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Is there a specific set of laws that apply to people who've done an Ironman?
Overtook* a fully aeroed up chap on a fully aeroed up tri bike today. Fluttering behind his seatpost was a race number from an Ironman. Said race number was fairly old, faded and battered, so it must have been there for some time. Is this enshrined in law as a way of making sure that everyone you haven't already told knows about it?
*Downhill, I hasten to add. I have lots of gravity.
They usually have a monster inc tattoo as well 😀
Don't forget the M-dot tattoo - whatever they've done they do a good job of relieving people of large amounts of money in entrance fees and branded merchandise to race against each other. One of my training buddies is an M-dot officianado who finishes top 5 - the rest of the group often enjoys dishing it out and making him suffer 😉
Branding brilliance. IM was sold for ~$600 million a while back.
There's a guy i used to run into on one of my road loops. He had 5 or 6 of the IM tattoos. Seemed to ride everywhere at exactly the same speed. Block headwind, tailwind, uphill, downhill, everything except corners. Where he'd slow to walking pace.
Probably not helped by his insistence on always being on the extensions.
Always wore one of those daft tri bra and panties things. Probably so you could see his tattoos.
Looked painful when it was below zero and sleeting sideways.
*Downhill, I hasten to add. I have lots of gravitas. FTFY
Weird...maybe he's just very proud of his achievement?
There's blokes at work who've completed an Ironman in very modest times. They don't look particularly fit or fast, but at least they put in the hour & the effort to complete one, which is more than I've had the balls to do.
'How do you know someone's done an Ironman?'
'Because they'll tell you'
Perhaps he is (justifiably) proud of completing an IM? No easy task - plenty of folk walk around in marathon tee shirts and no one comments!
I have only ever done HIMs as never had the time to train properly for the full. So can appreciate the incredible effort. Having said that IMO the whole branding thing is way OTT and I never did official events for that reason. I also have a little smile when I see a IM tat. But each to their own.
Never understood the tri-haters personally.
(Although just been for a casual swim tonight and couldn't help having a few secret races with the tri club in the lanes next door 😉 )
plenty of folk walk around in marathon tee shirts and no one comments!
If they walked around with their race plate still pinned on to said T-shirt, I suspect there might be more comments!
Perhaps.
Go on to RimmersWorld and the tri section and ask the Pirates. They love have the piss taken out of themselves!
In defence of the rider, I often forgot about race numbers on bike and helmets 😉 I haven't done a tri for three years and yet there are still some old race numbers on my frame!!
Go on to RimmersWorld
Perhaps not.
They have fascinating discussions on different types of lube!!
(RunnersWorld, to avoid any confusion!! 😉 )
🙂
Ex colleague used to do them, reasonably successful but never made the Q for Hawaii. Ironman he tells me is about pace, as above you leanr to go at your sustainable pace (so I am told). Lets face it the endurance required is pretty special not least when you consider the open water swim comes first.
CFH perhaps he was on an IM distance training ride (speedwise) and the number is his momento, we can all be a bit sentimental from time to time.
I often forgot about race numbers on bike and helmets I haven't done a tri for three years and yet there are still some old race numbers on my frame!!
Sure, you just forgot, Ok bro... 🙄
I may be a bit biased as I just completed Outlaw two weeks ago, a full iron /long distance race.
However the level of work and commitment I put into getting to the finish line was in the same level of magnitude as my engineering degree. Hundreds of hours training, 6,000km biked, 1,400km ran and 130,000m swam.
You can be damn sure the race sticker will remain on my TT bike for the foreseeable future as a memento!
Do you carry your degree certificate around with you as well?
However the level of work and commitment I put into getting to the finish line was in the same level of magnitude as my engineering degree. Hundreds of hours training, 6,000km biked, 1,400km ran and 130,000m swam.
did you win?
Bravo scruff - bloody good effort!! Did you enjoy it?
