Triathletes v's Runners

onimpulse

This might well be a case of taring everyone with the same brush or maybe just a few people around me at the moment but does anyone else notice the difference in the attitude and specifically the amount of talking done by both?

I just find a lot of triathletes very boastful and want everyone to know exactly how much training they do and how "hard" they are. It's like the feed on other people telling them "your crazy" etc. Runners on the other hand just run. No blowing themselves up, no waffle about it, they just get on with it.

Anyone else notice this?

tunney

Same goes for beginners to any endurance sport. Running included.

Krusty_Clown

Did you ever get a couple of runners together? Particularly in the pub? on and on and on.... Cyclists are worse though. If I could swim like a tri-athlete, I'd never stop talking about it.

robinph

I'll happily tell you about how little I do if you want a change.



Now, did someone mention skiing?

Gringo78

Runners can be just as bad in fairness. I've heard some runners even go so far as to go on the Interweb and post in a big list the thousands of miles they've done...

mloc123

Proper runners would have run from an early age and don't see putting the hours in every week as anything special.

Alot of triathletes come into it late in life, overweight, unfit and looking for a 'challenge'. They train for a couple of hours a week and think they are gods gift etc.. but this goes for late in life marathon 'runners' too imo. I don't think you can say its triathletes as such, as tunney mentioned above its just beginners... It just seems tri is the 'in thing' these days.

Every year in work for the month of January I hear people prattle on about spinning classes (they are sooooooo hard), swimming 10 lengths in the pool and doing 10 minutes on the threadmill etc.. I'd never talk about training in work, I don't give a f*ck about other ppl I presume they feel the same.

multisport

I think that the longer you've been doing your chosen sport the less likely you are to try and talk-the-talk and crawl-the-walk.

People I know who been in their sport for a long time are generally much quieter about their achievements.

airscotty

you do have 3 sports to natter on about too!

Enduro

I have to say that I do notice a difference with triathletes. There is a "bragging rights" culture that I haven't encountered in any sport that I do. The contrast with hill running is certainly quite stark.

ocnoc

Enduro wrote: »

The contrast with hill running is certainly quite stark.

I always hear all the majority some a few one or two of the young guns in IMRA trash talking very louding at each other.... not that I'd condone that sort of thing :rolleyes:

Granted people over 30 in IMRA is probably +95%

griffin100

I'm a bit confused now. I started off with triathlons but have done a marathon and now hope to do an ultra - I'm not sure what the approrpiate level of 'boastfulness' for this is:D

I'm sure the large number of triathletes the OP knows is representative of a large chunk of those that do the sport but I have to admit I've never come across the boastful attitude in a triathlete that many people talk about, apart from those in their first (and in many cases) only season of triathlon. I had an interesting conversation recently with such a person. I was at a conference and one speaker spent his entire talk referencing the fact that he was a 'triathlete' and trying to link that to the subject we were talking about. A quick chat at the end of the session revealed he had done a couple of SD races. I rarely talk about the fact that I do triathlons (except to other triathletes:)) but in this case I did, mentioning the fact that I had done an IM a few weeks previously - that shut him up. I think once you get to your second season of races the novelty of being able to swim wears off and you dont feel the need to tell everyone that you can.

That said it could be worse, you could be spending your life talking abou golf - now there's a large group of world class bores:D

If you want to generalise about groups of 'athletes' then I find the 'Adventure Racers' the worst of the lot. Not the genuine AR who do 2 day races, sleep rough and drink their own p!ss; but the ones who think sticking a 20m paddle on a canoe into a duathlon makes it an adventure race, and then proceed to tell the world how tough they are.

or

What about the marathon runners on certain internet forums who tell all aspiring runners that before they can think about doing a marathon they need at least a couple of years of running 50 miles per week and even then it still might be too tough for them.

