Probably two..................

My 1998 Sringfield Ironhorse t-shirt which reminds me of the

dreaded leptospirosis I got that day ........



and my 2002 IMUSA finishers polo, a great reminder of more to come

I'm not a big fan of race shirts. I think (IMHO) it is so tacky when someone wears all that "finisher" crap. It doesn't mean much since you can buy it on e-bay (and from WTC Ironman) anyway.

The one race shirt I do like (but still never wear) is a plain white T-shirt with a very small, Marathon Des Sables logo on the front in blue. You can barely read it. They gave us these shirts at the end of the race to wear for the bus ride from Erfoud back to our hotel in either Casablanca or Marrakech (can't remember which)because, after seven days in the desert with no clean clothes and no showers running over 20 miles a day- we stunk to high heaven. That is a cool race shirt. The others are for posers. Just my opinion.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Tom a little harsh on the wearing of race shirts?I work in a machine shop and almost everday wear a shirt i got from a race or ride,good work shirts,sorry i guess i am a poser

Tom if you think that you are the only one with a cool story about getting a cool shirt at a cool race... then you're pretty narrow minded and could easily be classified as a "poser"... Most of us probably have our own version of your "plain white marathon des sables" t shirt... It might be from Bob & Jane's Smalltown Sprint Tri or from GF's IM whereever. Its our own unique accomplishment that we're proud of. I think you'll have to agree that those unique personal achievements are what makes multisport pretty damn amazing.

I agree.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

It's my personal philosophy that you don't wear accomplishments on the outside- on a T-shirt, a medal, a belt buckle, on your head or on your uniform.

You carry them inside you.

I got an issue with that from the military. The guys who were always show-boating around were always the ones to let you down the fastest.

Our web administrator (for our bike store website), Kim, suggested we put up a story about my "history" in triathlons to "help establish credibility". I told her "My credibility is in my work..." She told me: "You have to spread the word." We did it and I'm still uncomfortable with it.

In short, I got issues.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I generally like race shirts. The only ones I don't really like that much are the IM North America shirts that have "Finisher" in giant letters, bigger than the name of the event. On my IMUSA and Cal Half shirts, you have to search around to see what it is that I finished.

My favorite is the Camp Pendleton Tri T-shirt. It's in that green color of T-shirt that all the Marines wear on their 20-mile runs with boots and packs. Cool shirt. Makes me feel like I actually have some guts.

Tom i disagree, you toot your own horn more than anyone on this site ( one of only ten good fitters in country etc)I belive if you good at something you do not have to tell people they will know,but thats my two cents,today wearing(posing)my Cross Florida shirt (170 mile one day, eight hours

Tom,

I know what you are saying regarding the poseur potential. Everyone has that mental image of 'that guy'. Like the tennis player in all whites, the headband, wristbands, obsurdly oversized racket etc. who can't keep from tripping over himself on the court. And nobody wants to be 'that guy'.

But it's a chicken and egg thing, in the military the patches communicate immediately that you are not the 'FNG'. Most servicemembers don't immediately give credibility based on that information, they reserve judgement until you prove you won't get them or yourself killed. If you showed up with nothing but a clean uniform most line soldiers would assume that you were the 'FNG' and you would have to re-prove yourself over and over.

So, yes, you do carry your accomplishments inside yourself. Wearing your accomplishments on your sleeve doesn't necessarily prove anything. They just pave the road a little bit. Poseurs adorning themselves are soon expose themselves as just that, poseurs. Just like the guy on the tennis court.

So wear your accomplishments proudly. It's not bragging, it's a beacon so people like me can find identify people like you at the beginning of a tri and grill you for every bit of strategy we can. :)

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"A man must love a thing very much if he not only
practices it without any hope of fame and money,
but even practices it without any hope of doing it well."

(G. K. Chesterton)

Actually my favorite shirt from a race is not a race shirt at all. It was on sale from one of the swim clubs hosting the event. It reads:

NATO ERGO SUM

Translated from latin it means:

I SWIM THEREFORE I AM

I don't know why I dig that so much, I just do.

