I was thinking that triathlon is one of the few sports where some of the top AG’ers will beat some of the pros.
You see it occassionally in golf, but most of the time, those guys are on their way to being a pro. In triathlon, it seems that there are many athletes content to be a top amateur and nothing more.
I wonder if the reason for this is that triathlon seems to be the only sport I can think of where a rather high percentage of AG’ers train very similarly to the pros in terms of volume/intensity/etc. Certainly MUCH closer than in a sport like golf, and WAY more than in traditional sports like football or hockey or soccer.
Interestingly, it seems that a much higher percentage of triathletes train at “pro level volume/mileage” as compared with running/swimming/biking.
So, my two part survey question for the forum is:
if athletes in other sports started to train like the pros, would margin of separation decrease? (recreational golfers hitting 1,000’s of balls per day)
are triathletes the most obsessive of all athletes, since most recreational athletes are content to just be that and to live a normal life that fits in training, rather than train and trying to fit in life?
not to pick on you, but why do some say it is a lifestyle? why do people say this? it’s a hobby, people. it’s not a “life changing experience” to complete a triathlon, even an ironman. it’s what you (I, we) do in our free time (even if you have to “create” free time for it). it’s not a brotherhood, either. you are not brothers with the people who go to races. you share a common interest with them, that is all.
it’s a hobby, no different than fly fishing or bird watching. you may be more obsessive about your hobby than others, but I can guarantee that there are people more obsessive about their hobbies than you are about yours.
True, most bird watchers, and fly fishermen I know watch what they eat everyday, have a resting HR between 35 - 45, and fish 7 days a week. One guy I know is both a bird watcher and a fisherman, and sometimes he does bricks for both hobbies
… it’s a hobby, no different than fly fishing or bird watching …
I don’t think people who read fishing magazines ever hope to become a fish … I don’t think bird watchers buy expensive binoculars to become a better bird
I think it trasitions into the ‘lifestyle’ category because you really do have to re-structure some elements of your life to fit it in (timewise), and to continue to perform at an expected level (again, time, but also nutrition and recovery.)
If I miss 5 days in a row of bird-watching or eat at McDonald’s the night before a big Model Train convention - my performance at either event isn’t going to suffer. If I do the same in regards to triathlon, well, there might be some impact.
So, when people say lifestyle, I think it’s because it involves how you eat, how you sleep and what/when you do certain things.
I like the quote, I think from Tim DeBoom, that says “Ironman is just something I do, everyday of my life.” Takes it away from the ‘lifestyle’ mode of thinking and puts it into the ‘way of life’ mode.
Athletes in any of the three sports individually have similar training and lifestyle committments. Also, sports like mountaineering, rock climbing, kayaking, adventure racing, hiking, cross-countrying sking, alpine sking, sailing, golf, etc. all involve lifestyle choices and, if you do them at extreme levels, similar time committments.
Heck, sports like climbing, kayaking, etc. you are placing yourself in danger every time you do them. With triathlon the only real danger of death comes with bike training, but that is usually outside your control - unlike intentionally putting yourself on amountain 20,000 plus feet in the air on a deteriorating snow bridge.
Obsessive, as an emotional trait, yes. However, obsessive as a description of training, no. I coach the Junior National Snowboard team and have kids that ride 6 hours a day, 7 days a week…300 days per year. Many are in Chile right now. Used to hang out with Andy Mac, who was at the skatepark 12 hours a day…and that’s been going on now for 15 years.
Being “professional” doesn’t really mean “better”. I’m quite certain that Tiger Woods is not the best Match play golfer in the world. I’m also quite certain that Michael Jordan is not the best 1 on 1 basketball player in the world. And the list goes on.
It is what it is…Lance is not the “best” cyclist in the world, he simply won 7 Tour de France titles. No more, no less. I don’t understand why people stretch it beyond the accomplishment.
Interestingly, it seems that a much higher percentage of triathletes train at “pro level volume/mileage” as compared with running/swimming/biking.
You need to get out more.
You’re making the mistake of comparing an AG’er to the guy next door who jogs 4x per week instead of the 20 year old college swimmer, cross country runner or wrestler (or any other sport for that matter) who lives around the block.
Obsessed athletes are pretty much the same, and equally evident, in all sports. You just don’t see them around the neighborhood but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
Collegiate athletes are a totally different ballgame. College sports are college sports. They are, for all practical purposes, unpaid pros. It is it’s own league. Especially D1.
I know a lot of individual runners and swimmers. Some of these are guys that place near the top at US Masters Championships and big city marathons. NONE of them come even close to logging pro level mileage/volume. And I know A LOT of triathletes that do. I just think there are way more 20-30 hour recreational triathletes than there are recreational runners, swimmers, and bikers. College sports are NOT recreational, that is why I think it is totally different.
No way rowing. I know, because I did it. National team rowers, who are for all practical purposes the “pros” of the sport, train 20-30K per day. Recreational rowers do not even come close to that volume.
And I know A LOT of triathletes that do. I just think there are way more 20-30 hour recreational triathletes than there are recreational runners, swimmers, and bikers. College sports are NOT recreational, that is why I think it is totally different.
If you are spending 20 -30 hours a week training and you are a recreational athlete – you have some mental health issues.
If you are a serious athlete and you are training 20 -30 hours a week, that’s pretty much what all other serious athletes are doing so it doesn’t get you any special kudos.
The fact that the average serious triathlete is 30 years old while the average serious swimmer is 18 years old doesn’t change that.
“No, I don’t think you can take a softball player out of your local park and turn him into Derek Jeter, not even close.”
No, but you could take him and turn him into a much better softball player with proper coaching, infield practice and BP. Your average beer league player (or above average beer league player) could benefit immensely from proper exercise and nutrition. Talking about turning a city league softball player in a pro baseball player is like trying to turn a MOP triathlete into a Pro Tour cyclist. But you might could turn a MOP triathlete into a FOP (or semi-FOP) triathlete at less competitive races with an elite level emphasis on training.
