All Kinds of Idiots (Page 2)

You should have gotten this guy's autograph.  With lap times of approximately 42 seconds per 100, this guy is sure to become an olympic swimming legend ... if he isn't one in his mind already!

First, did you read the initial post completely and have you read all of the posts in this thread; particularily the one about the historical significance of the distances in an Ironman.  Second, he was very clear that it was 2.4 miles - especially considering he thought the swim leg should be more like 25k.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, that is how the conversation started, him asking me about my training and what it took.  Me explaining it and probing to see if he would like to get involved b/c I could point him in the direction of some articles, books and websites (BT.com).  Then he began attacking the sport and talking about triathletes not being real endurance athletes if the swim in the longest race is only 2.4 miles.  From there I determined he was either an idiot, moron or just a general a$$hole.

I would never go to the extreme of venting about someone I didn't try to bring into the triathlon lifestyle first.  Next time before you attack someone about the posts here maybe you need to realize we are all about promoting the sport and would never take this attitude about someone without good cause.

When somebody responds you with a phrase such as:

“That doesn’t look/sound that hard”, “I think I can easily do that” or “You are crazy for even trying” regarding any activity is just a way to either state their lack of interest or justify their own fear to go ahead and try it for their selves… 

The guy sounds clueless..  I think most everyone knows what the Ironman means from the days of WWS... (Wide World of Sport - ABC)  The first time I ever saw a tri..

I would not even bother with this guy....

Let me start by saying I completely agree with your assertion that we need to be ambassadors of the sport - and trust me, I am (as I think everyone here at BT.com is), and have brought many people to the sport and the site.  But, I must respond to some of your final comments.

First, your reading of my post may have been way too analytical.  In saying this, I mean, took it to be the complete and end all of everything said during my conversation with this classmate.  It wasn't - I just hit some of the high points of the conversation that really erked me.  I hoped to be a little on the breif side to avoid too long of a post.

Moving on: I did, and do agree with him and you about the swim being comparatively short to the other legs of an Ironman race, but my problem began we he attacked the achievement of completely an Ironman race - as that would be easy.  Again, I agree with you - he is wrong.

I can't argue with you about the possibility of the swim being a 25k and that being more in tune with the other distances.  I just think along the lines that an Ironman is not meant to be a combination of the longest endurance events of three sports, but is the longest distance in the triathlon world (single day events that is - see Ultraman).

Yes, I have been wrong about plenty of things in numerous conversations some of them about Triathlon.  And, unforetunately one of them was during my first conversation with a member of the local tri club who has finished Kona - Embarassed!  But, regarding his comment about it taking 30 minutes to complete the swim.  I did mention that the best swimmers among the elite triathletes take just over 45 minutes to complete the swim (and that guy dnf'd at Kona in 2004) with the elite among finishers being in the 50 minute range, and the best among age groupers being in the 60-90 minute range.  His attitude remained the same: "I would have no problem finishing the swim in 30 minutes."   When I pointed out to him that may be so (knowing, and having pointed out to him he would have to maintain better than 1500m freestyle WR pace for the entire 2.4 miles to do that) but you would have to upon finishing that swim immediately run to your bike mount and ride for 112 miles then dismount your bike and immediately run a marathon.  He response again: "No problem - yeah I would be tired from the swim, but I would have been using my arms, and on the bike it would be my legs - No Problem, different muscle group."  Again, I point out if you spend all your energy finishing a 30 minute swim leg, I can almost guarantee you will not finish the bike leg as you will have spent all (or at least way too much) of your energy on the swim.  His response: "No, it is a different muscle group."  It became clear to me he was not getting it and wouldn't that if you swim a 30 minute swim leg you will not have the energy to use any muscles in your body much less your legs.  I went down every road you have said I should with this guy.  He had it is his head (or at least that is how it came out - - it may be the environment - we are in law school and it breads competitiveness - he may have just been trying to one up and I'm better than you, me, but it made him sound like a jerk.

He wasn't saying no big deal about the swim - he was saying no big deal about an Ironman race.

