I thought it might be interesting to see where fellow Slowtwitchers fall in their tris (and maybe even give you a chance to brag):
Front of Pack (FOP), Middle of Pack (MOP) or Bottom of Pack (BOP)
And at what distances:
Sprint,** Olympic or IronMan**
Me… a bona-fide MOP 40-44 at sprint distance… I once had speed but with injuries I’m now purely a recreational triathlete 
(edit: I guess you can throw in your age if you’re not embarrassed 
A true MOP at sprint, oly, and half. Never did the IM thing yet…it’s not bad being average. It makes me feel like I’m actually normal;)
M/BOP at Ironman.
MOP at Sprint/Olympic.
(Moderate - poor cyclist).
JC
MOP somedays and BOP most days. It also depends on what race I am at! At ALL race distances.
Have won/placed in my age group a few times since starting Tri’s but not this year. And probably never again! But it’s fun trying
I can swim and bike pretty decently(for me) but suck at Running.
I am full on BOP at all distance-
Sprint right on up to Ironman
Mop swimmer
Mop cyclist
WAY WAY bop runner
.
I’m “retired”, so I am not sure how I fit in.
Although, I did take part in a sprint triathlon a few weeks ago( I make it my goal to do just one race a year now) and some how manged to finish closer to the front than the middle of the back. Not sure how that happened, but that’s the facts.
Fleck
Regardless of the distance, I am THE Lanterne Rouge, or the guy in front of the Lanterne Rouge. Either way, you get the picture.
With that fact I will still have completed 5 - 6 races this year. 2 Sprints, 2 Oly’s, and a Half (Oly and Half in Sep and Nov)
Yay, for the sucky runners! I keep thinking, that if I just lost 10 lbs. it would make a difference, but then, I’m not so motivated after all. Send in the chocolate!
I’m so MOP it’s not funny. Several races I have been within 1-2 people of being EXACTLY MOP.
Mostly FOP, but in 50-54 there isn’t much spread… Usually less than 35 of us, so my odds of a top ten are pretty good. Couple of wins in the last few years, but usually just off the podium at big races. I expect that to change as I just aged up to 55-59. This next year I expect to finish on the podium with regularity…
And regularity is an important thing at my age!
¦:o)/
Depends on the distance and topography. As the races get longer and hillier I move from FMOP(front middle of pack) to WBOP (way back of pack). Im 35, ok swimmer, good biker, slow runner.
IronDad…
no bragging…total BOP and proud of it. Often fighting for last place.
Shorter the races I would put myself at MOP for swimming, decent for cycling and depending on the abuse sometimes I can hang on in the run to move up a place or two (ironically last major race at a complete FOP run which BLEW my mind).
Got asked the other day when a sprint would entice me, so thinking I might throw one in next season just to see exactly how slow I have become. W35-39 When I first started out I was always complemented on my swim, then my bike and NEVER my run, and now it is my run I am complemented on…I just don’t get it.
At 37, I’m a BFOP or FMOP, however you want to phrase it. In my 3 races so far, I’ve been in the top 30% in my AG and top 20-25% overall.
Pretty much M/BOP for my whole life. But this season (second in tri) has been going very well, and I’ve been at or near the front in my two races (1/2s). First IM is less than 5 days away (!!), we’ll see how that goes!
-C
MOP. It’s my running that sinks me. Only ever do sprints, but only did four out of the six or seven planned this year due to illness at the beginning of the season. Over all position, usually at the bottom of the first 1/3 of the field. Podiumed once in AG this year, but being in the 50-54 the numbers of competitors are a lot less than some of the very competitive AG’s.
Next year I’ll move up to 55-59 and am actually looking forward to it since I’ll probably podium more often. Might even do a 1/2 IM next year.
Very bizzare - imagine anybody actually looking forward to being a year older.
Is there any universally accepted definition of where you have to place in order to be considered FOP, MOP or BOP? For example, I regularly finish in the top 25% overall and in my age group (top 10% on a good day), but I’m not sure what that makes me…
Fleck, do I remember correctly from a previous thread about today’s Ironman times vs. those of 10+ yrs ago that you’ve gone sub 10hrs in Kona a couple of times? If so, that is definitely FOP (even if you are ‘retired’ now…I bet you could still win a local race on a good day)
as for me, i’m in that nebulous territory btwn MOP & FOP - not fast enough to consider myself FOP, but faster than most who consider themselves MOP, so maybe I’m FOMOP.
Glad to see this thread did not immdeiately steer off into the argument over how to define FOP vs. MOP vs. BOP, i.e. some folks think you’re only FOP if you’re finishing on the podium, others look at it like a bell curve, etc. Where’s SpinDoctor to stir things up for us?
Usually FOP in sprints tris, age 55-59. The run is my best event. I wish I had some basis for bragging about my swimming.
I’m consistantly top 20% of my age group, sometimes a tad better, so I’m not really FOP or MOP, somewhere in between I suppose!
i’m fortunate to say i can hold my own FOP at sprint distance, including the overalls.
i am happier than you can imagine at 4 AG places in a row this past month including 3 sprints with top 20 overall.
intermediate and longer i’m clearly MOP and very happy with that.