"Not A Real Athlete"?!?!

[maillotpois]

AARGH!!! Of course you're an athlete. Crazy boys!

I used to get into arguments with DH about what is or is not "athletic" or a "sport". For example billiards or car racing. While I could do neither well, I would argue that these are not athletic. (Of course, I am sure both require tremendous eye hand coordination and reflexes, and car racing may even involve some endurance. But you get the point.) Anyway our arguments used to come down to anything that was a ball sport was a "sport" and thus, the person an athlete - as opposed to things I did at the time (hiking, climbing mountains) as being endurance based things that were less "athletic".

Of course now that we both cycle, he sort of sees my point and I don't think we have had one of those arguments in years!

[Trekhawk]

This thread is very cool. Eva is right he is being a bit of a w*nker. I think taking him for a ride as the others recommend would be a very humbling experience for him, then talk about who is the athlete.

Nanci - mate if it makes any difference you have my respect. Im always reading out your Brevet posts to my husband and Im in awe you have come such a long way with your riding.

[Pax]

Seems lots of folks get derailed by "definitions", some think an athlete is a paid professional, others think golfers are athletes, still others think if you don't have a sub 3% body fat level you can't be an "athlete".

I figure if I drag my voluminous butt around for 20+ miles while enduring a bike seat wedgie the entire time...I'm an ATHLETE!

[Brandi]

My dh would never argue this issue with me. As a matter of fact the other day when he rode with me he said that i was much stronger on hills then I used to be. And my recovery time is like nothing now. I get to the top take a minute and I am ready to go again. I almost think your bf was being rude. But he's a guy they don't always say what we want to hear like in the movies you know?

[Kathi]

I didn't think of myself as an athlete but a guy at the gym kept calling me one. I didn't understand until I found this on the internet back in 1997. It's from gogirlmag.com and was the Go, girl! Credo.

Ask a 12-year old boy, and he'll probably say a multi-million dollar endorsement deal. A high school jock will tell you that making the game-winning touchdown or sinking that final dunk makes him an athlete. And the wise old men at Webster's explain that the word athlete is originally from the Greek athlein, meaning "to contend for a prize."

That's not what an athlete really is.

An athlete is someone who's not afraid to try something new. And keeps on trying even if she fails the first time.

An athlete is some who takes joy in movement. Who knows that she always feels better after her workout than she did before. She enjoys that first trickle of sweat because she knows that the reward of stretching won't be too far behind.

An athlete is someone who knows that you don't have to be on an organized sports team to be strong, to have enthusiasm, or to be a winner.

And most of all, an athlete is someone who enjoys the rhythm of oxygen flowing through her body, welcomes the quickened beating of her heart during a workout, and know that her efforts to make her body stronger make her mind stronger, too.

You are an athlete. You are dedicated to improving your health and ensuring that your life is not only longer, but better.

Congratulations! With your remarkable combination of emotional and physical strength, you are an athlete.


Thank you for reminding me of this. I'm 1 week post op from ACL surgery and am very limited with my activities. I've been injured since mid Jan. no biking, skiing, etc. and don't anticipate being able to ride again until early June.

I'm going to keep this posted in a visible spot so when I feel discouraged or impatient I will have a reminder of why I ride, ski, hike, etc.

[kaybee]

This is a great thread! Thank you, Lorri, or your post. When I started running several years ago, I began to ask myself some of those questions, and decided, after a while, that I was indeed an athlete. I'll never win a race, and the only time I ever win my age group is when I'm the only one my age that shows up , but I'm having a good time, and that's all that matters.

I also realized that race organizers don't organize races for just the "elite" athletes; if they did, how could they ever make any money? It's those of us "regular people" that are the bread and butter for charity rides and races. We pay our money, have a good time, and don't take home anything but good memories and feelings of accomplishment. Everyone on this board is a true athlete and a wonderful inspiration, and you should all be very proud of yourselves.

KB

[bikerchick68]

from the dictionary:

ath·lete ( P ) Pronunciation Key (thlt)
n.
A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.


oh man, this gets my goat but good! Not only do I consider myself an athlete, I consider myself an ENDURANCE athlete! I am not an "elite" athlete... that is a term I reserve for people who actually compete at their sport... whether it's cycling or triathlon or golfers! but, having ridden 10 centuries in the last 12 months... I absolutely consider myself an endurance athlete. Am I trying to be a braggart? Heck no. Am I very, very proud of what I've accomplished? Heck yeah! For me it's an "acquired trait" and I've had to work hard to get to where I'm at now.

I am really amazed at anyone who does not consider cycling atheltic... or cyclists athletes! And apparently Mr. Webster agrees...

does your "real athlete" friend ride a bike? I wonder if a few rides would drastically change his perspective on this issue...

OK... that's a long way of me saying... yes you ARE an athlete! He's just wrong.

biker <climbing off the soapbox> chick

[profàvélo]

(never considered myself a sports gal and still have identity issues surrounding that!)

And I thought I was the only one who had these thoughts! Of course, that's almost never the case, but it's nice to see some proof that it's not.

I don't think of myself as athletic, although I am trying to. Wife, daughter, sister, friend, teacher, cook, choir member, reader, intellectual (to a point)...but not athlete. Why is that?

I only recently have begun to think of myself as a cyclist. I completed 5 centuries last year, one of which was a stage of the Tour de France (and not a flat one, either!). I have recently completed my first three races ever (posted elsewhere); I always said I would never race, and don't think of myself as a 'racer type.'

