Thank you. I had that little residual thing wondering if my Ironman time was in fact good enough, but somehow, reading your post, I was cured. Hallelujah!

I realised that, um, I do my sort of thing, and do my sort of training and do the Ironman at my sort of pace, and you do your thing and go at your pace. I go as fast as I can and you go as fast as you can, and we're both faster than some and slower than others, and um, the point is, well nothing really.

Every now and then people annoy us for some particular reason which has no logic. I do know a number of people who, did an Ironman once, and now carry a bit of weight and don't exercise much, if at all, and I think, that's a bit sad.

So lets have some fun. Next thread will be: "You're not a real Ironman, unless you have (insert examples here, such as:

Run all the way
Come in within 20% of my time
Qualified for Kona
Have aero wheels
Less than 10% body fat
Got a tattoo
Let it define you as a person
Really suffered
Not been beaten by a girl
Done more than one
Talked about it all the time
Worn the finishers shirt somewhere just to show off

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Those who know do not speak, those who speak, do not know.

"I think it does degrade (in my eyes, so kill me) the quality of somebody's IM if they cross the finish line in whatever time and then stop doing anything to go back to exactly the same couch potato they were before they decided to try an IM. If something that big is not going to at least change your life a little bit, what's the point?"

I still don't get why you care about it. So what if it degrades their Ironman experience in your eyes. Do you need to feel better about yourself by belittling their accomplishment... however de minimis it might be in your eyes?

A quick addition in case my comments above did not irritate enough people. Those folks who have commented "why do you care about (braggarts, other peoples' health/speed/attitude/history/future/etc.)" - I think you are viewing the world through the rose colored interchangeable lenses on your favorite sport optics. It is a nice thought to try and ignore the actions and words of others if "they are not really hurting you", but the "hurting you" is kinda subjective when co-workers you actually like keep quizzing you on why you haven't done a "real" triathlon (i.e. Ironman) while you are busting your but to train for an Olympic distance a few weeks away, and the reason they keep asking you about the "real" triathlon is because the fat slob down the hall that smokes a pack a day and drinks a 12 pack of diet coke (now with lime!!) a day is still bragging about the IM he did in 7 hours (the time gets shorter each year) way back in 1992.

So in other words, you need validation from your co-workers that you are a "real" triathlete, even though you're not doing Iron distance races, and your glory days buddy is revelling in his 5 hour Ironman from '92.

Dude. WHY DO YOU CARE?

Is it because the non-athletic co-workers "look up" more to Old Glory Days and his ever-decreasing Ironman world record from '92 than to your podium finish in an Olympic distance race? Have you considered that Mr. Glory Days may be jealous of your abilities, and is doing this because he wants to seem more like you in the eyes of the co-workers? Sure, it's annoying when people do shit like that, but frankly, if you have to put down the has-been, smokin', diet cokin', fat bastard who once finished his Ironman in 16:59 (or was it 6:59?), maybe you need to just chill a little and let him have his "fantasy." I just don't see what the big deal is.

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Steve Perkins

Steve,

Why do you care if I care if you care if he cares that she cares that I care? *grin*

I don't really care - the example I wrote up was more speculation on what some people may encounter rather than an actual incident in my office. I was having fun letting some interesting trains of thought run through my head and out my hands to the keyboard. I think it is safe to say that lots of people (myself included) do care what other people think about them, or even what they PERCEIVE other people think of them.

If I care about what somebody thinks about me, then that means I can on some level care for that person. Caring for people is good.

Shit - late for a meeting. I can add more later about caring if this thread keeps going to eternity.

Todd

You all know - for supposedly not having a right to care about what other people do - there sure are allot of folks here who care what people think...I guess you can think what you want as long as you agree with them, otherwise you are an asshole...huh....

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I don't care if you care if I care... wait... I don't care... shit... :)

Frankly, I don't care. I was just wondering why YOU seemed to care... or why Record seems to care. Fact is... we all care to some extent how people perceive us. I just think it's sad that we have to belittle others (such as demeaning their IM experience because they only did one, and then went back to be a fat bastard) to make ourselves feel better about our own existences.

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Steve Perkins

And I dont like one legged Jewish Eskimos from Miami...I HATE them

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

My mind is spinning.

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Those who know do not speak, those who speak, do not know.

the interesting thing this brings up is that most people who even know the order of a 'tri-ath-alon' (Iron CLM, 04/05) only think in terms of distance. So you might race your guts out in an Oly, be sore for three days and come in with 2:15 and it garners no respect, because it is 'short'. Most, though, have some idea of what an Ironman is, although weirdly in this part of the world that term is also used for surflifesaving competitions!

For a lot of people, Ironman IS triathlon, and that's why you get some box tickers doing it. Still, 8:20 or 17:00, maximum respect to them all.

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kiwipat

per ardua ad astra

Considering an otter's inability to use a computer...we all wish that your wish comes true in a speedy(less than 14 hours) fashion

Frank