Funnily enough, swimming tonight (and closing down the triathletes in the lane next door) made me a bit twitchy to get back into it. Have also been riding on my road bike for the first time in a couple of years too and that felt good - the aero bars are still attached along with the old "bits" of stickers 😉
The trouble with IM/HM and the ultra running races I was doing, is that they taught me to go long, slowly. Two years of that screwed my race pace over shorter distances. Not sure I can be bothered with the fag and cost of an Olympic length though - have far too many Human Race tee shirts!!!
So C'ptn - there's a quick answer. Long distance triathletes are correctly proud of their achievements!!
Do you carry your degree certificate around with you as well?
Chuckle 🙂
Ironman hurts and it's something to be proud of finishing but that's a bit much leaving your race plates on. Was 19 when I did Ironman Canada back in '93, numbers are in a drawer somewhere.
Do you carry your degree certificate around with you as well?
Mine sits in front of my name 😆
In defence of the rider, I often forgot about race numbers on bike and helmets I haven't done a tri for three years and yet there are still some old race numbers on my frame!!
You can forget about something in a drawer. How on earth do you forget about something attached to an item you look at every single time you use it?
That's like saying you forgot you had a tattoo on your hand.
CaptainFlashheart - MemberDo you carry your degree certificate around with you as well?
picture of my PhD degree on my phone ha ha ha ha
Mine sits in front of my name
and on my pay slip, bank card and driving license
I've done it, never got the tattoo though. It's a bloody hard day out! so anyone who wants to bragg about doing an Ironman has every right to imo 😆
Leaving your race number on though 🙄
Easily njee, easily!!!
Its only a sticky label after all.
Do you carry your degree certificate around with you as well?
No need - have letters after my name to remind me 🙂
How on earth do you forget about something attached to an item you look at every single time you use it?
if it's mud i find it easy to ignore...
Easily njee, easily!!!Its only a sticky label after all.
As someone who's put a number on bikes/helmets/kit many many times, I don't buy that one iota. I buy 'genuinely not caring' that you've left it there, or 'thinking people will be impressed', but not forgetting.
Two time IM-distance here.
It does seem to attract folk at the geeky end of the spectrum compared to mountain biking, or it lets folk get obsessed with three different sports (and the related kit).
Always thought when I did my first one (the Outlaw too) that I'd maybe get a tattoo...but then such a huge number of folk have triathlon related tattoos, that I came away thinking that it's a funny thing to define yourself with that you want to brand yourself up.
And a very funny (sad actually) thread on a Facebook post recently about the thought that folk give to what previous event t-shirts they'll wear for the registration of their next triathlon / IM etc?! FFS 😯
It's the same as festival goers and admission bands that are now festering , like yawn dirty bastards
I see the urge to look down on people is strong here, you look down on them cos of an IM tat or race number (seen plenty of roadys leaving numbers on bikes over the years btw) MTB'rs look down on miserable roadys, Ironman people look down on puny mortals, roadys look down on fat [s]middle aged[/s] old MTB'rs (me 😀 ) and on and on the piffinness goes..
We'd be screwed without someone to look down on..
As someone who's put a number on bikes/helmets/kit many many times, I don't buy that one iota.
Fair enough, thats your perogative.
I buy 'genuinely not caring' that you've left it there, or 'thinking people will be impressed', but not forgetting.
BTW, I am not the person that the C'ptn saw and I have no IM branded stuff on my bikes or anywhere else. My simple point was that it easy to forget about race numbers stuck on a bike. That is my experience, whether you buy it or not, and its nothing to do with impressing anyone. As I said, just some old sticky label.
But congrats on keeping your kit tidier than mine. I salute you!! 😉
Anyway partly inspired by this thread (and Adam!) I was in the pool at 07:00 this morning for first 2k swim in a while. Need to get back to the old 100 length 2.5ks in the next few weeks.
In one triathlon, I transitioned next to a guy who had a BA gold card tag on his bag. I wonder why he didn't take it off, he wasn't flying anywhere. Perhaps he was trying to impress me that his firm paid him to travel in comfort. Didn't work as I keep my travel bags tidier than my bike!!! 😉
But a luggage label achieves something on an ongoing basis. It's the sort of thing you'd remove and forget otherwise. Telling people you finished IM Austria in 1996 doesn't get you into an airport lounge... Daft analogy.
