I did the TexasMan Sprint Triathlon last year. Both Dave Scott and Karen Smyers we there as the event host and hostess. They also both won the men's and women's overall. Dave beat us all at like age 52! I was in the transition before the race and got very candid pictures with them both, Karen and Dave. Real people.

Why no huff about that race? Of course, it's not THE IRONMAN- which has been over-sensationalized and placed on a pedestal at the cost of frendships, contracts and marketing.

If you have all these personal reservations about what someone else does, you may want to do a little introspection.

Trianimal wrote: If you have all these personal reservations about what someone else does, you may want to do a little introspection.

I agree. I'm surprised there are so many fearful, insecure people who resent folks who are more talented or who have more time instead of being able to enjoy the success of others. If all you take from a race is how you placed then I suggest another hobby. Do one's best. Enjoy your success AND the other person's success. Take something back from the race to enhance your life other than did your ego get stroked by a particular placing.

I've steered clear of the SL debate b/c it's rather silly.

Although, perhaps the fix is like most triathlons around the area. The top 5 overall get overall prizes (for AG) and forfeit their respective AG placing. Seem easy enough.....

"Ken Griffey shows up to your local church league Saturday tournament, nobody really cares."


If I'm playing first or second base for the opposing team, I would care a great deal.

[reply]Take softball. Ken Griffey shows up to your local church league Saturday tournament, nobody really cares.

But suddenly he shows up on Boss Hawg's BBQ team roster at the state championships. People care. Even though his AG racing seems perfectly logical to me.

LC[/reply]

Vague reference incoming: If Ken's been boozing on the brain tonic he won't play anyway.

Vague reference replied: They'd just pinch hit for Strawberry in the 9th. Simpson is a righthanded hitter.

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- Nick
Now that I know some of you guys look through the special needs bags for kicks, I'm gonna put some really weird stuff in mine. I can see it now. "What the heck was he going to do with a family pack of KFC chicken, a football helmet full of peanut butter, a 12 inch rubber dildo, and naked pictures of Bea Arthur?"

Real people.



Most, no wait all, of the people I meet are real.

I'm surprised there are so many fearful, insecure people who resent folks who are more talented or who have more time instead of being able to enjoy the success of others.

You are missing the point. The idea of competing on an even playing field is central to "fairness" and is not caused by fear nor insecurity. (and it is condescending to think so)

If you are a pro, then you race on a (figuratively) different laying field than an amateur. But where is the line between pro and amateur? Is it one day or one year after the pro stops taking money for racing?

How about a person who is a coach and spends all his/her time thinking about triathlon performance and spends lots of time on a bike, in sneakers or at the pool because it is his job? Ever lined up against someone who beats you by 1% in a race but has the very significant advantage of being employed "in the industry" as a vendor's rep when you are commuting in a suit (and indirectly paying that person's salary)?

Those distictions are not because of talent, those are from the economics of the sport (and sports performance). While we can't split it too finely, for areas such as training time differences (like an athlete who is single vs. has a family to attend to), many other sports have clearly made the relatively easy distinction between three groups of competitors:

1. pros
2. "industry" competitors (who receive compensation for their work in the industry)
3. pure amateurs

Scott Molina - Pro Kona champ, fantastic pro athletic career, currently a coach and sponsored by several vendors (TitanFlex, FuelBelt, et al)...dusts his 2005 Kona AG competitors >1/2 hr... do you think the poor fellow who's IM slot he took is "fearful and insecure"? Or could you understand that someone tried really hard to realize his dream and ended up being bumped by "The Terminator" who had to stop the qualifying race as a formality (and maybe to promote some vendors)?

I dont see what the problem is. I would be honored to play hockey against Wayne Gretzky or sail against Dennis Connors.

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Bad example.

As a former Ironman Hawaii winner, Scott Molina doesn't need to qualify for Kona so he doesn't take anyone's spot.

Maybe triathlon could learn a thing or two from cycling...

JohnA, Cat 5 triathlete...

Are dead people "Real people"? Can you meet dead people? Or are they just really dead people?

~Matt

I've never met a dead person, at least a after they died. I vote dead people are NOT real.

good point!