M Dot Tattoo b4 ironman

Yes.

It's like calling yourself a doctor in high school.

NOT exactly, See i know i'm going to complete this ironman, your comparison to a doctor is just so far off because that requires schooling and stuff and you can't train to do that..

the issue is that you may be ready and able to complete the race, but you never know what can happen in a race which could hinder you performance to finish.  Its the unexpected, the weather, the course....etc....plus there is a fine line between confident and overconfident and many may think you crossed it.  Plus the M dot is earned, thats why its respected.  Any way you slice it you havent earned it yet.  

Just saying....Good luck though

I would do it after. You get hurt before the race and can not do it, well .....you know the deal.

Yeah, cuz no one ever DNF's an Ironman race!

Personally?  I think IM tattoos are lame.  You can imagine what I think of them when someone hasn't actually done one

Let me ask you this... are you in the Marines?  If no, would you tattoo yourself with the Marines Eagle, Globe, and Anchor logo? 

Are you a SEAL?  If not, would you tattoo yourself with the SEAL crest?

Are you qualified in submarines?  If not, would you tattoo yourself with the Submarine Warfare Specialist Dolfins?

I'd bet you wouldn't do any of these; yet an M-Dot is ok?  I say it is not ok, and you are totally in the wrong.

I showed up at an Olympic this year and finished the swim and got to the turn around on the bike and then the trooper came up and said the race was cancelled....no big deal, I still have a HIM to do.  Showed up at my HIM and the swim was cancelled because of high surf and under current warnings.  I did the bike and the run but didn't really complete a HIM.

I finished IMFL last year and am going back in 2013, still toying with whether I want ink or not a year after I earned it.  It's not wise to put the cart before the horse...I hope you finish it.

Only the Kona Ironman qualifies for the M-dot.   And that is in the fall not the summer.   (just throwing hot oil on the popcorn).

Hope you finish.   Don't get any injuries during your trainup  to the race.    

Go ask a DR if he or she thinks he "trained" to earn his title, I'm pretty sure they will answer YES! Becoming a DR requires more than "school and stuff"

The M-dot is a logo, however, one that is respected in the Ironman family and the triathlon community.  I don't have the tat, but I do have the necklace (see avatar) and it's something I wear 99% of the time, because it is something I EARNED.  It required hours of training, sacrifice, money, time, the journey along the way and of course the amazing feeling of the Ironman finisher's shoot....so when our names are called with the quote "you are an Ironman" we can appreciate all that comes that title.  When I see others with Mdot gear there is an immediate bond, as the Mdot is not an arbitrary symbol to us.

A year ago I was volunteering a race and woman came up to me and said "hey I'm an Ironman too!" as she showed me her M-dot tat.  I said "fantastic which one did you do?"  She said "i did the Vineman 70.3!"  I replied, "which full did you do?"  She said "Oh that's just crazy, 70.3 is enough for me."  My jaw dropped, and I had to walk away.

I wish you well in your training, but you have not earned the Mdot yet.  if you find yourself around a lot of triathletes/Ironman finisher's, you might want to cover it up as you are going to be asked to explain yourself.....often.

BTW, I watched Kona coverage today, so I'm feeling especially more prideful about being an Ironman, not trying to be a b-tch about it.

You have to put some of the blame for this on the very company which owns the m-dot, the WTC itself. They have confused things with their use of the term Ironman 70.3. Even today during the NBC Kona broadcast, they referenced Crowie's five Ironman world championships. That's three Kona, and two 70.3 championships by my math. Having just completed my first HIM, and DNFing another, I know 70.3 is no joke. But it is NOT ironman.

Edited by TheClaaaw 2012-10-27 9:13 PM

Yep very true about diluting their own brand

LOl.....sad to say but the poop story a few years back was true!

Sorry Bigbadbikerbob but you have to earn that Ironman finish. Whatever you choose to show that accomplishement is ok, but to do so beforehand is rather arrogant.

IMAZ 2010 : 16:39:39

Maybe I'm a bit superstitious, but I wouldn't have done it.  It's kind of tempting fate in my opinion. 

This very much reminds me of the Kona coverage where they were following the AGer who got into Kona on the Legacy program.  There was a shot of him holding up a IM Kona visor saying "I can't wait to wear this."  To qualify, this guy's done more IMs than most of us will ever and he won't wear a visor.  This is probably a good window into how many of us think.

Personally though, I hope we're all wrong about this and this becomes a total nonissue because you had a great race.

Bad idea.

You really never know what could happen.  My first IM, I was trained and ready to go.  Great swim.  Then, gear cable snapped at mile 48, going UP a hill.  Had to stop 3 times to try to get it fixed, lost more than an hour, still never worked right.......almost missed time cut-off at special needs, rode as hard as I could but didn't make last time cut-off (before transition) at mile 95.  Got pulled from the course, thrown in the back of a van, driven to transition and dumped off.

Not my plan for the day obviously.......don't celebrate the finish BEFORE you finish.

No way this is serious, but thanks to the OP for some entertainment on a Monday morning!

In hindsight, I hope it's a big joke.  I'd like to think there's really not someone dumb enough to get an M-Dot inked BEFORE ever doing an Ironman. 
The lack of further input from the OP does lend credibility to the thought that it is a joke.

I met a guy on my flight to Penticton this summer going to IM Canada who already had an Mdot tat and had not finished his first one.