lrcanuck wrote:
Please someone explain the scenery appeal of races to me? This was my 10th race and I have to say I have never been looking at any scenery. I have been starring at the road in front of me and focussing on going hard in the race. Am I doing it wrong? The only real appeal of this race is that I live a couple minutes away.At the risk of feeding the shark, I'm going to give this a shot.
If you talk to some of the other people who are racing with, you might learn that not everyone shares the same goals as you. There are as many reasons to participate in a triathlon as there are people—especially in such a high-profile event as this. If you look a little further back from the top-10, you'll find first-timers, newbies, friends, wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, co-workers, friends—all of whom have a different reason for why they're doing this race. I can assure you that none of them give a shit about who won it.
Part of the appeal is being able to do a race downtown in the biggest city in Canada, where you can enjoy the most scenic route into the core. A lot of us take that for granted, as we're either driving at 100 km/h down it or stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. It might be novel to ride this highway on a bike, but it's a pretty fun one, and it hasn't worn off on me yet. We get to do this while participating at an event done at this scale, all while being able to have our family and friends all be there to support us. That means something to a lot of people. But that's not all of it.
Did you hear about the man who died and was rescued and brought back to life at the event last year? His only goal was to participate in a triathlon. Do you think if he made it to the bike he'd be concentrating on "starring [sic] at the road in front" and "focussing on the race"? How about the older woman who was just getting into T2, long after most competitors finished the race and walked back to transition? The one who I had to help pick up the bikes she knocked over as she struggled to lift her bike back onto the rack. Or my pregnant friend who wanted to use this race to have one last triathlon before she's due. Do you think they have the same motivation to compete in this race as you?
These people's goals are just as important to them as yours is to you. If being in an environment that caters to these types of people bothers you, that's okay. You've already identified that this event is not for you, and there are other races that will suit you just fine. You mentioned the Subaru series, which is great because I'm sure you already know their races attract the most competitive people in the area. Maybe concentrate on Chicago next year for the ITU Worlds. You'll find lots of company there.
That said, I agree that the ribbons were a bit cheesy. After finally successfully placing after five years of trying, it was slightly disappointing to go home with an old-school ribbon and a flower. Not the end of the world by any means, and it didn't ruin any of the enjoyment for me. If it means that much to me in a couple months, I'll go get the really sleek black finisher's medal engraved with my position and time.
Regardless, you did look pretty happy with your flower and ribbon. You don't look like the same guy who is ranting about how pathetic it is.
[edit: smiley image redacted]
BTW, try clicking on the link in ozjt23's sig before you make any assumptions about who he is.
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George Dedopoulos | @geodee | geodee.com | Team Atomica | Toronto Triathlon Club
