If you follow the news, you’re aware of the attention eBooks and eBook readers have been generating. Triathletes, it seems, are next in line, adding coaching, training, technique, travel and nutrition eBooks to their virtual training libraries.
MindsetTriathlon, a subsidiary of OneBookshelf.com and the only eBook store focused entirely on books about triathlon training, thinks that triathletes
and even casual runners, swimmers and bikers, will benefit from having access to a comprehensive selection of all the latest books, from top publishers, coaches and authors in the field. “There is no other bookstore out there selling eBooks or printed books for that matter, with the selection and scope of books that are offered on MindseTriathlon,” says Steve Wieck co-founder. The eBook factor would certainly appear to be an advantage for many triathletes: “Athletes, most often busy people with full time careers and time consuming training plans, will appreciate the convenience of instantly downloading their reading choices. If they have a question about an injury or a nutritional issue, they don’t have to add a trip to the bookstore to their errand list, or wait a week for a book to be delivered. They can shop in one place online, and be reading the book of their choice within minutes.”
Because eBooks are digital files containing no paper or ink, they tend to be 30-50% below the price of their printed counterparts. And with the costs involved with purchasing equipment and entering races, triathletes should find the low prices and no shipping costs quite appealing. On average, customers can expect to save from $7-$15 in cost and shipping charges when they purchase a book from MindsetTriathlon. Overseas customers, who often bypass purchasing all together because of high shipping rates, will save even more.
MindsetTriathlon began working with publishers and designing the concept for the site about a year ago. Publishers such as Runner’s World, Human Kinetics, Cycle Publishing and others have signed on to offer their books on MindsetTriathlon. Because eBooks do not require the upfront and often cost prohibitive expense of printing, shipping and distribution, many smaller self-publishers and authors are offering their material on MindsetTriathlon as well, giving the site a more diverse selection than what one might find in a more mainstream bookstore. Offering books from tried and true publishers in the triathlon world and also smaller, self-publishers, MindsetTrithlon officially opened its doors just in time for the ‘09 training season, on February 1st of 2009.
They are offering a $5 account credit to anybody who signs up for a free account before March 6th. And, because many of their books are less than $5, this is a great way to give MindsetTriathlon a test ride! You can visit them at http://www.mindsettriathlon.com/