I think the reason you see a few people in every IM that that's their first tri is they watch Kona on TV, and have a mental life-changing experience by it- so for them, it HAS TO be the IM. They aren't interested in triathlon as such, but by the IM and what it stands for, how it changes others, and they want to experience that life-change in themselves. I believe there are plenty of them that take it seriously and train. I think it's more the habitual triathletes who've been doing oly's and half IM's for a while, and been fine, just can't seem to squeeze in the extra training for the full distance- some of them are the under-trainers.

Nanci