TANgents welcome (#36) (Page 31)

There's free lunch at work today. Chinese, lots of choices. I bet it even has some real Chinese in it, yum.

It takes so little to make me happy.

I started tri's since I was doing 1/2 and full marathons, and as my cross training would swim,, but i just don't seem to improve much on the bike, and I think I bike a decent amount.. I'm sure one day I'll do more running events again, and just keep swimming.

I've proven over the last year of running that I can, given volume and consistency, be a MOP runner in most distances... and in a half-marathon I can make top 1/3. I'm quite happy with that.

My experiences with cycling has been is that a) I'm too timid and b) you really have to specialize with cycling to be 'good' at that. You can be an OK runner and still ride (maybe not ride great) but to be fast in cycling you have to pretty much quit doing anything else, and it seems like people are always crashing and either breaking collarbones and/or teeth. Collarbones my health insurance will cover but teeth would have to come out of my own pocket.

One of the things that's a bit aggravating about cycling, running, etc. as a male entering my late 40s is that its still pretty competitive in the races out there, and at this point, you're competing against guys who were better athletes when they were young than I ever was.

I also think that the people who aren't fast tend to skip races after a while - I mean, why continue to race if you're going to be DFL (or near DFL) every time, no matter how much you train? I find it rather boring to simply run or cycle to stay in shape though... I'm not that motivated to go out and ride for my own self-edification like I am playing guitar.

One of the things I like about half marathons - and the one marathon I've done - the distances are long enough that the entire *attitude* within the crowd is so different than a crit, or a tri, where people are trying to kill their competition. Its about surviving the distance the best you can, where completing is good enough.

I've thought about getting into randonneuring. And there's a good bike club next door in Davis, CA that runs a brevet series. However, that particular activity tends to attract retirees and people a lot older than me and I am just so not ready to hang out with the Ben Gay crowd yet. Physiologically, I'm more suited for doing that, but riding by myself against a series of time checks for a given distance - say 200 km - I can do that WITHOUT it being a part of an organized event, and I don't have to answer to anyone's perceived notions of what 'doing well' means.

Hmm, that's kind of where I am as well, but I came from a swimming background, mainly Master's and am starting to get into running. I feel like swimming is a great break from running and it's not too hard to balance the two.

See, I just run.  I don't swim anymore because I just don't enjoy it.  I was on swim team as a kid, I was certified for SCUBA, but laps in a pool at this point?  Forget it.

Cycling is only marginally better.  Mostly because I need a bike to do it, whereas running, I can throw on the shoes and go. 

See, I just run.  I don't swim anymore because I just don't enjoy it.  I was on swim team as a kid, I was certified for SCUBA, but laps in a pool at this point?  Forget it.

Cycling is only marginally better.  Mostly because I need a bike to do it, whereas running, I can throw on the shoes and go. 

Something very sweet, pure, and yet primal about running.

Where do you find tri clothes for less than $10? Target

My experience at the 2 dus and 2 tris (one relay without the swim) - just too competitive. More people hang around at run events afterwards and socialize and its pretty low pressure. At Heatwave in 2006, Sac Tri, the du in MS and last summer's du # 1, the people hanging around afterwards were crowing about their performances... or there with their trophy SOs telling them how great they were. Most of the people who were more MOP/BOP simply left and went home.

I like piling up miles on the bike and seeing my running totals grow. Sometimes, though, keeping up the totals with a race looming gets to be a bit much...

Come on, you're not really surprised are you?

My experience at the 2 dus and 2 tris (one relay without the swim) - just too competitive. More people hang around at run events afterwards and socialize and its pretty low pressure. At Heatwave in 2006, Sac Tri, the du in MS and last summer's du # 1, the people hanging around afterwards were crowing about their performances... or there with their trophy SOs telling them how great they were. Most of the people who were more MOP/BOP simply left and went home.

I like piling up miles on the bike and seeing my running totals grow. Sometimes, though, keeping up the totals with a race looming gets to be a bit much...

I think the half is a very doable distance for most people as long as (channeling Scout) you don't get hung up about time or performance goals. You can train for a half without it entirely taking over your life like marathon training tends to do. You can't half-fast train for a marathon if you want to be able to finish it without getting a trip to the ER (or simply dropping out).

People always ask me since I'm a native Iowan and love to cycle if I want to do RAGBRAI. I just have 0 interest... first, I'd have to take a week of vacation time that, at this point in life, I'd rather spend with my children, and the other truth is that RAGBRAI is mostly a big, drunken party and being around 10,000 drunks for a week is not my idea of a good time.

Wow, my race experiences have been completely different. Everyone's been really friendly and talkative at the three races I've done.

Sales at Target. Racks at places even like Sav-ON, you'd be surprised. Always look on the discount racks at sports stores, and sports-specific (running/cycling) stores. And then look sad. You'd be amazed what that can get you from a sympathetic (young male straight) employee.

Closeouts at the following websites, and patience:

www.sierratradingpost.com

www.swimoutlet.com

www.trisports.com

www.all3sports.com

There's a few others--google tri websites, and then check their discounts/closeouts frequently.

I get running shoes for $40 to $50. Those, I can't do for less.

I've had some great experiences at tri's and a lot of triathletes are awesome (or else I would not be here). I just think that my physique combined with my personality make me feel more at home with run competition which have a lot of diversity.

I will say though that at my last tri there was a guy complaining that he didn't "win" because he got third. I think he must have been in the 30-34 AG which is super competitive. As I watched him walk a way with his friends and family I wondered what kind of impact that must be having on his young kids who were with him. I'm not saying that he was like that because he was a triathlete - I know plenty of people like that who are not triathletes, I'm just saying that I thought it was really sad.