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Sunday, 25 January 2015 00:10

ED. The MTN Guys are big fans of pro triathlete Jesse Thomas. A great athlete, a super-smart guy and a awesome writer. In this revealing article, he gives us a insider look at the lifestyle of pro triathletes.

By Jesse Thomas (triathlon.competitor.com)

Behind the curtain of the sometimes glamorous but mostly not-so-glitzy triathlon life.

When I started my professional triathlon career four years ago, I was just a snot-nosed 30-year-old with a borrowed bike, hand-me-down kit and $8 aviators. I clearly didn’t know what I was doing, or what to expect. And surprisingly, there is no “Entertainment Tonight” for triathlon. No matter how much we see of Kimye and Brangelina, nobody gives us insider access to Rimmy CarDonnell. It’s hard to know what really goes on behind the curtain of superstardom. Is it all glitz, glamour and scream-crying crazy-ass fans? How hard do you have to work? How much money can you make? When does Letterman call? ...

But after four years of being pro, I’ve discovered the answers to most of those questions (still wondering about Letterman). The veil behind professional triathlon has been lifted. And while a lot of it is what I expected, some of it is unexpected.

Now, I know not all of you want to go pro. I’d bet that the majority of people reading this column have no desire to wear compression socks for a living. But I know that some of you do—I get questions about it regularly. And if you don’t, then at least you’ll have some insight into the (maybe not so) glitzy, glamorous, scream-crying professional triathlon life. READ MORE