Reasons why Beginnertriathlete is the best site (Page 2)

bryancd - 2009-06-25 8:08 AM What's funny is that there is a degree of truth to the joke that if you can't be outstanding in one sport, being mediocre in three sports can make you a great triathlete!

breckview - 2009-06-25 10:58 AM I guess I'm a triathlete (although I think this is the first time I've ever called myself that), but "lack of interest" is the only consideration that I almost ever make about anybody who is doing one thing and not another. IMO, the idea from the thread is widespread throughout society. EG. SOME: High altitude mountaineers look down on sport climbers. Tele-skiers look down on alpine skiers. Backcountry skiers look down on lift riding skiers. Etc, etc, etc. The strangest example that I've seen locally is that it appears to me I live is the only place on earth where it's a requirement to know how long you've lived here. The reason is so that others can decide if they should look down upon you or respect you. From what I've surmised the primary look-down order is: Locals (and girls) ------------------- Robin Theobold (local who's family's been here since ~1870 and who owns much of the local property) Local born/raised. Longtime local who moved here as a ski bum in the olden days and made good (30+ years local). Longtime local who moved here when the ski area was popular (20+ years). ** Longtime local who is recent (10+ years) (<-- me). ** Any attractive female. ** True local (5+ years) ** Any female. Longtime local who missed out on the real estate boom by being in the bars too much. Apprentice local (3+ years) ** Some exaggeration is OK depending on how many beers each party has consumed. Non-locals ------------ Unproven local (2+ years) Wannabe local, Front Range (spends lots of time here and will say they're local if asked) Seasonal local (one ski season+) Wannabe local (1 month+, 95% chance of never making True Local) 2nd home owner local (AKA Satan. Summers or winters depending on preference) 2nd home owner visitor(AKA Satan x2. Week here and there) Regular visitor(AKA Angel w/wallet to drain. week here and there but goes home.) Visitor (AKA Angel w/wallet to drain x2, long weekend here and there planning to spend $$$) Tourist (AKA Gaper. First time or non-regular visitor. Still hated regardless of wallet size) Any non-local from Texas. (No words to describe...) (I'm from Texas, BTW.) ------------ Again, this isn't *my* order as I *try* not to "look down" on anybody for any preference that's legal, healthy, and moral. It's just what I've observed locally over the years. Pardon the detail, I've always wanted to get this theory "on paper". There are also important look-down orders for ski ability, cycling ability, and gear ownership, as well but that's about it. Money, cars, jobs, etc means almost nothing to anybody here.

mrbbrad - 2009-06-25 11:19 AM

Define mediocre? Relative to what? Stand alone events? Sure there are faster swimmers. Can they bike? There are faster cyclists. Can they run? There are faster runners. Can they swim? Triathlon isn't three sports. It's one sport with three legs. I think being mediocre makes you mediocre. Nothing great about it.

 

breckview - 2009-06-25 7:58 AM

The strangest example that I've seen locally is that it appears to me I live is the only place on earth where it's a requirement to know how long you've lived here. The reason is so that others can decide if they should look down upon you or respect you. From what I've surmised the primary look-down order is:

newleaf - 2009-06-25 11:29 AM

The folks who win the big IMs... put them up against Olympic swimmers, bikers, or runners in a single event, and their times will be mediocre relative to the rest of the field (I think).  But, they're outstanding triathletes.

I think Bryan's post was pretty obvious.

mrbbrad - 2009-06-25 12:00 PM

I don't. What distances?  What training regimen? Too many variables to be "obvious." You have to be at least a good swimmer, a good cyclist, and a good runner to be a great triathlete. Mediocre won't cut it.

SpiritFire - 2009-06-25 9:30 AM
Hey - this sounds like where I live .. but change "ski" to "surf" ... and I've only been here 2 years - so I don't have any friends yet.

mrbbrad - 2009-06-25 11:00 AM



I don't. What distances?  What training regimen? Too many variables to be "obvious." You have to be at least a good swimmer, a good cyclist, and a good runner to be a great triathlete. Mediocre won't cut it.

I'd be willing to wager that a "big IM" winner could do better than mediocre against Olympic caliber marathoners. I'm tempted to waste the afternoon searching for average marathon finish times at the Olympics and compare that against average stand alone marathon times for world class triathletes. That, or just read Texts from last night

mrbbrad - 2009-06-25 12:00 PM
I'm tempted to waste the afternoon searching for average marathon finish times at the Olympics and compare that against average stand alone marathon times for world class triathletes.

SpiritFire - 2009-06-25 11:30 AM Hey - this sounds like where I live .. but change "ski" to "surf" ... and I've only been here 2 years - so I don't have any friends yet.

JohnnyKay - 2009-06-25 11:34 AM



Do that and you will find the world class triathletes are relatively mediocre marathoners.

bryancd - 2009-06-25 12:41 PM Yep, pretty much. Porbably even more so in swimming. I'll use myself as a for example. My IM run PR is 3:36 in Kona and my open Marathon PR is 2:58 at Boston. Over 1000 people finished ahead of me at Boston. Boston made me feel pretty humbled in regards to my run prowress!

bryancd - 2009-06-25 12:41 PM Yep, pretty much. Porbably even more so in swimming. I'll use myself as a for example. My IM run PR is 3:36 in Kona and my open Marathon PR is 2:58 at Boston. Over 1000 people finished ahead of me at Boston. Boston made me feel pretty humbled in regards to my run prowress!

bryancd - 2009-06-25 12:27 PM Wow, dude. Maybe you missed tghe part where I said it was an old joke? You really should read the post and see it was a bit tongue in cheek. In regards to the rest of what you said, I know that Stadler has never gone under 2:30 in a stand alone Marathon while the Olympic guys are sub 2:10, so.......

smilford - 2009-06-25 1:23 PM

STILL

2:30 for 'elite' level mathoners is medicore, at best. That same person in a triathlon just became a top runner in triathlon.

A 57-59min 40k guy is medicore on the bike. That same guy in a triathlon leg would be well up front.

you get the point.. Not sure what the arguement is. but I wanted to jump in

docswim24 - 2009-06-25 2:07 PM  A 17 minute male miler is a decent small D1/large D3 distance swimmer (no shot at NCAA's or the Olympics) and would be FOP for triathlons.

run4yrlif - 2009-06-25 2:38 PM




The B time standard (which won't actually get you into the meet) for D3 NCAAs was 16:21 for the '09 meet. It took 16:00 to make the meet.

bryancd - 2009-06-25 2:08 PM

 The grain of truth is that relative to the the best of the three other sports, triathletes wouldn't be close to the top

bryancd - 2009-06-25 2:08 PM

  Your supposition that pro thletes would be competitive open marathon runners compared to pro runners is not correct.