Fifty Plus (50+) - $40 Duathlon

I was thinking of doing a duathlon in a few weeks (it would have been a triathlon, but the pool is closed). 3 mile run, 12 ride, 3 run. The problem is that I'm a hard-core frugalista, and my frugal side has a hard time paying $40 for something that I can do for free. I'm not going to win any medals. I'd get a T-shirt, but I'd rather spend the money on a floor pump, for example.

Thoughts?

I'm doing that here sponsored by our local rec dept and Silver Sneakers.

3 mile run/walk, 12 mile bike ride, 1/2 mile swim, limited to 60+, and you can spread it out over a week if so desired.

I did the run/walk early this am, will do the bicycling tomorrow, and part of the swimming today, also.

Cost - nothing, except my annual membership. Here it is sponsored by "Silver Sneakers" - a medicare benefit of several medicare supplement health plans (but not mine), and it costs those folks nothing extra for either the annual membership or the modified tri.

My thoughts:

1. I love charity rides that post their ride routes on the web. I get lots of good ride ideas that way.

2. I generally think the ride fees for an organized ride are reasonable. I have done 6 or 7 this year, at $30 to $40 a pop. A little of the money goes to a good cause. A little of the money goes to buy me snacks at the rest stops; just a more convenient way of delivering food I'd likely eat anyway. In some cases there is a lunch as well. The final benefit is that...I like supporting good, organized rides that put a bunch of riders out on the road in an organized way. I think it's a more useful way of asserting our rights to the roads than (say) Critical Mass.

I did a local duathlon a couple of weeks ago. It was worth the entry fee to meet several local riders I had never met before, and the experience of a competitive event which I don't often do (placed third in age group by the way)

It depends. If the race was well-organized and well-supported and if the organization running it were a good one, I'd pay the money. $40 is less than a tank of gas these days.