Its easy to generalise:)

ThisRegard

griffin100 wrote: »

If you want to generalise about groups of 'athletes' then I find the 'Adventure Racers' the worst of the lot. Not the genuine AR who do 2 day races, sleep rough and drink their own p!ss; but the ones who think sticking a 20m paddle on a canoe into a duathlon makes it an adventure race, and then proceed to tell the world how tough they are.

Pffft, that's a bit rich. We all know tri-athletes are only in it for the gear, hence the reason they don't do off road as they'll only get a little dirty the poor pets. What's the average distance in more common duathlons/triathlons in the country at the moment, 5k run and a 10k cycle or some other walk in the park like that


(Yes, I know there's different distances involved, but the sprint distances are the most popular from what I can see.)

El Director

i was at a 30th at the weekend and it seemed everybody there knew that I do triathlons and the first thing they'd ask about is how my training was going. Most of them want to improve their fitness and say that they are thinking of doing a tri or a duathlon or some running, so they are interested and asking for advice. Now I know that 99.9% of them won't do it, but I not going to be rude and disrepectful by not answering their questions. It was only 2 years ago or so that I had all these questions and I was lucky enough to have a well informed mate that never lost patients with me. So I say, pay it forward.

In saying that I did say to the OH '"I wish people would stop asking me about training...." It's just that I was out to party and I didn't want to be thinking about it and I begining to think that people reckon this is all I do now!

Murraythree

Just adding some fuel to the fire! When it comes to attitude and boasting I would sooner be in the company of a group of triathletes anyday over a group of runners. In triathlon everyone has a weakness be it swimming or whatever, so there is a vulnerability there which brings you down a peg or two every now and then. The comradeship in triathlon is inspiring. Runner’s discussions seem to be all about times and PBs while in triathlon these direct comparisons, as to how other athletes performed, is not so much a consideration or an issue.
I know I am generalising with these comments but this has been my experience.
What I find amazing is the number of triathletes who do not enter road races – wonder why?;)

catweazle

I am the opposite, I keep very quiet about my training. All the friends have digs over me how I am not going to be in the bar for the early premiership game on the sunday or why I might not want to go back to the local for after hours at 3 in the morning. So there is no point in stoking the fire

I agree with the golf comment though, I am as bad myself after a round discussing the course or the dropped shots after in the pub.

I will admit I don't like the adventure races at all, not the participants but the organisers, I think not having water or foodstops at an endurance race like Gaelforce because you are supposed to carry that stuff yourself is crazy and is just BS. €98 euros to race this event (They wont even cover the booking charge) - They are saving themselves a fortune and still charging a fortune for the pleasure

pgibbo

I think that once someone has completed their first season and continues in Triathlon they stop talking or "bragging" about the training they do. In reality a lot of it depends on your background. If you come to triathlon or running from a low fitness base or little to no sporting background then you will probably talk more about your training. If you are an ex-swimmer, athlete, cyclist or oarsman then you'll probably find the training hours relatively normal and just get on with it.

Worst still, you could be a GAA or soccer player and think that you're fantastic because you train twice a week and play a game at the weekend and never shutup about training and the demands of it. Now that's generalising! :eek:

mloc123

pgibbo wrote: »

Worst still, you could be a GAA or soccer player and think that you're fantastic because you train twice a week and play a game at the weekend and never shutup about training and the demands of it. Now that's generalising! :eek:

"I'm fairly fit, played football for years like"

Always brings a smile to my face

ThisRegard

catweazle wrote: »

I think not having water or foodstops at an endurance race like Gaelforce because you are supposed to carry that stuff yourself is crazy and is just BS

That's what an endurance event is all about, it wouldn't be very enduring if you had little golf buggys carting you around the transition area while old ladies gave you tea and sambos. It reminds me of a post from last years Gaelforce thread bemoaning how tough and rough it was. It's BS to expect to be molly coddled around the course, which some people think is not extreme enough as it is anyway.