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"A man must love a thing very much if he not only
practices it without any hope of fame and money,
but even practices it without any hope of doing it well."

(G. K. Chesterton)

I toot it for the $$$. No other reason. Any idea what my other talents are? Nope. Don't really matter in the grand scheme of things. But did I mention, I am an excellent and very experienced bike fitter.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I wear race t-shirts all the time. The less I have to spend on clothes the more $ for racing.



Also I can think of someone who would give Tom a run for his money in the horn tooting competition.



Richard

Yes Tom i do know what some of your other talents are,because i have looked,Also know the weight of your current girlfriend,and a little about your driving skills.Have you done the same??Seems we have a few of the same talents.

You wrote: "I'm not a big fan of race shirts. I think (IMHO) it is so tacky when someone wears all that "finisher" crap. It doesn't mean much since you can buy it on e-bay (and from WTC Ironman) anyway... The one race shirt I do like (but still never wear)... The others are for posers."

I guess then if someone came into your shop wearing that "poser" crap from a race they had actually done, you would just shoo them out the door on principal.

Nope, we don't have a dress code. Every dollar has 100 cents. wear what you want. I don't care. I only care what I wear.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Whoa, struck a nerve....

Hey guys, It's just my opinion... I'm not a big race shirt fan. We pay to get our name on lots of them every year as sponsors but I think they're, well, you already know what I think. I almost always wear a Bikesport T-shirt here. I'm advertising. As for the race shirts, hey I just am not into them. And the white MDS shirt? Never wore it. Just thought it was "understated" (unlike myself). So, not kissing any babies here. I hope Madonna was right: "Any publicity is good publicity". OK, let me have it again..... And by the way, I passed my driving test today, not kidding (eye exam included). So there.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I was so obese in junior high I was in a special education phys ed class. Ever read Julie Molnar's book "You Don't have to be Thin to Win."? The little story about the fat kid named Tom. That would be me. There is no diminishing (or for that matter, even fully appreciating...)the accomplishment of the woman you described. -Not my intention. I just don't like race shirts. What was my point? I don't remember...
Anyway, this has been lively....

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

A poster starts a thread asking others about cool T-shirts they and their spouses enjoy wearing. Then you barge in, totally diss the idea of T-shirts at all, brag about how you did the MDS, call anyone who wears a T-shirt a tacky poser, and then end by telling us how you passed your driving test and overcame being a fat kid.

I really enjoy your technical expertise and most of what you write about - lighten up on us tacky posers.

-Dude, never said you were a tacky poser. Strictly not my intention. I'm just a dick sometimes. Ask anyone. Totally true. No BS. Point taken. But I still don't wear race shirts....

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Tom OK i(we) get it, YOU do not wear race shirts,its what you said about others who wear race shirts that has people upset,Go back and read your first post,maybe it will make since to you. I bet i can be a bigger D-ck then you but i do not go aroung judging people.

I like race shirts and I wear them in the evenings, weekends, and cut off sleeves to wear them while working out or running. My personal favorite is the finisher's shirt from my first marathon. San Antonio 2001. My other favorites are marathon shirts, shirts with cool art work, both running & triathlon. I also like the ones my girlfriend wears at night. Recently my oldest daughter has been wearing my race shirts for PJ's. They are both proud of me and enjoy wearing them. I may be a MOPer but I am 42 and it is a tough age group. Relative to most other 40 somethings I am doing great. I don't live to race but race to live. The shirts are a pleasant reminder of things I have done that are also healthy for me. Personally I don't care if I am considered a poser or what. The important stuff is the health of me & my family. To recap, I love the shirts.

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Craig

My favorite is from my first race...the Dewwy Beach Triathlon

Ok, here is a funny page with "Triathlon T-shirt Etiquette"

http://www.swimbikerunstlouis.com/t-shirt_etiquette.htm