There have been a couple amusing threads lately on one of the triathlon forums that I like to read. While this forum often has really good technical information, there are occasions when threads are started and propagated which reveal the selfish nature of triathletes (and people for that matter). Most recently, the subject has been about unsupportive spouses or SO's. While most of us have what I believe is a fairly healthy outlook on the importance of our hobbies (and even most pro triathletes seem to have a healthy outlook on their jobs), there are a few misguided souls who believe that the world (triathlon and otherwise) revolves around them. Believe it or not, the real world doesn't really care that you were 15th at the Bob Green Mother's Day Triathlon in 1986. Or even 1st for that matter.
The reality of it is that most (and some say all) should do these sporting things for our health and leave it at that. Now, some of us enjoy testing ourselves, which is why we compete. And there are others who have a "bucket list" (I really dislike that term) and feel that they need to cross things off to feel like they've lived a full life. I'm not speaking about the bucket list people, because I don't share the same philosophy. Awhile back, I posed the question of whether someone had a passion or a bucket list, as I think that each has a distinct personality; I fit into the first group.
Anyway, back to my original thoughts. The idea that your spouse or SO is unsupportive is an unfortunate one but sometimes that's the reality. The concern is that the lack of support may be related to a deeper problem with the relationship and is only exacerbated by the hobby, so improving the relationship is probably what needs to happen. Triathlon is not the scapegoat in this case; it is simply the "canary in the mineshaft." A further problem that also speaks to a problem with the relationship is keeping triathlon to oneself. There are examples of triathletes buying expensive pieces of equipment and never telling their SO or hiding it. Again, this speaks to a problem with the relationship. And, lest you think that "well, it's my money, so I can do with it what I want," um... again, since you are sharing your life with that person, well, I've got news for you: it's not only YOUR money.
What about the idea that one is spending too much time with their hobby and it is all-consuming? I see this more in the newer triathlete, who "gets the bug" and can't get enough of it. All triathletes have some amount of obsessiveness; that is their nature. But, getting too wrapped up in any one thing is never healthy. I preach moderation in all things in life to my patients, and I try to live my life that way. So, balancing things in your life is a key to keeping things on a more level plane, and, usually, after the initial infatuation with the new hobby that is triathlon, things calm down to a more reasonable level. What about the person who never balances it out, to the detriment of spouse and family? First off, it's usually the male. Males, myself included, are a selfish breed. We're used to looking out only for ourselves. From firsthand experience, though, what snapped me out of selfishness (for the most part) was having children. All of a sudden, the universe no longer revolves around the male, but around their kids. And if that doesn't change the perspective on life, I don't know what else will. Second, that again speaks to someone who has other personality issues, and they're likely to find themselves alone.
And finally, there is the thought on how to bring your spouse or SO into the circle of triathlon. I was fortunate in that my spouse knew that triathlon was important to me, and so she embraced it. She even did two triathlons and realized that it was not her thing. However, she didn't belittle it. Rather, she encouraged me, even when I decided to do an Ironman (or two), helping to keep me well-fed and healthy. Tracy's only rules were that 1) I tell her when I was leaving and when I'd be back from a training session, so that she could reliably plan things, and 2) I would be functional after a training session or race and wouldn't be a worthless lump on the couch. So, yes, she accompanies me to most races, even at O-Dark thirty in the morning, although I have gone to races on my own. She is even more likely to go to races now, since David is racing as well. I decided to give up on Ironman races for the present, since I couldn't spend the time necessary to train adequately and get enough rest to keep me healthy. But that was the choice I made, rather than one that was forced on me. And besides, I like to go fast, so going all out for an hour has more appeal to me than going at a moderate (or slower) pace for many hours.
What about getting the kids involved? How did I "manage" that? That's a topic for another day.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
End of the season, and is it the end of the line?
