Bluefishy wrote:
I'll admit that most comments on this post make me feel a bit defensive, and I'm trying to be curious about that feeling. I think it's because most of the responses on this post smack of humble bragging a la, I went to school in Cambridge instead of just saying you went to Harvard.
Neat-o.
I'd like to offer a different perspective. I've been a MOP athlete my whole life. I love competing and exercising. I've been running for 20 years and doing triathlon for 8, and triathlon is an important part of my identity. This is probably because I'm also a juggling being a wife, mother, and full-time employee. Triathlon is something I do completely for myself. I'm aware that I am a worthy and whole person even without triathlon/running, but training and competing fills my spirit in ways that those other pieces of my identity can't.
I also wear my race t-shirts because 1) I'll be damned if I'm buying other t-shirts 2) I want other moms to see me and think, hey if she can do that, maybe I can and 3) they're reminders of good times.
FWIW: The tendency for some in this community to be more dismissive of the completer or one and done can make it feel very exclusionary to some athletes that might want to post or be part of the forum.
First, I did go to school in Cambridge but it wasn't Harvard. Anyway...
I agree with a lot of what you've written here. Triathlete/endurance athlete is one of the things I identify as. I also identify as a cat lover, engineer, hobby baker, international synchronized swimming judge, and chocolate nerd. If you enjoy something and spend your free time doing it, why would you feel the need to hide it? That doesn't mean you have to talk about it at every opportunity, but naturally you'd have things related to your interests with you when traveling, and you'd have stories about your hobbies when people ask what you did over the weekend/on vacation.
My mom is an artist and wears t shirts from art shows she's been an exhibitor in pretty regularly, including a couple that are pretty prestigious. I don't think any artists look down on her for...checks notes...advertising the existance of an art show she did?
Anyway, here are some of my "sins" according to some in this thread:
-I wear race t shirts regularly. Some of them because I like the color, others because I really dig the design or logo. Also I wear them to bike commute because I have so many and don't mind going through 2 a day during the summer.
-I post about my training and racing on social media. Because it's something I enjoy doing, and I like to share the fun things I'm doing with my friends. I also post about other fun things I do - travel, meet other people's cats, make cakes - and love reading about/seeing pictures of things my friends have enjoyed doing. Knitting. Board game design. Equestrian. Breedng chinchillas. Hobbyist blacksmithing. Homebrewing. All things I don't particularly know anything about but I love seeing my friends happy and enjoying things.
-I have a bunch of tri gear, some of it expensive. I have the funds to purchase these things, and I enjoy using them. I love having a ton of colorful kit, a sweet aero helmet for races, and shoes that help me run my best. I don't care what other people think when they see me using them.
tl;dr: Triathlon is one of the things I spend a good chunk of my time doing. It's not the only thing. It makes me happy (usually, don't come at me after a weekend of summer training in the humidity) so I share my experiences with it when talking with friends.