But I can't disagree about the pricing of Gaelforce, it is quite expensive but there's lots of others out there which are reasonable, ROAR, WAR and the Rough Diamond for example.

shotgunmcos

Those people just haven't found Boards.ie where they can dump their brain farts in a controlled peer driven environment

mcdonrob

Personally, I think the reason people talk about triathlon so much initially is the sheer number of hours training (even for a beginner) is a complete shock - not only one's own body but also to the circle of family/friends/workmates. This does not go unnoticed - but will, in time, be considered the norm for that person. Also as pointed most people are crap at something (if not 3) - and will wax lyrical about improvements or lack thereof. Bear in mind 2 swims + 2 bike rides + 2 runs per week is 6 hours min. 6 hours per week from 0 hours per week is a massive time undertaking to someone who is a beginner - so be patient - they'll clam up a bit next year as the 6 hours becomes 12 or 18.

catweazle

ThisRegard wrote: »

But I can't disagree about the pricing of Gaelforce, it is quite expensive but there's lots of others out there which are reasonable, ROAR, WAR and the Rough Diamond for example.

Thats all I am saying really, Gaelforce is ridiculously priced for what you get. They get the entrants so fair play to them they can charge what they like but I dont think a few water spots along the way for what will take some people 7+ hours would dilute the toughness of it too much

ThisRegard

catweazle wrote: »

but I dont think a few water spots along the way for what will take some people 7+ hours would dilute the toughness of it too much

There's water tanks at every transition.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

I am now a bit of both so that's me completly screwed then!!

Triangla

It's easy to fall into the trap when it comes up in conversation to talk a lot about running, triathlons etc. especially if you train a lot. Sure it's probably something you're passionate about.

I've been doing triathlons for a few years now and have a background in running and I only really talk about training and races within my sports peer group.

The amount of training runners and triathletes do is quite a lot so it may seem like you're going on and on about and boasting about it to non-athletes. To me it's on a par with casual conversations about premiership football (except more relevant as you actually do it instead of just watching so might learn something that you can then use).

If it ever comes up what sport I'm into I just keep it short and move on, sure I can bore the missus about it any time I want lol

I heard a good joke recently: How do you know if there's a triathlete in the room?








Don't worry, they'll tell you!

nerraw1111

As my non-running friend tells me: 'You're all f***ing eejits if you ask me' when the subject of mid-life crisis sports arose.

I think the bragging is down to the Tri/Running/Adventure/multi-sport boom in Ireland.

People are discovering a new sport at a later part in one's life and finding that they can improve their results by simply training harder rather than requiring a degree of skill.

So you have people who weren't great at soccer or whatever, suddenly becoming quite good in these events and are happy to tell everyone about their new sporting prowess.

This leads to one upmanship with training.

That's my bull**** theory.

Re Gaelforce. This has become something of a monster. I don't really like paying that sort of money and it is waaaaaaaaay overpriced. It's become this sort of 'ultimate challenge' for a lot of people every year thus ensuring around 3000 entries every year.

But I'll probs do it thus year as it is great course and a great weekend. There is plenty of water at the transitions on the course but they're really not needed.

ThisRegard

Triangla wrote: »

To me it's on a par with casual conversations about premiership football (except more relevant as you actually do it instead of just watching so might learn something that you can then use).

That's it right there. Every day in the office I walk into several conversations all surrounding English premiership soccer, it's all "we" this and "you" that from blokes who never touch a soccer pitch.

I'd rather listen to someone speak about something they've actually experienced and how they went about it, plus you never know what tips you may find out, than have to sit and listen to anything to do with soccer.

griffin100

This is actually quite funny and for IM races probably not too far off the mark!!

http://charliebroadway.blogspot.com/2011/01/triathlon-is-stupid-sport.html

ThisRegard

Reading through that link above, I now see the problem is with the blogger

You have fixed gear folks who I think are really cool.

Even cyclists don't like fixies.

pgibbo

nerraw1111 wrote: »

So you have people who weren't great at soccer or whatever, suddenly becoming quite good in these events and are happy to tell everyone about their new sporting prowess.

