My wife and I were out to dinner last night and a party of 4 sits down at a nearby table and the one guy is wearing a Hawaiian Ironman T-shirt. I said to my wife, 'check it out, that guy’s done Hawaii!" I asked him if that was a finishers shirt and he laughed and said, “no, I’ve never even done a triath-a-lon.”
I guess it’s the same thing as wearing a superbowl t-shirt when you’ve never played in the superbowl but I can’t imagine wearing a Hawaiian Ironamn shirt without doing it. Those of you who have done Hawaii, do you wear your shirts in non-triathlon settings?
My sister got me an Ironman T-shirt for my birthday. I’ve only done a half IM, but she doesn’t know the difference. I won’t put it on until next June when (if) I finish Coeur D’Alene.
Hawaii Ironman shirts are on sale all over Kailua-Kona. Lots of people (non-triathletes even!!) buy them. My dad has an IMH cap. None of them say finisher. What’s the big deal? I’ve been known to wear a KC Chiefs sweatshirt (that’s American football for the world wide audience), but that doesn’t mean I play for them.
I have the opposite story. Last month my Family celebrated an occasion. I hardly ever wear my finishers t-shirts. I was wearing an Ironman T-Shirt from last year’s race. 2 hours later my uncle read the stuff on my shirt and started to make fun of people like me, who buy these t-shirts, don’t even have a bicycle and can’t swim. My aunt said that she knew someone who actually did such a race when she went on an Oracle DBA course.
I felt like an idiot, whilst my wife explained to him that I have been doing this for more than 5 years. When he heard the volume and regime of my training my cousins and all the rest of the tribe decided that I am a complete freak.
It amazed me how little they know about what I do most of my time, when not working.
I have a Patrick Roy Avalanche jersey and no one has ever assumed I’m a Hall of Fame Hockey player. Ironman is big business here in Kona. As long as it doesn’t say “finisher” who cares…kj
Crap!..and double Crap!..I have hairy legs…I’m not going to Kona…crap…
On the T-shirt thing. My brother in law bought me a generic “Kona triathlon” shirt. It’s not a finishers shirt but close enough to “appear” to be associated with the race. I won’t wear it…bad karma.
What do they say about your shaved legs (assuming you do)? Other than my wife & kids, the rest of my family & especially my in-laws think I am a complete freak. You should have seen their faces when my young daughter told them I taught her how to shave her legs.
The first time my father-in-law saw me in shorts, I had a cut down the front of my leg and he asked what happened. My wife says, “go ahead, tell him.” I said I cut my legs shaving.
I am doing IM UK in a few weeks (21/08). The organizers have sent me a few emails (not personal) inviting me to order (from a shop called Tri-UK) Iroman UK clothing. I will not buy any unless I finish the race.
The first time my father-in-law saw me in shorts, I had a cut down the front of my leg and he asked what happened. My wife says, “go ahead, tell him.” I said I cut my legs shaving.
The look on his face said it all : )
So wearing a Ironman t-shirt without “finisher” printed on it is posing and shaving the legs isn’t. Fuzzy logic I’d say.
The first time my father-in-law saw me in shorts, I had a cut down the front of my leg and he asked what happened. My wife says, “go ahead, tell him.” I said I cut my legs shaving.
The look on his face said it all : )
That’s awesome. My wife wouldn’t have given me the chance to tell. If she could spit it out in between belly laughs, she’d tell.
Clippers with the #2 guard works just as well (with a hint of masculinity … God forbid!) without all the silly razor-play and baby-oil rubbing.
Those of you who have done Hawaii, do you wear your shirts in non-triathlon settings?
It is funny that you ask the question this way. While I have never done Kona (and, I’m sure, never will) I always think it’s extra dorky to wear race shirts to races. That seems so intentional. I usually dig through my drawers on race day to find some generic non-tri/race shirt to wear. I tire of the people walking around the day before the race at the expo with tri shorts on (why???) and race shirts talking about their exploits.
I have the Ironman hat by headsweats where underneath the Ironman logo it says ‘world championship triathlon.’ Now, I’ve never done Kona but I have done 3 (soon to be 4) others…is it OK to wear the hat?
I always think it’s extra dorky to wear race shirts to races.
This past Saturday at the Volcano Run I saw a few people wearing last year’s shirt for the race. That always cracks me up. I think its OK for someone to wear a race shirt to a race (although I don’t think its comfortable to sweat in cotton myself), just not the same event. Don’t be that guy…kj