Yes...

It's whatever the person wants it to be. It can be a ratio like 20/60/20, % against AG winner's time, or time like sub 10, 11-14, 14+hours, but how people identify themselves within the finishers is right for them and doesn't bother me.

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Swim. Overbike. Walk.

You forgot BOFOP, FOMOP, BOMOP, FOBOP, BOBOP .....
Nevermind.

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A false humanity is used to impose its opposite, by people whose cruelty is equalled only by their arrogance

To me:
FOP - legitimate chance of an age group podium
MOP - usually have others in your category in sight that you are trying to catch
BOP - generally lose sight of the others (fairly early) and are delighted when you have another BOP to race against

If you ain't first, you're last.

I wouldn't worry about it. How much does it really matter?

Having said that:

The distribution of times in a race are not linear. I haven't seen a graph of typical time distribution for a race (it would be easy to do by copying and pasting from a results list) but I expect it's usually something of a bell curve if not a normal distribution. i.e. very few at the extremes and the vast majority in the middle. So IMO splitting it to fastest third, middle third and slowest third wouldn't be very representative. If we're just talking about 3 "classifications" I'd say the majority of triathletes should be describing themselves as MOP. So, for a typical Ironman course for example, MOP probably includes everyone from around 10hrs to 14.5hrs and maybe more. But there's no right answer.

To put it another way, mass participation races will be fairly strung out at the front and the back with lots of people close together in the middle, i.e. the pack.
Those in the strung out regions ahead or behind the bulk of participants are FOP or BOP, everyone else is MOP.

Why does it matter?

It doesn't really, except to have commonly understood terminology for clarity of communication. However in this case I think it's pretty simple. If someone thinks they're fast compared to most triathletes they're FOP, they're slow compared to most and they're BOP, otherwise they're MOP. Putting more detail into it than this is pretty pointless, just tell people how fast you typically complete a given distance and be done with it.

Shake-n-Bake!

People spend too much time contemplating this pointless shit when they could be training or sleeping.

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____________________________________________
Don Larkin
Reach For More
http://www.reachformore.fit/
USAT Lvl1 Coach, NSCA-CPT, NASM-CPT, BS Exercise Science

For someone in their 30s, you can finish in the top 50 overall including pros, and be nowhere near an age group podium

First you shake it- then you bake it! That just happened.

Usually I am all three. FOPMOPBOP....swim, bike, run in that order.
We need additional groupings.

FMB (usually fat'ish guys like me),
BMF (always waif thin and no, not Bad ass mother....)
M&M's (make up your own jokes)
BFM (met only one of those)

and so on.

I agree that it's pointless but...

I'd put FOP as the top 5-10% of an AG. Folks that have a chance at an AG podium at very competitive events.

MOP is essentially just that... folks hanging around the mean and median. I'd put BOP as the bottom third.

That leaves quite the chasm near the top. Someone who finishes in the top 15% certainly isn't MOP but they're not FOP either. I always classify myself in the FOMOP. I hang out in that top 15-20% area. I'm closer to FOP than I am to the middle but I'm no threat to podium.

I'm back to it being pointless. :-)

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Yes, because people treat their time as a completely objective accounting exercise!

I do agree to a large extent with your first 9 words. The remaining 7 are idiotic.

The internet is a procrastinators playground first and foremost, were you not aware of this?
Many posters are no doubt in work and either have nothing to do or are avoiding doing it. Alternatively, posters may well be travelling so can't train, not tired so don't want to sleep, finished training, don't feel like training, are not obsessed with training and sleeping at every opportunity, actually human, any combination of those.
Get a grip!

.

May be pointless, but I would imagine everyone who participates on Slowtwitch slots themselves into one category or another.

Why are you wasting time on ST then?

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

I presume he's trying to help us realise our foolishness so we can get back to training and sleeping.... Do you think it would be okay if I squeeze in a little snack at some point too?

No. You train and you sleep. That is all.

Why are you still on ST? Get out there!

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

No drinking either? (just water honest)
Maybe I could stay on here while on the turbo if I try not to sweat on the laptop too much? No?
Okay, I'm off............

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

This


I was High when I said that......that doesn't make any sense at all......you can be 2nd,3rd......

 
FOP - You are counting athletes as you approach the turn around to gauge your effort for a push
MOP - You don't count anybody at turn arounds but you may mark somebody you intend to pass before the finish line
BOP - You are enjoying your day and not worrying about placing, pushing too deep, and turn arounds mean nothing to you

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"Train so you have no regrets @ the finish line"

LOL! I finally get the appeal of trolling.
:-D

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____________________________________________
Don Larkin
Reach For More
http://www.reachformore.fit/
USAT Lvl1 Coach, NSCA-CPT, NASM-CPT, BS Exercise Science