Oh, you're a TRIATHLETE....

[KnottedYet]

Have you noticed how much attitudes toward you change once you're a "triathlete"? (I've only been one for 2 weeks, so I notice this markedly)

I went to a new doctor, and put triathlons down on the intake form as one of my exercise activities. I was treated very differently, with the doc clearly having a different set of assumptions about me and my health than I'm used to. Not just that my complaints were taken more seriously... maybe that I was treated more like a responsible patient, too? (dare I say, more like an adult than a whiney child?)

Some of my patients at work also react differently than I'm used to. I generally use myself as an example: "Here's my middle-aged body in bad posture, here's my middle-aged body in good posture, see how this and that and the other changes when I correct myself? Now you do it here in front of this mirror." Well, that used to work great, patients clearly thought "hey, if she can do that, I can too!" But I had one say "yeah, but you do triathlons". EEK! I had the same reaction when I was cheering a patient on to start some cardio activities at home. You know, start with little steps, you'll feel so good, soon you'll be doing more, etc. "yeah, but you do triathlons" "yeah, but you're in such good shape, and I'm not."

Maybe I should carry around a copy of a pic of me when I was around 200lbs to show these folks, to say "I was there, now, do the darn exercise I'm telling you to do!"

[Grog]

Hummm... Lance Armstrong started as a triathlete.

It's funny because yesterday my sweet partner, who (I'm not afraid to say, he is) is a top age-grouper (not elite though) was complaining that he's refered to as an athlete all the time by his classmates. He was really annoyed last year when someone published in the class newspaper that he went to a world age-grouper championship. (Keep in mind that this is med school and that there are many top athletes there.) I told him that he has to come to terms with the fact that he IS a top athlete, and that it does impress people and make them feel a bit envious at times... But he remains a bit annoyed by that.

[triflor]

(he was a triathlete first, but that doesn't matter)

I get the same thing... this weird look from people when I drop the tri bomb. You're very right, doctors and other professionals do seem to take me more seriously if I say something about tris. My employers would be hard pressed to give me a day off to visit family, but to go to a race, no problem. What's up with that?

The thing I have a hard time with is the constant assumption that I am wealthy because I do triathlons. If I go to a bike shop and ask them to do a tune up, fine, if I mention what I ride for they start trying to up-sell.

But I have to tell you all, that in the two years (three seasons) I've been doing this, it wasn't until after IMLP was over, that I felt like a triathlete... that I was really allowed to say it. Weird considering the way that day went.

[Trek420]

roshelleuop "Then, how many times has someone called you Mrs. Armstrong or something related to Lance. Well, not that I wouldn't LOVE to be Mrs. Armstong (even though I'm very happily married ) Uhhhh, well, sorry Lance is a cyclist not a triathlete, get it right!"

So Knotted are you saying on the Dr's form I should indicate I do triathlons (hey, it could happen....I walk, bike and swim....not on the same day heck not even in the same year sometimes but I do all three) so I'll get more respect and IRL I should not say that?

[Running Mommy]

Imagine what I go through when I go to the doctor. You have all seen my pics I'm sure. I'm short and built like a block. My stats are 5'1" and I weigh around 180, yeah ONE EIGHTY!!!!!! Now mind you my normal feel good/ look good size is about 150. I'm just a big girl stuck in a short girls body... Case in point- my ankle circumference is so big that I could never wear an anklet! And the body builders at the gym ogle over my calves!! I tell them that I do nothing to encourage them!! ha ha

Anyway, so they take my stats, look on that STOOPID BMI chart and write on the chart "severely obese"... I guess that's better than "morbidly"??!!
But then they take my blood pressure.. "WHOA IT'S LOW" they say in amazement. They actually think that something may be wrong because it's so low... "No" I explain, "I'm a traithlete".. They then give me that "oh that's nice honey" look and I can tell they are thinking "triathlete my ASZ! She's too fat to be a triathlete"... I can just tell by the fake smiles...

And then the doctor comes in and gives me the lecture. But she runs alll my blood work and I'm healthy as a horse. She's totally perplexed by my being so heavy, and yet so healthy at the same time. She then tells me that my body must just have a predisposition to hold on to fat and that I would probably have to starve myself or really ramp up my training to lose weight. yeah that's nice!! Ummm... I don't think so!!!

So the last time I went in it was 3 days post Ironman. I took my plaque and medal in to show her... yeah, I really DID move forward for 16 hours, 52 minutes, and 54 seconds!!!!! All 180 lbs of me!!!!
She wrote me a referral to a nutritionist....

So what am I trying to say??? I dunno, maybe that because of my size I constantly have to PROVE to people that I'm an athlete, because from outside appearances I sure don't "appear" to be one... sigh....

[KSH]

But I had one say "yeah, but you do triathlons". EEK! I had the same reaction when I was cheering a patient on to start some cardio activities at home. You know, start with little steps, you'll feel so good, soon you'll be doing more, etc. "yeah, but you do triathlons" "yeah, but you're in such good shape, and I'm not."