FWIW I look down at anyone with a number on their bike still - be they triathlete, MTBer or road rider. My superiority knows no bounds.
But a luggage label achieves something on an ongoing basis.
True, smugness look at me I have a gold card!!
Telling people you finished IM Austria in 1996 doesn't get you into an airport lounge... Daft analogy.
Have you tried it?!?
FWIW I look down at anyone with a number on their bike still - be they triathlete, MTBer or road rider. My superiority knows no bounds.
😀 😀
(goes off with soapy water to clean bike seatpost)
FWIW, my road shoes are v old tri shoes held together with masking tape. What does that say? Tight arse more than anything else!!! 😉
FWIW, my road shoes are v old tri shoes held together with masking tape. What does that say? Tight arse more than anything else!!!
That's fine, that shows apathy. No issues with that whatsoever!
Two time Ironman here and I'm proud of may achievements with how many hours of training I've put in.
Agree re race number but it's no different to all the people entering sportifs and leaving race numbers on or bragging about their "TIME" at Ride London... that isn't a race! IF you want to do it properly enter a race and step up.
I have left race numbers on my bike, mainly due to being quite lazy! When I completed some ironman races I bought lots of IM branded kit, and I have an IM tattoo. All of which made me happy! Quite selfishly I did all of these things because of how they make me feel, I am not overly concerned if someone feels the need to judge me for it!
If anyone were to have a go at me to my face about these things I would simply think they are a little strange, if all they do is keep quiet and then go onto a forum to question it then it really isn't my problem!
I have left race numbers on my bike, mainly due to being quite lazy!
Damn, for a moment I was feeling unique. 😉
Not much to add, other than as a Pirate we do enjoy a good bit of piss taking. Dishing out or receiving, we're not bothered. We're at the less serious end of the tri spectrum. Though some of our lot are actually quite quick...
DB - its been a while since I was on RW but had a quick look just now. You Pirates seem as active as ever.
I used to enjoy the Pirates v TriTalk banter in the old days - I was wearing the blue TT kit though not the yellow and black 😉
RW seems quite active but TT seems very quiet these days. Fat Buddha seems to still be on both!!
Hundreds of hours training, 6,000km biked, 1,400km ran and 130,000m swam.
Over a year that works out at a couple of 1200m swims per week, a couple of 10-15km runs per week and 115km riding per week, which is a recreational amount.
Put more effort in! 😆
We're growing and there's still loads of banter. Only annoying thing is there's an increase in the number of people wearing the kit who don't seem to be on RW or make any effort to be a part of the social side. You give em support on course and they blank you. Sort of thing the death penalty should be brought back for...
teamhurtmore - Memberplenty of folk walk around in marathon tee shirts and no one comments!
I have a willy-waving tshirt too, "better get the endurance downhill shirt on so everyone knows I'm a riding GOD". "Uh, wait, we'll be riding later. Better not wear it as they'll soon know I'm a riding FANNY"
But if there's a t-shirt but no riding situation, it's getting worn. Only god can judge me!!1!
I'm amazed, having worked on a few triathlete's bikes (which is a necessity, since none of them seem to know how to do it despite buying loads of tat off the internet for it), that you could see the numbers for energy gel and sweat stains.
Why are they all such animals?
Don't forget the piss stains.
I'm amazed, having worked on a few triathlete's bikes (which is a necessity, since none of them seem to know how to do it
Its the triathlon version of the trickle-down effect MB 😉
Be grateful.....
My number sticky label from the etape is still on my bike. Everytime I go for a ride I see it and think "must take that off when I get back", go for a ride, come home and chuck bike back in shed and go into the house. One day I'll remember to take it off.
[quote=munrobiker ]Why are they all such animals?
Because they work hard and refuel whilst racing rather than stopping for a breather at the top of every climb and cakes in the cafe half way round? 😈
And a very funny (sad actually) thread on a Facebook post recently about the thought that folk give to what previous event t-shirts they'll wear for the registration of their next triathlon / IM etc?! FFS
This... and other comments above (IM tattoos, 'happiness' at being able to project a certain image to others etc.), suggest some strong narcissistic traits lurking away in the IM community.
