Actually my impression is that many triathletes are usually people who didn't do any sports at all, got fat and lazy and then decided to do pick up running in their mid/late-Thirties to lose some weight. They do one marathon, get over-enthusiastic and then decide to pick up triathlon. Then they make a big deal about "their" sport and how much they workout.
Btw, there is also a top 13 reasons why Lance Armstrong is good & bad for the sport of triathlon article: www.everymantri.com/.../the-top-13-reasons-why-lance-armstrong-is-good-bad-for-the-sport-of-triathlon.html
The triathletes I know are not casual athletes, they have all done several IMs and many are Kona qualifiers. But I am well aware of the more casual "competitor" as well, whose only goal is to finish the race; one of my friends calls their races "I-did-athons."
Interesting list of 13. Maybe I am biased but I found the pluses far more persuasive than the minuses. For example, I laughed aloud over the lament that "Lance has nothing to do but train." First of all, I am willing to bet that his plate is reasonably full. Second, all the IM triathletes I know train an obscene amount of time, enough that you wonder when (or if) they work or spend time with their families. And those are the amateurs.
Actually my impression is that many triathletes are usually people who didn't do any sports at all, got fat and lazy and then decided to do pick up running in their mid/late-Thirties to lose some weight. They do one marathon, get over-enthusiastic and then decide to pick up triathlon. Then they make a big deal about "their" sport and how much they workout.
Btw, there is also a top 13 reasons why Lance Armstrong is good & bad for the sport of triathlon article: www.everymantri.com/.../the-top-13-reasons-why-lance-armstrong-is-good-bad-for-the-sport-of-triathlon.html
The triathletes I know are not casual athletes, they have all done several IMs and many are Kona qualifiers. But I am well aware of the more casual "competitor" as well, whose only goal is to finish the race; one of my friends calls their races "I-did-athons."
Interesting list of 13. Maybe I am biased but I found the pluses far more persuasive than the minuses. For example, I laughed aloud over the lament that "Lance has nothing to do but train." First of all, I am willing to bet that his plate is reasonably full. Second, all the IM triathletes I know train an obscene amount of time, enough that you wonder when (or if) they work or spend time with their families. And those are the amateurs.
