People seldom really get to know anything about me personally, despite the fact that I am easy to get to know and pretty simple.

They only see the surface, "party favor" stuff. They never understand or see that I was a fat kid with acne who started exercising. I'm still that kid. Always will be.

People rarely see beyond the sensational shit. Maybe that is fine with me, but it is pretty superficial.

---

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I think a lot of people are more impressed than they really should be. Unless you're doing an IM it's not that big a deal to merely finish a triathlon.

I think an IM is a big deal though. In June I'll do my first 1/2 IM and frankly I don't see it as being an awe inspiring event. It's something I want to do and hopefully will do at a fairly ok level.

I try to shrug off my triathlon participation as being something that's "lot's of fun" to anyone that asks.

That's my take anyway.

Tom,

Don't sell yourself short. None of us see the fat kid.

We love you man.

First response is invariably - you're nuts.

They're probably right.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

"Unless you're doing an IM it's not that big a deal to merely finish a triathlon."

I'm actually a lot more impressed with a 9 second 100m than when somebody finishes an IM. I'm also more impressed watching somebody break one hour on a sprint tri than 17 hrs on an IM.

I guess we could start another thread again as to what's more prestigious - Kona or Olympic gold.

It could go like this.

So you do triathlons

yes

Ever do THE Ironman

yes

Where

Name any large cool sounding place

Neat how far is it?

well you swim 1 mile----bike 75 miles and then run 10

Man that sounds hard!

The average Joe would never know. They just don't have anything to compare it to!

Settle down, Fast-twitch. ;)

Actually, I'm inclined to agree though it depends largely on the individual and the situation.

That answer is easy: Kona. The media coverage difference between Olympic draft-fest "triathlon" and Kona is night and day. Kona is the big daddy in our sport. It's also where the humble masses aspire to someday compete. Very very few of us will ever toe the line at an Olympic event, but we can all relate to what the IM champion went through that day, as many of us have been there before, and hopefully will someday again tread the water in Kialua Bay as the sun peaks over the mountain showing that the morning clouds of the last three days are gone, and it's going to be another hot one.

Responses typically run: "Oh my gosh," "Cool," "You must like pain," "Doesn't that destroy your body?" "I couldn't run a mile, let alone do a whole triathlon"

Once in a blue moon I'll get "Wow, I've always thought about doing one."

Brett

I disagree, I think putting in the absolute minimal '18 weeks to your 1st ironman' training and then slogging your way to a 16 hour finish is not much of an accomplishment at all. That seems to be par for the course now though as we all bow to the mighty M-Dot.

I'm much more impressed when someone methodically trains over time and incrementally gets faster at all 3 disciplines, and their increase in race distances shadows their improvement.

The topic at hand though....I get introduced as a Triathlete, then the response I get is: "Oh so you run marathons ".... NO. Or they ask about 'that race in Hawaii'.

I don't really care to understand the 'couchpeople' though, and don't care if they don't understand me.

---

"The more you sweat today, the less you bleed tomorrow"

Up here in the Great White North are two responses that I've had more than once:

1) Oh, you race against Simon Whitfield. Have you ever beat him?

2) Oh lucky you. I wish that we could go to Hawaii for a holiday as well.

<<I don't really care to understand the 'couchpeople' though, and don't care if they don't understand me.>>

"Couchpeople" I love it! I'm gonna use that from now on.

Brett

That's why I don't wear all the M-Dot stuff too much. I wore my fresh, new Nike ACG official Ironman New Zealand fleece jacket on the way home and the guys from the shop who picked me up were bustin' my chops in the car on the way home.

They were like, "Hey..... Are you the IIiiirrooooonMAHNNNN?"

Of course, having said that, I'm sitting here wearng my cool Orca fleece top. It doesn't have an M-Dot though.

---

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I get that a lot and I"m sure you all do too.

