Since Easter was last weekend, the family was in town for the holiday weekend. This means a large sit-down dinner with everyone. Invariably, the topic of my biking, running, and swimming come up. Most of my family members think I am crazy and actually ridicule me or at least think I am crazy. So, I try to steer the conversation away from this topic. Personally, doing a half-ironman last weekend wasn’t that big of a deal but evidently my extended family thinks I am destroying my knees and the rest of my body along with them.
Anyway, this defense of myself got sidetracked into the age-old cyclist vs. car argument. I had one person on one side of me complaining that cyclists should stay off the road while another was stating that cyclists have no business being on MUTs (multi use trails) as they are a danger to people walking on the trails. I got fed up with all the bs and had to walk away lest it descend into the annual family holiday dinner brawl.
My family sometimes thinks I’m strange or a bit extreme for biking more than I drive, but I’m lucky that they’re generally supportive. It’s too bad that you have to deal with that from family. We get enough crap from people on the road.
No real advice for you. I’m lucky to have a supportive family, even if they do think I should ‘slow down a little bit.’
MIL however drives me nuts b/c she’s always raving about BIL & SIL and how they did a series of 3 ‘marathons’ in 6 weeks. She just can’t believe what great shape they are in. She can’t even imagine anyone doing that. Of course, in this case marathon = 5k. Not that I need applause or anything, it’s especially annoying that she doesn’t even acknowledge that I have done several real marathons, 7 of which have come at the end of Ironmans…
From the extended family, I get more of the “my friend just did Kona” (then I call bullsh_t) and we go on line and see they did not, or other grossly enhanced stories about doing marathons (which turn out to be much shorter races).
From the immediate family, nothing but great support.
Same here, thank god. At work, different story. Fat/ overweight, out of shape people spewing hate and calling me skinny. It’s real funny to hear it from these people at lunch time, while they are chewing 1/2 lb burgers, fried chicken, etc with their mouth open, getting it all down their shirts. They dont like it when you respond with “hey fatty, what did YOU do this weekend?” or ask them what size their man bra is (my personal fav- it REALLY pisses some of them off.)
I’m sorry you have to deal with that - I come from an athletic family and they are all supportive of my bike racing.
Really I have little to no patience for the kind of people you describe who are anti-bicyclist. I would simply ignore them and continue to reap the health and mental benefits of your sport.
Ok here is my problem. Everyone in the family rides bikes and swims. Our arguments are!!! Please use your own stuff If you do use my stuff please wash it If you use something put it back. No you can’t use my new race wheels for the race I’m using them If you come over you know we are going to train bring gear Please don’t leave my water bottles all over the place No I don’t want to buy that _______ I gave it to you!!! Please SLOW DOWN!!! Who used all the ___________________ Put a towel down before stretching on the carpet while all sweaty Who trains the smartest Who’s the fastest Who is caughing , your going to make us all sick COVER your mouth Who’s turn to make smoothies Who did not wash the blender Where are all my SOCKS Dad will you buy me_____________Then I won’t need yours Grandpa I need new___________________
I have three kids all seven years apart and 14 years from oldest to youngest.
The oldest has two boys 15 & 11
OK I really love them all but !!!
My family is kind of clueless to most of it - especially distance and duration. For instance, while on my trip to SoFL this past weekend, I put in a 64 mile ride Saturday morning. One of my shorter “long rides” to date, but they were amazed to the point that I may as well have ridden cross-country. Yesterday morning, I swam vigorously for 70 minutes, and when I returned the actual response (that I heard twice) was “Wow, that was quick! Is that it for today?” Should I really be able to swim for 3 hours?
To this day, my wife thinks that the IM bike course is something like 60 miles long. After explaining to her repeatedly that the race is 140+ miles, the only thing I can conclude is that she thinks I’m going to run a triple marathon.
Since Easter was last weekend, the family was in town for the holiday weekend. This means a large sit-down dinner with everyone. Invariably, the topic of my biking, running, and swimming come up. Most of my family members think I am crazy and actually ridicule me or at least think I am crazy. So, I try to steer the conversation away from this topic. Personally, doing a half-ironman last weekend wasn’t that big of a deal but evidently my extended family thinks I am destroying my knees and the rest of my body along with them.
