ARmy Rumour SErvice

**Nornironman** · 20-04-2012, 08:06

Bollox.

I'm a sadly afflicted triathlete, and love my sport. The Mrs does too, we met at running club and it works really well. We manage to bring up two kids with a third on the way and still compete and manage to give the boys time.

Ironman is as good as it gets, I've never had a feeling of fulfilment quite like crossing that line for the first time. It makes you think you can do anything and then some. It's a sport that takes in a huge circle of folks from middle and back of packers like us right up to the pros like Chrissie. You actually get to race and mix with some of the finest and friendliest athletes in the world. It's a magical sport, and believe it or not a family sport. Our two boys merrily do junior tri, are out with us on the bikes at least once a week, and while we're swim training open water they're sailing. They're out and about doing sport whilst their peers are playing on the X box. So no it's not necessarily bad for the family.

Triathlon welcomes those of all abilites, and often the person who gets the biggest applause is the last one over the line. Those guys show some real guts to stick it out.

The rest is probably true, a 30 mile bike ride is a warm up, life without running would be awful, and we eat huge quantities of food. No we're not obsessed, but we do love the sport but not above the kids. We admit to being bike bores, but hell I'd rather do a bike ride, or a run, or a few k in the pool in the evening than watch Eastenders. We do admit to having too many Tri friends, and yes we all talk about the same crap but hell it beats drugs and drink.

**gaijin** · 20-04-2012, 08:24

but hell it beats drugs and drink

You've obviously not tried the right sorts of drink or drugs

Boozy · 20-04-2012, 11:57

[QUOTE=Bingobongo;4352211]Are you for fucking real? I used to live with a girl who was a professional mountain biker and the national 3rd fastest cross country rider in the States which is quite a big deal (she liked to remind me of that). Her and ALL of her mates were an absolute nightmare to be around. Beyond obsessive, extremely self involved, bitchy, slightly insecure as their whole lives were about competition and they ALL stole food/ told you your food was wrong. Complete shower of twats.

I also had a student when I was a watersports instructor who was a professional Ironman competitor and he was the most bloody minded pushy fucker I've ever had the misfortune to be around. He'd broken up with his previous 2 girlfriend's because they "Weren't behind his training" and apparently this was the norm for people competing at his level. Couldn't cope with people not "Operating at his level".

That said...one of my best mates from home runs ultra marathons and is one of the nicest blokes you could hope to meet. Works as a human rights lawyer and runs 60 milers on Saturdays. He is however the only endurance type athlete I've ever known who wasn't a raging cunt or who did not at least frequently display extremely cunt-like characteristics.[/QUOTE]

Couldn't agree more with this post - the only reason I sort of got along with my triathlete flat mate was that he mistakenly believed I was some kind of athlete too... I was always wearing running tights and tees and just in from the gym or going when he saw me and my food at the time largely consisted of cheap vegetables. But like I say, this was because I had no TV (the treadmills at the gym did!) and I was a student with no actual money for junk food, otherwise I'd have been thrown on the "disgrace to humanity" heap with my other flatmates.

**bluntslane** · 20-04-2012, 22:47

Originally Posted by Nornironman

Bollox.

I'm a sadly afflicted triathlete, and love my sport. The Mrs does too, we met at running club and it works really well. We manage to bring up two kids with a third on the way and still compete and manage to give the boys time.

Ironman is as good as it gets, I've never had a feeling of fulfilment quite like crossing that line for the first time. It makes you think you can do anything and then some. It's a sport that takes in a huge circle of folks from middle and back of packers like us right up to the pros like Chrissie. You actually get to race and mix with some of the finest and friendliest athletes in the world. It's a magical sport, and believe it or not a family sport. Our two boys merrily do junior tri, are out with us on the bikes at least once a week, and while we're swim training open water they're sailing. They're out and about doing sport whilst their peers are playing on the X box. So no it's not necessarily bad for the family.

Triathlon welcomes those of all abilites, and often the person who gets the biggest applause is the last one over the line. Those guys show some real guts to stick it out.
The rest is probably true, a 30 mile bike ride is a warm up, life without running would be awful, and we eat huge quantities of food. No we're not obsessed, but we do love the sport but not above the kids. We admit to being bike bores, but hell I'd rather do a bike ride, or a run, or a few k in the pool in the evening than watch Eastenders. We do admit to having too many Tri friends, and yes we all talk about the same crap but hell it beats drugs and drink.

Norn -i- m, mate you are obsessed and so's your wife. Just remember that all those last finishers that so gutsily stuck it out are the slow swimmers that got half-drowned in the mass-start by the Phiz nazis swimming over them.

Triathlon is good, hard sport BUT you have to be obsessive to compete at it and an extremist to be any good. And extremism is selfish and unpleasant to others.