IM IN THE UK , IM OVER 280LBS , I DO TRI AND NOT A MILLION MILES SLOWER THAN THE AVERAGE GUY , (IM LUCKY ENOGH TO BE VERY FIT FOR AN AVERAGE GUY LET ALONE MY SIZE) WHEN I TELL PEOPLE THEY ARE IMPRESSED AND THEN ASK WHAT ITS ABOUT THEY THEN EXPRESS THEIR OPINION IM MAD AND FINALLY WONDER IF THEY COULD DO IT AND MOSTLY THINK , HHHMMM PERHAPS NOT , OVERALL THEYRE RESPONSE FILL ME WITH PRIDE , I DO TRI TO MOTIVATE MYSELF TO TRAIN , I KNOW ILL NEVER WIN , I RACE MYSELF , AND PEOPLE WHO BELITTLE TRI AND THINK ANYTHING LESS THAN 1/2 IM IS POINTLESS , REMEMBER THIS..................

THE AVERAGE GUY DOESNT RUN AT ALL

THE AVERAGE GUY THINKS A 10 MILE BIKE RIDE IS A REAL BIG DEAL

THE AVERAGE GUY THINKS THAT 20 LENGTHS IN THE POOL MAKES THEM A SUPER HERO

WE ALL WORK HARD AND ACHIEVE BY COMPETING , TRI IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE ULTIMATE GOAL MANY START WITH A SPRINT AS THEIR GOAL AND THEN OLYMPIC AND SO ON ,



THATS WHAT I THINK ANYWAY

JUSTIN

---

Justin

Them: Wow, do you do the ironman?

Me: No, shorter races for now

Them: How long are the races you do?

Me: 1/2 mile swim, ~15mil bike, 5K run

Them: Hmmm, I could do that (tone of voice indicating they might like to try one)

or

Them: Hmmm, I could do that (throroughly unimpressed, even though they would never bother to train for one

or

Them: Fast-twitch Canuck elitist poser! (And I'm not even Canadian!)

I'm glad I'm doing Oly races this summer. The average Joe definitely respects distance over intensity. I agree it's not that hard to finish a sprint or Oly race (provided you can swim a little) but it's a different sort of pain to race one. I've finished a marathon but I'm much more impressed with the guy or girl who runs a sub-15min 5K.

---

_______________________________________________

Hey, I remember you Tom. You're that fat kid with the nice bike.

I was on a Schwinn Varsity, and you were riding carbon fiber. I always hated you.

What was the question again? ... Oh yeah, people's reactions. When they find out you do IM races, or other long distances, they either think it's awesome, or they think you're nuts. I'm sure some people think I'm an egomaniac. I tell people I'm not very fast, but they are just enamored with how far the distances are. They don't seem to listen when I tell them I'm not any good.

Mostly I think we all get the similar "I could never do that" response.

-- Big EE

Most people know i do triathlon, my favorite is when they learn the distances. Im currently in 1/2 IM mode, and trying to smoke it, so when i tell someone i just got back from a ride they say something like, "oh yeah, i went on a bike ride last weekend, did like 6 miles" my reaction, "cool, yeah.... mine was like 80 miles, but thats cool too" They usually ask me why i do it, to which i respond, "its fun". I get mostly blank stares. If its a lady, they are usually intrigued at my high level of fitness (running/biking stregthens the hip flexors), but then i usually get an odd reaction when they learn i shave my legs...

"The media coverage difference between Olympic draft-fest "triathlon" and Kona is night and day"

You're darn right it is, but opposite to what you think, at least in Canada. When Simon Whitfield won Olympic gold it was front page news, and not just front of the sports pages. When Reid/Bowden did their double at Kona it barely made the back pages of the sports pages.

I think a lot has to do with Whitfield's on camera persona that makes him a more marketable item, but there is little doubt in my mind that Olympic gold is a bigger ticket to celebrity status.

