Begging for one of the kids

Triathlon Forum
21

Here are my thoughts:

I’ll kick Fredly’s a** if I ever meet him.
Bottom line is you’re a loser. Post your crap somewhere else.

There’s nothing like a good fight…I’ll put $100 on BigRed. Seriously though, if it worked for a fu(ktard like Tibbs, I’m surprised others haven’t taken similar approaches. Coaching principles aside, fredly is making an honest request to help out one of his athletes- surely someone on this forum could ante up. After all, we all make six figures and ride Cervelos, no? And even if the kid doesn’t appreciate it, it could be worse…like the “GRATIS” P3 that is no doubt collecting dust and cobwebs down in TX.

22

Fredly,

You’re a good man attempting to do a good thing. I wish I had a HRM to send you for the kid. Can’t figure out why everybody freaked out and had to attack you. It said right in the title “begging for one of the kids” not why everybody must have a downloadable HRM.

“I’ll kick Fredly’s a** if I ever meet him.”

“if it worked for a fu(ktard like Tibbs”

These are exactly the kind of statements that have me and others logging into this forum less and less every month. If there is anything I can do to help please PM me and I will do what I can.

Good luck

Dave

23

I know for a fact that bunnyman has one (he is my training partner), but you would have to trade him for it. And you would have to play nice to him, as well. He is a generous guy when you catch him on a good day. He has outfitted me with some cool stuff that I know for a fact that he could have gotten lots more selling on ebay.

I don’t know why he hasn’t been on here, lately. Maybe because he is ACTUALLY training…

24

He is losing money doing this. He must see potential in this kid to be asking any of you for a HRM.

25

Agreed, the trolls are starting to take over. It seems that every Web forum has a lifecycle, and that success breeds self-destruction. A few trolls don’t kill things, perhaps even keep things lively, but at some point if they acquire critical mass then it’s all downhill from there.

26

Fine, forget it.

Just an FYI - I logged off because I have a day job (I work approx. 60 hours a week, most not at the computer.) I’m writing this at lunch.

I simply wrote the original post to see if someone had an unused piece of gear they would be willing to donate to a kid who could use it. He’s riding on a donated bike, His clothing was purchased with donated funds, he is receiving donated coaching services, and he pays his race fees himself - which is just about all he can handle. He’s a good kid.

I suspect that there is a distinct lack of perspective present on this forum as to what is entailed in an attempt to support youth cycling in less than affluent kids. This kid competes against other kids riding brand new Litespeeds with SRM’s, who arrive at the race in a brand new Lexus. It’s not a fair fight, and that’s tough on this, and other, kids.

I’m really not interested in getting in a debate with anyone about the merits of HRMs - it’s a stupid argument, IMHOP.

I’m also not interested in discussing my personal coaching philosophy - no one here has nearly enough information from the content of my posts to offer anything constructive, and I will just ignore the negative. I have been involved with youth athletic programs for my entire life, and I don’t pretend to know everything - but I do know that I’m not going to hear anything new from the backseat quarterback club.

As to whether this kid “needs” the HRM - well, I think he does, and I’m trying to get him one. You are free to disagree.

As to the suggestion that I would wind up using his HRM for myself - Go fuck yourself.

Sooo- forget it.

Sorry to bug you, I’m just gonna go buy the kid a HRM out of my own pocket. If there happens to be an unused one sitting in somebody’s closet - well, it can stay there.

Back to work (although I’m sure some troll will read that as "the A-hole is ducking out of the argument…)

.

27

well I regret my earlier posts saying you were out of line, it’s not like I’m working with kids in sports events and trying to help anyone reach their goals. you’re not out of line, you’re trying to do a good thing and invest in younger people. this kid and effort is close to your heart and that’s why you responded the way you did. i can only imagine how a youngster would feel against others of the same age who have everything. everything he wins will be that much sweeter to him (and will be sweet for you to see it all and know you had a big part in it).

meow.