This past winter I decided I should do some cross-training. (Okay, how can someone who contemplates 'cross-training' not be athletic?) In about three months I went from no running to running 5k--not fast, but doing it. And I'm signed up for a 10k on April 1.

Why can't I seem to reconcile the person who does all these things with the rest of me? Grog, is this what you mean by 'identity issues'?

[Dianyla]

Wow, this thread has really blossomed into something amazing overnight! You gals are awesome!

Some person-specific replies:

And from his comments to you about him being an athlete and you not, sounds like he's a bit of a wanker (good old Aussie term! do you have that term in the US?)

Heh, we technically don't have that term here but my roomie is british and he has taught me well. Yeah, I would definitely call ManFriend a bit of a wanker sometimes.

• Do you schedule your training?
  
• Is that training specific and structured?
  
• Do you monitor your caloric intake and the ratio of macro-nutrients (aka carbs, protein, and fat)?
  
• Do you measure the amount of fluids you drink on a daily basis?
  
• Do you maintain your equipment and clothing so you can participate in your sport?
  
• Do you get enough sleep so you can ride?
  
• Have you read a book, watched a video, or taken a class to learn more about the sport of cycling?
  

velogirl, thank you for this list. I can answer yes to almost all of them (well, except for that pesky adequate sleep issue).

I also want to know what's he doing now that makes him a real athlete? Or is he a former athlete who just fondly remembers his glory days?

Veronica, you just hit it on the nose there. Other than the occasional tag-along on a bike ride (he drops me on very steep hills but on any other terrain I have to wait for him to catch up) and the occasional dayhike (where we're pretty evenly matched as long as I'm toting all the food) he really hasn't done much in the way of athletic endeavors since participating in team sports in high school.

still others think if you don't have a sub 3% body fat level you can't be an "athlete".

I figure if I drag my voluminous butt around for 20+ miles while enduring a bike seat wedgie the entire time...I'm an ATHLETE!

I totally agree! This is another part of the problem. He is quite slim (6'2" 150lbs) and has aged very gracefully and I think that this just reinforces his perception that an athlete (i.e. him) has low bodyfat and a non-athlete (i.e. me) looks more like a fluffy marshmallow zooming along on my bike (I'm 5'4" and 150lbs). I know I'm working much harder than he is to move the same amount of poundage down the road, and considering I can drop him that just highlights the difference in our physical fitness levels. So, yeah...

Sadiekate and Trek420 - I love those jerseys. Hmmm, I think I saw the Southpark one on the clearance rack just the other day, maybe I should go back and get it?

Kathi, sorry to hear about your ACL injury, those are very slow-healing. Sending Happy Knee Thoughts your way!

Everyone else who has replied, thank you! I agree that a good bop on the nose is in order for this bad doggy!

[Veronica]

....looks more like a fluffy marshmallow zooming along on my bike (I'm 5'4" and 150lbs).

Hey that's my height and weight AND I do NOT look like a fluffy marshmallow. Do I?

V.

[Dianyla]

Hey that's my height and weight AND I do NOT look like a fluffy marshmallow. Do I?

You must have more muscle mass than I do! And here in the Pacific NW, this time of year my skin tone really does closely resemble "creamy marshmallow".

[Grog]

Why can't I seem to reconcile the person who does all these things with the rest of me? Grog, is this what you mean by 'identity issues'?

Well yeah I guess that's close enough. I have mostly defined myself as an intellectual throughout my life, and I was always involved in politics. I am still involved in academic life pretty deeply (doing a PhD right now) and tried to escape politics for a while. Obviously I can't ride fast enough to leave politics far behind, and it has catched me again, so I'm trying to juggle the three together now (plus have decided to try a triathlon... speak of trinities!!). In my social surroundings, until recently, there were not that many people that exercised at all. To me, being chin-deep in sports was a way to escape more social and political problems, and all the sports-types I knew were totally igorant of the wider social universe around them, which bothered me.

I do feel some guilt sometimes when I go for a ride instead of sitting down to read (or do other stuff). But whatever, I guess that if I don't take care of myself, I won't be able to take care of my work.

[SadieKate]

He is quite slim (6'2" 150lbs) and has aged very gracefully and I think that this just reinforces his perception that an athlete (i.e. him) has low bodyfat and a non-athlete . . .

Slim does not equal low body fat or strong or a good cardio system. It could be an indication of an eating disorder. I know plenty of people who would be described as thin that jiggle from lack of muscle tone.

I bet he thinks NFL linebackers are athletes. I can't watch a pro football game without thinking with horror of the examples these guys are setting for our youth. Some of them appear to be paid by the pound, muscle or fat.

How about mountainbikers? Would he care to put his bod on the line with a bunch of rocks and logs? I'd say there is definitely hand/eye/foot coordination needed.

[CorsairMac]

this puts me in mind of a once overheard conversation: a slender woman mid-20s was chatting with a friend of hers both of whom had just had body fat percentages done with a group. The young woman was very upset because her body fat was very high for a woman indicating she was out of shape. She was upset because her weight was ideal for her height. She was even More upset because another woman - who in her words was "fat" - had much lower body fat and she just couldn't understand that because the other woman was "fat"!
I'm not even going to comment on your ManFriends comment - that's between the two of you but I do have to ask: if you're calling him your Man Friend - would the acronym be MF?

(SK's gonna nail me for that one! :-D)

[SadieKate]

(SK's gonna nail me for that one! :-D)

Feeling clueless today. Maybe because no caffeine today. Huh?