Triathlon Recession proof?

Recently I saw this same article in Triathlon life ( the USAT magazine). Its about how triathlon as an industry seems to continue to grow despite the bad economy. In one paragraph they said the following:


"It helps that the Ironman competitors have an average income of $161,000, according to WTC research, and that triathletes in general have higher incomes on average than the general population. They're not immune to shifts in the economy, of course, just perhaps better equipped to deal with financial adversity."

I think they are missing the whole point in this article. It doesn't really matter how much money you are making, when the economy is bad, everyone freaks. And those same people spending on triathlon may very well be cutting back on other areas of their lives.

I think the real reason Triathlon is not suffering yet is that triathlon has a tendency to become a way of life. Meaning its the gateway to better health and fitness for most of us. Think about it. You play golf every week. It serves as a mental escape, and probably a social environment. So when hard times hit, guess what? you can achieve all that by other means that do not require spending hundreds of dollars in green fees. Plus you can still go golfing but less frequently.

Triathlon on the other hand requires that you incorporate working out and eating better to your daily life. It offers more than just a mental break, or as a means to get together socially ( which it does do) it also requires that you find the time to workout at the very least once a day for probably 6 days a week. If you did more than one triathlon then you have probably already incorporated this into your lifestyle. PLUS at the end of the training you get this adventure called a race. Once you incorporate any activity into your daily life it becomes difficult to get rid of.

Dont get me wrong me I think the triathletes are in fact cutting back. Use me as an example, I cut back on activities that do not directly relate to triathlon such as I am signing up for less running races as part of training. I choose to NOT get the latest and greatest gadgets if it requires I spend money on them, and continue with what I have. ( note the Garmin I paid with frequent flyer points) BUT I will still sign up for my triathlons.

So in general I think they missed the true reason Triathlon seems to be resisting the economic downturn Its not about money, its because we are freaks. ;)