Here’s how the thinking seems to go in Triathlon Fantasy Island …
Triathletes want non-triathletes to be very impressed with an ironman finish.
Triathletes want non-triathletes to be big fans of Ironman racing.
Triathletes want non-triathletes to watch the race on TV, buy products or some other contribution that leads to bigger money for the pro racers.
Triathletes don’t want any of these non-triathletes to actually want to a race, because then the exclusivity of it will decrease, and well …
I agree with the above posted material(cut and pasted for a prior thread) and it got me thinking:
I had a friend of mine sign up for Ironman CDA on a whim. “Why not,” he said. He is a 230ish lb. ex-football player.
His “training” consisted of 3 runs a week, which he had been doing for a year or so to keep himself “under a quarter ton.” He borrowed my bike, took a dozen rides of 50 miles or so, and swam in the lake a few times.
He made a day of it and finished an hour or so under the cut-off.
I watched him through out the day and something occurred to me. In reality about 5% of the field are actually “racing” for something and the rest are just participating, like my buddy. Granted, 1500+ people were faster than him and trained harder than him but, in truth they too were just “also rans.”
Now to my question:
Would YOU still do Ironman if there were NO AGE GROUPS? Meaning this, if after the pros they just listed placings or times 1-2000 in order with no other classification, would it still mean as much to you? Would you still train as hard, talk about it as much, or sign up year after year and be an “8 time” Ironman?
Is the Ironman who you are or, is it something you do?
Granted, even after my friends performance I think that it’s a wonderful accomplishment for anyone that finishes but, no more or less the accomplishment then the guy that took 12 in his age-group or the guy that has finished 15 times.
Yes, I would still do Ironmans if there were no age groups. For the most part, I’m not interested in my age group placing. My overall finish is what I’m interested in…no matter how short or long the race is.
In reality about 5% of the field are actually “racing” for something
There is an important distinction here. Only a small percent are racing for a Kona slot, a win in their age group or overall but many people are racing none the less. Your friend, it appears, was not racing but having the experience of an Ironman but there are many other who will be no place near the front but are still racing their heart out.
I personally welcome everyone out there who is racing, the people who are there for an experience…not so much.
I race for my overall time and I like to see my overall spot. It is fun to see your age group but unless your age group placing determines your Kona slot it has little meaning really.
You’re trying to put everyone (or at least your 95% who aren’t pros) into a single bucket, and that’s just nuts. Like they say, if there are 2000 people at the starting line, there are bound to be 2000 different reasons for being there. Many (most?) people really aren’t all that concerned with their placing (this might be the wrong forum for this thought!).
And I am certainly “more impressed” with some finishes than others. I’m far more impressed with the gentleman who has brought his disabled son to the finish line through the whole race with him, or the many Marc Heremans (sp?) types who overcome far more adversity than your football player friend to get there. I don’t mean to short the effort he surely put in as it was indeed exemplary, but I wouldn’t put everyone on the same level.
I’ve been doing tris for several years, and I’ll be doing my first IM next summer and while I will be quite proud of what I have accomplished (knock on wood), I won’t see myself as having the same level of accomplishment as many others.
As a side note, I don’t agree with your points 2-4, I wonder what other folks feel about this.
**1. Triathletes want non-triathletes to be very impressed with an ironman finish. **I disagree. I have never done a race to impress my non-racing friends.
2. Triathletes want non-triathletes to be big fans of Ironman racing. I disagree. My non-racing friends have their own interests.
3. Triathletes want non-triathletes to watch the race on TV, buy products or some other contribution that leads to bigger money for the pro racers. I disagree. What the pros make is not really important to me.
4. Triathletes don’t want any of these non-triathletes to actually want to a race, because then the exclusivity of it will decrease, and well … Again I disagree. I encourage my friends to participate.
Would YOU still do Ironman if there were NO AGE GROUPS? I haven’t done an Iron distance race. If I ever do, age groups will not be a factor.
A few months back there was a thread about how doing an IM wasn’t really that difficult. A point was made that any decently fit person could finish with very little training. Your friend shows it is possible. There are certainly people who only have a goal of finishing and they aren’t really racing. There are others who may be going slow, but are still racing. They may be racing against themselves or personal time goals they have set, just not being competitive in the overall race.