So why is it???? (Page 2)

I know that I have not read every thread in every forum, and I have only been on the list since April, but I ahve not really seen a whole lot of this negativity.
Every single time I have had a question I get good solid answers.
When i meet people at the Tri's they are all decent people.
My very First Tri the Guy that came in first did it in about 45 minutes. The start was a snake swim, so over half of us were still in line,
He came back and was cheering us on clapping and giving atta boys and girls all the way around.
He was still there when the photog left!

Well I have to respectly disagree with your disagreement.  What the gentlemen from MD fails to see is that "getting easier" inplies the SAME TASK get's easier.  If you run faster obviously it's not gonna get easier!   I've run at a 10 minute/mile pace for 12 years.  Sometimes a little faster and sometimes a littler slow but I can tell you w/o a shadow of a doubt, it DOES get easier!  Much, much, much easier!  When I started running I nearly died running 3 miles at a 10 m/m pace.  6 years later I could run 18 miles non-stop at the same 10 m/m pace...and running 3 miles was a piece of cake not a majoy challange.

You asked for the reason for the continual FOB/BOP discussion and misperceptions and I'm telling you, this is a quintessential example.  I perceive that 'it never get's easier' comment as ST, FOP, elite, bravado, BS.  And you do not.  So there you have it.  :-)

~Mike

It's funny that this thread came up because I was a little surprised on the weekend when I was running a 30k race with my running buddy. We've both improved hugely in running since we each started but she made a comment that kind of touches at the nerve of what some newbies or BOPers worry about ... and she said about an older co-worker of hers who was racing "I am not sure why she's doing these longer races since she's not fast, she's not getting faster. I don't think i would want to do that. Why not go to shorter distances so you can go faster." 
I disagree with this wholeheartedly - I mean that might be fine for her but science and time prove that speed improvements can only be made for so long.   

And I think lots of people think that the fasties just look at them and wonder WHY the heck you would be out there if it's going to take so long.  We just can't ever know someone's motivation for doing something.  There are some people who are totally preoccupied with performance and might forget about the many reasons someone might be out there ... though, as stated before everyone here is quite supportive and tends to remind some over eager, competitive types that there are many different reasons to tri.

Y'all are making my head hurt...it's really not that hard and I haven't even done my first race.

I got in this to challenge myself to see what i can accomplish.  I've always been active, but never been "good" at any type of "endurance" sport.  Even in high school, i was a state champion wrestler, but couldn't run 3 miles in less than 30 minutes (i probably averaged 10-11 minute miles) and i was running all the time.  I was very competative, and hate to lose.  I would define wrestling as one of the hardest sports to this day because you had to have the technique, strength, endurance, stamina to endure each match and tournament.

Anyway, my point being, I want to challenge myself and improve from where i start, but I have no "dreams" of being FOP or placing.  Probably never will, because I'm not sure I possess the physical and genetic make up to be "competative".  I will definitely try my hardest to improve and I may very well surprise myself.  I'm new to biking, so i may possess some great ability to be a great cyclist.

I will continue to train and I will continue to improve.  I may very well place in some races in the future, but right now i'm competing with myself.  If that makes me competative with others, then that's just icing on the cake for me, as i would love to be FOP competative.

I would imagine most everyone is out there to compete with themselves first, then compete with others.  If you don't compete with yourself first, your not improving.  If your not improving, then your standing still.

Just my thoughts.

BTW, i've found everyone here to be helpful in offering advice, etc.  It's been a very good resource.

I think the reason these discussions get emotional is not because of some class warfare. I am a MOP'er with a limited number of races and have said before that I think this board is unique in that someone training for 2 hours a week can get real insight/support from someone going 10+/week. I think the emotion comes in because at some point the discussion boils down to why people choose to participate - a very personal decision.  Any forum discussion is bound to deal with generalities and IMO generally speaking - FOP'ers are out to win the "race" in the "pure" sense of the athletic win.  MOP'ers and BOP'ers are more likely to feel they have "won" if they finish the "event" or some other personal definition of win.  These two views are not compatible with each other and which could be translated too - "your personal goals are not worthy." Please note I do not share this feeling - I have some level of respect for everybody on this board - including myself - so I am cool that we all have different things we are looking for but I could see how some comments are taken as a personal attack.


But what do I know - my seat is too high.

Ed

I am a BOPer and have no desire to podium finish nor am I jealous of the FOPers.  Someone posted here recently that "knowledge is key to success" but that is not true.  The correct application of knowledge is the key to success.  I know what it takes to podium finish.  I've seen the logs of the guys who go sub-10 hrs in an IM.  But I choose not to put forth that effort.  I see the same thing in business.  I see guys that have risen to the top of the corporate world and are now making millions as CEOs but I choose not to put in the 16 hr days that they did. 

I had someone accuse me of being a "C student" one time.  I gave that a lot of thought and concluded they were right.  I had the mental capacity to finish college with a 4.0 but instead I graduated Lawdy How Cum.  Why?  Becuase I chose to party and enjoy my college years.  I'm a C-student triathlete too and I'm happy with that.  Really.  I know that is so hard for some people to understand becuae we have so many over-achievers here.  For me, it comes down to priorities.  

http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x143/CasMicRog/Mikes%20Woodwrok/?albumview=grid

One of my other hobbies is woodworking and those are some my projects.  I consider myself a c-student woodworker too...but I'm ok with that too.  Maybe I'm just a jack-of-all-trades and conqurer of none.  :-)

~Mike

I got a chance to run with the very tail-end BOP'ers at a triathlon I did as a relay two weekends ago. I swam and ran and someone else biked for me. Since the relay swimmers were in the second to last wave and my cyclist was REALLY slow, I didn't get out on the run course until it was the very last of the last out there. I had fresh legs, and even though I've been injured, I managed a decent clip on a less-than-flat course. I passed every single person I came across and never got passed once. Now I'm not a FOP'er, but my run times are not BOP anymore, and that day, I was a much faster person among people who are true BOP'ers. A lot were walking, some were struggling. It was hot out. My 9:00/mile pace, which isn't fast at all to a true FOP'er, was speedy compared to walkers and 12:00/milers. And I still got smiles and waves and shouts of "good job, keep it up", etc. from them. They didn't seem at all p*ssed or "jealous" that I was faster than them. (Plus, being at the very BOP means you get all the extra water at the water stops thrown on you by willing 10-year-olds!)

So no, the MOP'ers/BOP'ers aren't jealous. And it was actually really humbling to be out there and remember how far I've come. It was the first race for some of these people, but not all - a few were people on my tri team who will probably never be anything more than BOP, no matter how hard they try. Don't take your abilities for granted. You might not always have them.