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Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur?
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If you are on any kind of social media, you know the 'profamateur' genus.

-They have few (or no) real sponsors, but they like to imply that they do...e.g. they @ reply brands even if they pay retail for the product. #simplyfaster -- except that you're slow, and Cervelo doesn't sponsor you.
-They have impossibly high opinions of themselves, and issue glamorous training selfies with unreal regularity. #timetrialtuesday -- here's a question: how much time did you spend setting up your iPhone for that profile shot?
-They typically don't adult or career in any sense...they are either family-moneyed enough to train all day and jetset around the world, dwelling in temperate climates year round, or they run a "full time coaching business" and act like they are some kind of wildly gifted young entrepreneur. #30under30 -- hey bud, news flash: three or four fat, 14 hour Iron-dentist clients do not make you a professional services company
-They are not fast enough to act this important.

There are at least three species:
  • The 'pros' are simply elite card holders who are beaten by at least one amateur per 70.3 race, or average that over the course of the season...and that's only if they have the stones to show at major races. Too often, they just cherry pick victories at regional Oly's, then blow up their Facebooks so their parents and their NARP friends think they a Professional. Athlete.
  • The most common profamateur is an amateur who is not fast enough to be a pro, until he or she final finishes third in the least attended $20k purse race on the planet. And then this person takes the elite card and, trust me, you'll know it when he/she does.

    • There's another, less common but equally grotesque sub-species, who is very fast, pro like fast -- tops at Hy-Vee/USAT nats fast -- and remains an amateur to smack around other 'elitish' amateurs at...you guessed it, regional Oly's.
  • Then there is maybe the worst of the bunch: the slow amateur who acts like and even seems to think he is a pro. He shares all the qualities above except he doesn't even podium at major races. Ever. He not only rides a Dimond (#brilliantunderpressure), but wears the Dimond kit and plasters Team Dimond all over his shit -- and he paid retail!

By way of example, one joke of an elite card holder -- he is slower than me, and I am maybe half an hour (in 70.3) too slow for a discounted Fuji -- just launched his own clothing line. I can't make this up. The clothing is utterly hideous, and the brand has its own social media accounts -- and is has, of course, its own hash tag. #bedisruptive


Wow. Are these the douchiest species' in all of sports? Absolutely intolerable. I have opted for pure cleansing of these people from my feeds. I wish I didn't have to see them at races.
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Not up to your usual standards.

Nothing wrong with dipping in and out of pro or age group depending on your state of fitness.
Sure don't want to go off in the pro wave when you have done no training for whatever reason.
Trouble is an untrained very talented athlete is still very fast compared to a less talented very trained individual, but still too slow to go with the best.

So what category do you suggest for an untrained or slightly injured very talented athlete line up in?
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Instagram seems to be where most of these profamateurs reside.

I have no idea who is taking the photos, but some of these profamateurs are taking and posting photos every day/training session. It's almost as if they have a photographer following them around, or is this just their 'coach/bf/random person from training group with a waterproof camera who will take photos of you in the pool from inside the pool'. And then they post their 'inspirational quotes' that have been proven to be posted only by those with lower iqs than average.

I especially love it when someone who averages 1.30/100m pace in a half ironman on the swim takes a photo of their garmin post swim session in the pool showing they averaged sub 1.20/100m pace for their training session. Chances are they used the 33.33 setting for a 50m pool. Either that or swam with fins the entire session.
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [fulla] [ In reply to ]
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Second best post I've ever read on here. Only to be outdone by the one on active recovery
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Where's the like button when you need it?

For me, the most detested individuals in this sport are the early-30 something family-money dickheads that are traveling the world in hopes of simply qualifying for Kona... as an amateur!! You are not a rockstar "crushing" it... you're a loser with no grasp on real life.

Hate on ST... but if this is you, you're sad.
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Don't worry, I hate us, too.

Alex Arman

Strava
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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I would be thrilled to be fast enough to win a legit elite card here in Norcal!
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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Will any of the # chime in
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Cool story bro
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [BrentwoodTriGuy] [ In reply to ]
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As a 35yo employed father of 2 who rents his house, my biggest regret in life is not having a trust fund that would allow me to reach my potential as an almost-but-not-quite Kona qualifier.

In this scenario my wife trains with me and manages my social media presence while one of our nannies raises our children.

Also I have a chef.

/kj

http://kjmcawesome.tumblr.com/
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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This is not exclusive to triathlon.

We perhaps do not quite have the "jet-set travel to race" version. We do, however, have plenty of very active instagrammers that spam equipment hashtags in their posed photos, while never failing to omit that while they did come 2nd, they also came last at the same time.
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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I have learned that the ratio of cat to triathlon/"sponsor" posts have to be at least 1:1. That way it keeps everyone happy. Non tri geeks like the cat pictures then like tri pictires out of pity and the tri followers like tri stuff because, well, were all boring. And they like the cat pictures because no one can resist them.

Twitter - Instagram
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Hello PubliusValerius and All,

Why the hate? ...... humans have foibles .... get used to it ....

possibly the human seeking attention is part of what makes most sports competitions tick .. and why we have 5 year age group podiums ..... (maybe 1 year age group podiums would be a good sell for Ironman Triathlons ...)

