Its A Small People's World: I Just Live In It Now

Triathlon Forum
1

It must be nice to be 5’7, 145 pounds. A long time ago, in high school and college sports, you people just got left behind in contact sports, except for the hustlers. Some of you were probably “hustlers” and “hitters,” still though, you were a midget.

I hope you are happy now. This is your revenge. You waited and waited us out. Now, finally having little body mass is an advantage in every way.

Even the equipment is steered toward the midget frame. When you check ebay for a bike or bike part, I know you midgets can go back 17 pages of stuff to look at. “Whooo, there’s too much to look at this morning on Ebay…I like that…I’ll bid on that…man, look at all of this stuff…I’ve just got too much to do…”

This must be nice.

Try being 6’2, 205 or more. Go search for “62cm,” in the bike section, and, if you are lucky, you may see possibly four or five entries, it should say, “Come Back Later Big Ass, When Another Big Ass Has Another Big Ass Frame For You.”

In running, for the midget, I guess he or she can just try anything, because, after all, how can any of your weight cause too much damage: “gee look, at all these shoes I can choose from, I may even try a racing slick just to see what these are about,” whereas for the “clods,” its pretty much, “where is the cheapest store I can buy a pair of Brooks Beasts,” and the only thing “racing slicks” are going to get you is into an MRI facility.

I’m just sick of it. It’s just not fair.

2

do you EVER have to ask someone to get something off a self for you? … no? then quit you bitchin!

(TomAnnapolis is 5’8" and considers that on the short side of average)

3

I am just under 5’ 8", 147 pounds. This is one damn funny post.

There is justice in life. One just has to wait for it.

5

I almost feel your pain. I’m 5’8", 160. I have a 42 inch chest. Try finding a wetsuit when you’re 5’8" with a 42" chest. The suits that fit my height are for guys who weigh 130, and the suits that fit my chest are for guys who are 6’2"+. Apparently, you are supposed to be a pencil if you’re in this sport.

If it makes you feel any better, you could probably still give most of us a red-assed beatdown. ;p

6

This is what I always tell myself as you tiny freaks pass me. “If they only had to race my legs they wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Shad is currently 5’11" (no plans on changing that) and 202# (plans are in place for both going to 190 this race season and for ballooning to a 700# shut in)

7

I too almost feel your pain as I am 5’9" 166 lbs with a 43" chest. Try to find a tri top to fit just right is the pain in the *ss. All I need to do is lose the Michelin Tire around my waist. Which brings me to a new point, How in the world can I train and race so much and not be able to loose those two bad boys. Maybe it’s time for Extreme Makeover.

8

You must be kidding right?

Duman: 6’4" and proud of it.

10

You and I must have identical physiques. I would consider myself to be in very good shape, but I still got those little tires. They’re small enough that my wife tells me to shut the hell up when I complain about them, but you’d think that 10-14 hours training a week would be enough to make them go away.

11

And, after the swim, that’s where it ends, because, after that, you are “in their world.”

Its like Gulliver’s Travel’s II. “Hello, Gulliver, welcome to Lilliput.”

Just don’t knock anything down to screw up “our” race.

But 185, 6’2 is workable. You can work with that.

Maybe they can’t swim over you, but they sure as hell can pass you on those damned 54cm speed rockets.

The Lilliputians need to be weighted down like they do in thoroughbred horceracing.

12

5’6" 140, reporting for duty, you hulking gargantuan crybaby b!tch!!! Awww, you’re TOO BIG. Since when is being large a crime? This is America son, where big and strong is the way to be. John Wayne, Charlton Heston, Oakland Raiders,Tommy Lee. Where are the tiny heroes??? Munchkinland??? “Tom Cruise is only 5-8” Yeah, but he’s a fag!!!Maybe in Europe you deserve to be chased around the village by men with torches and howling dogs. Not here. Size matters in the USA!!! All the teasing I got in high school is nowhere close to being repaid.