LMAO - reminds me of being at school and my brother reckoning that the only people that did rowing were people that sucked at Soccer and other team sports.

catweazle

pgibbo wrote: »

LMAO - reminds me of being at school and my brother reckoning that the only people that did rowing were people that sucked at Soccer and other team sports.

I still think that Gibbo.....he was right, and I will also throw in a sick fetish for lyrca into the mix

shotgunmcos

...erm rowing is a team sport.

Look when someone buys a brand new car or house they can't help but to tell anyone who will listen. Likewise when a novice at either running or triathlon gets a new pb of some sort and accomplishes some sort of meaning and fulfillment in their lives that they may have long forgotton or maybe never experienced. The problem is, as a newbie pbs are a dime a dozen! People like people with a passion for something or a newfound energy, until they overstay their welcome.

Hell my OH thinks I'm a geek about this stuff, however I plonk all the stats and jargon on this site or my training diary and out of my head, sparing her the boredom of it. She gets to hear how I feel about stuff instead and tends to tune in more

too much trifle

mloc123 wrote: »

Proper runners would have run from an early age and don't see putting the hours in every week as anything special.

so to qualify as a proper runner you have to run from an early age,
so if we are generalising:) distance runners are clique/snobby/etc.:)

pgibbo

shotgunmcos wrote: »

...erm rowing is a team sport.

I know that and you know that but most people think more traditionally when talking about team sports - Soccer, GAA & Rugby.

I have to admit though, most of the oarsmen I knew at school couldn't kick themselves, nevermind a football so he mightn't have been too far off the mark. I don't think there were many if any fitter people in the school than them though.

mloc123

too much trifle wrote: »

so to qualify as a proper runner you have to run from an early age,
so if we are generalising:) distance runners are clique/snobby/etc.:)

Generally I would say yes. Like swimming I think unless you ran as a teen you have very little chance of being a good runner. Late in lifearathoners are people that start running with the goal of completing a marathon. The ones that go though 4+ hours of underprepared pain and never run again.

onimpulse

mloc123 wrote: »

Generally I would say yes. Like swimming I think unless you ran as a teen you have very little chance of being a good runner. Late in lifearathoners are people that start running with the goal of completing a marathon. The ones that go though 4+ hours of underprepared pain and never run again.

I'm not sure I agree with that? Swimming yes, swimming as a kid definitely helps with technique which is so important.

Running on the other hand - I've seen countless people come back or start running in their 20's and with some hard work (a lot of hard work!) they're competing with those who ran as teens and never stopped. As far as I can see hard work pays off eventually.

(That said I've seen even more of them do one marathon and never run again or one triathlon and literally park up the bike they spent thousands on after it:rolleyes: )

Enduro

mloc123 wrote: »

Generally I would say yes. Like swimming I think unless you ran as a teen you have very little chance of being a good runner. Late in lifearathoners are people that start running with the goal of completing a marathon. The ones that go though 4+ hours of underprepared pain and never run again.

I started running at 30ish (for a marathon), and I've done OK so far!

I'm loving this thread. I'm surprised there hasn't been a stronger counter attack from the triathletes... come on lads, get stuck in!!

Enduro

griffin100 wrote: »

If you want to generalise about groups of 'athletes' then I find the 'Adventure Racers' the worst of the lot. Not the genuine AR who do 2 day races, sleep rough and drink their own p!ss; but the ones who think sticking a 20m paddle on a canoe into a duathlon makes it an adventure race, and then proceed to tell the world how tough they are.

