vecchia capra wrote:
Tri or Die wrote:
1. TM's are cool for fat people.
2. TM's allow many to participate; few will ever race.
3. TM's are trendy and the TM trend will go away.
4. TM people will never race a triathlon as good as a triathlete will race a TM.
5. TM is NOT as hard as running or as hard as triathlon or as hard as cycling or as hard as swimming.
If "cycling & triathlon" is like "apples & oranges," "endurance sports and TM's" are like "apple pie & horse shit."
If you competed in the TM Florida, it was actually cow shit, as it was conducted entirely in cow pastures. The smell was, well, bovine as we started, and to told everyone around me to NOT run or take obstacles with their mouth open unless they LIKED the taste of cow patties.
It was funny to watch the expressions on those who did not hear, understand or believe that warning. Me, I spent too much time in rural farmland and running around in foul environments in the military to worry too much about a little cow poo.
I did the TM just because I had run a Warrior Dash before and wanted to know if the TM was really a test of anything. It was, a test of enduring idiots and intentionally unfit exercises. Things like randomly placed 4' deep holes in an otherwise 6" deep water crossing. Idiots like a few crossfitters who decided the best way to cross a rope net was to fling themselves halfway across the net. Unfortunately several people were halfway across the net at that time, so they jumped on top of those people. At least one was unable to finish the race. The crossfitters ran away like the puzzys they really are, despite all their boasting.
I have not done a 140.2 event yet, but I have completed a 70.3 race (IM Augusta) and several Olympic distance races. I would equate a TM with an Olympic triathlon with a twist; add volunteers to knock you off your bike, assault you in the swim and throw gatorade at you at the aid stations. The ambulances made a ton of money at TM Florida, they had at least a dozen there, all cycling to the local hospital in a constant cycle.
Add to that it costs money just to watch the race, and after your 1 beer at the end, even more money to continue imbibing more beer. Overall, I was disappointed, finished well ahead of the group I started with, and will not enter another TM as my enjoyment of stupidity is not as tolerant today as it was when I was 20.
Somewhat totally agree with you here, but I did have fun. There were a TON of ambulances and cops everywhere. I did think those 4' holes were funny since they were totally unexpected, and also think there were more like 6' deep in some cases! The mud before that balance beam across the tank thing was unlike any mud I have ever seen. It was the finest mud in the state for sure.
I had a great time, but I agree that it was not hard at all- except for that ice bath right out of the gate. That took my breath like nothing I have ever done before- but, it was over as quickly as it began, and the rest of the course was pretty simple- minus the people standing around all over the place in the way "helping".
"What do you mean your running shoes don't match your bike?"