That's just it, Uli. Some people (gasp!) actually do. This goes back to the whole, "some people are different from you," lesson I was trying to teach you earlier.

So I should listen to the "I could not train because I was injured, have five kids, work 60 hrs, just built a house" BS?

Nah. Suck it up.

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What does that have to do with age groups? You think that's going to change in the slightest if you take away age groups? Be serious.

As an aside: Do you still race triathlons, Uli?

I like road racing but most people do not place and they really have no chance to place. I lose motivation. I also do not see many 60 year olds doing it. Placing does motivate. I would not want to race without a chance to really be in the competition. Now that is just me. Why should anyone care if I want to race for an age group win? I think it keeps our sport going. I know when one of our newbies place in age group they usually bring 2-3 other to the next race.
I also always try to place high in the overall.If I know I have an age group win I do not slow down I keep racing for the overall placing. I enjoy seeing the young kids place, the women place, the old people place. I want to know how many 50 and older guys would ever place top 3 in a race. The percentage would be very low.
I know some people do not like age group wins. They do not have to stay for the awards. I guess no awards could be given just let people race and go home.

I was just referring to Carrie:
"A 33 year-old can have a heck of a lot on his/her plate in a addition to racing,"

No, currently not. I prefer hassling people on ST and just running.
But I can kick your ass anytime. :)

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Quite possibly you can.

Yet for someone who is telling triathletes to "shut up and race," you sure do an awful lot of talking and not a whole lot of triathlon racing.

Well, I still race plenty runs where the issue is identical.
And I think I have done more than enough tris to talk. If you disagree, I can't blame you.
But I won't shut up either. :)

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Actually in running the situation is not identical at all. In triathlon, so much more of "life" gets in the way and can affect the outcome. A 45 year old can quite often afford better equipment, has more time to train, has grown up kids that do not need attention, had had more years to develop the right skills needed, particularly for any of the 3 disciplines taken up later in life.

You go to a major marathon and you aren't going to see the 45-49 year age group kicking the collective ass of 25-29 age group. Ever.

I now have a group of friends from all over we plan races as a family meet before the race talk smack, drink beer, hang out then race each other . We enjoy the age group thing. At the last race I won the ag group and they poured gatorade on me. It seems we never grow up. Our wives have fun at the races. Our kids talk and hang out. It's a race within a race. Why should anyone care.
I saw a 78 year old win her age group the other day. All her friends came they cheered had fun enjoyed the day. It made them young for awhile.
How is this any skin off your butt? : ) Just smile and enjoy their success.

Why do you assume that people who "win" their AG have big heads? In my experience, most of those who consistently place high in the AG rankings are often the most humble competitiors. I find that it is generally the hungry, moving-up in the ranks athletes (or those who for whatever reason aren't moving up) that are the most vocal about their results.

FWI, I was once told that placing high in an older women's AG meant nothing, so I started looking at where I would have placed in the appropriate men's AG.......now not even that is good enough? ;-)

G

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It's a little like wrestling a gorilla.........you don't stop when you're tired.........you stop when the gorilla is tired.

You mean a 26 year old who is in the best physical he will ever be should hide behind his AG shield from a 45 year old?
How sad is that!
When I was 27 I got my ass handed at an IM by a 43 year old Belgian - it was SO embarassing!

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That might actually be true!
I still find it funny though when people say "I won my AG!" but placed, say, Top10 OA.
I find the latter much more impressive.

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It's telling that you speak of "shields" and "hiding"? Projecting are we? Anyone who wants to know where you finished relative to the 43 year old need only have looked at the overall results. You couldn't "hide" if you tried.

Awesome story. It's running down warm my leg. ;)

But why do you need AGs for that?

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I never hide. Which is why I keep blubbing about all this.

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No one can, age groups or not.

But they still try! Do I have to pull up all those websites and blogs for you where all the "wins" are listed? Some are bold enough to not even mention the AG.
You are right that I shouldn't care but sad it is. I'm just sick of all the bragging.

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Cassie, not Carrie... and not really even Cassie :P

I'm sorry! I will forever applaud all your AG achievements.

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I suggest you stop reading the blogs then. Your problem is not age groups. It is braggarts. Mostly it is caring too much about what other people think of their own athletic accomplishments.

You have a point there smart man. :)

So, when someone is bragging again, what's your suggestion? I guess I keep doing what I do, just smile.
But what if someone says to me such-and-such won his AG, he is so strong and fast blabla. Again, just smile?
People don't like that. Also, that way they figure much too quickly that I am retarded. So, do I have to pretend? It's tough being an opinionated person in this country! :)

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Who exactly are these people you're hanging around? Please tell me where they live so I may avoid them.

Seriously, I've been running competitively for 30 years and in all that time I can think of maybe 3 or 4 people who were so out of touch with reality to literally "brag" about stuff like that. Aside from them, just about everyone else i know "gets it". They're happy to do well in an age group, particularly if they've never done so before but aside from that, they don't go on an on about it.

I suggest you tell them what you've been telling us all here: That you could not possibly care less how they placed in their age group. Then ask them how they placed overall or what their time was.

You're not the same Cassie from singletriathletelookingforlove.com that I've been chatting to are you? You're not some fat, greesy, cheezie eating internet perv trying to lure young handsome boys like me to meet you under false pretenses are you? ;)

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