathletes and their trisupporters will have the first of many affordable, membership-based training resort villages dedicated to endurance athletes and created by First Bourn. While the triathletes are hard at work perfecting their skills, the family will find a myriad of activities to occupy their time at each village and in the surrounding areas. Yeah, someone is actually thinking of us!
Photo credit First Bourn.
First Bourn villages are being built under the expert guidance of chief experience architect, Craig “Crowie” Alexander, and will offer everything an endurance athlete at any level could possibly need to train AND every possible amenity their families could possibly want. The first village is scheduled to open in Asheville, NC. This should be a great “traincation” for the triathlete and their family, as all areas will offer plenty of outdoor activities, such as white water rafting and horseback riding and the villages will be situated close to nearby towns offering restaurants and shopping.
BECAUSE YOU’RE A TRIATHLETE GIFTS
Etsy
Head over to Etsy for one-stop shopping if you’re looking for inexpensive tri-related gifts, such as personalized triathlon medal holders, jewelry, and monogrammed transition towels. You will truly find something for everyone. These are really great for the new triathlete who hasn’t yet collected every imaginable triathlon trinket or for just saying thank you to a triathlete who has been a good friend this year. Just search for triathlete or triathlon and literally hundreds of products will appear.
Waterproof Jacket
We like the Ultra Jacket from Ultra Direction. You can choose men’s or women’s, whoever you want to keep protected from the rain and wind. It even comes with self-storing flip mitts for water proof warmth.
Photo credit Ultimate Direction.
Dri-Store Bags
If your triathlete does open water swimming, the OXA Waterproof Dry Bag will keep all of the belongings they take along and leave on the beach/land nice and dry. But even better, hey can also be used to keep stinky clothes separate from the rest of the world until they can be safely ensconced in a washing machine!
Give A Gift To Someone Else
In other words, make a donation to a worthy cause in the triathlete’s name. I know we’ve mentioned giving this gift before, but it does bear repeating; even triathletes can only have so much “stuff”.
We love World Bicycle Relief which supplies specially-designed, locally assembled bicycles to entrepreneurs, healthcare workers, and students across rural Africa. The bikes are offered through sustainable work-to-own and study-to-own programs. Studies have proven that simple, sustainable bicycle transportation multiplies an individual’s efficiency. Compared to walking, bikes improve access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity and this is especially true for girls. They have also trained over 1,000 mechanics to keep the bikes rolling.
Photo credit World Bicycle Relief.
What a really apropos gift for the triathlete. Plus, they partner with some really big names in the sport, including Trek, Specialized, and Ironman, so you know you can trust your donation is going where it says it is.
Be sure to see our Day 3 Gift Guide for more “giving” ideas…
Harry’s Razors
You go through a lot and I mean, a lot, of razors/blades in a triathlete’s house, especially during race season when more than the face has to be shaved. We recently came across Harry’s, who’s only business is selling razors, blades, and shave cream. While you can buy individual products, what’s so cool is that you can get them delivered to your house on a subscription shave plan, so there’s no more “Can you pick me up some razor blades at the drugstore?” You start out with a free trial and get the products delivered based on how often you shave.
Photo credit Harry’s Razors.
New York Times: 36 Hours World
If your triathlete loves to travel or you do and want to leave a hint, pick up The New York Times: 36 Hours World. I read this each week in the NY Times and usually cut it out of the paper and save it to my travel file. But with this boxed set, it’s now all together in a nice little package jam packed with very useful travel information.
The TriWivesClub would like to wish you the best of holidays. Just be sure to let us know what you get your triathlete and of course, what they get you!
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Sherry is one of the TriWivesClub and LifeDoneWell co-founders and contributes to multiple blogs. She is a former co-owner of the California Apparel News and had a career in the healthcare industry. Her passions include traveling, real food, the environment, and animal rescue/welfare. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has been a vegetarian since 1987. She and her husband are parents to two rescue pups and reside in Connecticut.
Wonderful ideas