On the opening page their is an opinion on the effects of sex and training/performance. IMO sex would hinder my Tri program. I would absolutely spend less time training and more time performing (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) if my wife actually let me.
I think it’s kind of interesting that the subject should come up, and that Jim doesn’t mention the anthropological roots of the myth. We have all heard the whole “No sex before the big game”, thing, but I doubt most people realize that its origin comes from patriarchal/misogynist societies that actually believe that women are dirty, that sex steals your spirit, and that it weakens you. The Yanomani tribe are an example of a modern version of this.
All the attention top pro ball players get due to their sexual misconduct should be good evidence to debunk the “No sex before the game” myth, while at the same time encouraging people to exercise a little discretion.
I have to agree with your point though. In my case, I’m in bed by 9:30 most nights, and up at 4:30(earlier on swim days!), and my wife keeps more normal hours, so we are out of sync by 2 hours most of the time.
Marko’s point is the best one to make about sex and relationships in general. Its not that it has any physiological effect on racing - in fact it may relax you and gives you a core workout to boot. But it keeps you away from training. More than the deed itself is the whole “relationship” stuff that usually comes along with it - movies, dinner with the in-laws, etc. Sure there are lots of articles about maintaining a “healthy balance” in life but healthy balance is not compatible with pushing your physical, mental and spiritual boundaries in the sport, whether its to win, qualify, or just be faster and stronger. Just ask Pete and Lorie. However, my “dedication and commitment” speel is probably just my way of dealing with the fact that I’m not getting any right now and, given my silly training schedule, probably will not get any in the foreseeable future. But then again I have a better chance of toasting all your loved-up asses out on the course!
Race Your Self.
That’s a great article. No sex for up to 3 months before a big race?! Now that’s a bit extreme. I would probably abstain the night before an IM(maybe).
I will admit that I’ve always blamed a particularly poor bike leg in a half IM a couple of years back on the two day session I had w/ a new partner in the days right before the race. That and the bottle of wine 
I’ve always blamed it more on the sex though, because the run went fine. I just didn’t have the legs on the bike.
Excuse me, but I have two kids, so could you explain to me what you’re talking about?
It sounds vaguely familiar…
I thought this article was the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. I’m with Jim R on this one.
Sex is the reason for all I do. I continue breathing so I can live to have more sex. I eat to have the energy to have sex, or to have the energy to do the things necessary to make it possible to have more sex. I work to have a car, house, clothes, etc. that enable me to have more sex. I train and race to be in shape, look great, meet, and attract women I’d like to have more sex with. I have sex to show I am good at it so that I can have more of it. Etc. . .Lance was right. Its not about the bike. Its about the SEX!
The idea that I would abstain from sex at any point, for any reason, is a completely foreign concept. Does not compute. Please recalculate and resubmit.
What I really want to know, is how your dear wife would react if she read this? Here’s a big thumbs-up to your comments as well as the entire story by Jimmy, which brought nearly as many laughs to my wife as it had to me earlier in the day.
Oh, and by the way-- to all of you who claim kids get in the way of your fun, I have two wild ones and another on the way (see what trouble it gets you into) and I think you just have to be persistent. If your wife is watching her TV show, but agrees as long as you do it during the commercials–well, then, you just have to take what you can get. And now I have probably said too much…
I think it was Gabe Mirkin (well known sports doctor) who once wrote that
“its not having sex the night before a game that affects an athlete’s performance, it’s the staying up all night looking for it”.
Seven kids ! No TV 
I think most people get into sports when they are in grade school. I don’t think it is driven by sex. Myself and my buddies started playing sports (basically year-round) in 1st grade and continued through college. It has to do with athletics being fun, allows a person to be a a part of something, starts the heirarchy of manhood (i.e. pecking order), builds pride, meet new friends with common likes, time with father, father-son acceptance, etc.
If guys get into “sports” to get females, then there are going to be a lot of lonely guys. Most people that play sports, do not excell at them. Women notice that.
