This was in today's "Dear Abby" column in the paper:
DEAR ABBY: I am a 55-year-old female who competes in triathlons for fun, fitness and health. I consulted my doctor because I was having foot pain. When I told him I was a runner and was preparing for a marathon race, his response was, "At your age, you could hardly call it a race."
I was shocked. I repeated the insulting comment to my husband, who has never supported me in this nor attended my races. He replied, "Well, you don't actually consider yourself an athlete, do you?"
I am so offended that I want to dismiss both my doctor and my husband. I just finished a race with 5,000 women. Every one of them was fabulous and serious, no matter how old or what they looked like. It was the spirit of the sport that mattered. At what age does one stop being an athlete? -- OLDER ATHLETE, EUGENE, ORE.
This raised some interesting questions in my mind about support, encouragement, or the lack thereof. I don't want to discuss the "athlete-yes-or-no" question. Instead, I'd like to know how people out there deal with non-supportive spouses, friends, co-workers, doctors, etc.
My own experience includes being teased by my co-workers for "getting beat by a 70-year-old woman." (This was after a big meet where they viewed my results on the Internet.) This came from men who are at least 50 pounds overweight and can barely walk from their cars to their desks.
Parents
Former Member
(S)he-man:
I don't think it's geographical, but who knows? There were swimmer hookups even in my day. And even in Islandsox's day. ;) I always dated swimmers until law school -- when there weren't any. :eek: Judging from my local summer team and the number of chaperones at USS travel meets, I think the swimmer-swimmer hormonal hook-up tradition marches on.
It's the non-swimmer boys that mock the shoulders, etc. And I have heard the word "moose" from more than one. But if they want "high maintenance barbies," as someone just referred to them privately, they can have them!
I think Rude Hormonal Fortress will do just fine. She even has long blond barbie hair to cover her broad shoulders, as you may recall from the time she was my avatar. (Whoops, she still is my avatar.) And she definitely makes me seem like a mild *** cat. :cool: That's why it's going to be a rough few years...
Ah yes. . . the swimmer travel meets! I learned so much back then! I don't know how the parent chaperones tolerated us!! I remember them taping our doors shut at night to ensure that we would not sneak out of the hotel rooms. Those were the days of fast swimming, unlimited energy, and hormones!!
I know that your daughter will hold her own against those few who find it necessary to throw silly comments her way.
I too cracked up at my second quote that I have listed regarding not buttering bread. In reality, I'm not that high maintenance! Much of Barbie has long since been beaten out of me. I have a wonderful husband who loves that I swim and supports it and my endeavors 100%. So, I LOVE to cook for him. :D
(S)he-man:
I don't think it's geographical, but who knows? There were swimmer hookups even in my day. And even in Islandsox's day. ;) I always dated swimmers until law school -- when there weren't any. :eek: Judging from my local summer team and the number of chaperones at USS travel meets, I think the swimmer-swimmer hormonal hook-up tradition marches on.
It's the non-swimmer boys that mock the shoulders, etc. And I have heard the word "moose" from more than one. But if they want "high maintenance barbies," as someone just referred to them privately, they can have them!
I think Rude Hormonal Fortress will do just fine. She even has long blond barbie hair to cover her broad shoulders, as you may recall from the time she was my avatar. (Whoops, she still is my avatar.) And she definitely makes me seem like a mild *** cat. :cool: That's why it's going to be a rough few years...
Ah yes. . . the swimmer travel meets! I learned so much back then! I don't know how the parent chaperones tolerated us!! I remember them taping our doors shut at night to ensure that we would not sneak out of the hotel rooms. Those were the days of fast swimming, unlimited energy, and hormones!!
I know that your daughter will hold her own against those few who find it necessary to throw silly comments her way.
I too cracked up at my second quote that I have listed regarding not buttering bread. In reality, I'm not that high maintenance! Much of Barbie has long since been beaten out of me. I have a wonderful husband who loves that I swim and supports it and my endeavors 100%. So, I LOVE to cook for him. :D