Well, maybe you should for your clients sake... show them the proof. Show them what you were and let them see who you are today, after exercising. Sounds like a great idea! A picture is worth a 1000 words.

It's funny though, just because you train for tri's.... people think you are in *perfect* shape. HA! I still get winded just walking up 3 flights of stairs in the morning.

Or, I have had the instance where people think I am going to be a stronger rider than I am... because I'm a triathlete. I then have to explain that I am a SLOW one! HA!

[KSH]

But then they take my blood pressure.. "WHOA IT'S LOW" they say in amazement. They actually think that something may be wrong because it's so low... "No" I explain, "I'm a traithlete".. They then give me that "oh that's nice honey" look and I can tell they are thinking "triathlete my ASZ! She's too fat to be a triathlete"... I can just tell by the fake smiles...

WOW! That has got to really piss you off! You certainly can't just someone's health/fitness level by their cover...eh?

That's cool that you took in your finisher's medal. PROOF that you are fit!

[colby]

So what am I trying to say??? I dunno, maybe that because of my size I constantly have to PROVE to people that I'm an athlete, because from outside appearances I sure don't "appear" to be one... sigh....

What a story, RM. Some people are so judgmental. Having to literally show someone your finisher's medal is totally ridiculous.

I have gone to the doctor and had them say several times "You weigh WHAT? You don't look like you weigh that!"... and proceed to discuss my weight with others in the office. I think it's supposed to be a compliment, but it just makes me feel even more like I'm not "normal" or "correct" and like I'm "hiding" a secret that I'm really a fat person in disguise, something to admire so we could all be fat and not look totally fat, or something. If you compared my weight to one of those charts, I'd probably be screwed, too. It just makes me look at myself and ONLY see the fat parts, to prove them wrong -- I'm fat and I look fat. Hooray for body image problems inadvertently encouraged by the medical profession.

Last time I went to a doctor was for my shoulder. I coincidentally was wearing a 1/2 marathon finisher's shirt, and suddenly I was treated differently than I had been treated at other doctors' offices before. The doctor himself is in fact an Ironman finisher, and was a really nice guy. I really didn't know what to say, I really hadn't thought of myself as a serious anything, but here I was with a sports injury and my 1/2 marathon shirt planning my triathlon swim training (or watching it go down the drain anyway, pun halfheartedly intended!). When did this happen!?

One of the women at work was a volunteer at the 1/2 marathon. She thought it was so amazing. It really made me stop and think about what I had done, that it was so impressive to someone. I kept saying "it was only 1/2 a marathon" and "I was pretty slow." I think the same thing about the triathlon, but what it means to other people is pretty amazing.

It's funny that we contend with both the "it's just a baby triathlon" and the "OMG, a triathlon!?" people at the same time.

[Running Mommy]

Colby I had a similar experience in 2005 when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. I was in the oral surgeons chair and he walked in and looked at my running shoes and asked me if those were the shoes I ran in, or if I ran in another model. He actually could tell by looking at me that I was a runner. It was a first!!!
Of course he was a runner and his wife was a triathlete, so it really shouldn't have surprised me. But I guess I'm just used to having to explain to people what I do. He was funny to, he told me first thing after surgery when I could run again! lol
Usually that's the first thing *I* ask!!!

Once upon a time in nor cal I actually had a doctor who was also an Ironman. I expected that he would understand when I went in whining about my knee pain, but no... He just nicknamed me "Ms. Overuse syndrome" and told me to cut back on training!! Come to find out my "problem" was that he had prescribed orthotics to me and I didn't need them!! The PT asked me why I was using orthotics and told me to stop. Amazing thing... The pain went away!!!
So I guess having a doctor who is also an athlete is no guarantee!!!
But I still try to find them when I'm looking for a doctor. It's a funny thing to ask when interviewing a doctor, but for me it matters. I need someone to understand where I'm coming from.

[Lise]

When I finally went for help with my numb toes when running/biking, I asked for a referral to a podiatrist who is an athlete. I got a wonderful woman who has done marathons and triathlons, and "got it". She's also pregnant with her first baby, so she understood about me working on my feet in L&D and the clinic.

The orthotics are helping. Less numbness. I'm still planning to have the bunion surgery in January.

[betagirl]

I agree with what everyone said, though I'm not really a triathlete My first event will be an aquabike, and I doubt I'll ever do a full tri because I simply hate running. Plus I have bad knees. Honestly I do

But my doc knows how much I bike. Since I have crohn's, we hang out quite a bit. I usually see him 4 times a year. He knows I've done 4 rides across Iowa, etc. He doesn't know about the aquabike yet. But his attitude toward me changed when he learned how active I am. Part of how he gauges how well I'm doing is "are you still cycling as much?" If I go in complaining of fatigue or other symptoms, he takes it pretty seriously. I suspect moreso than if someone who sits on the sofa all day says the same.

It's interesting about patients using your level of fitness to not increase their's. I think showing them a "before" picture would be very helpful in quieting that argument.