You can always play around with how tight the laces are and it really depends on what elastic you use. Matt Russell is doing it now with a different lacing pattern that is very interesting. Ray Bothelo and maybe some others. Others have asked me about Riplaces and Riplaces was happy to send me some Riplaces but I haven't been able to make them work given that I cut the tonque out of the shoe. By the way, cutting the tonque out is an important step, the elastic design only works without the tonque.

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Why do you need to remove the tongue? I don't get that part

I am calling you out as fake. No one really talks like this except cartoonish bad guys from 1980s ski movies.

I am still amazed that I can even get a paycheck for swimming, biking, and running - I wouldn't trade it for the world, even if they are super small, and sometimes inconsistent.

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You will now get an insulting response from it, (assuming you didn't nail it), and that gives it one more excuse for it to send another and so on ad nauseum.
Don't feed it, it's already been fed.

lol but 80s ski movie bad guys aren't 75lbs overweight which being that he's on slowtwitch is suspicious. not a lot of people here who are 75lbs overweight. that's like me heading over to bodybuilding forums and start a "whatcha' bench?" thread.

I think I nailed it (most of it anyway), although now that I said that, he'll come back and deny that I did.

Probably descends well, probably as well as rollmungus the troll.

Out of curiosity, how do you (or any bottom tier pro for that matter) financially support your triathlon pursuits (racing / travel / lodging, etc)? If not independently wealthy and if not funded by a well-to-do relative et al, do you simply 'living the dream' until a point is reached where accumulated negative cash flows result in too much debt and you throw in the towel & get a "real" job?

I don't envy people in your shoes - must be difficult. I'm glad the enjoyment of swimming, biking and running to some extent makes up for the financial hardship.

You should read the blog postings of Cody Beal. It gives a great insight into the life.

My turn:

Let me guess...

You were an English major who fell in love with the pompous diction of Melville and the hollow suffering of a Thomas Hardy heroin, which you ironically strive to carry on as a exceptionally average, New Jersey based anglophile with more first world problems than an Executive Challenge participant. In spite of average grades at your second rate liberal arts college, you fancy yourself an autodidact, but really you're just bored at work and have a passable facility with Google, RSS feeds, and other barely creditable internet research, which you scour on the company's time.

This allows you to become a message board savant on every topic: medicine, law/legal affairs, government and politics, religion, firearms, and of course, triathlon. You are most aggressive towards those you perceive as intellectual disabled, which is, well, mostly everyone.

You are unapologetically progressive, and you fancy yourself an advocate of the downtrodden in society, which includes, of course, you. Money and corporations are the oppressors, and by god, if you're a person in charge of a corporation that oppresses the downtrodden...well, watch out for Kay Serrar, Mr. Messick. Like any good Bernie Sanders, if there is profit going on, there is exploitation.

The above characterization will spur you to further internet research based action, and in the time it takes for me to broker another ("local") transaction, you'll have whipped up a new caustic tirade, if you're not already buried talking down to others in the Lavender Room.

Admitted.

Good marks on creativity and language, but low on accuracy (you get no points for researching the fact that I live in NJ, as I've stated in the LR, though I'm flattered you took the time to read some of my old posts). I'll give you points on your use of language though, considering how immature you have sounded to date. But sadly no points for predicting my condescension towards those I consider intellectually inferior, as that was already demonstrated above.

FYI "Predicting" is not the right word choice, but good go at trying to sound articulate.

I'm finding this thread very entertaining.

I was referring to his last paragraph where he predicted I would respond with a "caustic tirade" so yes, "predicting" was exactly the right word.

Carry on being entertained.

You didn't address this to me, but just for fun I'll grade it for myself:

Let me guess...

You were an English major who fell in love with the pompous diction of Melville and the hollow suffering of a Thomas Hardy heroin Not an English Major but I did take 3 lit courses so I'll give full credit., which you ironically strive to carry on as a exceptionally average, New Jersey based anglophile with more first world problems than an Executive Challenge participant. In spite of average grades at your second rate liberal arts college definitely nailed this one, you fancy yourself an autodidact, but really you're just bored at work and have a passable facility with Google, RSS feeds, and other barely creditable internet research, which you scour on the company's time Ouch, I think you are 3 for 3 .

This allows you to become a message board savant on every topic: medicine, law/legal affairs, government and politics, religion, firearms, and of course, triathlon I dont think I do this too often. So 3 out of 4. You are most aggressive towards those you perceive as intellectual disabled, which is, well, mostly everyone 3 out of 5.

