And people who write stories about them dying when they do triathlon shouldn’t call them “triathletes.”
I have the same issue when it’s stated in the media that a “cyclist” was killed when it was some clown riding drunk at 2 am on the wrong side of the road wearing dark clothing. That’s not a “cyclist.” It’s an unfortunate idiot who happens to be on a bike.
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“I have the same issue when it’s stated in the media that a “cyclist” was killed when it was some clown riding drunk at 2 am on the wrong side of the road wearing dark clothing.”
I agree wholeheartedly. Not everybody who happens be riding a bike is a cyclist.
And people who write stories about them dying when they do triathlon shouldn’t call them “triathletes.”
I have the same issue when it’s stated in the media that a “cyclist” was killed when it was some clown riding drunk at 2 am on the wrong side of the road wearing dark clothing. That’s not a “cyclist.” It’s an unfortunate idiot who happens to be on a bike.
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Please provide a link to your story. I read a story today, but it didn’t say anything remotely resembling your thread title.
He is in reference to the story someone posted about the study showing “triathletes” had close to a 2:1 risk of sudden death over marathoners. The story basically said weekend warrior triathletes. The poeter was just saying don’t train 2 hours/week with 100% of that on weekends then come out and “race” I say “race” because whom are they racing? Or is it just their life checklist they are racing?
Basically the story should read severely undertrained endurance athletes have a 2:1 chance of sudden death versus trained endurance athletes. As someone else said marathon runners tend to take there challenge more seriously than the newbie wekend warrior dude swimming .5k, bike 20k, run 5k. Although I wonder with a lot of these marathon times we are seeing these days just how serious people are taking it?
The story basically said weekend warrior triathletes.
My point is the study authors said nothing of the sort.
I read several articles about the study that was presented–it hasn’t been published in the peer-reviewed literature yet–and none mentioned the study authors differentiating between death rates for different fitness levels. None at all. That’s all from the imagination and supposition of several slowtwitchers.
The main culprit identified is the swim. Not the fitness level of the individual dead triathletes. Yea, some showed ‘heart abnormalities.’ But a study in the news earlier this week associated thriathlon with heart damage. So those heart-damaged folks that died in the swim could be the folks that trained the most not the least.
Yep, I’m jumping to a wild conclusion there. But just to make a point. This study was only presented, not published. It’s too soon to say much at all about it. And certainly too soon to draw wide-ranging assumptions about causation.
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You would be blown away by the number of newbies doing the N.O. 70.3 next weekend. It might be higher than 10% who are doing their first or second tri.
JJ
My point is the study authors said nothing of the sort.
Quoting from the story:
"They are drawing many people who are not used to such demanding exercise. Each year, about 1,000 of these events are held and several hundred thousand Americans try one.
"It’s something someone just signs up to do," often without a medical checkup to rule out heart problems, said Dr. Kevin Harris, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. ““They might prepare for a triathlon by swimming laps in their pool. That’s a lot different than swimming in a lake or a river.””
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It reads to me like it says people who aren’t fit enough shouldn’t triathlon. It doesn’t suggest to me that there’s any extraordinarily elevated risk for people who are properly prepared for the events in which they’re competing. If you enter a triathlon and you’re not prepared for the physical demands, then you might as well be the idiot riding a bike at 2 am down the centerline of the highway while you’re wearing dark clothes and you’re drunk.
Nothing like the “word Ironman” to get all these guys out. Same thing happened at the Muskoka 70.3…sold out in days by all these guys who now felt that they could become an “Ironman” more easily (half the distance)…how else do you explain that a 12 year old half Ironman put on by the same organizers only 2.5 hours away from Muskoka never fills much more than 500 slots.
I actually had someone come up to me and say “didn’t you do 3 Ironmans last year”. I answered, “no, I did to, Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman Canada”…person replies, “But I thought you did an Ironman in St. Croix ?”…“Sorry, but St. Croix is not an Ironman”…amazing how the faux branding works 
Dev
I still think I need an IM 3.1 sticker for my car 
As to the actualy thread topic, now that I heard the girl on the today show this morning say that Triathlons have a large risk of sudden death with no explanation at all I think that it will help with my street cred, “yeah Im racing a tri this weekend, I aint scared of sudden death bitch, bring it!”
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Did you mean marathon3.1 or IM3.1. How does IM 3.1 breakdown (500m swim/3000m bike/1600m run)…dude this is a kick ass format. It would likely be the most painful “redline” tri you ever did. We could put down a bunch of endless pools in the middle of the Bordeaux or Mexico City velodrome, bring out a bunch of pros and have them go at…with live Eurosport coverage.
