You are NOT an Ironman (But That's OK) (Page 4)

I am a bit of a heavy alcohol drinker.  I signed up for IMLP and IMFL in '08.  Should I cut back on the rum and cokes?

Exactly the point - if you are questionable about doing any one distance during training then there is no reason to believe you can do on race day, especially when you lump all three together.

I like the article, and agree with the premise, but I would like to see this RD and others put their money where their mouth is.  If you want to address safeties issues, make people prove that they have done a HIM in X Hours in order to register for an IM, or an Oly in X Hours in order to register for a HIM.  The RD's can and moan all they want, but until they set some standards to ensure the basic capability and safety of the event participants, I think it is a hollow complaint.

As far as who "deserves" to be an ironman, or even toe the line, the man/woman with $500 who can finish under 16:59:59 "deserves" it.  Until we change the $500 to $500 and a qualifying time, or make 16:59:59 something faster, those are the standards.  Period.  Personally, I would like to see qualifiers and faster cut-off times, but until there is market motivation and cultural push within the triathlon community, the insurance companies, North American Sports, RD's, the host cities, etc., etc., etc., those are the standards.

3 things:

1)  Noone will put in a training day that rivals an IM.  As such, if it your first IM, noone is going to have a reference point for what they will go through regardless of their fitness level.  We can all train to reach the summit of Everest, but unless we've been there before, we have no idea what it's going to be like or if we can even make it.

2)  For me, doing an IM this coming year is a test; a challenge; a reference point for what I can and cannot do.  If I miss a cutoff (and Vineman cutoffs are shorter than WTC) or blowup and can't continue, I'll have a reference point for where I am at and where I need to be.  It's just a long day of racing and nothing more.  It is not my end-all or be-all in life.  I'm doing it because I enjoy the training and because I'm curious. 

3)  The whole "deserving" or "non-deserving" argument is silly.  You do not define someone as deserving or not by your judgments, you only define yourself as someone who needs to judge.  It's analagous to judging the quality of someone's fingerprint since the justification of being there can only be determined and validated by one's self, not the guy next to you who happened to put in 5-10 hours more per week.

I have nothing of value to add to this thread...but holy crap, Ronin.... your post above mine was done at 12:12 on 12/12.  Pure craziness.

Nothing to see here...keep moving...

Chris

I'm always amazed by this comment. What makes it the "Ultimate"? Because it's televised? Because you can get a tattoo or Ironman branded toaster coozies?

What "Glory" is there in being an IM?

It's just a race

Because we haven't yet implemented Thunderdome.  Once we do, THAT will be the Ultimate. 

Swimming the English Channel.

Badwater.

RAAM.

Some of the adventure races are pretty impressive.

Or those multi-Ironman races.... 

Make up your mind.

to the poster that wrote

>>

I go back to what I've said in threads in the past ......... if you think that the person rolling along at 15 mph while in a Zone 3 heart rate isn't working just as hard as the fastie doing 23 mph while Z3, you are wrong.  The difference is, the slow person is doing it for a LOT longer ....... and as such ends up working harder to accomplish the distance than the fast person in many ways.

My wonderfully blazing marathon in FL I was still in the 130 range for heartrate ....... walking ........ But my 5:17 bike split I was in the mid - 150 to 160 range averaging 21 mph by the end.  By HR I was working almost as hard walking as I was riding.  Now take someone who works their azz off to barely squeek out a 7:30 bike split and think how long they are in that zone and how much more energy they are expending.  Mind blowing in some ways .......

However .... I do understand where you are coming from.  To a reasonably fit triathlete hitting that 17 hour cutoff is a joke.  But not all entrants are reasonably fit triatheltes, some are just barely prepared (going back to the article and my previous posts again).  But what place do we have to knock their effort when they are working as hard or harder than the 10 - 12 hour crowd, and for a lot longer????