One more reason to NOT do triathlons!

You have got to be kidding. No way. The vast majority are not athletes and in way over their head in the swim. You just have to look at the times. Um, it's not a swim meet. Actually, I could say the same thing at many USMS meets, other than the top two heats.

I was participating in IM Utah 2002 when there was a drowning and the swim was cancelled. I certainly do not mind encouraging participation, but we are all affected by the lowest common denominator. Swims have been shortened or cancelled not because it is unsafe, but because it is unsafe for a crappy swimmer. Sprint races I used to do have been whittled down from 1000 meters 15 years ago to 150-400 meters. Triathlons for the most part have "jumped the shark" for me as they have become duathlons with a chlorine spritz to start it all off. I'm not sure I agree with value aspect of triathlon. I can go do a weekend of swimming, bike racing, or a 10k run for 20-40 bucks. Combining all three makes for a magical 80-575 dollar price tag. I believe in triathlons people are making a living out of putting races on which is not as true for swim meets or fun runs--and if people are willing to pay for it, I certainly don't begrudge anybody for grabbing the cash. I suppose the lawyers would be a the root of all evil (always are in my universe), but the poor judgement of people from the past (i.e. bad swimmers or pre-myocardial infarction individuals, who just assumed they would be fine for a race, who subsequently cacked during their events) may have something to do with the current mental status of jumpy triathlon directors.:blah:

I was participating in IM Utah 2002 when there was a drowning and the swim was cancelled. I certainly do not mind encouraging participation, but we are all affected by the lowest common denominator. Swims have been shortened or cancelled not because it is unsafe, but because it is unsafe for a crappy swimmer. Sprint races I used to do have been whittled down from 1000 meters 15 years ago to 150-400 meters. Triathlons for the most part have "jumped the shark" for me as they have become duathlons with a chlorine spritz to start it all off. I'm not sure I agree with value aspect of triathlon. I can go do a weekend of swimming, bike racing, or a 10k run for 20-40 bucks. Combining all three makes for a magical 80-575 dollar price tag. I believe in triathlons people are making a living out of putting races on which is not as true for swim meets or fun runs--and if people are willing to pay for it, I certainly don't begrudge anybody for grabbing the cash. I suppose the lawyers would be a the root of all evil (always are in my universe), but the poor judgement of people from the past (i.e. bad swimmers or pre-myocardial infarction individuals, who just assumed they would be fine for a race, who subsequently cacked during their events) may have something to do with the current mental status of jumpy triathlon directors.:blah: I'm guessing we know where you stand when someone at Nationals enters NT for the mile!

Don't blame the weak swimmers for a race director's decision to cancel the swim portion of a triathlon. Blame lawyers, our legal system, and juries. I fully agree with this statement.

Triathlons for the most part have "jumped the shark" for me as they have become duathlons with a chlorine spritz to start it all off. Yeah... although I swim, bike, and run regularly, and have done everything from sprint tris to ironman distances, I have no desire to enter a tri anytime soon. But my reason is different. I don't like transitions or anything about them. (OK, I'll admit that at the full-distance Ironman-trademarked events, there are armies of awesome volunteers that make the transitions easy, but those races are very expensive, you have to enter a year in advance, and of course you have train for it.)

I'm guessing we know where you stand when someone at Nationals enters NT for the mile! NT makes me crazy. At the az state meet last weekend a bunch of NT entries causes slow swimmers to be spread across two heats rather than just one (causing me a deep indescribable proctalgia as I wait my turn). My solution is to go fastest to slowest like the age-groupers and force the races to occur rather than all this caca sandbagging that goes on in the first heat.

NT makes me crazy. At the az state meet last weekend a bunch of NT entries causes slow swimmers to be spread across two heats rather than just one (causing me a deep indescribable proctalgia as I wait my turn). My solution is to go fastest to slowest like the age-groupers and force the races to occur rather than all this caca sandbagging that goes on in the first heat. I'm with you. I truly think NT should be banned. If you really have no clue what your time is going to be, you shouldn't be in the race. If you've never raced in it before, you can surely swim it once in workout and then enter that time.

It is my observation that triathlon is now being dominated by people who just can't swim and have the mentality that its ok not to even work on it. This is elitist bullcrap. Adults participate in sports for a wide variety of reasons. Apparently you should only compete if you can be an absolute stud in all three sports, which is ludicrous. When 60% of Americans are obese and you can't get them to take a walk for 30 minutes three times a week, it takes a lot of nerve to tell folks who want to get fit to stay away because they don't meet your standard of swimming ability. So much for growing the sport. I personally train with a few dozen triathletes on non swim days. Not a single one is superb at all three yet the best are pretty darn good at all three. Either way, they get enjoyment from the sport and that sport is a success story for adult fitness. You talk about how non swimmers are ruining triathlons. Do you have this same mentality at swim meets when someone swims a very slow race? It's really not your call about what sports folks participate in. Are triathletes annoying - yup. Are many of them just there to finish - yup. Does it impact me in any way - nope.

Kurt, In Colorado we haven't allowed no time entires at are state championship meets for years. And if I was dictator I mean director, I would declare that all 1000 and or 1650's were heated fast to slow. I've ran meets that way and it makes sense for so many reasons. It appears Colorado is still enlightened despite me leaving the state (Cherry Creek HS 1985). I guess I should not be so dogmatic as I guess it's possible all 6 NT entries in the 1000 had to catch a plane..I just feel with the current system we have, the fasters swimmers that want a race are punished.

Why should people unable to complete a swim in waves be able to dictate to a RD that the first leg of the race they signed up for is not safe for everyone so it needs cancelled? This is not a common occurrence and I believe you are confusing an isolated incident or two with a trend. Many OW swims are also canceled due to adverse conditions. I don't see the point you are making, other than trying to make people feel bad that they aren't as great a swimmer as you. Everyone knows swimming is the gate to triathlons, always has been, always will be, just deal with it and run over the bad swimmers. I'm sorry you stunk at football and quit. I stink at basketball and played it regardless of my stinking. Proficiency is not the requirement for participation.