Bring it on baby…IM3.1…I’m all over it cause this is a race that you can easily win in transition!!!
Dev
Sweet! Does this mean, when i’m wearing my Timex Ironman watch at work, that i’m doing an ironman? Furthermore it may mean i’m an 8 hour finisher.
My point is the study authors said nothing of the sort.
Quoting from the story:
"They are drawing many people who are not used to such demanding exercise. Each year, about 1,000 of these events are held and several hundred thousand Americans try one.
"It’s something someone just signs up to do," often without a medical checkup to rule out heart problems, said Dr. Kevin Harris, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. ““They might prepare for a triathlon by swimming laps in their pool. That’s a lot different than swimming in a lake or a river.””
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It reads to me like it says people who aren’t fit enough shouldn’t triathlon. It doesn’t suggest to me that there’s any extraordinarily elevated risk for people who are properly prepared for the events in which they’re competing. If you enter a triathlon and you’re not prepared for the physical demands, then you might as well be the idiot riding a bike at 2 am down the centerline of the highway while you’re wearing dark clothes and you’re drunk.
That’s all hand-waving on the reporters’ and maybe even the study authors’ part. Again, nothing I’ve read mentions them accounting for fitness with regard to the death rate.
The authors wanted to make a splash. I bet a lot of this hand-waving doesn’t make it into the published article–because there is nothing in their study to substantiate it.
I’m frankly surprised that you can’t see through the sensationalism. You’ve attached your own personal biases and beliefs to the study when there’s zilch support.
C’mon! You’ve gotta be a bit more critical of what you read!
You’re only an 8 hour finisher if your Mdot Timex watch tops out at 8:59.59…where can I buy this watch? Tom Evans just called me and said he wants the version that max’s out at 7:59. He figures if that he wears this watch, then he can beat Craig Alexander in Kona. They might have to move the finish line back to Palani when his watch hit’s 7:59 and the crowds might need to get teleported from Alii to Palani in that instant too.
That’s all hand-waving on the reporters’ and maybe even the study authors’ part. Again, nothing I’ve read mentions them accounting for fitness with regard to the death rate. \
You are right, these are two different topics all together, death rate people, and new people to the sport. From what I remember, a lot of the deaths in the last few years, were well trained and expirenced athletes for the most part. A good friend of ours was an Ironman winner, and died suddenly on his bike. Since almost all of these deaths are heart related, the fact that many newbies are poor swimmers does not play into the equation. Those folks take it easy usually, quit, or get rescued. The wetsuit will not let the just drown…I would say from my observation that the deaths are not newbie related, and can happen to anyone, from BOP to FOP…
I’m frankly surprised that you can’t see through the sensationalism.
I CAN see through the sensationalism. It’s a really STUPID story that has little, if anything, to do with “real” athletes. Sedentary couch potatoes shouldn’t suddenly decide to do a triathlon. Well duh. WTF! And I’m saying idiot news reporters shouldn’t call sedentary couch potatoes who suddenly decide to do a triathlon “triathletes” and then go tell all “triathletes” that they’re at greater risk of sudden death. It’s stupid and irresponsible. It’s sensationalism and that’s exactly what I AM calling them on.
C’mon! You’ve gotta be a bit more critical of what you read!
I think YOU need to re-read what I’ve written. I don’t think you’re reading carefully enough. Learn to distinguish between when I’m quoting others and when I’m writing for myself. I don’t think it’s that hard. I’ve been posting on here for years and I’ve never heard from anyone that I have trouble expressing myself.
I haven’t seen the study. I’ve seen the story that’s floating around. It’s ridiculous. It’s about as newsworthy as saying people that don’t know how to fly have an elevated risk of death if they pilot an airplane. D’oh. JEEEEZ … this is SO STUPID!
An unrelated but somewhat more significant study concludes that:
“Endurance sport practice as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter”
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/...mp;pubmedid=18988654
This one concerns more than just your undertrained weekend warrior…
… news reporters shouldn’t call sedentary couch potatoes who suddenly decide to do a triathlon “triathletes”…
Taken a look around your local sprint triathlon recently?
You can only purchase this sub 9 Timex Ironman watch from the “specialty” Wal-Mart, or Target retailers. They are kept in extra special packaging in the storage rooms in back. You must use the special handshake with the lady behind the glass counter. Act now and you can also get the **Limited edition sub 4 Timex Ironman 70.3 **watch for 50% off.