With the lead in to Christmas well on the way and Christmas decorations starting to go up (I’ve even heard my first Christmas Carol), it’s time to look at what are my picks for the ten best gifts for triathletes.

In no particular order here are my picks:

Garmin Forerunner 935*

• Premium GPS running/triathlon watch with wrist-based heart rate; Strap material : silicone ; Smartphone compatibility : iPhone, Android, Windows
• Offers advanced running and multisport features in a comfortable watch you can wear all day, and it only weighs 49 grams
• Provides elevation changes with a built-in barometer; altimeter and electronic compass help you keep your bearings
• Evaluates your training status to indicate if you’re undertraining or overdoing it and offers additional performance monitoring features
• Provides advanced dynamics for running, cycling and swimming, including ground contact time balance, stride length and more

blueseventy Transition Bag*

Designed for triathletes on race day it has a waterproof compartment in the bottom for your wet suit. External pouches for waterbottles and your helmet and plenty of internal space. Despite all this I primarily use it as my daily swimming bag for my fins, pull buoy etc. All up there is 44L of space.

Finis Zoomer Fins*

Fins (or flippers) are essential for maintaining momentum when doing drills. You don’t want them being too long providing an excessive amount of momentum. Finis Zoomers are perfect for drills due to their short length.

Garmin Vector 3

Although I’m a PowerTap user (G3 hub on my race wheels and an older version on my training wheel set), for the majority of my clients I’d recommend the Garmin Vector 3. DC Rainmaker says anyone who recommends a single power meter shouldn’t be trusted.  I moderate my recommendation by suggesting that this is the best option for the majority of my clients. The reason why I’d recommend this for the majority of my clients is that most of them utilise more than one bike, whether it is a training or road bike with a TT or race bike for events, or a spin bike and their normal road bike. The Vector 3 pedals are easily swapped from one bike to another qwikly and efficiently. Price wise and accuracy wise they are either on par or better than the PowerTap P1 or P2 pedals making them more versatile than most other power meters and a better price or more accurate than similar models from other manufacturers.

SPIbelt Running Belt*

• Comfortable – no bounce! – Made of stretchable Spandex. Soft elastic prevents chafing – does not bounce or ride during rigorous activity or running.
• Fits Large Phones – Compatible with phones up to 6.5 inches long including the iPhone 6, Nexus 6, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6, and Galaxy Note 3.
• Sturdy Buckle and Glides – Good construction of the Buckles and glides for even the most active users.
• Expandable and Adjustable – Pocket expands to 6.5 x 3 x 2 inches. Fits waist size 24 through 47 inches.

Oakley Radar Prizm Road*

The perfect riding glasses. Prizm™ is a revolution in lens optics built on decades of colour science research. Prizm™ lenses provide unprecedented control of light transmission resulting in colours precisely tuned to maximize contrast and enhance visibility. Prizm Road lenses enhance the road so you can see obstacles like rocks and potholes quickly and feel more confident as you ride.

Nuun Hydration: Electrolyte Drink Tablets, Mixed Flavour Pack, Box of 4 Tubes (40 servings)*

• Electrolyte Drink Tablets, enhanced with electrolytes and bursting with a natural, low calorie fruity flavor, mix into a hydrating drink to keep up your energy and hydration no matter how active you get or how much you sweat.
• Nuun Hydration’s Electrolyte Drink Tablets enhance your workout or your work day naturally through improved hydration. Keep a tube from this multi-pack in your gym bag, car, purse, hiking pack or anywhere you’ll want to mix up a healthy, replenishing drink.

Swim Smooth: The Complete Coaching System for Swimmers and Triathletes*

This is the best book about swimming technique that I have ever read and I’ve read a few. This book will help you transform your swim technique and as a result become a better swimmer. It is suitable for all levels of swimmer – beginner, intermediate and advanced. It will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses of your stroke and has plenty of drills to improve them.

Training and Racing with a Power Meter*

This is arguably the best book written about training and racing with a power meter. Written by the power guru’s Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan it brings the advanced power-based training techniques of elite cyclists and triathletes to everyone. If you understand how to interpret the power meter data it will unlock more speed and endurance than a heart rate monitor or any other training tool.

Daniels’ Running Formula*

This is my coaching bible for planning run programmes. Completely updated with new chapters on altitude training, seasonal programming, and treadmill training, Daniels’ Running Formula, Third Edition, is the most comprehensive, accessible, and instantly applicable edition to date. Customisable to your current fitness level, competition goals, and schedule, the formula is the ideal solution for any race, anywhere, anytime.

Disclaimer

* Item’s indicated by an asterisk mean that I own and utilise the product in my own training.

The reason why I haven’t included any shoes is because they are such an individual item. As everyone’s foot is biomechanically different, if you were to buy any shoes I recommend they could potentially cause you an injury.

I am not paid or involved with any of the companies or products represented here. The links are Amazon Affiliate links.  If you click them and purchase I will receive a small commission. This is just one of the ways I keep this blog free and don’t charge for my content