My boss's opinion of women triathletes

it may all be harmless kinda like you stated "a different and rare bread"?

or maybe he feels inferior to your athletic ability and makes himself feel better by degrading you? 

who knows?  maybe you should find another job and tell him that it was his idea!!!  then he will see what he has lost!

I must be out of the work force too long..... I didn't think men thought like that anymore.  Where's this guy been hiding??

or he could be extremely jealous !!

I hate it when she's right!!!!

My boss makes similar unenlightened comments.  I'm part of the Women's Network at my company (sorely needed since women don't seem to make it into the upper mgmt and the ones who are there are slowly dwindling) and he actually asked me if we spend our time there plotting against men.

One time, I was reading a book by Gloria Steinam and accidentally left it out on my desk.  He saw it and that led to a discussion in which he said, "Women already control everything."  My response was, "Oh yeah, so why is it that the pay differential between male and female managment is actually increasing?"  He tried to play it off on educational differences but I busted him on it and said it was already accounted for in the study.  Of course, this is coming from the man whose annual bonus is bigger than my salary and based on the work I do for him.

And then there was his boss -- the head of HR -- with whom I've spoken about trying to advance in the company.  I sat down with this man, had a detailed discussion about my resume (he had no idea I even had a college degree) and goals and interests and he said he'd try to give me interesting projects and that by the end of the year would have a better job for me.  What project did he suggest for me?  Something that involved mundane tasks that a temp w/o a high school diploma could handle easily.  And then he had the nerve to ask my boss if I could do it , as in "had the ability".  Even MY boss was shocked at how bad his idea was.

I've had some bad experiences at this company and all I can hope is that there are other companies out there that are better.

Most people are ignorant of what it takes to do a triathlon and why you would choose to do it.  It was just a comment that shows this man's ignorance and perhaps some of his prejudices.  If the guy is not a total clod, just tell him when your next event is and suggest he come watch.  If he is a total clod, just polish up your resume and leave.  (My philosophy is never to work for a bad manager.  If you work hard and do well for a bad manager, you perpetuate his/her career.  If you don't, then you ruin your own.)

TW

are you sure if it was meant as a derogatory remark or just in a joking manner? 

I think it is only for Bethany to decide which is the case.  I am suprised that everyone automatically jumps to the conclusion of it being a female bashing comment.  i mean as far as i know it could be or it might not be.  only Bethany knows what the office situation is there at work.  i mean do you guys joke around a lot and crack on people?  i know in my office we joke on people all of the time.  the females are always bashing us men and visa versa.  it is good office humor here.  we never take it over the line though or even get close.  the way i look at it is, the jokeing makes the day go by so much faster and a hell of lot more fun that sitting in silence staring at the screen and being 200% serious all of the time.  maybe that is just the kid in me.  perhaps Bethany could enlighten us on the office situation more?

i hope nobody takes all of that tooooo serious!!  haha