by Tommy Morwood
Chances are if you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard that MX is a global endurance community connecting athletes all around the world. However, like me, at some point you’ve then wondered, “Just what does that mean? And why should I join?”
At first glance to the casual observer, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just a Facebook group and podcast that you're signing up for. And whilst these two components make up the heartbeat of MX community, there’s actually so much more to get involved with.
If I had to summarise it quickly: MX is the ultimate interactive zone for triathlon lovers and endurance sports fans to geek out. It's supportive, fun, & incredibly inclusive to all.
I’d previously joined the very first inception of MX in 2013 when it was a one-off payment for access to all of Macca's [Chris McCormack] training sessions. Since then though, it’s evolved considerably.
The current set-up is a monthly subscription service. It was actually something I was never keen to sign up to - after all, I’d already paid my fee (albeit the previous decade). It took 9 years for me to try the subscription plan. So in Feb 2020 I thought I’d see what it’s all about for myself.
This has been my journey with MX over a full year. Hopefully, it will help explain what value I get from being part of the MX community, why I now absolutely love being an MX member - and why you too should join!
The Podcast
I’ve been listening to the MX podcast from episode #1 back in 2013 and I’ve been a massive fan. Though as much as I loved it, it was very much sporadic, with episodes dropping in every other month seemingly whenever Macca found time to record - because that is what it originally was: Macca talking all things triathlon at random. Yet as much as we love hearing Macca talk, his podcasting technical skills were someway lacking (and that’s putting it nicely).
Enter Tim Ford and James Bale.
The current hosts have brought an incredible amount of professionalism to the series. They drop episodes in each week every Friday like clockwork, and have managed to interview some of the biggest names in the world of tri and are keeping us up to date with all things triathlon: results, previous, news, tech, gear, opinion pieces…
Macca's exclusive episodes have now moved behind the membership paywall. He fronts up for an hour long tri chat each month with Tim Ford. He’s tackled all sorts of issues over the past year: drugs in sport, Olympic selection, technical development, PTO info… and as an MX member you get access to all of these, including all the back issues. They are all must-listens for tri fans.
The closed Facebook group is like a chat room fueled with a double shot of espresso, with an endless array of topics being discussed each week. News, results, training, questions, tips, bragging, races, meet ups. The works.
Imagine if you had a group of friends where every single one of them was a massive triathlon fan, wanting to engage in meaningful triathlon dialogue. That’s MX.
Unlike other sites that offer forums for triathlon discussion (e.g. Slowtwitch, random Facebook pages, and “the internet” in general) MX is a supportive space filled with friendly banter. No one hates on each other, and disagreements are funny and friendly.
This is indeed the heart and soul of MX. It’s where we all interact.
Out of the hundreds of MX members, about 30 names pop up quite regularly in the conversations who are content creator ambassadors. They keep the topics coming for the rest of us who are just there to read along.
The Perks
There are a bunch of discounts with a few global brands you get as part of being an MX member. I didn’t go out of my way to use them. However, when the time came to buy more things, if the opportunity existed to support a partner then of course I did.
The net result was that I actually saved more than double the cost of my annual MX membership with the discounts provided.
I purchased gels and recovery powder from Pure Sport, bought my wife a pair of On Cloud runners, and then restocked my supply of AMP Human.
Need a blueseventy wetsuit or Scicon bike case? Join MX and you get instant access to the discounts which will probably off set your membership cost straight away.
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For Part 2, I talk about the MX member challenges, the support network of experts, and the training plans we have access to.
Tommy Morwood is an XTERRA commentator, self-confessed "triathlon tragic", and MX Endurance member. Follow his adventures on Instagram @tommytalkstri.
Sign up to MX Endurance now and use code MX2FREE to get your first two months free.