They don't get me. (Page 2)

Originally posted by TheClaaaw

I'm going to say something dickish and elitist which has nothing to do with triathlon. Deciding to take up triathlon is nothing special, but I love it and it may be part of saving my life.

The thing is, if my reading of society is even 20% accurate, then the last thing you want is to have everyone nod in agreement that you're doing something sensible. I mean, it seems that what is popular, accepted as the norm, the good life, is more and more based on lack of exertion, unappreciate criticism and consumption of others' creativity, obsession with the worst of humanity glorified in "reality" tv, defining yourself by a ridiculously expensive vehicle, buying jewelry and clothes that some magazine told us to, watching cooking shows but never actually cooking real food, twittering about celebrity gossip, and spending hours online to find the best price on cruises where you can do nothing but eat and eat and drink and drink and eat and eat.

Endurance sports, in and of themselves, are not necessarily always a better way to spend one's time and money, but they have helped to focus me in the direction I always craved: be a do-er, not just a watcher.

In other words, screw what the majority thinks. The majority think that artistic talent is discovered on American Idol. the majority recognizes any random Kardashian more readily than the Secretary of State. The majority are self-made idiots who ask nothing of themselves, but demand the world to entertain them instantly all the time, so long as that entertainment is brain-mushing lowest-common-denominator crap that reinforces their own uninformed prejudices. In the words of Louis CK, non-contributing product sponge ****s.

I'm really not misanthropic or anti-America or anything. But when hear anyone beat down by the race to medicrioty as if doing something for yourself not dictated by fast-food advertising, makes YOU ithe weird one, I get reactionary. You know what's weird? Sitting on a couch drinking sugar water in a bottle labeled Gatorade, while watching some other person bounce a ball on a screen. That's weird. Screw em. Get out there and move. Just don't expect anyone at the office to care. When you exhibit being a happier and healthier person and someone asks what's different, then tell them. Or do what all 40ish overweight people are required to do. Start a blog and write as if anyone else actually cares. Weird thing is, eventually someone will. Someone who gets it, and wants in on the conversation. That's been my experience anyway.

Originally posted by bikeday

A few years ago I found myself married to my college sweetheart with a two year old son, I drove a Mercedes, had a big house in the suburbs with picket fence and a big TV which I watched a lot. In other words I was living the American dream. I was absolutely miserable. I was working my butt off in a job that was going no where career wise, was out of shape and 40 lbs overweight, in debt, no hobbies, my marriage was falling apart and I did not see a way to fix it. I was not 29 yet. I had been an cyclist and boy scout who loved the outdoors in high school and now I found myself never doing any of that. I felt that something the way I was living was wrong and I felt lost.
I decided to get in shape after my older brother called me fat. I started lifting weights and jogging on the treadmill at the gym. I sought personal and family counseling at the encouragement of family. One week the counselor told me I needed a personal challenge and a hobby to make me happy. The next week I came back and told him I had signed up for a sprint triathlon because I had seen a rebroadcast of Ironman Kona on NBC at 1 am as I was trying to sleep on the couch. He smiled and then told me I was crazy, my wife told me I was crazy, my brother told me I was awesome and put a new pair of running shoes in the mail.
Today I live in a small house, don't own a TV, drive a used Subaru, am debt free, have dropped 35 lbs and am really really happy. I have made great friends through running and triathlon and met my girlfriend through it. My ex wife doesn't get it, my coworkers don't get it. They think it is weird I don't watch TV and I workout a lot. I have a great relationship with my son, who talks about how he loves to watch me race and took my HIM finishers medal for show and tell at school. His teacher told me how great an example I am setting for him. I have been making progress at work. Last fall I had scheduled off at work for a few days during a busy time and when my boss's boss's boss asked me about it, I told her how I was traveling to run a marathon in DC. The next week I found myself having lunch with her and a few other upper managers and talking about running, then a few weeks after that I got a promotion.

Be weird, live your own life, take care of yourself, stop caring what others think and you will be surprised what happens and what you can make happen. I think you are doing awesome!

Originally posted by bikeday

A few years ago I found myself married to my college sweetheart with a two year old son, I drove a Mercedes, had a big house in the suburbs with picket fence and a big TV which I watched a lot. In other words I was living the American dream. I was absolutely miserable. I was working my butt off in a job that was going no where career wise, was out of shape and 40 lbs overweight, in debt, no hobbies, my marriage was falling apart and I did not see a way to fix it. I was not 29 yet. I had been an cyclist and boy scout who loved the outdoors in high school and now I found myself never doing any of that. I felt that something the way I was living was wrong and I felt lost.
I decided to get in shape after my older brother called me fat. I started lifting weights and jogging on the treadmill at the gym. I sought personal and family counseling at the encouragement of family. One week the counselor told me I needed a personal challenge and a hobby to make me happy. The next week I came back and told him I had signed up for a sprint triathlon because I had seen a rebroadcast of Ironman Kona on NBC at 1 am as I was trying to sleep on the couch. He smiled and then told me I was crazy, my wife told me I was crazy, my brother told me I was awesome and put a new pair of running shoes in the mail.
Today I live in a small house, don't own a TV, drive a used Subaru, am debt free, have dropped 35 lbs and am really really happy. I have made great friends through running and triathlon and met my girlfriend through it. My ex wife doesn't get it, my coworkers don't get it. They think it is weird I don't watch TV and I workout a lot. I have a great relationship with my son, who talks about how he loves to watch me race and took my HIM finishers medal for show and tell at school. His teacher told me how great an example I am setting for him. I have been making progress at work. Last fall I had scheduled off at work for a few days during a busy time and when my boss's boss's boss asked me about it, I told her how I was traveling to run a marathon in DC. The next week I found myself having lunch with her and a few other upper managers and talking about running, then a few weeks after that I got a promotion.

