Are you a triathlete?

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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby Jack Hughes » 18 Jan 2010 18:20

There seems to be a remarkable consensus of opinion: "I don't call myself one, I just do them".

Put the question the other way round:

Who is a triathlete?

1) Chrissie Wellington (Pro - Done a few Ironmen with some success)
2) Alastair Brownlee (Amateur world champ - never done an Iron Man)
3) Hussler - GB team, trains full time with a very supportive employer
3) jonathan.e (been competing every season for the last 400 years, won some, lost some)
4) Conehead (Wrote the book, done a few every season for the last three/four years)
5) Jules (done a couple of seasons, no Ironman [I think])
6) Me - Just done one tri, an easy pool based affair
7) My Dog (never done one - swimming and running are coming on, but he'll never master the bike).

If we all claimed to be Triathletes, who would you call a liar?

[Apologies if I have misrepresented anyone's achievements...]
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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby md6 » 18 Jan 2010 18:24

everyone but the dog! :lol:
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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby didds » 18 Jan 2010 20:24

Jack Hughes wrote:If we all claimed to be Triathletes, who would you call a liar?


maybe the dog ;-) But if he can actually himself say out loud and intelligibly "I am a triathlete" then I'll accept that ;-)

reading what is said has made me realise something... in fact i REGARD myself as a triathletre, but, in line with many others, when discussing what "I do" I do say something along the lines of "I train and compete in traithlons". I am personally slightly unconfrtable with the word "compete" or "race" as I can see that in terms of the vast majority of those in front of me I can not be said to be "racing" as opposed to splashing, puffing and plodding - but to explain that nuance to anybody that doesn;t swim/bike/run in race environments is too much bother!

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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby jonathon.e » 18 Jan 2010 20:53

Following on from Jack's 'who is' poser.For those of us who say we are not Triathletes,at what point would you consider calling yourself one?

Me,I would consider calling myself one when I achieve a podium finish for my age group at Major championship,be it Regional,world,IM,70.3.I could still be hoping for victory when I am 70+.
I could then call myself a Triathlete,give the sport up and say 'I used to be a Triathlete'.
But it seems to be a very personal ideal as to where you wish to draw the line in the sand,so where is everyone else's?
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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby Jaminho » 18 Jan 2010 21:11

Hard to define again, on Jack's list if introducing those people to friends I would only introduce the top two as triathletes because it's what they do professionally.

However, if I introduced the others and someone said 'is he/she a triathlete' I would definitely say yes. (apart from the last one, then i'd say no he's a dog)
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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby jonathon.e » 18 Jan 2010 21:34

In addition to my reply above it might seem slightly paradoxical,or oxymoronic(not quite sure which would be apt),but the top two do it for a living,the next six would be resonable competent in all aspects of the disciplines,but the last two are more deserving,Jack for learning to swim and Mungo for trying to cycle(patience Mungo it will come with time).
I will applaud the Pro for winning the race but I will cheer the weekend warrior for finishing whilst holding down a 45hr a week job and supporting a family.
I consider myself to be lucky when it involves sport(except ones that require hand eye co-ordination),so in my eyes my achievements are lower than those that are achieved by others moving into new areas of activity.
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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby Jack Hughes » 18 Jan 2010 21:56

jonathon.e wrote:...give the sport up and say 'I used to be a Triathlete'.


Following on from/Inspired by the thread on Gary's "little problem", it is generally said that you can never give up being an Alcoholic.. is the same true for the sport.. after all, most sports are just a little bit addictive, if not just from the adrenaline rush. There are other similarities: all this avoiding the WAT, hiding your "gear". Always wanting the next bit of bling - something harder that will give you more of a rush; those zip 808s used to seem so good, but now they just don't do it any more.

I am Jack Hughes and I am a Triathoholic. Or something.
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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby Sir Conehead » 18 Jan 2010 23:13

Vely intelesting Mr Hughes....

Do you remember a while ago I was looking for a word that refered to what is commonly called novices and we settled on 'Rookie' as a better representation of who that might refer to. Is this the same sort of thing? We're not 'triathletes' but 'do' triathlons so what do we call ourselves and who do we consider a 'triathlete'?

Sheeeeesh - its turning into a real brain trainer this one - I would say on that list that the top two are triathletes as they are pro's. For me it sitll comes down to what you're paid to do, I'm not paid to be a triathlete so I don't consider myself a triathlete. Even if I was in Hussler-esque territory of being a GB age grouper, he's an instructor in the RAF who 'does' triathlons. Albeit it does triathlons very well! The again he competes for the RAF......ooooh I don't know!

All I know is I'm not a triathlete - pro's are definately triathletes - top AGers, I dunno. Lets keep delving.....
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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby Jack Hughes » 18 Jan 2010 23:26

Now.. I'm not even sure that Mr Brownlee would call himself a triathlete... as he's a local lad, we get a slightly different view of him. He does quite a lot of running events during the off season - in fact, I keep missing out on racing with him - he did the Park run one week I missed out, and he's just been doing the Wooden tops fell race series, which I have missed out on through injury.. anyway...

You can tell from the answers he gives and what he does that he still thinks that he is a Cross country runner/Fell runner, who does some triathlons in the summer, because there aren't any fells/XCs in the summer.

I'm sure his view will change... but...

It's all about identity - we, generally, identify most with things we are good at. I (could) probably spend as much time doing DIY as I do training.. but would never call myself a DIY enthusiast, because I hate it.

We are also very conditioned to think of our identities in terms of the jobs we do - it's the number 2 ice breaking question after "What's your name" it's "and what do you do?".
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Re: Are you a triathlete?

Postby jonathon.e » 19 Jan 2010 09:01

Perhaps Conehead should ask some of his pro friends at what point they considered being a Triathlete.They must have crossed the line at sometime.

A few years ago at Ilkley a couple of juniors entered.The field contained a number a regulars that I recognsed from meeting them over the years and I considered them to be Triathletes.The two juniors finished first and second overall,they had only a few tri's under their respective belts,still at school etc,unpaid,not sponsered.
They were brother and sister,the brother got the course record. Displacing the previous holder,a certain lad called Brownlee,likewise the sister finishing second breaking th course record by a couple of lightyears.

So relative newcomers,juniors,unpaid,beating a field of established names,were they Triathletes?












If I said they were Phil and Vicki Graves would it change your mind?
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