The Wannabe Triathletes

I just created a new facebook group titled "the wannabe triathletes." It was suggested by a friend that I use the whole story behind this group being created on my blog so... here it goes:


I had an epiphany while on my long run this last Saturday after a late night at dinner the night before. The two girls sitting across from me were your typical American women in their early 20's having a few drinks, eating a bit too much and politely (but not really) interested in these events called "triathlons" I competed in. Their names will go nameless, mainly because I don't remember them.They were trying to act interested and so, as is typical, when they found out I did triathlons they asked me if I did "real" triathlons. I replied to the contrary that "no, I ONLY competed in sprints and olympics," whereupon they inquired as to the distance's entailed there. I told them how an olympic distance triathlon consists of (roughly) a mile swim, 25 mile bike and 6 mile run. They immediately responded with "oh thats not bad at all! Anyone could do that!" I agreed with them that, yes anyone can FINISH an olympic or sprint distance triathlon but that I focus on how fast I go. They were still nonplussed by this, as is usual, so I shut up and allowed them to continue their mindless babble with other guests at the table.The next morning while flowing along on a beautiful morning, a time when I do my best thinking, it struck me? Why should we be ashamed that we race sprint and olympic distance triathlons? Why should we hang our heads, shuffle our feet and reply with "yeah I only race the short stuff?" We should be proud of who we are! Short course athletes race short but they race fast! For some reason American, and the triathlon community in general, are more impressed with those athletes who stumble across the finish line in 16 hours than those who dive across the line in a sprint for glory after breaking 2 hours in an olympic. What, do people think short course athletes don't train? Do they think we don't suffer enough? That a sprint or olympic isn't enought time to really feel the pain? Training is intervals at the track. It's swim sets that make you wish you'd never seen water before. It's sets on the trainer that put you on your knees when you fall off the bike to run your brick. Suffering is tongue hanging out, trying to hang on to the back of the pack. Pain is bleeding out your eyeballs when you try to bridge that gap or make a surge. We know pain, we know hard, we know train. So next time someon asks you how long the triathlons you do are don't look at your feet and scuff your toe replying with, "oh, I just do the shorter stuff." No, stand tall, look em in the eye and say "Oh me? I effin race short course."