Oh, and if that's the Facebook post I'm thinking of, it was completely tongue in cheek, with only one person taking it seriously and getting wound up. And he's well known for being a knob, to the point that he was being mocked in rhe rave briefings at Outlaw the other week. Several people turned up in Parkrun 25 t-shirts for a laugh on response to that thread.
suggest some strong narcissistic traits lurking away in the IM community.
Yip, definitely, more than in any other sport I've come across.
Several people turned up in Parkrun 25 t-shirts for a laugh on response to that thread.
Brilliant, love that!
FWIW, my road shoes are v old tri shoes held together with masking tape. What does that say? Tight arse more than anything else!!!
Masking tape? That well known, high strength tape thats incredibly useful in wet environments?
I'd say it means you don't ride very much, or very hard.
Most people use gorilla tape or shoe goo or similar to hold shoes together.
Narcissim? A bit strong there, but certainly the level of commitment required to perform (even complete) an IM is considerable and requires an element of selfishness and/or understanding from family and work. Too much of a leap for me (couldnt find time to commit properly), hence stuck to Half Iron Man distance instead. As the book says, "The Perfect Distance".
GM - with new enthusiasm for the road, 3x a week normally around 50-60miles with plenty of hills (Goodwood, Duncton, Fernhurst etc). Masking tape working wonders so far, but I bow to your greater achievements. In reality, like the old labels, just being a bit lazy. Prefer being out on the bike to being in the shops!!
To be fair I'm still working my way through a stack of "one seasons use" race shoes. Only bought one pair of road shoes in about 10 odd years. (When the contents of my house were in a lock up a couple of thousand km away!)
It's quite amazing how inventive you can be when the alternative to a 15 year old pair of shoes which are nearly dead costs near enough 250 quid.
Shoe goo and gorilla tape is only the start.
Its the strap that's gone on my shoe - hence just put them on and tape across a few times!!
No excuse, I am juts being a tight arse!!
Agree re race number but it's no different to all the people entering sportifs and leaving race numbers on or bragging about their "TIME" at Ride London... that isn't a race! IF you want to do it properly enter a race and step up.
I've seen riders with both RideLondon and Deloitte Ride Across Britain number boards left on their handlebars several months after the event. Not quite sure what either is meant to prove to the casual observer.
Don't you guys who leave your number on worry about what those zip ties flapping round on your lightweight bars will do to the finish? I've had a pair of light ish aluminum mtb bars fairly much trashed by a zip tie after one muddy race just from the number board moving about.
Can't imagine the glue does the finish on a seat pin or frame much good.
Mate of mine has won Euros age group and top 10 at Kona. Don't think I've ever seen him with old numbers and crap hanging off his bike.
Dont know about IM branded events, but all the labels in the tris I have done were simple sticky ones for bike and helmet - hence easy to miss 😉
I work with a 2x IM competitor and team GB triathlete.
She was saying it is total mind over matter, bloody will not stop, no matter how crap I feel, just feed, hydrate and keep going and going and going...
That brings a certain attitude that she has now backed away from IM because of - much prefers tri atmosphere and people.
She has also lost a team mate who died on an IM, put herself in intensive care and suggests that death/serious hospital time are also part of the IM thing, and that there are more medical issues than folk realise....
I would also balance the argument to say she is one of the most down to earth, lovely and happy people I know. Just don't try and pedal up Dumyat road faster than her..... 👿
Why not? Will she put herself into hospital just to prove she's faster?
Will she put herself into hospital just to prove she's faster?
It seems her competitive [s]edge[/s] all-all-crush-you-into-the-floor is rather strong on a bike...
The only time I came off a road bike was during my last Ironman and was 6 inches away from getting my head crushed. Carried on with the race and finished but after that close call I stick with mountain biking now.
My mate got knocked off his bike by an icecream van on the same race and another mate couldn't race because he'd been knocked off a few weeks previous. This was 10 odd years ago. The odds are just against you too much I reckon, hat off to anyone putting the hours in nowadays. Still wouldn't leave my number on though.