When are you a "triathlete"? (Page 3)

One day at work we talking about biking, running  or swimming and someone said "easy for you, you are a triathlete".  Until then I figure I did a few sprints but Some else thought of me as a triathlete. 

This sounds reasonable to me.  Just about anyone can do one race, but to keep doing them, in my mind, makes you a Triathalete.

This fall there will be alot of guys standing on the sidelines that never get into the game.  Are they football players, or just guys that dress up and stand on the sidelines.  I think if you are training and working toward completing a triathlon, then you are a triathlete.  Don't really see "triathlete" as being some kind of deserved title.

Apples and Oranges.  The guys that "just stand around" were still picked to be on a team.  They are not ones who just put on a uniform, ran a couple drills,  and now are magically called football players..  They made the team, they are football players.

What you're saying is I can "train" all my life, never compete in a triathlon and still call myself a triathlete?

Webster says: tri ath lete - one who competes in triathlon.  So I guess "technically" you would have to compete or have INTENTIONS to compete to be a triathlete, but who is splitting hairs. 

But to answer your question...I think YOU can call yourself a triathlete if you want to.  I don't think it will offend anyone one way or the other.  If you don't feel comfortable, or think it is a big deal, don't.  Personally I don't CALL myself a triathlete.

X2 on the shirt.   It stays in the bag until I cross the line.  Not sure what I would do in the event of a DNF??  

For me it is the word "athlete" in triathlete that feels so foreign when used in reference to me. I have not one athletic bone in my body and never have. Always last one picked for sports in school. Also, if athlete means someone who is SKILLED in sports, I don't consider myself skilled because I can get through the three events. I'm physically fit, but I'll always be BOP and have a really hard time thinking of myself as an athlete in any sense. I even feel like a fraud when I mention so someone at the pool for instance that I'm training for a triathlon. I'm fearful that they will be overly impressed and not realize that they shouldn't be.

I agree with this, although I personally didn't consider myself one until after completing my second tri - I'm not sure why.

For me, it was when I completed my first race.  Although I don't go around introducing myself as George the Triathlete!  ( Well...I did have "I Am A Triathlete" as my blog title for a while after completing my first race )

I just completed my second one, and immediately came home and signed up for my third, and fourth.  I can't imagine not wanting to do them now that I've got the "bug".    I think anyone that has trained and completed one has earned the title.

When you have completed a tri to the true best of your ability at that time. 

Even though I am new at this I know it is a mental as well as physical personal experience.  Each one of us has a different yardstick to measure when we are a "triathlete".  But it requires sacrifice and achieving at least a little more than you thought possible.

For me it required doing a bike ride at 25 degrees and a run at over 90, not because I wanted to, but because by body was ready to train.  Begging a desk clerk at a hotel to open the workout room an hour early so I didn't miss a session.  Getting up while the house is quite to dress in the dark so I could get a ride in before work.  And finally it required doing a practice race in pouring rain getting pelted by raindrops that feel like darts on the bike ride, and doing T2, more soaked than T1, and fighting through back and leg pain that I didn't expect, but just accepted as part of the experience.

I have not done a official race, but I have done the distance in a time better than I thought I  could.  I could have done the distance in March but even if I had, I would have not considered my self a triathlete.  But, now my training has taken me farther than I thought it would and I have worked through more pain than I thought I would want to endure for a silly race.  I would not wear a shirt or a badge that proclaims I am, but in my mind I know I am.

Why shouldn't they be impressed?  My husband is a better biker and runner than I am.  He has been blessed in ways that I can only dream of and no matter how hard I work I'm never going to be as talented as he is.  But he's impressed with me!  He is convinced he could never do the swim and even though I just started swimming 5 months ago and tell him he could learn (and probably do better than me at that too) he has a mental block there.  So he's impressed with me because I am mentally tougher than he is and even without his natural abilities I'm pressing on. 

BOP still finishes ahead of those who never try.

When a large portion of your disposable income is willingly spent on coaching, race entry fees, travel expenses, apparel, electronic gadgets, nutritional items, and medical professionals all in the name of staying healthy enough to race, I call myself a triathlete. But maybe that's just me

Pam

me too

I just wanna be a an "armchair -triathlete"

When I saw my good friend from work finish her first race last week (Sprint Triathlon).  She has weight problems, trained hard, and finished last and about 500 people erupted in cheers for her when she crossed the finish line.  She was so happy.

Before that I was a guy that liked to swim, bike and run.   That really made me proud of this sport.

x4

So True...I like that!

In my opinion, which isn't much at times, I'd say that you are officially a triathlete when you start trying to do more than  just finish, be it after the 1st race, or the 100th. Trying to be competitive = triathlete.

When you cross the first finish line.