Funny Story

[Tri Girl]

Ok- funny to me anyhow. It's about the assumptions people make- reminds me of the story of Running Mommy (Denise) at the last tri she did (are you going to walk the 5K sweetie?).

Last weekend my DH and I did a Formula 1 Duathlon (2m run, 10m bike, 2m run, 10m bike, 2m run) as a team. We did it as a team because we've never done anything as a team (event wise) and thought it would be fun. Another married couple in our tri club also did it as a team. I ran, he biked. It was fun.
At the awards ceremony after the race, the RD (and good friend) was passing out awards for teams and said "Now all the teams (6 in all) come up for some applause. I said jokingly "Yes, clap for us because we only did part of the race." People laughed- it was funny.
Then- as I'm walking away a lady says to the person next to her, "That's cute, you gotta start somewhere." I didn't say anything and kept on walking by. Little does she know that I've done an IM and ran 4 marathons, my DH has run 5 marathons pretty fast and the other team from our tri club had a 4 time IM finisher and a very fast marathoner as the runner. Funny! I told the other team what she said, and they rolled their eyes and laughed. They said "just because we're a team doesn't mean we CAN'T do the distance- we just chose not to."
If only that lady knew she was in the presence of pretty decent athletes- not first time competitors. I know I probably look like a first timer (short and stocky), but my DH and the other team are very trim and athletic folks. Reminded me to not make assumptions about people and their athletic abilities (although I was reminded of that on the runs when a 72 year old man- and member of our tri club- passed me on all 3 runs- makes me feel really good about myself ).

People are too funny...

[rocknrollgirl]

At my Xterra race two weeks ago, people assumed that my DH was the one racing and not me. When he answered, nope today I am just here for support, people just looked at us like we had three heads.

And even better, a coworker asked me how he handled taking a back seat to me and my accomplishment of doing well in the race. What the heck? He just laughed and said, we are a team, she wins, I win.

What is wrong with people?



Oh and on a cute note, I found out in a round about way, that our mt biking buddies, looked up all the stats on the race and were bragging at work that they helped train me. They were so excited that I did well. They are so darn sweet.

[Tri Girl]

people just looked at us like we had three heads.

What???? A woman racing while "her man" watches idly by? That's iiinnnsaaannee!
How dumb, huh? And what a dumb thing for your coworker to say. Like your DH was "shamed" because his wife did awesome at a race? Dumb, dumb, dumb...

Reminds me of last summer when I did my IM- my DH's coworkers (all macho-y men) were saying things like "you could do that too, right" and he'd say "no way- I couldn't do that. She's amazing."
Like a woman can't be athletically superior... hee hee

They were so excited that I did well. They are so darn sweet.

Too cute! What nice group of guys! They're like the big brother watching out for little sis. Very sweet!

[Running Mommy]

People....

My husbands friends all tell him that I could kick his asz!!
Of course I COULD, but thats another story...

Yeah I felt pretty defeated this weekend when I was sucking wind trying to go up that dang hill! And when we had a RUNNER pass us!!
Of course he had an IM finishers hat on. Spencer said "look mom he finished an Ironman too" really loud the guy turned around and smiled. I felt like hiding my head because at that moment I was feeling less than Iron... sigh... OY!

[spokewench]

At my Xterra race two weeks ago, people assumed that my DH was the one racing and not me. When he answered, nope today I am just here for support, people just looked at us like we had three heads.

And even better, a coworker asked me how he handled taking a back seat to me and my accomplishment of doing well in the race. What the heck? He just laughed and said, we are a team, she wins, I win.

I and three of my racing buddies raced the 24 hours in the Old Pueblo as a women's team a few years ago, we did this a few years in a row and had a blast. It was probably the first time that all of our husband's and SO's had just supported us and not raced too. We had three great mechanics, two great cooks, and lots of cameraderie. Those were some of the BEST memories for all of us, women and men!

Some people just don't get it; that ladies can be competitive and have great supporting partners.

[Wahine]

At my Xterra race two weeks ago, people assumed that my DH was the one racing and not me. When he answered, nope today I am just here for support, people just looked at us like we had three heads.

Ha ha ha. DH gets that too whenever we go to races. It's kinda cute. He just says things like " I cold do it but I'm not that crazy."

[Krys]

Dont you all just love when people look at you weird or say things like.. YOU do sports or YOU are doing a triathlon. usually I dont get that stuff because i'm usually dressed althetically ( aka.. not dressed up in the least) But I'm in college still and there was an opening summer activity so I figured I would acutally curl my hair and look half decent. At the activity a group of us played football, of course a bunch of guys and like three girls.. I didn't get the ball once until the end in which I scored. After it was over we all were talking about our hobbies and it came up I was doing a tri soon and played sports my whole life.. And of course there was the comment of "you are doing a triathlon.." for the millioneth time. I wanted to scream.. what just because I have blonde hair and its curled your first impression is I can't do those things because I'm a girl... GGRRRR.. acutally Its kind of funny... Aren't first Impressions always the best...

[colby]

Rah rah ree, kick 'em in the knee... rah rah rass, kick 'em in the... other knee!!

My husband has the "I'm a software engineer" look to him, so he doesn't get a lot of questions about him doing athletic stuff when he's at expos and race sites with me. I guess I look "small enough" to avoid a lot of rude questions like that, but by no means am I super fit. I also have a tendency to avoid small super-athletic type events. Sometimes my husband gets the "when are you going to do that?" schtick from people at work or friends, and he says "never" in a very matter of fact way.

In the end, we're the ones with the finisher's medals around our necks and the announcers saying our names over the loudspeaker. So THERE!