The Cure?
In the years that I've been into all sorts of endurance sports, I've also had run-ins with the numerous sports-related injuries and conditions that come with the territory.
Plantar fasciitis. Pulled muscles. Sprains. Torn ligaments. Cramps.
The list goes on and on.
Luckily, I've managed to get through each bout of injuries with minimal fuss. While I've learned how to prevent them from happening again, there is one condition that keeps coming back. The bug hits me every year, sometimes up to twice or thrice in one season. I am not alone, though.
Thousands of athletes suffer (although I'm not sure if "suffer" is the right word) from a common affliction called "upgraditis". It has nothing to do with muscles, soft tissue, bones or other physical injuries. But it does affect that part of the athlete that matters most--the wallet.
Upgraditis is the uncontrollable urge to upgrade (hence the name) every piece of race equipment in an athlete's arsenal: bike, bike parts, shoes, apparel, even nutrition for no reason other than the supposed need to do so.
Before triathlon, I was into mountain bikes. I changed some parts on my bike almost once a year. But that was because of the year's worth of beating that you put on the mountain bike and its parts. Because there are no bike shops or mechanics in the middle of the trail, I didn't want to wait until a part broke in the middle of a ride. Put simply, what I was doing was preventive maintenance. Little did I know that this was already upgraditis in the making.
However, since I began competing in triathlons, the upgraditis bug has gotten nastier and immune to any form of prevention!
In my first year of triathlon, I was using a road bike that was no beater bike. It was a lightweight carbon fiber number which we spec'd with lightweight climbing wheels. It tipped the scales at a little over 15 pounds. It was responsive, stiff and competition ready. That year, it got me through 4 races without any hitches. I was happy with the bike but at each race, I felt upgraditis rear its ugly head.
I would drool over the bikes racked next to mine. Aerodynamic triathlon frames. Deep dish race wheels. Aero bars. I tried to ignore them. I tried to look the other way but when I turned my head, there would be other bikes and gear that made my head spin.
The thing with upgraditis is it can hit you unexpectedly, which was how I succumbed to it. My teammate and I were at a friend's place to have our bike fits checked when he excused himself to get something inside his house. He came back with a triathlon frame in hand. It was a Cervelo P2--used but not abused and he was selling it for a friend. It was then that the symptoms became clear. I share these with you, dear reader, so that you can be forewarned. Look the other way if you need to, but even that can be a futile effort.
Dilated pupils. My eyes grew wide as he walked out with that frame and mentioned that it was for sale. I hadn't planned on upgrading to a triathlon bike but this offer was too good to ignore!
Light,weak sensation in the knees. As I held the frame in my hands, I got jelly-legged. I wanted this puppy! But then again, that light feeling could also be because I emptied my wallet to make a downpayment on the frame.
Rational behavior. Unlike other ailments, upgraditis makes its victims quite logical and adept at reasoning. I justified my purchase by citing scientific evidence that triathlon bikes are faster than road bikes. I reckoned I would save X number of seconds over a 40-kilometer course and set myself up for a better run with a tri bike. Never mind that I was a back-of-the-pack triathlete and nowhere near the podium. Who cares? I just wanted to say I got faster and I had science to prove it!
Complications. Upgraditis attacks often lead to repeat attacks or relapses. Shortly after succumbing to upgraditis and purchasing the tri bike, I found myself on the market for aero wheels to match the bike. Then I had to find aero bars to fit the tri bike because road drop bars wouldn't do. Then it was time for a new group set. Before I knew it, I had built myself an entirely new bike!
Two years after my first bout with upgraditis, I still haven't found the cure. I've replaced my frame twice; wheelsets, drivetrains and cockpits once. Do I need help? Yes I do. Can you show me where I can find a good deal on a power meter?
Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.
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