Q. Oh you do that triathlon thing

A. yep

Q. What's its like to Bike for a few hours then get off and run for another hour? That seems hard?

A. Just Saturday Morning

Q. And you swim also right?

A. Saturday afternoon

Q. So you only workout Saturday

A. Nope just about everyday.

Actually I am only the shell of a triathlete, a torn soleus has got me to the point of being a swimmer and occasionally having a pleasant conversation with Old broken down fat people while I am Aqua Jogging at the local Health Club. At this point I envy the guy who thinks his mile jog or 6 mile bike ride is hard. My friends now call me a relay specialist. "Have speedo and goggles will travel"

couch people actually do talk smack.....

Lead ass #1. How far do you have to run?

me: about 6 miles in this race........

Lead ass #1. 6 miles?!! I couldn't run 1 mile!!

Lead ass #2. Hell man, I couldn't run around the block.....

Lead ass #3. Crap, that's nothing, I couldn't even run from here to that door over there.

Lead ass #3 proves why he's the king with his bold statemant..

Ooops, that shows my American-centric NBC footage that we get of the Olympics. If an American is not winning, they show us a human interest story on tape delay broadcast.

I'm still of the opinion of Kona. Think of the pros making a living wage in the sport, how many are Olympic distance athletes, how many are IMers. But there again, that's probably just my USA view of the world. ITU racing is more publicized in other countries so there's likely a bunch I'm unfamiliar with.

At the other end of the spectrum of stature is the new US Half Iron Championships. Oh boy! (sarcasm extraordinare) A qualifying series with not one race in California, and only one cute little (less than 500 finishers) half West of the Rockies. The person who wins that title may be something in the mid-West, but a "US champ" is a big stretch. Much less to announce it now that most folks have their calendar set. Sorry, I saw that story and had to share what a lame a$$ idea I think it is.

Them: You did Ironman?

Me: Yep, last November.

Them: In Hawaii?

Me: No, the Florida Ironman.

Them: Oh. (Then change the subject as if the Ironman in Florida is less of an accomplishment.)

280lbs!! you're doing very well running in tris at that weight, good on you. I've seen some big units over the years and some move along very well. Good endorsement for a bike company, if you can't break the bike with your power, it will stand up to a sub 70kg rider easily.

i agree with you, my focus is primarily olympic and below and couldn't be bothered with some clown who walked half the ironman course and thinks he's a legend.

I get the "Better you than me" look or comment. Sort of the "Good luck to you, but don't ask me to come along" thing. And I have a coworker that has done a tri [on a whim!] and one that is the cross-country coach that does marathons.

Folks are too impressed by the short distances. When folks ask what races I'm going to do (surprisingly they do ask) and I get to the long course ... then they're impressed, and they should be ... that's a tough day.

There was a hilarious comment over at TNO comparing the reaction of an "outsider" to a person that finishes an IM in 8 hours vs. someone that finishes an IM in 16 hours, they're more impressed with the latter. I believe the situation was hypothetical, but easily imagineable. [I'd repost it here, but we all know where that leads. Ha Ha.] Folks would be more impressed with someone that did a 1/2 IM in 10 hours than someone that did an olympic in 2. I guess for most of us, it's a *good thing* they don't know any better. ;)

Triathlons get me more respect than they should around here. The training should get me respect. Doing it day after day, in all sorts of weather, is more admirable than the actual race. Anyone can play in the game, few are willing to sweat like hell in practice.

I don't know many that know the distances, or know what a respectable time is, but they recognize committment, effort, and consistency, and they respect that. I appreciate it.

---

=======================
-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

Do you do the full triathlon?(meaning IM)

You do that race in Hawaii?

Do you make money doing that?

Do you ever win?

Do you race for a team?

You must be in really good shape! Wow!

and of course:

That's crazy, nuts, etc...

my favorite is "does your wanker ever go to sleep on the bike"?