28

This is the best thread on this site. I teach college students, and my best colleagues – the best teachers, that is – are awfully nasty about what they do. Not closed-minded, not virulent, but fierce about how they teach. They mock bad teachers, they curse about them at happy hour, they stay up at night figuring out how to get better at teaching.

This thread – about how to help a kid and the whys and hows – made me think of all those happy hours and office hours when we teachers get really honest about how good or bad we are at it.

It got my blood going, which is what usually happens when I read other kinds of threads about HR’s bricks, aero-wheelsets.

I don’t know anything about fredly or this high-school student-athlete. But if this sort of thing (how to train, coach, or mentor someone) is a big fu(king (is that how you spell it?) deal to you, then maybe this is a good time to think about how you, yourself, could go do it.

I might be a little more activist than triathlete, but I am both, and I think this thread is a good reminder that doing good for someone else (coaching, donating used equipment, even volunteering at a race) can be a big deal.

So if this thread made your blood boil, go do something about it, and do it soon.

Andrew

29

I do work with young kids quite a bit. In fact last weekend and the weekend before that… so I’m not an armchair quarterback.

I sometimes race on my 1980-something 48cm (I really ride a 52) Chromoly Fiori with 7-speed downtube friction shifters and big huge commuting fenders and 36spoke wheels and blow the rest of the field away on there disks and Kestrels and HRM’s… to show the kids I help it’s not your Lexus that makes the difference.

… too bad Fredly thinks having a Lexus makes the playing field not level… I teach that it’s what’s inside that makes the playing field not level, not what kind of car your parents drive. Beating a dude riding a disk wheel while you’re on a borrowed bike feels a lot better than the opposite, let me guarantee that.

Anyway, I just get worked up when kids are involved. Sorry about the rants.

30

Adrian,

You and I are going to start sounding like old-school curmudgans, but I agree with you. I trained myself to a top level of running in my province and then to a high level in triathlon without ever once strapping on a HRM. I then won, a HRM a few years ago when I won a local road race. Intrigued, I found out what my max HR was with some testing and then ran through some benchmark standard workouts for both running and cycling( a tempo effort, a V02 Max type intervals, LSD pace and so on) The numbers that I got back corresponded almost exactly to the percentages that I was supposed to be at anyway. I had been doing things more or less right with RPE and pace for years without a HRM.

It’s a nice-to-have in my books.

Fleck

31

If its a problem of going up against spoiled rich kids, skip the HRM and have the kid rent/buy Breaking Away for extra motivation. Mileage and motivation should work effectively against posers in most cases.

32

Here are my thoughts:

I’ll kick Fredly’s a** if I ever meet him.

You are asking for a freebie. First off, buy the damn thing yourself. We don’t need your sob story around here about being a Good Samaritan. Many of us posters work hard for our money; started off with the bare essentials and now find the value in the extra gadgets. There is no need for this kid to have a HRM and you know it. I bet you’ll be using it most of the time anyway, a nice little perk for yourself, eh?

When people take the time to make thoughtful suggestions in response, I don’t think the best way to react is in the curt manner that you did. That’s just my opinion I guess…but it helps if everyone here agrees with it.

Bottom line is you’re a loser. Post your crap somewhere else.
Real nice to see a newbie with 15 total posts really save it up for a classy one like this.

33

I have a heart rate monitor that not downloadable if you’d like it. Let me know.

Definitely nothing fancy. Picked it up at Performance on sale and never use it. (I have a timex too)

Mike

34

i’m with you on this dude. people on this form go crazy, but sure it’s ok to help some dude get a P3.

why don’t you just get him used to using and training with a regular HRM before steping up to something fancy. I doubt cycle peaks is really necessary, i’m sure you’ve got the skills to come up with a good training program on your own.

-mike

35

Yes, Kittycat–I was surprised to see you come out so harsh. Not the KC I have come to expect. I figured maybe you had a cold or something and were grouchy.

36

She was probably sober when she posted

(just kidding KC :wink:
.

37

yeah, I know…it’s the cold/frustration thing, and possibly not enough…

training.

meow.

(snif, snif–hachoo!)

kittycat

38

Collecting dust? I had that bitch sold for crack before it even got out of the box. Bet scam I ever pulled.

