Probably not. But they said it happens at work so it's probably this guy.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

"You are lucky your family is supportive ! "
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I highly believe and have found that you create your own circle of support. The support you receive is typically a reflection of you, not them. Are there some dissenters out there, sure - just smile and agree.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

The first time my father-in-law watched me finish a marathon, the first thing he said was, "why didn't you just sprint the whole thing, you would have been done faster." Some people don't get it. I am there for myself and have an awesome support group and personal Sherpa! Power on.....

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Start slow and taper off....

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Not everything is as it seems -Mr. Miyagi

"When are you getting your tattoo?"
"You're gonna put a stupid sticker on your car now, right?"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I was talking to one of my fellow employees a couple of months ago. This guy is 30 years old a know-it-all and nobody likes him, he does run a little, probably 40 miles a year. He was asking me if there was a time limit for finishing an Ironman and I replied usually around 17 hours, he let out a laugh and said, hell I could do that! I told him to go ahead and join us and see what he thought, I even went as far to offer and pay for the entry to a race, but if he did not finish he would have to pay me back. The word Ironman has never been mentioned again since that day.

1) a guy at my gym who is easily 100 lbs overweight has done 3
2) that is true about everything. I feel like training 14 hrs a week, though.
3) wetsuit optimal swim? Yeah, you're a wuss. : )
4) hmmm, ouch.
5) so the point is.... It is the journey not the destination.

There's nothing BCtrigirl and I enjoy more then making snide comments about people who show up to race packet pickups wearing all their IM or Boston gear.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

I'm a relative newbie, still building to my first IM, planning on doing my first HIM this year, but it's always struck me as funny that friends who don't participate in this type of sport have such a warped view of what is involved, both in training and in the actual race.

I've run a couple full marathons, Sprint and Olympic Tris, and dozens of 13.1, 10k, 5k, etc. My week is generally 30-50 miles of running, 100 or more on the bike, and at least a mile swimming, 3-5 days a week. On top of that, if I have the time, I'll do an hour or so of strength training, 3-5 days a week.

What impresses people the most?

The Tough Mudder. People think you've got to be some kind of Navy Seal to survive that.

I was completely underwhelmed by it. I had a lot of fun, plan on doing more, but the whole thing requires very little athleticism. It's mostly about doing stuff that you'd normally avoid...like getting wet, getting dirty, and getting cold. It's the "Fear Factor" of sports...the physical equivalent of "eating something gross."

Again, not to slam obstacle runs, they're a good time, but training for what's essentially a half marathon with 15 or 20 "rest breaks" would be better spent sitting in a bathtub full of ice water than actually exercising.

But this is the danger. To people without much of a history in long distance athletics, a HM distance obstacle race is an accomplishment. That's fair enough and they deserve to feel good about it. To you a HM distance obstacle race is pretty trivial and just for fun. If you tell them that, they're likely to feel pretty hurt and understandably so. It's all relative. It makes no sense to superimpose your experience and ability on someone else's accomplishments. That's why most of us change the challenges we put before ourselves and try and go further or faster.
So those of us who think we do know what we're talking about should be careful not to see others' accomplishments through our own lens or we risk being even more insulting and unfair than anyone who's just ignorant of the subject.

On the other hand, I really can't understand someone with no relevant experience telling you an IM, marathon, or whatever, is no big deal. That's just mean and ignorant and it deserves to be ignored. However, it's not something I can remember ever encountering. In my experience most people seem to think long distance runs, cycles and triathlons are either impressive, or crazy. The most negative remarks are no more than comments about how they can't see how it would be fun to torture yourself like that or how the training must take up so much time, and is my partner alright with that. They're not criticisms or minimisations at all, just queries about my sanity!

Nothing happens in a pure vacuum. Take a step back and contemplate either the source of the comment or the intended direction of the comment.

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What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699

Triathlon is not a mainstream sport, so you can't expect the general population to understand the sport. Most of those people you're interacting with could not even think of finishing one sprint triathlon, so consider the source. Don't worry, I get a lot of haters at work. Those people are everywhere and their thoughts are irrelevant. Join a local running club, cycling club or masters swim club and you won't have to search for positivity.

