Have You Ever Been "Shunned" By A Training Group?

Triathlon Forum
1

I have, and I think it makes you stronger.

This one is a marathon training group, and it has about nine lawyers in it, 10 paralegals, and five clients of all of them: only one of whom I really know. They just didn’t contact me yesterday on where they were to meet this morning, and this time, instead of calling for the information, I just decided to see if they would naturally email or call me, without me calling them. Like last week, they just won’t call. They also get this group email, and I’m not on the email list, any more.

I have been blackballed!

So, now I’m going to have to stomp them in this marathon, by composing a hastily put together Counter Rebel Marathon Training Group. I think I can pull 2 away from the self appointed “Leaders” team.

God forbid if you try to usurp the leader with a suggested new plan for a long run. I merely suggested that we try to “Bag” an extremely difficult 22 mile run this morning, and I think that was viewed as something close to a coup d etat. Also, I don’t think its good to crack on lawyers, while running, with lawyers. Lawyer jokes are one thing. Trade frustration stories are another. I’m one. I made the mistake, last week, of asking something like: “How do you guys sit there all day long answering those stupid interogatories or motions all day long, the same ones you’ve answered since law school?” It would just drive me freaking nuts!

“Well…uh…yeah…we have to make a living…”

That’s it. I crossed the line.

So, I’m out…alone again.

Don’t cry for me, Argentina.

2

no big

you just found out what you needed to find out. come race day you’ll rock…

3

Go Booth, you just got yourself a shitload of motivation, toy with those bastards until they crack. What fun you will have with them if you can cause a rift in the group, see if any of them want to join the peaceful tribe!

When is the marathon you are all (sorry if that should have been y’all, I’m unsure where Little Rock is) training for? Keep us posted this could provide more hours of fun than the Hottie thread!

4

Booth - They’re probably thinking that it’s quite easy to sit there answering boring-ass standard form interrogatories when they are billing an obscene rate per hour! :wink: :wink:

Yea, working out with lawyers can be lame as they each want to dominate the group. I have a funny dialogue going right now with a group of associates in my firm that want to topple me at the corporate 5K. They have organized their own little run group, talk about it all the time, and have me in their sights. The sad thing is that I’ll smoke them . . . and I’m slow! Actually, I’m pleased to see my colleagues out there doing something, even if they take it way too seriously.

5

just remeber hate is a beautiful thing! If it can drive an otherwise normal person to kill then think what it could do you your splits!

6

Very sad, it’s like High School all over again! I don’t think you have, but don’t waste your energy on it, you’re obviously a better person! :smiley: Shoot, who’d want to hang with a bunch of lawyers anyway! :wink:

7

I’m regularly “shunned” by most people, you get used to it. (:>)

8

Perhaps the only thing better than a good training group, is to be shunned by an ex-training group. You are most fortunate.

Kill them in the race.

10

Self appointed Galloways are in every city.

What makes it even more petty and insane is that the “Leader” of the pack thinks he’s freaking Jeff Galloway, or Bobby McGhee or something. He’s only run 2 marathons and his best was like 4:20 something. He came out one morning and didn’t even run at 6:30 last month just to show everybody where to go. That should have been my clue right there.

The last email I got from him before he blackballed me went something like, “we’ll be doing a step back, next weekend at the following location at 6:30…” And if you run with him, he’ll say something like, “After I get Jeff through his first one…,” like he’s Ed Viesturs leading a group up Mt. Everest.

I think these kind of people exist everywhere in hobby sports. They did in Tennis when I played competitively when I was young. What’s “that guy” doing showing someone how to hit a forehand? He sucks. But he’ll be out there saying stupid things like: “with a western open grip, you don’t need to pivot as much…”

Surely, they exist in triathlon communities too. Got to.

One of my last missives during a run with them was insulting them about lawyers who write letters like this: “If you fail to respond to this letter, I will deem your failure to indicate X, Y, and Z.” The X, Y, and Z usually being admitting to something disasterous to admit in the case.

I have never understood that tactic and yet it seems every lawyer tries to trick you with this. I always come back with this: “for purposes of this file and all future files with you, my failure to respond to your letter means nothing more than I did not respond to your letter.”

So, what did that accomplish other than somebody having to pay $40 for that.

I explained that this is one reason why we should just all stop what we are doing and ask what good to society we are. The whole day being some kind of mindtrick and letter writing campaign with easily de-fused time bomb replies.

I asked one of them, “do you guys and gals write those kinds of letters?”

And several of them did admit to that, and I think I offended them.

11

You’re right. It does. There are a couple local clubs around here that are terribly “clic-ish”. We don;t ride with them. We just do our thing among the four or five guys who work here and ride.

I see those club rides and they are an accident waiting to happen. One day I was driving out to Northville while one of their rides was on the return trip and saw the carnage they left behind. There was one rider coming back with blood streaming down his arm and a busted up face, another rider with a flat tire and no changing supplies walking their bike back- no one stopped to help either the crash victim or the flat victim- and then three riders headed back toward Dearborn as the sun was setting and they had no lights on their bikes.

This is the same group that complains ad nauseum about their rides not being safe and being “invaded by racers and triathletes” but they do nothing to educate new riders in group riding skills, do nothing to develop juniors, do nothing to give back to the local cycling community. They also do nothing to administer their own rides like assigning a ride leader or teaching how to have a safe group ride. Of course, their hand is always out for donations.

It’s a disappointment. There are some fine people in the club- well two that I can think of- but that’s it. The rest are “takers”. We gladly avoid them.

