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Things I love to see at a triathlon
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Some things I enjoy and some that are just entertaining

The last athlete gutting it out and doug whatever they have to to finish
A female take 1st OA
Anyone wearing compression gear for an OD or sprint
The guy riding the round tube steel tri bike destroy the field
Athletes push through poor conditions with determination
VFF heel strikers
When buoys don't drift
Strong local volunteer support
People in good positions on rigs that cost less than 1k
Athlete saving something for the run
Great athlete to athlete encouragement
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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Pace bunnies.


"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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Things I like:
Female:Male ratio of >1, or even better >>1.
Friendly competition on the same day as there is a competitive field
Athletes helping each other out/sharing stuff like rubber bands, gels, etc (pre-race)
Good post-race food.
Some sort of swoletein drink at the finish line for Oly's (muscle milk, etc)
Well-executed finishers medals at oly and longer races.
Young children kicking the asses of people 3 and 4 times their age.
Families/misc spectators that bring clever signs to the race.
High-fives from other competitors/friends/spectators out on the course
Taking a weekend off from individual racing to do a relay with friends, even though I could have finished substantially faster on my own.


Things that are funny:
People who ride sprint/oly tris with their bikes all fredded out. 1 gal water? check. 4 gels taped to top tube? check. 2 flat kits, a cell phone, a multitool, a poncho and a baby kitten/rabbit's foot for good luck? check.
People who use their phones during triathlon (or even people that bring their phone with them during a race)
People who think they need to use a speedsuit for a <500 yd pool swim.
People who wear speedsuits for the entirety of the race when the speedsuit was obviously not designed to be worn for anything other than the swim.
BOMOP/BOP people who wear speedsuits (sorry, not to be elitist here, but usually the drag due to erratic/non-streamlined movements and terrible body position will be too much for that speedsuit to overcome)
Sprints for the finish line in a time-trial start format, particularly old guy vs. younger girl--or any other scenario where the two sprinters are obviously not finishing anywhere remotely close, time-wise.
Misspellings on official race signs. My personal favorite is "Finnish Line."
Anyone still using a walkman/padded headphones (not earbuds) for pump up music.
The idiotic ways people try to rubber band their shoes to their bike to save time, only to totally screw up the bike mount, often losing a shoe or two in the process, thereby negating time savings that might have been had.
People who yell/grunt loudly as they cross the finish line (in >2:30 for OD, >1:30 for std. sprint distance)
People who put on any helmet backwards, but particularly funny is the person that manages to put on the aero helmet backwards, and rides the whole race with a giant beak sticking out over their face.
First-timers who were previously competitive athletes in another sport (could be s/b/r individually, or another sport) who brag about their predictions for their finish time, only to get their ass handed to them by literally everyone else.
People who spent $1bajillion to upgrade their training wheels to some nice ksyriums/etc so they could "train faster/lighter/misc bullshit," only to show up on race day and not have $ left over for race wheels.
People who show up with their TeamUSA gear or other scrubs who discovered that kiwami would put their name on their suit and make it look all official and as a result think they're the shit, only to get their ass handed to them by literally everyone else.




This is fun...





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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [ZackC.] [ In reply to ]
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ZackC. wrote:
People who show up with their TeamUSA gear or other scrubs who discovered that kiwami would put their name on their suit and make it look all official and as a result think they're the shit, only to get their ass handed to them by literally everyone else.


I know someone who does this. Dons his Team USA suit, that he got for going to AG Worlds on a roll-down slot, instead of his team suit at a team race all the while constantly talking about team camaraderie)

As for things I like:
post-race beer
post-race sloppy-joes (thank you TTT) and/or pulled pork sandwiches
passing people with bikes that cost 4x as much as mine
trail runs
spectators doing things to make racers laugh
watching someone win by a substantial margin (not due to lack of competition, but because they are simply that much better)

Things I find funny:
people who flat and don't know how to change tubes (I only laugh at those riding clinchers because I have no clue about tubulars...Vittoria somethin' or other? ;) )
FOP Swimmers who quickly reveal themselves to be MOP/BOP Bikers and Runners
The gratuitous amounts of food eaten after sprint races (really, a whole pizza?)
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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The fantastic woman who body marked me at my first ever triathlon (and all like her). she checked out my transition setup and basically started chucking thing over the fence.

It was an oly...

"You don't need bike shorts (chuck)."
"You don't need running shorts (toss)."
"What's this? (throw)."
"Do you really need socks?"

I ended up doing it in a speedo and probably shaved a half an hour off my time just from her advice.

Who ever you are, thank you!

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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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Things I find annoying:

When no one can follow the RUN TO THE LEFT rule on a trail out and back run even though every 10 feet there is a huge sign saying KEEP LEFT making it impossible for returning runners to actually... return.
When someone drafts while swimming and whacks the person who's in front foot with every stroke.


Things I like:

Seeing the amount of locals that sit at their windows and play music and cheer for athletes.
Seeing para-triathletes compete.
Nice weather.