'profamatuer' (often used as 'leaky prostate profamateurs like me') should be trademarked by Seth .... he uses it relentlessly ... I think you owe him a royalty payment ...

https://pvcycling.wordpress.com/...ter-2-recovery-tips/

https://pvcycling.wordpress.com/...ng-team-of-all-time/

Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Thankfully all the dentists I can remember coaching have gone sub 9:25.

What if I beat pro's in at least 2 races last season
and
my net was $175 after winning a race
and
none of those races were the same race?

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Fun thread, I've been shot down a few times here for mentioning the numerous trust funders who populate the higher echelons of age-group racing and live for their swagger and their love of #suffertraining. It's just narcissism, a few hours on a cancer ward and most would be cured. Which is a rather horrible thing for me to say, and I wish I didn't out of respect.

But we live in strange times where narrative has way more impact than utility or truth...

SteveMc
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [SteveMc] [ In reply to ]
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"Why the hate? " It seems to be a an increasingly prevalent trend. You have young, impressionable kids seeing older triathletes obsessively posting photos and posts about their "achievements" and they follow suit - not good for the individual nor the sport.
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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I avoid Twitter these days, mainly because of the final category - the athletically very mediocre attention seekers. I really don't care about 'shout outs' or tagging organisations or ego inflation. Albeit they exist in about every sector of life nowadays.

Triathlon has it's own market in slave labour; that group who will sell their souls on social media for the sake of a few $€£ of product or a discount code. Great for companies though! Those athletes are #fools.

29 years and counting
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [SteveMc] [ In reply to ]
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SteveMc wrote:
But we live in strange times where narrative has way more impact than utility or truth...

+1
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [zedzded] [ In reply to ]
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zedzded wrote:
"Why the hate? " It seems to be a an increasingly prevalent trend. You have young, impressionable kids seeing older triathletes obsessively posting photos and posts about their "achievements" and they follow suit - not good for the individual nor the sport.

Definitely not hate on my part, maybe a twinge of jealousy to be absolutely honest with you. I never had outside support, my dad died when I was 21, my mum isn't interested in anything that I do.

So perhaps I'm sensitive when I hear "I didn't study for the exam but aced it nonetheless" rhetoric, knowing that it is rarely the truth. Along the lines of it takes many years to become an overnight success. Unless you're very gifted it still takes many hours of training to post a good half or full time. There is a cost for this but it's not often mentioned. A german age-group Hawaii champion some years ago was asked how much it cost her. Her response was brilliant, 10,000 euros! Basically her budget for the last year. This figure would be far higher nowadays, she also mentioned that she had a part-time job and supportive partner. It was a down to earth frank assessment of her situation.

The thread seems to be about those who live in a digital online mediatized world where they project a distorted self image, similar to fashion models I guess, based on wishful thinking that they're far higher up the 'triathlon rankings' than reality suggests. My key point is that unless you're earning a living as a pro, which I gather is rather hard, then your existence is based on others...
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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PubliusValerius wrote:
Are these the douchiest species' in all of sports?
Hmmm, it's a close call with people who write a lot about how other people suck.

zedzded wrote:
I really struggle to not feel nauseated at their instagram/facebook bullshit that appears on a regular basis. I can't defriend, as one is a friend of my wife..
Yeah, it's terrible how you're forced to look at that stuff. That's rough.


zedzded wrote:
"Why the hate? " It seems to be a an increasingly prevalent trend. You have young, impressionable kids seeing older triathletes obsessively posting photos and posts about their "achievements" and they follow suit - not good for the individual nor the sport.
OK, good point.


http://www.jt10000.com/
Last edited by: jt10000: Mar 2, 17 1:55
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Slow day in outrage world?






Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Don't forget the message board warriors with half a dozen or more links in their sig lines that win races that no other pro races in.
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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What is this clothing line you speak of and do they offer AG sponsorship?
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [DVM_Tri] [ In reply to ]
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DVM_Tri wrote:
What is this clothing line you speak of and do they offer AG sponsorship?

Winner! :)

__________________________________________________
Happy trails,
Chris
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Re: Is there any worse species in the triathlon ecosystem than the profamateur? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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I am unsure of the exact species that I'm posting about currently but I believe there is one we have left out. It is the one who likes to talk a lot of s*** because they've made it to Kona and believe that anyone else who has not is a looser. whether it's because they're new to the sport or just don't have the financial means they do not care. There is one such lady that lurks on this website do I've seen it several local races that falls into this category. I Get No Satisfaction from seeing anyone have a bad race but when this lady showed up to one last year talking trash about anyone on a road bike because they couldn't afford a DI two speed concept I about laughed. Mind you this was my wife's first triathlon ever a local Sprint that she was doing on her new road bike. Where the story gets poetic is that my wife passed her and beat her when she could not climb the one Hill and had to get off and put her bike. After the race she confronted another guy I know saying that her bad race was his fault because he bumped into her on the swim. Proceeding to tell all of us how she had done Kona and multiple Ironman and had never run into jerks like us before. Bikerks I'm assuming she means poor and relatively new to triathlon. I just laughed and apologized that my transition bag was just a speedo swim bag and not one given to me for finishing an Ironman and went and drank a beer. someday I hope to finish an Ironman maybe Kona qualify and then I couldn't walk around being a jerk to all the newbies as well
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