Am I A Triathlete? (Page 2)

There's no doubt that you will be a triathlete and your experience and frustration is a temporary setback which will make your triathlon completion that much sweeter!

That being said, it's just a title.

This question has been asked in many forms, so I'll answer as I have in the past.

Do you think you're a triathlete?

 That's all that really matters... If i were in your shoes, I personally would answer that question, "No."

 But if you are comfortable labeling yourself a triathlete, and are confident in telling everyone you know that you are, I would say that you are in-fact a triathlete.  Having not yet competed, my answer is worth a grain of salt, but likewise, the answer to this question is extremely subjective, and can only be answered by you.

I also recently completed my first sprint tri this past year and am a little uneasy to call myself a traithlete...yet. I think it takes at least a full season of competing and a committment to training and becoming better at all three disciplines before you can consider yourself a triathlete. Basically once you have adopted the lifestyle and proved that you can compete then you are a triathlete...

 Here is my second train of thought. You are out there competing against people from all walks of life. You have the hardcore who train every day, the sacrifice themselves to the sport. They spit, puke, pee on themselves so that they can achieve the greatest level of success possible. Then you have those who compete (much like myself) purely for the pleasure of doing something they never thought possible. Just crossing that finish line is enough to enable them to call themselves a triathlete.

 Its just a label. If you think you trained hard, and competed at a level that was satisfactory to your overall plan, then sure go ahead a label yourself. But you may want to wait until you have finished a race and are truly happy with your results before you place that label upon yourself.

I'm a 7 time marathon and 2 time ironman finisher - all in the last 4 years.  Some call me an athlete, some call me insane.

But it is better to me to be called a Father, a Loving Husband and an Architect.

Labels don't mean anything really.

Awesome!!!

For me:  I'm just an out of shape, 41-year old, stressed-out, sick chick who figured out that running, swimming & biking could turn her into an in-shape, 41-year old, chilled out, healthy chick as long as I keep moving!!!

Oh, & by the way...I stopped whining all the time!

Hear, hear.

I agree.

Go get 'em next time.

(P.S I struggled with this when the Chicago Marathon was cut off last year... I got to mile 16... but I didn't finish a marathon. I participated in one. I couldn't (in my opinion) call myself a marathoner)

I will have to agree as well.

But it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, do YOU feel like a triathlete?  You don't have to justify it to anyone but yourself.

At my first race, I had trained hard for 4 months, showed up, and they canceled the swim portion.  I was devistated.  They turned it into a bike/run, and I enjoyed that, but in my head, I had not accomplished it - I didn't consider myself a triathlete.

But tell you what, it made the next race I entered and finished, that much sweeter.

I'm guessing he finished one or two events before that though.  Perhaps more...

Interesting thoughts..

So what if someone just thinks/dreams of doing a triathlon?  The motivation is there, are they triathletes?  What if the take the step to buy a bike and shoes.  Triathlete then?

You're sound critical of some people that say crossing a line, a mysterious line, makes them a triathlete, and you say that it's the training makes the triathlete.  Well, isn't that a "mysterious" line too, based on your perspective and opinion?  When does someone "train" for a triathlon compared to just bike or run for fun?

I find it interesting that you think that triathletes put WAY too much emphisis on competing.  Well, is that a surprise?  Is it WAY too much?  Every thing we do, the plans we follow, the equipment we buy, the questions we ask on BT, are based on doing an event.  If we don't have events/competition, all we are doing is working out, NOT training.  However, there is NOTHING wrong with that.  The working out is probably the most important aspect in terms of health and an enjoyable life....

It's all just labels.  Feel free to call yourself anything you want.

But I don't call myself a football player if I play with buddies out in a field.  I don't call myself a basketball player if I'm playing in the driveway.  I wouldn't call myself a triathlete if I'm just running and biking.  But if I compete, and do an event.  I would.  But that's me, and everyone has different standards and outlooks.  Which is a wonderful thing.

my $.02...which probably means zero to anyone else here...you trained, you prepared, but you also DNF.

there is no way i would call myself or anyone else a triathlete until i crossed the finish line.   

i might be opening a can of worms here, but i also don't consider someone who is part of a relay a triathlete either.   if you don't complete all three events, you aren't a triathlete.   sorry if that offends anyone.

Agree 100%

There has to be a "line" that you "cross" when you "qualify" for any label.  For triathlons that line happens to be the finish line.

Who cares?  You can be anything you want to be.  There is no certain criteria for being a triathlete other than training for the combination of these sports.  I have been a cyclist for years and today is my first day of training for the triathlon...I am now a triathlete, but I did stay in a Holiday Express last night too.

War Eagle by the way.

Well I rather thing about this than the issue at hand. 

I figure you are a triathlete when you cross that line.  Now if next year you train for an IM and only have the IM on your plate and are not able to finish it I would not go omg your not a triathlete because you could not finish a triathlon that year.

To me your a triathlete when you cross that line but you stay a triathlete as long as you live the lifestlye.  Maybe after 5 years without a race then maybe not your a triathlete anymore even if you are still training.