Anyway, this defense of myself got sidetracked into the age-old cyclist vs. car argument. I had one person on one side of me complaining that cyclists should stay off the road while another was stating that cyclists have no business being on MUTs (multi use trails) as they are a danger to people walking on the trails. I got fed up with all the bs and had to walk away lest it descend into the annual family holiday dinner brawl.
Anyone else go through this with their families?
Nope. On my side, my dad is close to 70 and still bikes a couple hundred miles a week, and the rest of the family is pretty active. On my wifes side, her brother is a sponsored BMX Vert and street stunt rider, so he always has much more interesting injuries than I do.
Although they are all couch potatoes I was in the race production business for may years so they all understand the game having paid their dues with many sleepless nights and sweltering days being exposed to the madness so they don’t blink an eye if I say I’m going out for a 90 mile ride or get back inside at 12:30 past midnight after a 16 mile run.
I get the knee thing from my mom all the time. She used to tell me I train too much but gave up on that complaint. She did get to watch me to IM Lake Placid so she gets what I do, finally, but between that and my dad telling me not to get too thin (definately not a problem) it gets old. I gave up and don’t even try arguing the benefits of what I do.
never using your knees to prevent being able to use them is logically insane.
Well put, my friend. It’s like saying, “Don’t drive your car, you’ll ruin it!” The damn thing’s going to rust apart anyhow. May as well drive it into the ground.
never using your knees to prevent being able to use them is logically insane.
Got scoped the first time in 1992. The doc said I should never run again. I told him it only hurts when I run, why in the hell do you think I’m getting the surgery?
I get it from friends and co workers, not family. I get the a) haha, you can’t do event (x), they talk crap, I do it, they shut up. b) Why are you so skinny? Then I ask them why they are so fat? Then they’ll retort, 'its muscle from lifting. Then I’ll grab thier man tit and ask em 'why’s your muscle so soft?
Rather ironic question to bring up: My wife has been training for a figure competition which she will complete this week. She will then go directly into marathon training. I am in the middle of 70.3 training. Just this last weekend, my mother in law tells my wife that “we should really tone it down a bit” because “it would be good for the family”. WTF??? We weren’t sure whose family she was talking about. My wife asked her if she we should be setting an example for our kids to maintain healthy, active lifestyles OR should we do what all our parents still do, which is smoke, drink and sit too damn much? Most people just don’t understand. Just because they are family doesn’t mean they wouldn’t qualify for the “people are stupid” thread.
Instead of trying to convince them that you are not crazy, I’d go the other route and embrace it. For years I’d bike commute and people would sit outside at the “smoke shack” at work and tell me how crazy I was. I used to try to explain the health benefits of cycling to these smokers, and it was a waste of time.
The next time your family starts in on you, try this. Take on a glazed look, acknowledge that you are indeed clinically insane and you only do these things because you have some type of a death wish, the questions will stop :-).
BTW I also believe that “running ruins your knees” is a widely held myth. It’s even prevalent amongst health care providers but I don’t believe it to be true.
never using your knees to prevent being able to use them is logically insane.
Well put, my friend. It’s like saying, “Don’t drive your car, you’ll ruin it!” The damn thing’s going to rust apart anyhow. May as well drive it into the ground.
I get the “you’re wrecking your knees” thing sometimes (though thankfully not from my family). I usually tell people that I do LOTS of knee films in a typical week, and ask them to guess the relative proportion I see of runners vs. fat asses with ruined knees.
never using your knees to prevent being able to use them is logically insane.
LOL, I know…Ive had this discussion with a coworker. She tells me I’ll hurt my knees by doing all this running. I tell her that if and when that happens I’ll simply not run any more…just like her.
The next time your family starts in on you, try this. Take on a glazed look, acknowledge that you are indeed clinically insane and you only do these things because you have some type of a death wish, the questions will stop :-).
Thanks! I like that piece of advice. Now, how to win the cyclist vs. vehicle argument. I was ready to reach across the table and B**** slap my brother for saying that cyclists better watch out for him and his hulking SUV.
My wife asked her if she we should be setting an example for our kids to maintain healthy, active lifestyles OR should we do what all our parents still do, which is smoke, drink and sit too damn much? Most people just don’t understand. Just because they are family doesn’t mean they wouldn’t qualify for the “people are stupid” thread.