Sports certainly helps you meet women, especially college sports, and it does impress to a degree, but if you “don’t got it”, then you just “don’t got it”. Playing sports isn’t going to help that. If anything, it’s going to reassure that you “don’t got it”.
There are interesting studies done that suggest that men build muscles, practice sports to make other males jealous more than they do them to attract females. Females are the same way (according to the studies), that they try to get a great body, wonderful hair, an incredible outfit, so that other women are envious, rather than make mens’ mouths drop.
Interesting.
Again, all of my teammates in college played sports from age 5 till college (most of us, year-round). If you are going to be an athlete, you probably know it in your grade school years. No 3rd grader gets involved in sports to increase their probability of getting laid.
If you guys are talking about “recreational sports” where the social aspect is more important than winning, then perhaps you are correct … but to me that isn’t really “getting into sports”.
Guess what college and pro athletes are doing the night before a game? I always told my coach, “Hey I was in bed by 12.” I didn’t say I was sleeping.
Anyone remember what Eugene Robinsons was doing the night before the Super Bowl? I thought so.
What opening page? What article?
Where is it?
I think after an event would be great, all the hormones raging and what not. So in a way things are like a business cycle. The beginning, business is ok but brisk, then the owner shortens the office hours and finally you have to take things into your own hands in order to stay in business.
GO BUNNYMAN!!!
Hey, is it just me, or does sex always feel just that little bit better the night after a race (or even a long ride)? I don’t know about anyone else, but after the ol’ perenium has been massaged for a couple hours on end…
Not refering to 3rd graders but I think Sigmund Freud thought all human drive was based on sex. That may not be the outcome but we spend alot of time trying to be attractive and accepted for some outcome. Certainly the natural world works that way where the fittest, strongest and most colorful of the species gets picked to continue the species. We differ in that besides being attractive on some level we have to spend money (food, flowers, etc.) to accomplish the task. So in the end the work we do stems from the sex drive.
Sounds like an addiction, letting training undermine personal relationships. Anyway, i would think if anything, sex would improve performance in a race, whether it was done the noght before, or every night. Sex is an amazing workout, but not so much that it would ruin performance the next day, sorta like yoga (works entire body, especially core muscles). Also, it could, as previously mentioned, help one relax before a race, something that is very important. I think its very interesting that some triathletes are so single-minded that they deny themselves of the most basic of human drives to maybe peel a few seconds or minutes off of a PR. These people are just too uptight about something thats supposed to be fun (triathlon), i think they should loosen up. All they need is to get laid…
You are all missing the point - sex has absolutely no impact on either training or racing - it is the staying up all night either looking or begging that makes one tired!!
I can’t remember the last time I had sex and frankly, I’m glad. The person I was with over the past couple years fucked me over and now I wish I had not only never met them, but certainly never slept with them. The thought of it grosses me out now. Training is good, it keeps my mind off it. The emotional connection feels great but it has been at least three or four years since I experienced that. I think the emotional benefits, when it is good are great. There is a lot of risk though.
Oh c’mon let us have a little fun here TripleThreat. I did write mine with more than a little tongue in cheek.
“I think after an event would be great, all the hormones raging and what not.”
Yes, it is.
I just have to chime in here! I look forward to races for several reasons. One of the biggest ones is the night before. My wife knows I’m amped up and need a little “relaxing” so she comes to bed early to “calm me” so I can sleep. There is no feeling like refractory sleep. I wake up fully refreshed and have some pretty wonderful thoughts running through my head the next day. She usually wispers encouraging words for my sucess at the race the next day during the session too. Anyone who swears off sex for any reason has some deep issues and needs to write a cofession letter to Dr. Phil right away! What a show that would make: Hi my name is bob and I’m I non-sexual triathlete. Phil’s answer: Well Bob, one of us is an idiot!
Cheers! Look for me at the races, I’m the one who can’t wipe the smile off his face.
Karma