I love your decription of the genuine ARers

catweazle wrote: »

I will admit I don't like the adventure races at all, not the participants but the organisers, I think not having water or foodstops at an endurance race like Gaelforce because you are supposed to carry that stuff yourself is crazy and is just BS. €98 euros to race this event (They wont even cover the booking charge) - They are saving themselves a fortune and still charging a fortune for the pleasure

A couple of points:
- As griffen implies, GF isn't really an adventure race. Its a short little multisports challenge.
- I don't think the organisers actually make that much money from the race (they are a commercial organisiation.... they have to make something!!). With 3000 people paying up, their pricing is obviously effective enough! You're clearly proof of that.
- I don't think adventure sports are for you if you think that having to fend for yourself is an outragous imposition. In particular, stay away from the real adventure races, as you'd probably have a mental breakdown if you went near one. Probably better off sticking to triathalons or whatever.

MrCreosote

I think triathletes talk more because triathlon is worth talking about more than say, jogging. It's got a certain mystique attached. Let's face it, if you mention at a party that you're a runner, people will just imagine a stick insect in a vest applying deep heat.

Whereas if you say you're a triathlete, people think bronzed sheen over rippling muscles, in a hot summery desirable location like Lanzarote or Belmullet. Basically you'll be the hottest ticket at the party and will spend the evening dealing with all the interest from babes.

In fairness to runners they're not the worst, but whenever you hear them going on and on and on about hill reps and strides and track sessions and long runs, you yawn and think "I wonder if they could do that after 5 hours on the bike".

Just my opinion. Some sports are better than others, and one must be the best. Is it a crime to want to talk about it?

running_away

From my experience triathletes mostly talk about gear.... new wetsuit every other race, new bike for winter training, new shoes because hey they're worth it. Most triathletes I know are constantly waiting on something to arrive from wiggle or wherever!

Runners on the other hand only need a half decent pair of shoes and away you go. No bull****, just you and whatever you choose to run on. No fancy bikes to make you look better than someone else, no new wetsuit to hide the fact that you're just not that fast.

Basically there's way more opportunity to bull**** as a triathlete because you can go on about your super fast T2 time blah blah. Anyway where was I... oh yeah whats this thread about again?

rovers_runner

So the general feeling is ask a mediocre triathlete how much his bike/turbo trainer/wetsuit cost and he'll have to be told to shut up.

I would have thought triathletes spend more time talking about their German manufactured cars or what their favourite tipple is in starbucks...........

From the people I've met runners/joggers/plodders whatever tend to do it because they love it, while half to two thirds of triathletes I've met tend to be more concerned with the social standing they think inherit by taking part.

mitresize5

this thread is hilarious

running people are better than triathlon people - why - cause thats the why

no - triathlon people are better than running people - why - cause thats the why

it reminds me of the Liverpool V Man Utd arguments in the playground in primary school.

For the record I think any one who goes on and on about something is an insufferable bore, be they triathletes, runners, iPhone users or people with new born babies!!

shotgunmcos

running_away wrote: »

From my experience triathletes mostly talk about gear.... new wetsuit every other race, new bike for winter training, new shoes because hey they're worth it. Most triathletes I know are constantly waiting on something to arrive from wiggle or wherever! ?

Its a sport that requires equipment and the technology is quite fascinating to some. Hey if your thing was rally driving, would you not be interested in the engine that spanked you on a straight road, or the only tyres that had grip on a corner where everyone else spun off? BTW Most runners I know are injured or recovering from an injury!

running_away wrote: »

Runners on the other hand only need a half decent pair of shoes and away you go. No bull****, just you and whatever you choose to run on. No fancy bikes to make you look better than someone else, no new wetsuit to hide the fact that you're just not that fast. ?

Hands up how many runners here have HRMs, GPS, head torch, yaxtrax, 10 pairs of shoes for different terrain, recovery drinks, fuel belts, IPods....

Wetsuits are compuslory in most races and in Ireland in particular its a safety thing. Also em the PROS wear them :rolleyes:

running_away wrote: »

Basically there's way more opportunity to bull**** as a triathlete because you can go on about your super fast T2 time blah blah. Anyway where was I... oh yeah whats this thread about again?