Originally posted by DannyII

Most people are already dead. They don't do anything, nor do they want to do anything. They are just waiting for the end.

Originally posted by TheClaaaw

I'm going to say something dickish and elitist which has nothing to do with triathlon. Deciding to take up triathlon is nothing special, but I love it and it may be part of saving my life.

The thing is, if my reading of society is even 20% accurate, then the last thing you want is to have everyone nod in agreement that you're doing something sensible. I mean, it seems that what is popular, accepted as the norm, the good life, is more and more based on lack of exertion, unappreciate criticism and consumption of others' creativity, obsession with the worst of humanity glorified in "reality" tv, defining yourself by a ridiculously expensive vehicle, buying jewelry and clothes that some magazine told us to, watching cooking shows but never actually cooking real food, twittering about celebrity gossip, and spending hours online to find the best price on cruises where you can do nothing but eat and eat and drink and drink and eat and eat.

Endurance sports, in and of themselves, are not necessarily always a better way to spend one's time and money, but they have helped to focus me in the direction I always craved: be a do-er, not just a watcher.

In other words, screw what the majority thinks. The majority think that artistic talent is discovered on American Idol. the majority recognizes any random Kardashian more readily than the Secretary of State. The majority are self-made idiots who ask nothing of themselves, but demand the world to entertain them instantly all the time, so long as that entertainment is brain-mushing lowest-common-denominator crap that reinforces their own uninformed prejudices. In the words of Louis CK, non-contributing product sponge ****s.

I'm really not misanthropic or anti-America or anything. But when hear anyone beat down by the race to medicrioty as if doing something for yourself not dictated by fast-food advertising, makes YOU ithe weird one, I get reactionary. You know what's weird? Sitting on a couch drinking sugar water in a bottle labeled Gatorade, while watching some other person bounce a ball on a screen. That's weird. Screw em. Get out there and move. Just don't expect anyone at the office to care. When you exhibit being a happier and healthier person and someone asks what's different, then tell them. Or do what all 40ish overweight people are required to do. Start a blog and write as if anyone else actually cares. Weird thing is, eventually someone will. Someone who gets it, and wants in on the conversation. That's been my experience anyway.

Originally posted by respro

Family, friends and coworkers don't seem to understand my desire to start doing tris. This, especially as I limp around with a knee injury. Too old is what the common consensus is in not those exact words. I'm 42 and over weight. Joined the gym, putting miles on the bike and starting to run as I ramp up the training. It doesn't bother me that people don't seem to understand. I just wonder if others experience these reactions. I'm wondering if our desire and commitment is that different and "foreign" to most other folks.

Originally posted by bikeday

I have a great relationship with my son, who talks about how he loves to watch me race and took my HIM finishers medal for show and tell at school. His teacher told me how great an example I am setting for him.

Originally posted by bikeday

A few years ago I found myself married to my college sweetheart with a two year old son, I drove a Mercedes, had a big house in the suburbs with picket fence and a big TV which I watched a lot. In other words I was living the American dream. I was absolutely miserable. I was working my butt off in a job that was going no where career wise, was out of shape and 40 lbs overweight, in debt, no hobbies, my marriage was falling apart and I did not see a way to fix it. I was not 29 yet. I had been an cyclist and boy scout who loved the outdoors in high school and now I found myself never doing any of that. I felt that something the way I was living was wrong and I felt lost.
I decided to get in shape after my older brother called me fat. I started lifting weights and jogging on the treadmill at the gym. I sought personal and family counseling at the encouragement of family. One week the counselor told me I needed a personal challenge and a hobby to make me happy. The next week I came back and told him I had signed up for a sprint triathlon because I had seen a rebroadcast of Ironman Kona on NBC at 1 am as I was trying to sleep on the couch. He smiled and then told me I was crazy, my wife told me I was crazy, my brother told me I was awesome and put a new pair of running shoes in the mail.
Today I live in a small house, don't own a TV, drive a used Subaru, am debt free, have dropped 35 lbs and am really really happy. I have made great friends through running and triathlon and met my girlfriend through it. My ex wife doesn't get it, my coworkers don't get it. They think it is weird I don't watch TV and I workout a lot. I have a great relationship with my son, who talks about how he loves to watch me race and took my HIM finishers medal for show and tell at school. His teacher told me how great an example I am setting for him. I have been making progress at work. Last fall I had scheduled off at work for a few days during a busy time and when my boss's boss's boss asked me about it, I told her how I was traveling to run a marathon in DC. The next week I found myself having lunch with her and a few other upper managers and talking about running, then a few weeks after that I got a promotion.

Be weird, live your own life, take care of yourself, stop caring what others think and you will be surprised what happens and what you can make happen. I think you are doing awesome!

Originally posted by respro

Family, friends and coworkers don't seem to understand my desire to start doing tris. This, especially as I limp around with a knee injury. Too old is what the common consensus is in not those exact words. I'm 42 and over weight. Joined the gym, putting miles on the bike and starting to run as I ramp up the training. It doesn't bother me that people don't seem to understand. I just wonder if others experience these reactions. I'm wondering if our desire and commitment is that different and "foreign" to most other folks.