Health knowledge made personal
  But I digress.... Look, you may very well be Ironman Guy/Girl. If you are, I'm sorry... sort of. Ironman is to the triathlon world like the Empire is to the Force. They are the evil corporate monster. I have never competed in an Ironman sanctioned event, and I do not intend on ever giving them my hard earned cash. I encourage my fellow triathletes to vote with your legs and head to another race every season. There is a new cat in town. A kinder, gentler, more awesome race series by the name of REV3 . You also know Ironman Guy/Girl because they tell you they've competed in an Ironman. They usually think they are dropping this subtly. You know, something like, "Ugh, I want to have a beer, but I am competing in Ironman two months from now, and I do not want to be dehydrated for my race." They will also wear the M-dot hat/t-shirt/shorts/jersey that they paid a ton of loot for so that everyone will know that they are in fact an Ironman. The coolest thing about wearing my Rev3 visor is I have athletes come up to me all the time asking me which Rev3 races I have done. It starts real conversations. Imagine that!  2) Cat and Mouse—But Obviously Can Not Keep Up With You Because I Do Not Hold A Steady Pace—Guy/Girl: These people are SO annoying. This past weekend I was racing and some woman flew by me smoking fast. Less than ten minutes later I look up and see her and a bunch of other people who flew by me earlier. As I pass them, I know they see my REV3 kit and recognize me. So, what do they do when I pass them? Their fragile egos can not handle being passed by someone that they once passed, so they speed up and start motoring. They use every bit of energy trying to keep up instead of just sticking to their race plan and pace. Look, I'm okay with this. These people usually bonk at the tail end of their ride, or when they begin the run. Thank you! If you are this person... YES! I am racing you, but I do not care to play cat and mouse over 56 miles. If you are faster than me, good for you. If you are using every last ounce of energy trying to keep up with me, you need to enroll in some sort of self-help program to work on your self-esteem issues. 1) Elitism: For years, I have had a big problem with the exclusivity of triathlon. Nothing screams "I am a privileged upper-middle class white person" like the sport of triathlon. You might not like it, but it is difficult to disagree with me. I have certainly seen more people of color competing in triathlon, but the majority of the participants are white. I would really like to see someone start a program to bring the multisport lifestyle into the inner cities and provide opportunities for inner-city youth to train and compete. Am I crazy? I feel like I have to do something to make this sport—the sport that I love—more accessible to more people. That's all I got. Train Smart! |
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