http://www.xtri.com/features/detail/284-itemId.511712448.html
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Wasn’t this already discussed on here? Great little article regardless…
Could be. I gots a job so it’s hard to keep up.
Yeah, the whole job thing always gets in the way…I’m at work now as a matter of fact…
Ok, this is what we need to do. Come up with a great idea, form a partnership and fuck the man. Start thinking! I would but my track record shows I have no good ideas.
Wasn’t this already discussed on here? Great little article regardless…
I’m not sure what’s so “great” about it. Just another triathlete hating triathletes article. Is there a more self-loathing group than triathletes? From my perspective it was played out years ago.
Thom
“Is there a more self-loathing group than triathletes?”
Yes! 98% of all other groups.
A few months before my first IM I was drinking with the bros (none of which are into endurance sports) and one of them mentioned, “You do realize no one cares about that triathlon stuff…” It pissed me off, but the next day I realized he was right, and I pretty much do not mention it around non tri people.
That article has alot of things I agree with, but the dude sounds like a negative nanny. Maybe he needs to go listen to some Coldplay or Celine Dion…
More “great” in the sense that you can laugh a little while reading it. You could take the article and add in any subject matter and it would read the same. I’m working with a girl right now who is getting married in 11 months, I know every fcking thing about the wedding and I didn’t even ask about it. It is the focus of her life. Everything she does has to do with the wedding. Much like some people with triathlon. If I started talking tri with her she’d be like "this guy at work, all he does is talk about fcking triathlons".
Yeah but it’s all worth it for the kids when they get their picture taken while sitting on Dad’s shoulder as he runs across the finish line.
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Man got some good points, if your in the sport to impress other people no one cares. Hate to say it but Triathletes seem to be the most self absorbed group I have ever run into (I used to be also).
If you have young children and a full time job and your trainning more then a few hours a week or trainning for an IM you really need to reconsider your priorities.
I have to agree here with Pokey. I come across to this forum as a breath of fresh air compared to what I would consider to be my national/local tri scene. Triathletes must be the easiest group to split into those who are walking the walk, and those who are talking the talk. As someone who has come back to the sport after a 15 year lay off, basicly a period or drinking and eating punctuated with some work, I can honestly say there is so much bullshit around in triathlon these days it barely resembles the sport I left behind.
To highlight the fact this year I turned up to the monthly meeting of my local tri club. I had a large amount of cash for me in my pocket to hand over for the club registration and joining fee. I was prepared to hand over the cash to pay for a full set of club kit and happily wait for a month or two for it to arrive. At the end of the meeting one which consisted of club members generally trying to impress a female about what they do, who incidently had just got through her first sprint tri and wanted to generally know how to take things further, I left in the same state I arrived. No asked me if I wanted to join the club. I asked a few questions related to club rides as to how far they go, what pace etc… they told me how hard this would be but didn’t really ask or listen to what I was saying regarding my own training. I sat there quietly thinking if you only knew. I am not saying I am too good for this club, rather I thought recently as someone who has retired early to train for his triathlon goals, what am I putting back into the sport when I take half a day off, answer nothing. As someone who is more than happy to train on their own, the idea of joining a club was more about trying to put something back in, but they were only interested in themselves, and at present I am no going to waste my own time feeding a self indulgent egotistical habit of fellow triathletes. I left the meeting highly disapointed and was really anoyed at myself in that I walked away from the other person at the meeting who was wanting to find advice and support. She was looking for a low cost racing bike and didn’t know what to go for, I could have helped with that and as an ex bike shop owner and bike designer done a reasonable bike fit and service which would equate to an afternoons rest time for me. If I had done so I would have felt better about myself and the sport, instead I did nothing rather I said stuff them and go back to walking the walk as that is what counts in the end.
Ok, this is what we need to do. Come up with a great idea, form a partnership and fuck the man. Start thinking! I would but my track record shows I have no good ideas.
Tibbs once you screw the man YOU become the man!! It has been played out the same for centuries.
BTW… How is the swimming going?
Tibbsy, hadn’t seen this one before. Thanks for the reality check! Ha, ha. Pretty funny and pretty true!
Hate to say it but Triathletes seem to be the most self absorbed group I have ever run into
I have to agree here with Pokey. I come across to this forum as a breath of fresh air compared to what** I** would consider to be my national/local tri scene. Triathletes must be the easiest group to split into those who are walking the walk, and those who are talking the talk. As someone who has come back to the sport after a 15 year lay off, basicly a period or drinking and eating punctuated with some work, I can honestly say there is so much bullshit around in triathlon these days it barely resembles the sport I left behind.
To highlight the fact this year I turned up to the monthly meeting of my local tri club. I had a large amount of cash for me in my pocket to hand over for the club registration and joining fee. I was prepared to hand over the cash to pay for a full set of club kit and happily wait for a month or two for it to arrive. At the end of the meeting one which consisted of club members generally trying to impress a female about what they do, who incidently had just got through her first sprint tri and wanted to generally know how to take things further, I left in the same state I arrived. No asked me if I wanted to join the club. I asked a few questions related to club rides as to how far they go, what pace etc… they told me how hard this would be but didn’t really ask or listen to what I was saying regarding my own training. I sat there quietly thinking if you only knew. I am not saying I am too good for this club, rather I thought recently as someone who has retired early to train for his triathlon goals, what am I putting back into the sport when I take half a day off, answer nothing. As someone who is more than happy to train on their own, the idea of joining a club was more about trying to put something back in, but they were only interested in themselves, and at present I am no going to waste my own time feeding a self indulgent egotistical habit of fellow triathletes. I left the meeting highly disapointed and was really anoyed at myself in that I walked away from the other person at the meeting who was wanting to find advice and support. She was looking for a low cost racing bike and didn’t know what to go for, I could have helped with that and as an ex bike shop owner and bike designer done a reasonable bike fit and service which would equate to an afternoons rest time for me. If I had done so I would have felt better about ***myself ***and the sport, instead I did nothing rather I said stuff them and go back to walking the walk as that is what counts in the end.
Fair comment Duffy, but can only write from my own perspective, and I suspect the language reflects this. I think what I am trying to say is the atmosphere around tri at the moment does nothing to help us from getting away from this insular approach. There seems to be a lack of team / club culture as a result I am finding it very hard to be able to say we think anything or we did anything. I know that the easy solution is to simply look after my own self interests and carry on as I am doing. Like at lot of other triathletes I guess I am a bit of a loner, in turning up in trying to join a club I was attempting to come out of my shell a bit and put something back into the sport, the only problem is the approach of the existing members in the meeting did little to support this move on my part, rather I got the feling they were quite happy with the status quo and were not seeking any new members. I have had a similar response from people in pools who I have approached and asked are you training for a triathlon, who I find to be very insular and want to be very much left alone. When I have asked ‘are you in tri club’ I have even had the answer that ‘yes I am, but we take it very seriously, and the club won’t be for you’, that is without any questions as to what level I am currently at or want to get to.
It may be the case that I have had some bad experiences, I hope so because I would hate to think this is common place, in using these examples I was simply trying to give some anecdotal evidence to support the initial post, which at one level can be quite amusing, at another I feel it is a very true reflection of a sport which does contain some very self absorbed individuals, I am probably one of them, which does not mean it is a good thing though.
Me thinks Pete Ylvisaker doth protest too much
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Perfect.
Started tris in '91. I agree with you: the tri culture has changed.
Good article. Makes me laugh at myself. When taking my tri-world too seriously, I plan to print it and reflect on it before I create my tri blog.