BUT if I never had a chance to place I don’t think I would stay involved. I like to place and I do it in my age group. New people that I know work hard , buy new stuff, plan seasons just to try to get one of the top “3” age group awards. If we can get people “hooked” with awards lets do it.
That’s interesting. To be honest, it never occured to me that someone wouldn’t do this if they couldn’t place. I’m not flaming you for it, it’s just a different outlook than mine.
If there are others out there who need to have a shot at placing to stay involved, then I guess all these divisions really do serve a purpose. Cool.
I race because it’s a real rush and it gives my training a purpose … besides being all buff for the babes
also, because i never took the chance to compete in athletic events when i was younger (too intimidated to put myself out there), and now look at this as making up for missed opportunities. every starting line that i cross is another triumph over fear, and every finish line is the reward.
when i sit here and think that a year ago i’d never competed in a race of any sort and now i have multiple tri’s, 10k’s and a marathon under my belt, with a full slate of upcoming races … i mean shit, what was i doing with all my time?
In school, if there wasn’t a test hanging over my head, it was very unlikely that I would study. Now the races are the test for me. I’ll probably never be at the top of my class, unless I make it to the 95-99 age group and the rest of you die, but hopefully the races and the desire to improve will keep me motivated to train.
and i might never place (although hope springs eternal), but getting to a place where i can really RACE instead of merely finishing is my goal. If there’re people who won’t race b/c they can’t win, well so much the better for us that they aren’t showing up.
Why do you compete and/or race? I started just to do something I was afraid of. Whoda thunk I’d fall in love with the sport and find an avocation. Now I train to compete and go to every race with intention of putting it all out there. Although I make a few trips to the podium, I learned after the first couple that the real sense of satisfaction comes from knowing I did everything I could, in training *and *racing, with what I was given, in life or on that day, to work with. Finishing knowing I could do nothing more is what gives me the goosebumps that keep me at it.
**If there was no chance that you’d ever place in whatever category you’re in, would you still race? **I like to think so…I love the people, the atmosphere, the travel, the excitement…all of it. And most of it has very little to do with taking home hardware.
Do you know anyone who doesn’t participate in triathlon because they don’t have a chance of taking home hardware? No, and I’d feel kinda sorry for anyone that felt that way because they’d be missing all the really good stuff.
Ive been racing for years and the reason I compete has changed over those years as well. Initially I competed because I thought it was a cool sport but I didnt even come close to placing. As time and more consistant training went by I eventually was able to win quite a few races and always place well overall and that is what motivated me during those years. As I have gotten older and the wins came less often I had to reevaluate why I was doing this. Now I know that I love to get out there every day and train and racing is just a byproduct of my training. Its still nice to place well but its not the sole reason to compete anymore.
i think i compete because i can continue to make myself better. i first started racing triathlons because i suddenly found i could do them, where i never thought them physically possible before. i was unbelievably slow at everything up until two years ago, when i started running faster.
to me, a pr is much, much more importent than hardware.
I race to beat myself so badly mentally that I come as close to the brink of wanting to quit and never actually quiting. I love challenging myself to mine own end and beyond. Why would someone ever want to wake up in the morning if they weren’t going to challenge themselves in some way or do something that they’ve never done before. Get’s me
I began racing to motivate myself to train. I love the atmosphere and the challenge. I can’t say I’ve met too many people, as I tend to train alone and have never been all that comfortable talking to strangers (except online:). I don’t think I’ll ever win an AG, but I do think that with effort and time, I could place. Right now, I try and shoot for top third to quarter of AG. Finally, this sport is a vortex. Once you start, it’s very difficult to stop. There’s ALWAYS room for improvement and there’s always that next distance to conquer.
I compete because I want to see what I am capable of. Each time I push a little harder and further.
I remember my first Olympic-distance tri. It was so hard. I was frozen after the swim and was a slug on the bike. I thought it was the toughest thing I had ever done and couldn’t imagine doing it again. Now I have done an Ironman and my favorite distance is 1/2Iron.
Same with running. I never thought of myself as a runner but now I do several marathons a year and completed MdS. Still hate the short races though!
I also enjoy the travel. I use the races as an excuse to travel to somewhere I haven’t been before. Taking an extra couple of days off work and spending a week in another country gives plenty of time to look around. If I like it, I’ll come back and see more.
I don’t really compete in triathlons anymore. I train a lot anyway. I do hate to bike though. Haven’t raced since 6/2002. I had a great year in 2000, though. I can’t get motivated to race. I still like to run and swim. I’m only 32. I may never race triathlon again. This summer I’m going to focus on 3000 meter and shorter track races. I hope to pr in the 800m.
Interesting…I just love to race…but I hate to train. Weird, but true.
I hate training so much that in the last 3 months my weekly training has been less than 5 hours per week, but I have a half IM in 3 weeks, a OLY 2 weeks after that, and a sprint tri between those. Oh yeh, and a sprint tri next week too.
There is just something about racing…must the the group of athletes/competitors/after race celebtrations etc. Now I do train alone so maybe if I trained in a group I would get to enjoy it more.
I did enjoy my “long” (1 hour, wow!) lonesome bike ride last Saturday morning. 6AM ride east bound towards Hanauma Bay in Hawaii Kai with a big “fire ball” sun rising over Koko Crater. Magic for a few moments.
I either give it all on training, or work 100% to get as fat and lazy as possible. I have found triathlon to be the best and most extreme activity that appeals to me to give 100% into training! Why, because there’s always something I can improve! The day I perform perfectly in all three events with smooth transition, will probably be the same day I quit the sport…
I actually really enjoy the training! It’s great to get outside and get to great shape! I swam in college, so that was at times like a job, but now I just like to challenge myself and have fun!
Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to get awards, but I view that as a bonus! Being in the best shape of my life, enjoying a healthy activity with my wife, meeting new people and traveling to cool places to race.
Most of us work for a living and have family responsibilities, so this should be fun! I like helping newbies at a their first triathlon and through coaching triathlon. Some of you who have experience with triathlon should try giving back to newbies in the sport. I feel great when I other beaming with joy when they finish.
Saw ironman on TV probably 15-20 yrs ago. Thought it was something only other people could do. When I passed thirty I decided to get in shape. Started my martial arts training, wanted to get in better shape, started running. I raced so I would have a goal, if I don’t have a race coming up I tend to be lazy about training. When I was thirty five I set a goal to do an ironman the year I turned forty, started biking. Last year entered my first multi sport races. I fell in love with it, so much more exciting than road races. Guess what? next year I am forty, any suggestions for a first Ironman?
I was a skinny, non-athletic type up through junior high, good swimmer but only sporadically on teams. Then in high school, I went out for the swim team and had some success and got some recognition and a college offer. Continued on through college. From age 21 through 40 I never really competed in anything. At 24 I developed Type I diabetes and thought my competitive days were over. Then at age 40 I started doing 5Ks and then expanded back into swimming and into tris. What I have realized is that being a competitive athlete had become part of my self-image while I was a competitive swimmer. I had lost that part of myself, and it was affecting my self-image negatively. I am happier now that I am competing, even though I seldom place.