I agree, there is more opportunity to make excuses, but hey last time I checked it was a multi sport! Yep us triathletes generally stand around in the showers after a race boasting about our T2 times

running_away

hey shotgun, I was only really poking a bit of fun. I've actually done lots of triathlons and probably will again in the future!

I don't go buying stuff all the time though thats one thing that irritates me. How much of a difference is a 400 euro suit gonna make? I wasn't saying not to wear a wetsuit just no need to buy a new one every 5 minutes. Having said that it is a small bit of a generalisation!!

I have a very old bike, old leaky suit... whatever I can get my hands on really and I do better than most of the people round here with all their fancy stuff.

As for running I don't have any gizmos or gadgets... keeping it pure!

Anyway its the fair weather folk we should be bashing now don't get me started on them... ah no they're alright too actually. Basically each to their own as long as they're having fun (and not boring me with talk of feckin new gear)

Izoard

shotgunmcos wrote: »

BTW Most runners I know are injured or recovering from an injury!

100%.

If you get stuck talking to a runner, it usually involves detailed self diagnosis of various ailments, meaning they can't actually run right now...
(I'll get my coat..)

mloc123

griffin100 wrote: »

Not the genuine AR who do 2 day races, sleep rough and drink their own p!ss

TFBubendorfer

mloc123 wrote: »

Proper runners would have run from an early age ...

This is doing my head in.

I just cannot figure out if the above quote is a brilliant, self-referencing joke taking the piss out the thread topic itself in a really, really clever way or if the poster is being a bit of a pr...

catweazle

Enduro wrote: »

- I don't think adventure sports are for you if you think that having to fend for yourself is an outragous imposition. In particular, stay away from the real adventure races, as you'd probably have a mental breakdown if you went near one. Probably better off sticking to triathalons or whatever.

I dont think you understood me at all Enduro, my comments were aimed at the pricing level of Gaelforce, fair enough if you don't get water or food around the course, except at transitions! I agree that 3000 people are proof that the pricing is fine but my own opinion is that it is too expensive for what you get. I am also unwilling to pay the money for Galway 70.3 when there are viable alternatives a third of the price out there

However I will admit I have the height of respect for someone like you Enduro, these real adventure races you take part in are a testament to your mental fortitude, indomitable spirit and sheer physical and mental stamina.

I will stick to the triathlons and maybe the odd non real adventure race that has a more reasonable entry fee like one of the WAR races or Achill Roar

Krusty_Clown

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Hands up how many runners here have HRMs, GPS, head torch, yaxtrax, 10 pairs of shoes for different terrain, recovery drinks, fuel belts, IPods....

...though my GPS/HRM is three years old, and my iPod is actually a cheapy Taiwanese jobby. I can't wait until Garmin brings out an 'aero' version of my watch, and a carbon fibre mp3 player.

Krusty_Clown

mloc123 wrote: »

Generally I would say yes. Like swimming I think unless you ran as a teen you have very little chance of being a good runner. Late in lifearathoners are people that start running with the goal of completing a marathon. The ones that go though 4+ hours of underprepared pain and never run again.

Isn't that also true of tri-athletes? Only those who have competed in all three disciplines from an early age are proper triathletes? The rest are just late in lifeathletes.
Poor Chrissy Wellington (blow-in) will never amount to anything, as she only arrived into the sport in the last couple of years. She should just give up now.

too much trifle

Poor Chrissy Wellington (blow-in) will never amount to anything, as she only arrived into the sport in the last couple of years. She should just give up now.[/QUOTE]:D:D:D

mloc123

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Isn't that also true of tri-athletes? Only those who have competed in all three disciplines from an early age are proper triathletes? The rest are just late in lifeathletes.
Poor Chrissy Wellington (blow-in) will never amount to anything, as she only arrived into the sport in the last couple of years. She should just give up now.

Exceptions no doubt but... there is a reason that TI look at swim and run times for there youth squad. I stand by what I say, unless you swan as a kid and maybe to a lesser extent ran from a young age it will be very very hard.