Im Lou...

[Starfish]

Though it doesn't even compare to what you ladies do, this is exactly why I didn't do the Irongirl sprint tri this year. I knew I could do the swim and the bike, and I could walk the run, and I would have finished with a slow time. But I hadn't trained and I thought that it was disrespectful to those who did to just show up and go through the motions.

OK...I am being brave and stepping in with a little different viewpoint, maybe. I DO really respect you marathoners, ironmen, and other athletes participating in this thread. I hope from my other discussions across TE you can tell that. So, I'm respectfully wondering:

I guess I have to ask exactly how, at this sprint distance, your showing up less than really well trained would have disrespected the other participants?

It doesn't sound like you would have had to use SAG-type support resources, or otherwise been a burden on race organizers or other participants.

Perhaps it depends on what you mean, really, by just going through the motions...and why you were drawn to doing it in the first place. Would it have been wrong to just go out and do it for fun, rather than to leave every ounce of yourself out on the course?

What does a person's motivation have to be in order to be considered respectful? For instance, earlier this year, I did a metric century. I did it as a training ride, to test out some things I wanted to use later in the season for my goal event. I didn't have any intention of leaving it all out on the course, or taking it particularly seriously. I knew I wouldn't need SAG or otherwise burden the official ride. I was doing it for my own purposes. I don't feel I was disrespectful to the folks out there who had made that metric or the whole century their big deal for the year.

Please don't misunderstand. I have enormous respect for motivated, trained, successful endurance athletes. I have extreme respect for an Ironman official finisher under 17 hours (as long as that person also has a respect-worthy character, etc.). I don't think people should do events expecting a medal if they don't finish in the time. I don't think people are wise to do difficult events untrained, and put the organization under the strain of dealing with their injuries or whatever.

But, I just kind of wonder what, for instance, would make it wrong or disrespectful for someone to train up to walking a marathon if that was their intended goal and they weren't trying to pretend they ran the whole thing, etc. I just read a book called Marathoning For Mortals by Mr. Bingham which includes a training plan specifically for walking a marathon.

What do a person's goals and motivations have to be in order to be viewed as good enough for you guys, is, I guess, my question?

[alpinerabbit]

Forgive me for chiming in late again - the cutoff for IMCH, by the way, is 23.00 (16 hours)...

[crazycanuck]

Starfish-it's about finishing before the cut off time..not after.

C

[KSH]

Starfish-it's about finishing before the cut off time..not after.

C

Exactly.

Hey, I can say I race for fun. I'm not out there winning anything, so why not make it fun? I talk to my fellow racers, cheer them on, smile, etc.

Do I pass out at the finish line because I left it all on the course... nope... and so what?

I trained for it... I got out there and did it... no one had to support me on the course because I wasn't conditioned.. and that's all that matters.

Don't analyze it too much. If you are out there doing it and have trained for it... then you are all good in anyone's book!

[Starfish]

Thanks, everyone.

I do agree that the time limit is important.

I also do get it that training/competing is a personal journey.

I have a harder time understanding the issues around respect/disrespect to other competitors at the easier distances, especially.

I have a hard time understanding what is wrong with walking a marathon if that is the goal you start out with, and you aren't trying to pretend to do or be something you're not.

[Wahine]

Wow. Did this ever turn into an interesting thread.

So, I'm not sure what I want to say except that I believe in th cut-off. If you're over, no medal.

As for respecting the distance. There will always be people that sign up for events that haven't a clue what the event entails. Some of them will go out and finish and some of them will get spanked. None of that matters to me. If you have the guts to sign up, that is in and off itself an accomplishment. If you go out ill prepared, you'll find out soon enough and if you didn't respect a race before you got to find out how difficult it was first hand...you will after.

There is nothing wrong with coming up with a race strategy and sticking to it. If it involves walking, walk. Just get the job done, race your race and don't worry about anybody else.

[Starfish]

Wow. Did this ever turn into an interesting thread.

See what happens when you go off to compete, and leave us to our own devices, Yoda?

[divingbiker]

I guess I have to ask exactly how, at this sprint distance, your showing up less than really well trained would have disrespected the other participants?

Well, for me, I knew a couple of people who had worked very hard for over six months to train for it. I hadn't done a thing except "run" and swim once and do my normal biking. I know that a sprint doesn't compare to a HIM or IM, but it still didn't feel right to me to not train at all. Maybe it's because I've never participated in any group sports or competitions, so I'm not comfortable just showing up and doing poorly while others have taken it seriously.