May I just say …

13

“I hope you are happy now. This is your revenge”

5’10" 150 lbs. Used to weigh about 120 lbs in high school. I remember being called “toothpick” and being body checked into the lockers by the football jocks. The reason I went into high school 100m sprints was because of getting lots of practice running away from those guys.

But now they’re all big fat slobs.

Yeah, revenge is sweet.

14

I’m 5’10" and 180 - And let me tell you, I get to use my big football-player thighs to power right by a whole lot of bony little guys on the bike. Their tiny quads can’t handle the tough climbs like I can. I use my size to my advantage! And look at it this way - these little dudes are still gonna get banged around every time they try to jump into a pickup game of b-ball. Let em’ have their advantage on the run, so what.

15

you’re not kidding, man

i’m 5’9", 140 lbs, and i’ve only recently gained about 5 lbs of leg mass from having started cycling. i’m freaking tiny. and still, i play pickup games of whatever sports i can with my frat. let’s take floor hockey, for example.

i’m fast and in shape, so i outhustle everyone else. it makes up for any skill defecit i have. but usually, by about halfway through the game, the other guys realize that they can’t keep up with me, so it’d be better to stick a hip out or lean as i go by. it’s not fun going airborn at someone else’s whim.

on the plus side, i can grind out obscenely long climbs.

16

I take extreme offense to your post. I’m 5’3" and have been up to 180 pounds. But, because of triathlons, I’m down to 150#. However, be refered to as “midget”, or lillipunkins (whatever), is very hurtful. I’ve spent most of my teens and twenties to build up my self-esteem by people like you how put us down. Altough I take most short jokes with a grain of salt, I think you are ingnorant to believe we do not have extreme challenges ourselves. However, it definitely is not limited to clothes or equipement sizes. We get discriminated in the workforce and just try finding a women who say, “I want someone shorter than me”.

If you are upset by being tall, that’s fine, but don’t use hurtful words to describe attributes that only God can control!

Short (but probably can kick your ass! I’m hell’of fast!)

17

… try finding a women who say, “I want someone shorter than me”.

Do what I do … hang around high schools!!!

(Kidding)

18

He He He. It’s hard to draft off of me on the bike. I punch a small hole through the air.

I’m starting to keep up somewhat on the runs and thanks to my “Gorilla Arms” that an employe at my bike shop said I had, I’m getting better at the swim too.

5’4" 152lbs

Make all of the short jokes you want, I’ve delt with them for 36 years and can laugh at myself despite of my height.

jaretj

19

6’2" isn’t all that tall. Try 6’7" and 200 lbs. When people are riding two or three abreast behind you and they’re ALL drafting off you, then you know your big. By the way, a 61 cm P2K fits me if you’re looking for a large bike.

20

Gee I’d love to know how to insert pictures because I have a great one of my 79 year old, 5’2", 155 lb. father and myself (6’2", 195 lbs.) in front of our London hotel last month. I let him draft off me all week. I don’t think he had any choice since his inseam is 27" LOL He is the tallest one in his family, so I grew up seeing both sides of the equation. I’d love to be 5’10", 164, but we use what life deals us. I guess.

21

You and I must have identical physiques. I would consider myself to be in very good shape, but I still got those little tires. They’re small enough that my wife tells me to shut the hell up when I complain about them, but you’d think that 10-14 hours training a week would be enough to make them go away.

Tell me about it! Not to steal this thread from the giants roaming about “our” midgets’ world, but I’ve got the same physique as you two. I’m currently running 100 miles/wk. and I’m barely seeing any changes in the physique.

But then I think of how we’d look if we didn’t work out as much or at all. Blech!

23

The flip side: You “big asses” seem to have advantage in the water: you float better and your longer arms/torso seems more conducive to fast swimming than to someone of my proportions, who is all legs/short arms/torso. But I gotta admit, when I come out of the water way behind, I’m always looking for those sporting non-runner body types who I can chase down on the run, especially. Gives me motivation: This guy shouldnt be able to run with me! Of course, there are always exceptions. I’ve been smoked on the run by a few clydesdales. To each his own.

Drew

5-foot-9, 140 pounds.