I always get a weird opposite sort of problem.

I had the following conversation with my mom yesterday while the family was gathering:

Mom: So what did you do this morning?
Me: Oh we went and did a Turkey Trot race, then just hung around the house for a while before coming over
Mom: How long was this one?
Me: Oh it was a 5k
Mom: Well that's like nothing at all to you right? It's like a stroll to the fridge compared to the Ironman you just did!
Me: Well I was racing it so it was pretty hard.
Mom: But it's not like it's a marathon. How hard can that be?

She doesn't at all realize that there is a big difference between racing a 5k and simply going out for a 3.1 mile run. Or that racing a 5k can be "hard" compared to doing Ironman. Doesn't matter how many times we have that conversation, or how many times I explain that racing any distance is supposed to be incredibly difficult.

A few years back my then-boss asked me if I "achieved nirvana" after completing an ironman. I am still baffled by the comment.

Since then I began to be more thoughtful about who I share my training pursuits with:
- My training/racing buddies - YES, that's 60-80% of what we talk about anyways
- Family and (non-tri) friends - MAYBE, if it comes up in conversation and don't dwell on it for more than a few minutes
- Co-workers - NO, I do still talk about going for a run or a swim when it's appropriate, but in general I avoid mentioning triathlon

I agree that almost anyone can do it. The 17 hour time limit allows this.

Any reasonably healthy person could train and finish.

You only need validation for yourself, not from everyone else.

Beat your old time and stay healthy should be the only reason you do it

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Yellowfin Endurance Coaching and Bike Fits
USAT Level 1, USAC Level 3

Well she is right, it isn't.

Triathlon is a very selfish sport -- especially Ironman. I really dont talk about Ironman with family or coworkers. Occasionally a few bits of training for the cyclists/runners I know. I stick with this forum and my Triathlon club for my outlet on geeking out about Endurance sports and my accomplishments within the sport. I honestly dont blame people for being annoyed by me. I find some Ironman athletes a bit conceited.

No kidding... This week I had some contractors over to install a heatpump. One of the guy was coming from a bodybuilding background, at fairly high level. He had no clue what a triathlon was. He was extremely nice and interested about it though, nothing condescending. But just to say that to the main population, they have no clue...

I coach youth soccer. I had a few soccer moms ask me if Ironman was that race in the mud they heard about... Most of the time though, if I take time to explain, they seem genuinely interested.

I agree, there's a world of difference in a hard 5k for a PR or podium spot and the typical 5k that people do for fun. A hard 5k can be every bit as challenging as a longer race.

I agree and disagree... they can both be hard, but I never questioned whether or not I would finish a 5k, where I had to use some mental skills in marathons...

Sure, but for a 5k simple completion isn't the goal. I would have considered it a total failure if I couldn't run within, let's say, a minute of my PR. Like if I knew I was already way behind by mile 2 I would have shut it down and jogged in since there is no need to bury myself. I would have considered that a DNF in my mind even if I did "cross the finish line".

I agree, and I still feel like it was an accomplishment (scratch that off the bucket list!). It's just that relative to a tri, full or half marathon (even an honest, all out 10k for time), it's not nearly as physically demanding. I think the perception is due to a very well done marketing campaign by the Tough Mudder company; kudos to them. They sell it like it's the final exam to SEAL school, and I think that's how it's viewed by a lot of people.

The point I was trying to make is that many of the people I've talked to about exercise in general seem to view a Tough Mudder as some kind of fitness pinnacle. In my opinion, it's really something that most people who aren't obese or have a health condition or physical disability could accomplish with a minimum of preparation. The group I ran it with weren't heavily into exercise, didn't train or prepare outside of a couple trips to the gym and a few moderate runs, and they finished with no problem.

I didn't mean to trivialize it at all, I had more fun doing that than almost any race I've ever done, and if it gets people off the couch, bonds a group of coworkers together, or even makes for a great story over beers, it's a good thing. It's just one of my pet peeves that the thing I put the least amount of effort into is the thing that most impresses people.

I've never heard one condescending remark in the 10 years. Probably because I've never brought it up at work.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

That's sad.