Things that are entertaining:
Seeing people ride courses (like today's Escape from Alcatraz) on fixies.
Watching people do triathlons in ridiculous costumes.


I'm sure there's other... I'm tired from the race, not thinking clear enough.
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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Things I like:

Athletes actually thanking volunteers
Cookies at the finish
Athletes not blocking the entire bike mount like
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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rubbing elbows with the pros (as they lap me)

The (pretty rare) days when training & planning come together
  • Actually finding a good pace group in the swim and getting to T1 in less than 110% of the distance
  • Riding at a planed % of FTP and cruising at a respectable pace from T1 to T2
  • Running that first 1/2 mile and thinking 'This won't be too bad!'
Smiles

The 'Biggest Loser' portion of the IM banquets

The Finish Line (I'm equally happy to see a Finnish Line)

.

" I take my gear out of my car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of of their lives shocks me. "
(opening lines from Tim Krabbe's The Rider , 1978
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [ZackC.] [ In reply to ]
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ZackC. wrote:
Things I like:

Well-executed finishers medals at oly and longer races.
.

really? what purpose does this serve?




Nothing to see here
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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Things I like:
-More volunteers than athletes.
-Volunteers that break the tension with humor before an event.
-Being offered a beer out on the course.
-Being in a latter wave so I can pass people on the ru.
-Body markings that show your age group so you know who your competition is.
-Post race massage (used to like).
-Post race ice baths (looking forward to it at my next race).
-Passing younger athletes (rare).
-Thanking the traffic control cops.

Things that make me laugh:
-I was "redlining" and couldn't get my powerbar down an a spectator said "Gawd, close your mouth". I deserved that.
-I was swimming off line / course next to the grassy shore (oopps) and some spectator ran next to me for 200 yards, yelling / screaming. As if I didn't know I screwed up.
-Athletes who complain that they were cheated because the course wasn't clearly marked (read the rules).
-Passing $8,000.00 tri bikes on my road bike. (can't use that one anymore 'cause I have a new TT rig).

Things that make me mad:
-Snotty condescending athletes that are faster than me.
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [ZackC.] [ In reply to ]
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ZackC. wrote:

Things that are funny:
/
First-timers who were previously competitive athletes in another sport (could be s/b/r individually, or another sport) who brag about their predictions for their finish time, only to get their ass handed to them by literally everyone else.
This is fun...


I remember my first race ... I was that guy, the snide comments from MOPers ticked me off. At least I said hello when I lapped them on the run. I won that race (750/20/5) ...

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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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Women who still wear bikini/briefs bottoms.
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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"A female take 1st OA"

Today - all but one of us got chicked. I'm thinking we need to pay him to keep coming back.

The guy who placed 66'th on the swim and still placed 6'th OA. (and it wasn't ML)
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [bmcmaster11] [ In reply to ]
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I was watching Kerr Lake today in which all but one male got chicked. Was that where you were racing?
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [WillyMFire] [ In reply to ]
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really? what purpose does this serve?

Bling. Commemoration. I've done so many races that most of them run together, but for some reasons the ones with the best finishing experience stick out in my mind. They're by no means necessary, and I've far exceeded the point where I would consider it an accomplishment for me to "just finish" an Olympic Distance tri, but if they're handing out good finishers' medals it makes the finish special in my mind. And I'm not talking about some tiny chintzy medal with a plain ribbon/strap either, I'm talking about a ribbon fully sublimated with race logos, etc. with a big ass medal at the bottom. If you're going to do it, you gotta do it right. I'm talking about a minimum of 4 square-inches of highly refined metal, preferably stamped or cast into a cool shape.

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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [ZackC.] [ In reply to ]
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ZackC. wrote:
Quote:
really? what purpose does this serve?


Bling. Commemoration. I've done so many races that most of them run together, but for some reasons the ones with the best finishing experience stick out in my mind. They're by no means necessary, and I've far exceeded the point where I would consider it an accomplishment for me to "just finish" an Olympic Distance tri, but if they're handing out good finishers' medals it makes the finish special in my mind. And I'm not talking about some tiny chintzy medal with a plain ribbon/strap either, I'm talking about a ribbon fully sublimated with race logos, etc. with a big ass medal at the bottom. If you're going to do it, you gotta do it right. I'm talking about a minimum of 4 square-inches of highly refined metal, preferably stamped or cast into a cool shape.


I keep going back to the Surf City Marathon (Huntington beach, CA) every year just because the finishers medal is a surf board and a different one every year. And the marathon medal is larger than the half.


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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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Nope - Ridgefield.
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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [bmcmaster11] [ In reply to ]
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bmcmaster11 wrote:
Nope - Ridgefield.

and last year she was only beat by 2 guys, i really thought she might have won the whole thing this year.




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Re: Things I love to see at a triathlon [%FTP] [ In reply to ]
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Alicia Parr is a freakin champ. She actually almost beat me at on OWS early last year. My goggles fogged up completely as they always do, and I ran into her several times on the finish stretch, and when we got out, she was like "are you blind?!?" She was tough to beat at the races where they used an "equalizer" format (guys chase girls, starting 3 min back).

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