---

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I think that's a common thought among many athletes as well. I think most FOP and MOP athletes really respect the BOPers. You often hear comments like "I can't believe they're still out there, that's amazing!" from people that have been finished for several hours at an IM. BOPers times are often affected by adverse weather conditions as they are out there running in the hottest part of the day in events like Oly's and Half IM's where FOP athletes get to run while it's still relatively cool. Oftentimes, BOPers are larger and/or older athletes giving them yet another hurdle to clear. And just the fact that they are out there that much longer takes more toll on their bodies. I have never exercised more than 11 hours and 18 minutes in a single day. It's hard for me to fathom racing for 14, 15, 17 hours.

I think it can definitely be argued that a 67 y/o woman or 260 lb. man finishing an IM in 16 hours is as an impressive a feat as someone who races for a living finishing in 8:40.

"I think putting in the absolute minimal '18 weeks to your 1st ironman' training and then slogging your way to a 16 hour finish is not much of an accomplishment at all."

Yea, ok. I love these people who think you have to break 10 hours in an IM to make it an actual accomplishment.

Me: Yes, I've been doing triathlons for a few years now--it's alot of fun.

She (tall brunette late 20's hottie): Oh, I guess that explains why you look like you are in such fantastic shape!

Me: (modestly) Well, yes, it does keep one fit.

She: Can I touch your quads?

Me: Hey, what if you touch the left one while your little friend over there touches the right?

She: That sounds cool! I'm sure she'd be up for it, let's go ask!

Then I usually wake up.

Your last paragraph is spot on. For the record, the comment was comparing similar athletes reaching different finishing times. It was not taking into account extraordinary circumstances.

---

=======================
-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

Why?

Still working on the specific why - but...

I am interested in figuring out a couple of things...

Who are triathletes, what makes us tick, what can we learn from inside our selfs, from our borther (sister) triathletes, and fron non-traithletes to help us improve.

Where does this sport stand within the larger sportting world.

Can it grow? How? Where can it grow to?

What are we doing that hurts our sport that we probably don't even realize/know we are doing. What are we doing to help it?

Just a few of my thought. This one question does not specifically answer any of these questions, but I do think it to be a data point (reflection point) for all these questions.

---

http://www.clevetriclub.com

rob reddy

No Foolish. I am not questioning your question.

That is the response I get from people: "Why?"

 first response a sort of shocked look (like i don't look like i could do one - not sure why) and then 'wow...i'd never be able to do that'. then when they ask how far and fast i usually get the 'look' (you guys know what i'm talking about) and depending on gender the eyes stop at one of two places. :-\ then they usually always ask if I've done Hawaii and if I win as well. like they would or something.



k

Usually when people meet me they think I'm crazy.
Then I tell them I'm a triathlete and they think I'm insane. Sol Goode by me.


Anyway, to answer your questions:
1. What makes us tick? Sex.
2. Where does this sport stand? Somewhere between Ladies sand volleyball, and mudd wrestling.
3. Where can it grow? Below the waist.
4. What are we doing that hurts our sport? Not getting enough ladies involved.
5. Why am I so crazy right now? I've got a cold/fever right now that's sitting on my head and punching me in my face.


-It's not how fast you are, it's how fast you look

My favorite is when I tell folks the race distance I am training for (half-IM) and we go through the litany of distances (1.2, 56, 13.1). After I give them the distance they then give me the thoughtful "I think I could do that" comment. Then I say 'well let's do it" and happily invite them to join me for a 3000 yd swim workout on Thursday, a two hour training run on Saturday and a three hour training ride on Sunday. At that point I get the "well...um...nah". That usually ends the conversation.

Ron

Dude..
"2. Where does this sport stand? Somewhere between Ladies sand volleyball, and mudd wrestling."
Ladies sand volleyball is very popular in Brazil... and if I can guesstimate the popular culture in the US, mudd wrestling probably has a good number of fans as well...
Here in Germany (opposed to Brazil where I come from) I find people treat wannabe-pro cyclists much like "normal" people. And triathletes as well, though I haven't met that many around yet. Then again, everyone rides a bike to work...

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Ricardo Wickert | Team Magnesium Pur - Germany | My sporadically updated blog: The Thin Grad Line | My team-issued TT bike: Trek Speed Concept 9

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