This year's triathlon season is over for me. I'm happy that I was able to race after being hurt for all of last year. And I'm hopeful that, as I get farther away from last year's crash, my fitness will continue to improve. Yesterday was the Black Diamond Sprint Triathlon. I did this race 6 years ago, which, when I look at the times from then vs. now, was a lifetime ago. Same course, 4 minutes slower. Hard to say whether the slowing is related to age or fitness; I'm hoping it's fitness, because that means that I can actually be faster next year. But... when I look at how fast I ran then vs. now, it's a reality check. Back then, my split was 3rd fastest, and if I had run the same time yesterday, it would have been 2nd fastest. Instead, I had the 8th fastest split. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it was 1:30, which, to me is pretty significant. Couple that with 1:30 slower on the bike, and there it is. I still ended up 8th overall and won my age group, so I'm not terribly disappointed, but the distance between 1st and where I am now continues to expand.
The strangest thing, I think, is that I get absolutely pummeled during the swim. Tracy mentioned to me that, at the green buoy (probably 150 meters out), there was a bunch of yellow caps (my wave) just bobbing in the water. I know that I got hammered in the first 150, and then had clean water for the rest of the swim. Since I came out of the water 14th, my guess was that the same bozos that beat me up in the initial part of the swim then became hypoxic and had to stop swimming. I can't figure out the idiocy of swimming the first 100-200 yards of a swim as hard as you can, and then having to stop and rest, but I guess it's the same idiots who go out and sprint the first 400 yards of a 5K or 10K run and then are toast for the rest of it. Guess I might do some work on my sprint speed in the water this winter.
On the positive side, it took me awhile to catch David on the bike. Even though he was only 30 seconds faster out of the water (which I took to be a good thing for me), I think it was about 3 miles before I caught him. And he definitely was the smallest and youngest one out there on the pointy end of the race for a long time. It would be very demoralizing to people if they knew how little he rides. And that he doesn't run at all. I'm curious to see what happens next season when he finally starts to do some running, and has another year of riding under his belt. Maybe the day that he beats me is not as far into the future as I once thought.
Over the past week, I started wondering if it was time to stop racing. After all, I'm not getting any younger, and it gets harder to stay motivated, knowing that the likelihood I'm going to win a race, or even be competitive for the overall, is pretty low. I've been racing multisport for 17 years, and only have a few friends that are still competing. I still have fun doing the training, and staying fit is something I'll never give up, but the big question to me is how fit do I need to be? My guess is that if David wasn't interested in racing, I'd be done. Well, I have an entire winter to contemplate my racing future.
The strangest thing, I think, is that I get absolutely pummeled during the swim. Tracy mentioned to me that, at the green buoy (probably 150 meters out), there was a bunch of yellow caps (my wave) just bobbing in the water. I know that I got hammered in the first 150, and then had clean water for the rest of the swim. Since I came out of the water 14th, my guess was that the same bozos that beat me up in the initial part of the swim then became hypoxic and had to stop swimming. I can't figure out the idiocy of swimming the first 100-200 yards of a swim as hard as you can, and then having to stop and rest, but I guess it's the same idiots who go out and sprint the first 400 yards of a 5K or 10K run and then are toast for the rest of it. Guess I might do some work on my sprint speed in the water this winter.
On the positive side, it took me awhile to catch David on the bike. Even though he was only 30 seconds faster out of the water (which I took to be a good thing for me), I think it was about 3 miles before I caught him. And he definitely was the smallest and youngest one out there on the pointy end of the race for a long time. It would be very demoralizing to people if they knew how little he rides. And that he doesn't run at all. I'm curious to see what happens next season when he finally starts to do some running, and has another year of riding under his belt. Maybe the day that he beats me is not as far into the future as I once thought.
Over the past week, I started wondering if it was time to stop racing. After all, I'm not getting any younger, and it gets harder to stay motivated, knowing that the likelihood I'm going to win a race, or even be competitive for the overall, is pretty low. I've been racing multisport for 17 years, and only have a few friends that are still competing. I still have fun doing the training, and staying fit is something I'll never give up, but the big question to me is how fit do I need to be? My guess is that if David wasn't interested in racing, I'd be done. Well, I have an entire winter to contemplate my racing future.
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