39

I try not to get involved in these ugly threads, but I feel strangely compelled to stick my nose into this one. I’m not sure why this thread degenerated so quickly into ugliness (actually, I’m pretty sure I do know, but that’s not important right now), but I think there is plenty of room at the table for both sides.

First, I don’t think that anyone can dispute that what Fredly is doing – giving his own time and money to help out a kid – is extremely admirable.

Second, I don’t think anyone can dispute that it is possible to train for triathlons – and even succeed at a pretty high level – with or without HRMs. In other words, it is technically true that they are not strictly necessary.

Third, it also seems pretty indisputable that overindulging (spoiling kids – or adults) can lead to a lack of motivation and poor behavior. That’s an easy observation to make. The difficult part is determining where the line is between enabling and overindulging. It strikes me that this line should be different for every individual, based on their personality, history and overall lot in life.

Fourth, everybody around here knows that people have donated their old or unused equipment, and even money, to other athletes on the board who are less fortunate. People will have differing views as to whether, in hindsight, this has been a good thing or a bad thing, but at the end of the day, the only opinions that matter on this subject are the opinions of people who have donated or are considering donating.

Given the above, I’m not sure why people gave our friend “Friendly Fredly” so much shiznit about his request. If someone actually has a downloadable HRM that they are not using, what would be so bad about giving it to Fredly to use to implement the training system that he likes to use? After all, he is the one donating his time, and he would like to make the best use of his time that he can. In addition, Fredly is the only one of us who knows the kid, so how can anyone else here judge better than he can whether this would lead to an overindulging?

Anyway, I think the bottom line is that it is appropriate to not to want to donate to Fredly (he even acknowledged as much in his original post), but I’m not sure I see why it is appropriate to give the guy a lecture and a bunch of crap about what he is doing. Please, save your rage for people with bad intentions. So there.

40

Fredly - just a couple more comments/observations

I am a firm believer that equipment can and does greatly affect performance (I have a background as an alpine skier). I also know that it can be a monumental challenge for “poorer” kids surrounded by the kids that have all the gear - for MANY different reasons.

Personally I think that it is just fine that you posted on this site, asking for a donated downloadable HRM. If that is a tool that you want to use as a coach for your athlete, kudos to you, and to him! It is a waste of time to get upset over the people that would be nasty over your efforts to help out this young athlete as you are. Filter the noise. Don’t waste your time on stupid comments that people make. We all have made our share of stupid/regretable comments (I know that I sure have) - just float over them! Ultimately, some random person on an internet forum has no bearing on your life and your involvement with your athletes, right?

This will likely come as an unwelcome piece of advice/observation (from a faceless, nameless poster no less); but I thought that you lacked some tact in your subsequent posts. You cussed at others, and became quite beligerent. This makes you lose credibility. I realize that you felt attacked, but sift over those comments. You included an attack on poor Mr. Tibbs. I am a rare poster, but frequent lurker. I watched the whole P3 thing transpire and found it wonderful and inspiring (the way that people came together to raise the money for him). I’m sick of people belitting or being nasty about that event. It was a beautiful, RANDOM act of kindness. Why you needed to call him an “f-ing” whatever is beyond me. WHO CARES that he was given a P3? Just because someone is of limited means, does not mean that they don’t deserve the best quality item in the form of a gift. Who CARES if he doesn’t even ride it? The symbolism behind that whole event was amazing, in my opinion. I think that it would be just as nice if someone on here would give you a downloadable HRM to help your young cyclist. Why not?

WRT the merits of training with or without an HRM, I merely added the anecdote of my husbands training because it seemed that the discussion was taking a turn in direction - as it always does on forums. His situation is (in my opinion) fairly unique, and very interesting. People were merely discussing the values of training sans HRM, a valuable topic on this forum. I was not trying to impose any coaching values on you. I am no armchair quarterback, but I assure you that I am highly knowledgeable in this area of interest.

Feel free to disregard any, or all of this, as I am just another random person posting on some random website.