Yea yea, I know, there isn't anything truly BAD about being a triathlete. But let's just play a little devil's advocate as we go along here. We're all so wrapped up in our training all the time and thinking about our next race or workout, that we don't realize all the good and possibly not so good things about the sport we have taken up. So I'll start listing a few to get us started and we'll go from there, listing some fun stuff to take a look at along the way as well.
1.) PRO - we're in really good shape
Well, some of us are. Some of us aren't. One of the nicest things about starting out in the sport is knowing when you show up race morning in your lycra outfit, feeling self-conscious, there will be at least a couple hundred other people wearing something similar. Some of them being 300 pounds or more. So yea, we're all not there, but we have a some similar goals.
2.)PRO - We get to eat whatever we want!
NOPE! LIES! You can't eat pizza and beer for every meal. "But the carbs bro! I'll burn them all off!" Fat chance, literally. Being a triathlete is a delicate balance of eating the right foods at the right time to both balance energy levels, recovery and weight. Almost tougher than that of being a regular human being that just eats right.
3.) PRO - We're really good at more than just one sport.
Maybe some of us are. But more than likely, we're all just average at all three of the sports, if that. Compare your swim, bike and run times to that of pure swimmers, cyclists and runners. Yea, sorry, we're not that fast. Even the pros would struggle to hold pace in all the categories in each spcified field. Could they compete, probably. But not all of them, and not in all 3 categories.
4.) CON - the triathlete stigma(s)
Lots of other athletes out there put us on a pedestal thinking that we think we're better than all of them. Maybe some of you do, but let's not do that. I work with a lot and talk with a lot of cyclists coming in and out of the store, and by all means I don't expect to be faster than any of them. Especially a co-worker who is a CAT3 cyclist. He'd bury me in the first couple miles of a road race without even flinching. We're a different breed, yes, but that doesn't make us any better or worse. We're all athletes.
5.) CON - Ironman
Okay, so it's not really a CON, but how many times have you been asked,"Oh, you're a triathlete, so have you done Ironman?" and your answer is no. Then they give you that look of disappointment. For too many people out there, Ironman is the only reasonable distance to associate with being a triathlete. Just like a marathon is for a lot of people who talk about running. There's a lot being said to be able to run a sub-15min 5k or faster as well as sub 2:30 marathon. They're two completely different styles. Just like comparing an Olympic distance race and breaking 2 hours, vs 12 hours in an Ironman. Both these feats are great on their own. So the next time someone gives you the "Oh you haven't done an Ironman?", just do what I do, tell them you like going really fast and really hard. Ironman is a whole nother sport in my mind.
6.) PRO - You get really sweet gear.
Yes, but it's REALLY expensive. Mostly for the bike, obviously. But even to get a wetsuit and running shoes and the gear to run and swim in different locations and weather. It's all variable. We take the brunt of what a cyclist needs, sometimes more for having a road AND triathlon bike, then add in two other sports on top of that.
7.) CON - We're always time crunched.
FACT. You will always want to get in more workouts than you actually can leading up to a race. But that's how it goes for just about EVERYONE. I can't think of anyone who has never missed a workout for some reason or another. It happens. Fitting in what we can is what we tend to do best. But it also is a PRO, since we get really good at allocating our time and planning our days to get in the training we essentially need.
8.) PRO - We're always tan.
Well yea, most of us. In the months when there is sun. Especially if you're running with your shirt off or cycling in your tri jersey from time to time on those hot days. It happens. But having thos harsh tan lines on your arms and ankles to match a cyclist are pretty rad, too. It shows your dedication to the bike. So don't be afraid of those.
There's obviously a bunch of others out there, but this is a good start. I'll ponder some more and hit everyone back with some more fun ones to digest. Until next time: keep training and see you out there!
Dave
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