I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me

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2009-09-26 10:32 AM

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Subject: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me

I'm still fairly new to triathlons, having been doing it for less than a year, but I ran marathons fairly seriously for 2-3 years before that and ran shorter races seriously for 20 years before that. I've always considered myself a decent athlete, and in peak marathon season, running 70-100 miles per week, would definitely have considered myself a very serious endurance athlete (albeit without great genetics!) I got some 'cred for the marathon running, but I'm definitely training less intensely now, and I'm surprised at how much 'cred I get for the triathlon thing give my newbness. 

I tell general-public folks I train for triathlons now, and I think I'm vastly over-rated amongst them on first impression. Why?

- They invariably think I'm doing the Kona IM that they see on TV and ask me what I liked best about Hawaii. (LOL)

- They think doing a sprint or olympic triathlon is way physically harder than a racing a marathon. (Not even remotely true, even in the most extreme of circumstances.)

- Most people are terrified of swimming. If you swim more than 1 lap, they are completely amazed, yet if you bike or run for 3 hours, it's "not bad." 

- They think my low-body fat is a result of endless training and hardcore dieting when in fact it's mostly genetic.

- They ask me if I beat J.Lo or Mario Lopez at the Malbu Triathlon. (thankfully, yes.)

Just throwin' it out there on Sat AM!

 

2009-09-26 10:49 AM
in reply to: #2427452

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Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
You train for and do triathlons. What else is there in the definition of "triathlete" that you don't meet?

God bless the uninitiated and their misconceptions. You can chooes to either corect them and educate them, or just smile and nod.
2009-09-26 10:58 AM
in reply to: #2427452

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Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
Also a Newb here. Began training in March first Tri in May, running my last of the season in October. Two Sprints and a Try a Tri. There are Five of us that train at the local Y all in our late 40's early 50's. Two of us were talking to one of the reception girls (Early 20's). Joking around with her about getting into Tri's. I am 5'10" thininng hair and had literally that day dropped from the Clyde category BOP. Mark is skinny and MOP.
She could easily out run both of us, but her response was "I could never do that, You're elite"
Mark and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Yeah I realize that less than 1% of the worlds population will ever do this, but elite, no just trying to stay off the insulin.
2009-09-26 11:00 AM
in reply to: #2427452

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Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
agarose2000 - 2009-09-26 9:32 AM
  • ..and I'm surprised at how much 'cred I get for the triathlon thing give my newbness. 


    • It's the exact opposite here. I think it's because pretty much everyone here knows someone who has done an IM as a "bucket list" type of thing, and those people are not impressive athletes in the eyes of most locals here. I don't really label myself as anything, but during conversation about athletic activities (which is about all people here talk about), I usually just talk about riding my bike since that is my strength anyway.
    2009-09-26 11:50 AM
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    Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
    agarose2000 - 2009-09-26 11:32 AMThey think doing a sprint or olympic triathlon is way physically harder than a racing a marathon. (Not even remotely true, even in the most extreme of circumstances.)
    I got a reality check on this one yesterday. A new customer comes in to my shop to pick up a few items and sees my copy of Triathlete mag next to the counter. "Oh, you do triathlon", she says and I'm expecting the usual over-the-top platitudes about how "crazy" the sport is. "Do you have any races coming up?" she asks. "Yeah," I say proudly, "I've got the Tropical on Sunday..." and before I can get out another word she cuts me off and says, "well, that's just a little one, right? A sprint?"Turns out she's a runner and a multi-time marathoner (Boston qualifier) who dabbled in Triathlon a decade ago. I made sure to crowbar in the HIM I'm doing in a few weeks in lame, insecure attempt to establish my 'rep as an endurance athlete. Clearly I left out the part about how BOP I am.
    2009-09-26 12:06 PM
    in reply to: #2427452

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    Elite
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    Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
    You're thinking about other people?

    You're not a triathlete. Triathletes are far too self-absorbed to think about other people. Work on that... 

    2009-09-26 1:21 PM
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    Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
    I so do not care what others think.  I have now done 2 seasons, triathlons ranging from sprint to HIM.  I swim, bike and run which to me is the triathlon lifestyle.  Ergo I am a triathlete.

    Joke 'em if they can't take a f--k
    2009-09-26 1:38 PM
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    Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
    breckview - 2009-09-26 12:00 PM
    agarose2000 - 2009-09-26 9:32 AM ...and I'm surprised at how much 'cred I get for the triathlon thing give my newbness. 
    It's the exact opposite here. I think it's because pretty much everyone here knows someone who has done an IM as a "bucket list" type of thing, and those people are not impressive athletes in the eyes of most locals here. I don't really label myself as anything, but during conversation about athletic activities (which is about all people here talk about), I usually just talk about riding my bike since that is my strength anyway.


    *LOL*  I actually double-checked your location info to make sure you didn't live here in Lake Placid.  Around here everyone and their brother is an Ironman/Olympic Skier/Elite Runner/etc. 

    This is not the town to try to kudos for being a triathlete.  On the other hand, it is a GREAT town in which to be triathlete.  (A bike shop AND a tri-specific shop within a mile of my house!) 

    Except for the horrendously long off-season, of course.
    2009-09-26 1:44 PM
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    Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
    Spleen - 2009-09-26 12:50 PM
    agarose2000 - 2009-09-26 11:32 AMT"Do you have any races coming up?" she asks. "Yeah," I say proudly, "I've got the Tropical on Sunday..." and before I can get out another word she cuts me off and says, "well, that's just a little one, right? A sprint?"

    My training partner started in with that "just a little one" on me a few weeks ago since he is now officially signed up for a HIM and I have 0 interest this year or next pushing that distance.  (time, effort, desire, etc) I personally and having a blast doing Sprints and don't feel the need to justify being a triathlete or not.
    So in the future just say, yep, it is a sprint and at full speed for 1:05-1:20 is a lot of fun.  I'd love to see you out there, because the more the merrier.
    2009-09-26 4:50 PM
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    Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
    That is funny. I feel the same way - sadly I have no low body fat genetics !LOL LOL LOL

    But I would have to agree that people are more amazed by the swimming that anything else when I find that is the "easy" portion of the race !LOL!
    2009-09-26 7:26 PM
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    Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me

    my favorite is when asked what I was training for (after a definition of triathlon), the uninitiated inevitably ask, "Did you win?"

    2009-09-26 10:18 PM
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    Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me
    I never felt comfortable calling myself a triathlete even after my first Ironman. I sort of felt it was bragging in some manner, but I finally got over that after I won a lottery spot to Kona in 2007.

    However, talk about people over rating you. I have a Ironman World Championship medal on the wall of my office along with a picture of my crossing the finish line with my time and position very visible. But noone ever seemed to get that I am a normal joe who won the lottery not one of the rock stars who actually qualified, but at the same time I did the race side by side with those rock stars on the same course at the same time and those rock stars accepted me and made me feel like I belonged, so I am comfortable calling myself a triathlete.

    But anyone who put has put in the work to train for and compete in a triathlon has earned the right to call themselves a triathlete. When you want to actually call yourself one is up to you.
    2009-09-27 12:26 AM
    in reply to: #2427452

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    Subject: RE: I feel like when I call myself a "triathlete" people over-rate me

    to people who don't really know much about Triathlons, mentioning the word "Triathlon" congers up images of "super people", even if in reality it is only a Sprint Tri.

    but to someone more knowledgeable about Tri's, then a typical response might be "is it just a Sprint ?" and your bag is deflated...unless you puff up and say "no, IronMan !" then they might be impressed.
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