Seriously. Go outside and have a picnic. Do something outside that's not biking or running. Hug your kids. Kiss your wife. Eat something other than a gel. Wear a watch that doesn't have a GPS on it. Go to a pool and, instead of intervals, float on a raft.
If you are a pro triathlete and your livelihood depends on racing, by all means, continue to lose your shit. The rest of us? Relax.
Ironman is whatever you want it to be. The problem exists when we make it more than it should be. I've got news for you. Someone who can finish 110 on a bike and 25.8 on the run, is not going to DNF at 112 and 26.2. They are an IM.
If you are that into the sport, you know what the tough courses are. You know what the real records are. You know who the best is. And, no, someone else's 16:59 finish in a draft fast, using a wetsuit, while eating EPO at the aid stations does not cheapen your KQ on a course with 30,000 feet of elevation between the bike and run, and a non-wetsuit swim in shark-infested water.
The "real" triathletes know to show you the proper respect and you know what you accomplished.
Me? I have a 13:45 IM to my name (which includes 30+ minutes of transition because I was chatting it up). It was a flat course that my GPS measured just over 111 on the bike and just under 26 on the run. Guess what, I still consider that an IM finish. You can laugh at it. You can mock me. You can say I'm slow. You can say it's not valid. I don't care. I raced clean. I didn't draft and I finished the course as it was set up that day. FWIW, I didn't choose it because it was a flat course, I choose it because it was local to me. I know I could've run about an hour faster but it was hotter than I expected and I took no chances that I'd somehow DNF because I'd put my family through a lot to get there and we all deserved the finish.
My journey to IM was rough. It included a DNF in a HIM due to calf cramping during the swim and a missed swim cut-off at the inaugural Challenge AC (where the swim course was brutal and the current worse). My family made numerous sacrifices and I did the training while being at the top of my career and working 60 hours many weeks.
Only I know what it meant to me and my family to cross the IM finish line. However, I do not have an M-Dot tattoo and, although I own a few pieces of IM gear, I only routinely wear the running hat because, well, it's my only running hat.
If IM has become a gigantic part of your life (and you're not a pro or legitimate aspiring pro) I'd recommend you dedicate yourself to a year of racing smaller and with the BOP. If you do this, you might remind yourself about the beauty of triathlon. You might remind yourself that triathlon has changed people's lives. You might realize that the average person is drafting or riding left because they just don't know any better. You might remember that triathlon is fun. You might meet someone like me, learn my story, and get less angry when a course is a mile short.
Most importantly, you will learn that many people graduate to IM from smaller races where there are no moto officials, there are competitors who wear sleeved wetsuits for 200yd pool swims, and the RDs are selling an experience and not a competition. What else do you expect from these competitors who graduate to IM after growing up like this?
Can IM do better? Sure. But, the reality of the sport is that it doesn't exist for the pros or KQers. Now, before you lose your shit over that statement, you should also realize the NFL doesn't exist for Tom Brady and the NBA doesn't exist for LeBron James. They exist for the millions of fans who pay millions of dollars to watch and buy merchandise. Similarly, triathlon exists for the people who make RDs money and those are the people who are just there for "the day" or to get Facebook material.
Don't misunderstand me, I have much respect for you FOPers and old-school warriors who built the sport. It's just that I understand it's not your sport anymore. Many others have entered the club. Don't be dismayed by that. Recognize that change is inevitable or you are going to be miserable.
Rest assured, though, I have a hug for you. You'll just need to go a whole lot slower so I can catch you.
If you are a pro triathlete and your livelihood depends on racing, by all means, continue to lose your shit. The rest of us? Relax.
Ironman is whatever you want it to be. The problem exists when we make it more than it should be. I've got news for you. Someone who can finish 110 on a bike and 25.8 on the run, is not going to DNF at 112 and 26.2. They are an IM.
If you are that into the sport, you know what the tough courses are. You know what the real records are. You know who the best is. And, no, someone else's 16:59 finish in a draft fast, using a wetsuit, while eating EPO at the aid stations does not cheapen your KQ on a course with 30,000 feet of elevation between the bike and run, and a non-wetsuit swim in shark-infested water.
The "real" triathletes know to show you the proper respect and you know what you accomplished.
Me? I have a 13:45 IM to my name (which includes 30+ minutes of transition because I was chatting it up). It was a flat course that my GPS measured just over 111 on the bike and just under 26 on the run. Guess what, I still consider that an IM finish. You can laugh at it. You can mock me. You can say I'm slow. You can say it's not valid. I don't care. I raced clean. I didn't draft and I finished the course as it was set up that day. FWIW, I didn't choose it because it was a flat course, I choose it because it was local to me. I know I could've run about an hour faster but it was hotter than I expected and I took no chances that I'd somehow DNF because I'd put my family through a lot to get there and we all deserved the finish.
My journey to IM was rough. It included a DNF in a HIM due to calf cramping during the swim and a missed swim cut-off at the inaugural Challenge AC (where the swim course was brutal and the current worse). My family made numerous sacrifices and I did the training while being at the top of my career and working 60 hours many weeks.
Only I know what it meant to me and my family to cross the IM finish line. However, I do not have an M-Dot tattoo and, although I own a few pieces of IM gear, I only routinely wear the running hat because, well, it's my only running hat.
If IM has become a gigantic part of your life (and you're not a pro or legitimate aspiring pro) I'd recommend you dedicate yourself to a year of racing smaller and with the BOP. If you do this, you might remind yourself about the beauty of triathlon. You might remind yourself that triathlon has changed people's lives. You might realize that the average person is drafting or riding left because they just don't know any better. You might remember that triathlon is fun. You might meet someone like me, learn my story, and get less angry when a course is a mile short.
Most importantly, you will learn that many people graduate to IM from smaller races where there are no moto officials, there are competitors who wear sleeved wetsuits for 200yd pool swims, and the RDs are selling an experience and not a competition. What else do you expect from these competitors who graduate to IM after growing up like this?
Can IM do better? Sure. But, the reality of the sport is that it doesn't exist for the pros or KQers. Now, before you lose your shit over that statement, you should also realize the NFL doesn't exist for Tom Brady and the NBA doesn't exist for LeBron James. They exist for the millions of fans who pay millions of dollars to watch and buy merchandise. Similarly, triathlon exists for the people who make RDs money and those are the people who are just there for "the day" or to get Facebook material.
Don't misunderstand me, I have much respect for you FOPers and old-school warriors who built the sport. It's just that I understand it's not your sport anymore. Many others have entered the club. Don't be dismayed by that. Recognize that change is inevitable or you are going to be miserable.
Rest assured, though, I have a hug for you. You'll just need to go a whole lot slower so I can catch you.