12

I agree that clubs are “clic-ish” especially in the Los Angeles area. i.e. LA Tri Club which thinks they are the shizzz dizzz when they really arent. People always kick their arses in the races but they still think we are cool and train in all the LA gear…its like buddy you arent that fast.

I agree with Tom and we have about 3-4 people that we train and ride with and none of this “clic-ish” attitude. We seem to beat the LA tri people in all the races anyway. I think they talk and go shopping more than train.

Dont bother with the clubs if they cant be bothered with you. Have fun and train!

13

I asked one of them, “do you guys and gals write those kinds of letters?”

And several of them did admit to that, and I think I offended them.

How do you feel about that?

14

When people show up to ride with us we always take it easy and go the extra distance to explain the route and how long we’ll be out and make sure they have a phone, etc.

If people want to ride with us and they have a helmet- heck, the more the merrier. We don;t leave people behind, drop people, get them lost, leave them stranded when they get a flat.

Anyone who shows up on our morning rides are welcome with the exception of parties that would weild a destructive or negative influence by riding dangerously, ignoring traffic laws, not taking care of themselves by staying hydrated and eating enough.

15

I have recently been shunned by a clique of racer heads in the area. I have plenty of experience racing bikes, but my friends, and I call them that with pride, are triathletes, and they are not worthy in the eyes of the “cat 5 clique.” I used to focus hard on kicking the asses of the clique whenever I raced (it was hard to do, none of them are my category, so they don’t race the same time I do). Now I realize the error of my thinking. I can be motivated by anger, but I have to be careful.

Focus on being the best you can be. If you focus in beating the idiots, you may be limiting yourself. I sometimes have found myself beating the snot out of these doofuses in my imagination while out training, and I realized that I was wasting my energy. Doing your best, and aspiring to kick the ass of a dipshit can sometimes be mutually exclusive. Live well, it is the best revenge.

16

Booth - There are pricks in every profession. My personal favorite d-head move is the laywer in deposition who has just been told ABC by the witness. So the lawyer goes on to say, “let me see if I understand your testimony, you are saying ABCD, right?” About 90% of the time the witness will say yes! By the same token, there are pricks in every training group and every race. I raced a crit a couple of weeks ago where this team kept bickering at a few riders, including myself, but lo and behold, we dropped them hard on the final sprint. They weren’t even remotely in contention. Bring your legs, not your mouth, is my attitude.

17

Booth, when’s your next marathon? Just by the number of people that would be pissed off if you did well, I would offer my coaching services for FREE :-)))

18

Dude, it’s the f*cking Speedo.

19

Booth, Listen:
You NEED to stomp these people during your marathon. Take the SmAC’s offer for free coaching, take Epo, I don’t care. Got rocketfuel? Drink some.

When I started road racing (used to be an off-roader), I showed up to my first race - Cat 5, of course - w/ my $1000 road bike, unshaved legs, and mt. bike shoes. As I was standing at the start, I was making small talk w/ some guys. Well, tried to. Almost to a man, I’d say something, they’d look down my hairy legs to my mud-crustd shoes, and then slooooowly turn their head away, as if I hadn’t said anything.

I got 5th out of 45 in that race. Have never been happier about a race result in my life. Have also not been angrier and more aggressive during a race. It was GREAT.

20

I agree with JoB. Get them where it hurts, on the course.

There’s a local fellow here in my small town that rode a mountain bike, with slicks, in a duathlon over near Atlanta. Dude on a P3, with his masseuse girlfriend and all the fancy gear actually laughed at him to his face. Guess who smoked who in the race? To give the P3 rider credit, he actually came up and praised small-town boy for whipping him in the race. Little did he know that small-town boy could run a 15:xx 5k split…twice in the same race, while holding his own on the mountain bike. I love riding with this guy, he will flat out murder me on the hills…it’s great fun to try and catch him flat at the bottom of a hill, and sprint all-out up the next uphill…just to find he’s stuck to my wheel like glue. Fantastic engine…oh, he has a nice, slick carbon fiber bike now, he only rides his mountain bike in the dirt.

Blow them away, like the small-town guy. If they’re worth doing anything with in the future, they’ll congratulate you on a great performance. If you do, and they don’t, you haven’t lost anything as far as friends, but have gained performance from the experience.

You have to do more than just want to annihilate them, you’ll have to be smart in your prep phase, and run your own race. SAC made the free coaching offer…I’d jump on that if I were you.

21

Booth-

You got served a HUGE favor.
You’ve gotten enough ST advise about the 26.2.
First things first though…make sure you FINISH .

IMHO if you get into the rage and “I’m on a Mission” pace…its gonna hurt.
The only person who’s ass you should kick is YOURS.
I have always felt that getting to the Start line is a privelege and honor of this most noble of races.
Keep that in mind on your next long run…its a beautiful thing man…don’t muddy it with bad Karma.

And remember…

Its better to race like the Turtle, and Hump like A Rabbit!

Thats the best unsolicited coaching I can offer.

I’ve followed you’re postings… as I am always interested in how 26.2 virgins do…wasn’t there a movie called The Virgin Suicides.

And if you ever get washed up in NY waters…PM me and you can run with my crew any day Bro…we even have a Sag Wag on long rides&bikes…all the Burgers and Coronas you can hoover.
And for desert …Vanilla Bean sundaes topped off with a sprinkling of EPO.
East coast Tri guys have the bling bling man!