Was just looking at a local area tri that I do every year. In fact, it was my first ever tri several years back. They have a long sprint 750m-35kms-7.5kms as well as a longer race 2000m-56kms-15kms.
Was noticing the entry last year for the shorter course was about 40% female but less than 25% female for the longer race. I don’t know if this is a trend, but does the % of females tend to drop off as the races get longer? Since I mostly do sprints I’ve always thought there were lots of women racing.
Missouri huh. Denewone, I haven’t visited there for years. The “show me” state. Is that why you’re aways so skeptical?
However, I wish all the guys weren’t so much older then me, where are all the twenty somethings? <<
Hey, I’ll trade you some of our under-30 guys for some +35 year olds.
As to Fulla’s original question, let’s see, Cyborg is in Paris by now, I’m busy training and I can’t speak for Maylene or Charlee, but I’m guessing they are busy training too.
I’ve got two years left as a twenty something…but then, I’m married. So, not much help. In NW Florida, it seems like there are a bunch of single twenties and thirties racing on the weekends. I guess it is regional.
I’m 24. I still go out drinking quite a bit, but am still ready to go come morning…most of the time. Unfortunately I only have 2 friends under early 30’s or so to train with. Almost always training on my own. Can make the long rides a bit boring. Funny, my friends are no longer impressed that I am up early racing. They just think its lame that I only go out one night a weekend. Its kinda like a joke with them. “where were you last night, running some marathon or something.” Right guys, keep packing on those pounds.
I’m 25 and all of my friends who race are much older. It’s good for me as a source of responsible, level headed support people. I hear “you are so lucky to be young” about 5 times per day at the rides, gym, track, pool, etc… At first it was annoying, but I realize what they are getting at. I say it to the kids I coach now.
All of my “other” friends are drinking beer, trying to get laid, and trying to land mediocre jobs which may lead to average careers. I sound down on them, but they are who they are. I wish they’d find something to motivate them, but people learn at their own pace. It’s very hard to be outside of the norm when in your early-mid 20’s. People are trying to learn how to live on their own and survive, so they immitate those around them. Mostly, the people who you hung out with in HS and College, who you probably got smashed and partied with all the time.
That said, it’s fun to have friends like that once in a while.
I think there are more women entering triathlon each year. My experience this year has been that more women turn out for workouts than men, and all the tri babes say “where are all the cute guys?!?” In our spinning class this winter, the room would be 4:1 women to men. The ladies were disappointed.
I honestly can’t believe all of the fantastic, beautiful, intelligent and athletic women I know who are single. Of course, they don’t look like cheerleaders or like they are about to enter a beauty pagent… I think it’s frustrating for women to be full-on-awesome but go unnoticed because they aren’t conventional beauties.
Guys, you need to let go of the fantasy. You’ve been looking at too many air brushed surgically enhanced women in the media.
I understand, I like looking at hot guys, but I realize there might be a big jerk behind the sexy smile. Initial attraction is one thing, but “hot” is what happens when you really get to know and like someone. Did I say that? I’m still thinking about the guy with the sexy smile… joking!
I may be odd man out here…but I think that out of the big name Tri women…most are DOGS…the “Swimsuit” edition of one Tri magazine was scarry. Heather Gollnic is hot as hell…most of the others…yeesh…
I’ll take the trade, you are welcome to all the 30+ if you can send some my direction that wouldn’t be morally wrong for me to date. I guess I can’t complain too loudly about not having enough people my age around though as I almost always win my age group if I finnish, hell, I am my age group.
Two reasons there arn’t so many of us: the cost, I spent all the money I made in my barely minimum wage job last summer buying a bike, and still couldn’t afford to get clip in pedals until like 4 months later, I still borrow a wetsuit or rent one, and race entry fees sure are a pretty penny. Also, no one my age goes to bed before one am. ever. the last 3 weekends I have raced I have gotten an average of 4 hours of sleep the night before. My friends think i am nuts as every Sunday morniing I stumble back to campus in a daze, numbers on my arms and legs, often back before they even wake up and that I pay money to do this no less??? If it weren’t for the ripped guys I so would pick another hobby. maybe croquet?
i dunno if i could have done tris at univesity. i had said in my 3rd year i was going to do em, but i was too busy getting drunk on the weekends to bother.
I’m sure the lack of younger racers is related in part to the wide-spread obesity problem in America. Kids come out of high school built like short chassis moving vans. LOL. And the problem is worse among girls than boys, I’m sorry to report. Combine that problem with the pressures women feel about their body image and I’m amazed we have as many as we do.
Having said that, we had quite a few 20 somethings and younger in the age groups and relays at St. Anthony’s. Some of those young women swimmers are amazing! And to my ancient mind any woman who is doing a triathlon is good looking. I just have too much respect for the events and the people who do them to think otherwise.
I’m definitely not a hot tri chick, but I can relate on the daughter angle. My 15-year-old step daughter loves sports despite her mother telling her she’ll drive off the boys. She actually couldn’t care less what the boys think of her, and they can’t accept her, that’s their loss. I just love her attitude, and her dad and I are so proud of her athleticism and the confidence that it breeds.