You are unapologetically progressive yes 4/6, and you fancy yourself an advocate of the downtrodden in society 5/7 , which includes, of course, you 5/8. Money and corporations are the oppressors, and by god, if you're a person in charge of a corporation that oppresses the downtrodden...well, watch out for Kay Serrar, Mr. Messick. Like any good Bernie Sanders, if there is profit going on, there is exploitation yeah again I don't feel that way at all 5/9.

The above characterization will spur you to further internet research based action, and in the time it takes for me to broker another ("local") transaction, you'll have whipped up a new caustic tirade, if you're not already buried talking down to others in the Lavender Room.

My guess is that there is enough truth in this post that large parts of it could apply to just about anyone here. Good job and reasonably well written!

Let's just all agree that Thomas Gerlach is the greatest triathlete in the history of the known universe.

He sells a lot of used crap on EBay including gifts given to him by other pro triathletes. Callum Millward would be a good person to ask how TG supports himself.

Paramours don't have to pay rent.

Dave as others have said both Cody Beals and Brad Williams did write-ups on this in depth. I can say for myself that I have no aspirations of making any real money in this sport, if I wanted to make real money I would have stuck it out as a medical device sales rep or any number of other well paying jobs. I can say that I am very different from my peers in a number of ways.

Most notably is that I have an incredibly simple life. For instance everything I own can fit in my car. I drive to almost all races. My car, which I purchased for $3,500, costs very little to operate. I also try my best to minimize almost every expense. I pretty much refuse to pay anything more than $400 in rent a month. If I can't find rent for that price I don't move there. In years past I have lived in Tucson and this winter it was Clermont. Cost of living at both places is incredibly cheap. Contrary to my peers you will never find me posting a picture of Starbucks coffee in social media. The same philosophy applies to all food purchases buying in incredible bulk - think of 50lbs of popcorn for $20. I don't live in Boulder because the cost of living there is out of control. The same sort of philosophy gets applied to time in my life as well - I commute by bike almost everywhere. Although I can't control the top-line, I do my best to maximize my bottom line by controlling my expenses.

I am of course incredibly grateful for all the people that have opened up their homes for homestays to me as that helps out a ton. The sport keeps progressing, times it took to win 5 years ago on the 70.3 circuit no longer net you a top-10. When I first went pro I never thought the sport would keep progressing so far and so fast all while going thru a severe consolidation process in terms of races. Although the number of dollars has roughly stayed the same, the prize purse consolidation has really made it much harder just to get a paycheck. I was lucky to get a paycheck in every race last year, this year I am 2 for 7. Sponsorship continues to consolidate as well.

With all that being said, I chose this path and I look at the only way out is up so I continue to push forward and try to out work / out sleep everyone else and hopefully grow faster than they are growing. I love the sport, I love the lifestyle and of course there is a tremendous opportunity cost in pursuing this path instead of climbing the corporate ladder. Fortunately I neither feel the pressure or personally desire a big house, fancy cars, nice things. Nothing wrong with that, just that isn't my personality.

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I've never met Thomas but I take exception to your comment about so many D-bags in our sport.

Sure, in 25 years of tri I met a few, but one of the reasons I stayed so long was the over abundance of great, kind, caring people in the sport. From almost my first season I met great people.

Back about 1994 or so, my daughter did a school project about PNF. I emailed her, explained the situation and she immediately offered to send an autographed photo, bio and all sorts of other stuff. My daughter got a huge package in the mail and did really well on her project. My daughter is 28 now and still has the framed signed photo of PNF on her wall (even tho my daughter has never done a tri and never will).

About 5 years ago, I managed to bump into Mike Riley and Paula at a bar after IMNZ. I told Paula of the story. She immediately asked if my daughter was around, to talk to (she wasn't there that year), but asked about the project, my daughter etc etc. She was a super class act.

I've had similarly great meetings with other pro's, and AG'ers of all ages and abilities. I've found tri coaches to be similarly great. (they don't give away the farm for free, but have always been interested in me and what I'm doing).

I'd have to say that in spite of the competitive nature of triathlon, that overall, triathletes are a better class of people than the general public (drug cheats and drafters excepted of course)

I'm glad however that you had a great experience with one of tris great people.

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TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

not sure what exactly his role is these days, but he's not lying.

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@adamwfurlong

Over the past month it has generated a whopping at 78 visitors versus 7,500 in total. That means this thread has generated 1% of the total traffic.

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I probably shouldn't but I figured there was some value to others in letting them know how I race and that I am not necessarily trying to blow it out on a single race. I am admittedly super interested in sociology, even if he is a troll I am still curious what makes him/her tick and what it takes to deafen them. I am more than happy to take the blunt of their force. For me it helps with mental toughness, while my peers would probably benefit from being hated on once in awhile.

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