Pet peeves at tris? (Page 2)

What was the website? J/k.... At my first tri I used a beach towel to claim my spot next to my bike as my transition area. I had a smaller towel to dry off a little after the swim. Got back from my bike and the guy next to me must have used my beach towel to dry off. My running shoes were moved and not in the right spot and my towel was hanging on the bike rack, wet.

I sure do. When does football seaso start?!?

Cool, yeah I'd probably get miffed by that, too.

If people were getting help with their wetsuits *outside* the TA, however, I wouldn't care. I just got my first wetsuit and almost had a panic attack trying to get it on by myself (it's a zipperless 2-piece). I had visions of knocking on a neighbor's door (with my head), locked in full straight-jacket mode, whimpering, "Please help me!"

bock

Edited by bock 2005-05-10 3:43 PM

Never soon enough!  Kinda messes up the end of tri season though--life's tought choices, to Auburn for the weekend or to a race. 

Here's another pet peeve I have...and it doesn't even have to go with tris, I've seen it at marathons. Whenever there is a beer truck at the finish line and you are only allowed to take two beers at a time. What's worse it's low carb Michelob Ultra. I need that high carb stuff.

huh...huh.... you said beer!!!!!!!

That's a perfect example why I bring my own celebration beer!

When the people who won the race have no respect for those of us who started behind them and are struggling just to finish. Here they are out for their second run because they are bored waiting to get their award and need to get more miles in. GGRR If its so flippin easy for them they shouldn't be in the race. Practice when you get home and don't make the rest of us feel like crap.

people that think they are fast and ride three abreast at the same speed. Some of us ride faster then 15mph.

*sigh*

At Davis Island Tri last year, I was passed by a group of these dudes on the run course not once, but TWICE.  It was my worst 5K time ever. 

Here's another one...when you watch a kid eat a cheeseburger, fries and a coke before a 5k race, and than he just sprints past you during the race and beats you by 8 minutes. Man, I wish I was a kid again and be able to still do that.

Move your bike after you set up? ...If you do that at an Ironhead production triathlon... all you have to do is go to the RD and he would disqualify them on the spot for doing that... seen him do it... pretty hard core... but, he runs a very organized and efficient race.

Joe Moya

Orange swim caps and Orange bouys...

Joe

I was at a race and I had the very closest spot to leave on the bike.  So I go out for a warmup ride around the course and I come back and some guy put his bike right in my spot.  I gently put his bike on the ground and went to the pool for the start.  I see the guy later on and he won his age group and he was jumping around with his buddies.  Well at some point  the officials gave him a 5 minute penalty and that put him out of the medals.HAHA!

My pet peeve is triathlons that don't give finishers medals.  I am boycotting all non-medal-giving tris.  JoJo needs her post-race bling.

In my area we just lost a race organization because the race director had been pushed over the edge by the behavior and attitudes of the racers. Many of my pet peeves were in his own statement about why he was leaving the sport. As age group triathletes we OWN our sport. Without us the sport could not exist - there are not enough pros nor are there advertisement deals to keep the sport afloat without the age groupers. This means it is OUR responsibility to create an atmosphere in which negative behaviors, cheating, rudeness, and disrespect are simply not tolerated. Otherwise, we risk losing more race directors and opportunities to enjoy our sport. To me, there is NO EXCUSE for any of the following:

- People who litter, leaving trash on the course and in the transition area.
- People who are rude and/or un-appreciative of the volunteers on the course.
- People who criticize the race director for things that are not his/her fault - such as high bacteria counts causing a swim to be cancelled at the last minute. If you have a complaint, by all means lodge it with the race organization - most have a channel to do so. But make it an educated complaint, and offer a solution to make it better. Constructive criticism is a good thing. Negativism and whining are bad.
- People who are inconsiderate in the food lines, helping themselves to far more than their share and leaving others with nothing.
- Cheating of any kind. Poor sportsmanship of any kind.
- Putting other people in danger due to stupidity in the water (e.g. 'climbing' over a swimmer in front of you to pull yourself forward)

If you are guilty of any of these things, stay away from racing. People don't like you.

That's my 2 cents.

my pet peeve are those that assume they are kings and queens because they have disc wheels and carbon this or that. love watching those with raw talent/less sophisticated gear tear them up on the course.

Sad to hear your not so positive experiences as mine have been all great!! Can come up with two minor pet peeves.

1) Races that advertise what pros are going to be there and then they aren't. Was looking forward to Chris Legh, and Lori Bowden at a 1/2 ironman last summer and then they weren't there.

2) The race announcer telling you sho to follow in the pre-race meeting...if your not sure where to go follow competitor ####. If you can still see him on the bike turn where #### turns. Found out just before the race competitor number #### was Craig Walton. No one was close enought to him to follow

Scavenger hunts for packet pickup. I did a race last year where you had to go into the heart of downtown to get your packet, then out into the country at the lake for bike checkin. Would have been a lot easier for the packets to be out at the venue.

I'm probably the only one who feels this way, but it really annoys me when some fast cat on the world's most expensive bike cruises up to me on my very ordinary road bike and says something patronizing about how I'm doing really great, only a few more miles! I want to haul off and throw my water bottle in his 3-spoke wheel. Number 1, I KNOW I'm doing great, the bike is my strongest leg (patronize me on the swim or the run, sure, but not the bike). Number 2, if I'd spent more on my bike than on my car I'd give Zippy the Pinhead a run for the $. Number 3, don't talk to me during the race. What is that about? Are you hitting on me? Are you drafting off me? Shouldn't you be focused on breaking some sort of land speed record?

Zippy probably thinks he's being supportive of some poor little age grouper. I hate that. I heart my bad attitude.

A little jealous touchy there aren't we? Over on the "likes" thread, several people are counting this "patronizing" encouragement as their favorite thing about a triathlon, and here you are calling it a "pet peeve"

Maybe wear a "DO NOT ENCOURAGE" sign on the back of your jersey (my wife has one she carries on my behalf), 'cause I'm going to continue to encourage everyone that I pass, or passes me, on any leg (except swim, 'cause those fast swimmers need to get a life).

You bet I'm envious of the swish bike! I figure I'm the only one who doesn't like the encouragement, so I just smile and nod. I'm just a little psychotically competitive (you oughta see my resume). You do NOT want to play Monopoly with me. I try not to inflict this personality flaw on others more than necessary.

At my last tri I started third from the last - pool swim and the line went along as space came available in the pools. Fast(er) swimmers went in the last leg. When I finished my bike, I come to T2 and my rack is gone. All my stuff is there but my rack is gone. Luckily they weren't timing transitions.

I have only done one tri....but I did have a VERY RUDE guy (in his early twenties) pass me in the pool He litterally swam ON TOP OF ME! Then, once he was in front of me, put his feet down in the pool to take a rest. I couldn't believe it. Then, I passed him (way to the left to pass) and he started "swimming" (if you could call it that) past me again and grabbed by leg this time. He let go pretty quick, and passed right on top of me again. We ended up finishing at the same time, and I smoked him on the bike. He, in turn, smoked me on the run and finished about 10 minutes ahead of me. I just couldn't believe his pool ettiqute. I saw several people pass in a rude manner. When I passed, I went all the way around the swimmer, making sure not to kick up too much water so when they went to take a breath, they weren't greeted by a wave of water. It just isn't nice. I think that in a sprint or olympic tri, it just isn't polite to bother other people. We aren't going for a world record at the IM. It is just a sprint for crying out loud. No need to move my bike so that your bike is closer. No need to grab my leg so that you can pass me in the pool. Just BE NICE!

Okay...all done.