It wasn't that I sensed he didn't know as much as I did - it was that he had the high-and-mighty attitude that he know it all, and that because his is or was an endurance swimmer he could go out and do an Ironman with no problem.  I tried to explain that sometimes even the best in the world at triathlon end up not finishing a race for a multitude of reasons, and his attitude continued - - I don't see why with that short of a swim the bike and run should be easy.  I guess it comes down to I got the feeling that as a swimmer he felt he was superior to other athletes and that biking 112 miles and running a marathon would be easy.  Which we all know isn't the case.

I didn't feel attacked, I just wanted to clarify some of your concerns about the conversation and it sounding like I jumped to a conclusion about this guy.  I don't think I did as many of the things you pointed out were actually discussed and he continually discounted them - but, it is still possible I did without intending to - but, there is a standing invitation to come on out and train and do a triathlon of whatever distance he thinks he is up to.

Again, I completely agree with you about being ambassadors of the sport.  That is what triathlon is about and what most of us BTers are about.  I try to be that everyday.  Along with spending a lot of time reading for law school, I am constantly reading articles in the magazines, or books on the sport or training at school, so I get inquires at least once a week.  So far, everyone has been of either two classes; 1) your nuts, no way am I doing that, or 2) sounds like fun, but I want to get some basic fitness on my own, I would like to start over the summer though once school is out.  To both of those groups I say, Yep, let me know when your up for it, I will get you whatever info. and help I can.  But, this guy feel into a third group; wow, that's cool, but that's not really an endurance event is it.  If figure if he was truly interested and wanting to understand, his initial comment would have ended with a put down of the sport and those that chose to compete in the sport.

I don't know, it may have just been me but he certainly rubbed me the wrong way.  We shall see, I see him everyday.  Maybe my increased fitness and continually improving appearance (dropped 40 lbs. and increased strength by 15% since starting in the sport last Sept.), and never seeming tired like my classmates (energy abounds from training) maybe he will inquire again, but this time about the benefits of the sport.

Trust me I wouldn't have ranted about this classmate the way I did if I hadn't tried everything to educate and inform him about the sport.  I have had several other conversations that started the same way as this one and ended much different once I provided a little information and cleared up some misconceptions, but this time - he had all the answers - most of them wrong - but he had them all.

I will close by just saying again - we must be ambassadors to the sport and I agree with you, but this was a special case.  And, I apologize for not making a complete recount of the conversation and that it caused this miscommunication between us.

Your concerns are noted and welcome to BT.com and many happy years of training and racing!!

Tim Geiger

Amen sister!

Let's stop taking ourselves so seriously! We swim/bike/run... we enjoy it. If we talk about it with some other people... some will get it, some won't... some will want to join us, most won't... If that swimmer guy thinks he can swim the IM swim leg in 30 minutes, he should try. We can't force him to try, and we can't force him to think he CAN'T do it... he's just going to have to figure it out for himself. Let him think whatever he wants. Ultimately it doesn't matter, and it doesn't change your race schedule or the hours YOU have to put in to make yourself the KICK A$$ athlete you are!! We all are!

Let people think whatever they want... Get out there and train for yourselves!!! Let's enjoy this sport/hobby/obsession/diversion and be grateful we found it while we're still young enough and spry enough and healthy enough to partake.

Go BT!!!

Whizzzzzzz

If this comes up again, here's how to deal with it:

Act suitably amazed and impressed with his "world record abilities" and say something like "That's hard to believe, but if you say so then I guess you can. Hey, I know! Prove it. If you swim 2.5 miles in 30 minutes or less like you say you can, I'll donate $100 to the Special Olympics." Don't make him put up anything but his pride and make sure there are people around to hear this and encourage them to chip in.

If he refuses, just smile, say "Yeah. Ok. There are dreamers and there are doers." and walk away.

If he takes you up on it, he's exposed as an arrogant/delusional putz.

Either way works out for you, and depending how you structure it, a worthwhile charity might get a donation.

Or, as a very fast swimmer.

Good suggestion!