Hehehe. I hear ya. I get the same. Don't sweat it. Just do it and be happy you are healthy and you can. Behind closed doors they are jealous, know they SHOULD do something to get rid of their guts etc. but are too lazy. Most people would want to but after trying see it's too much effort, trust me. Then again, maybe they CAN do it? Na, not likely :) Who knows, but at least YOU are out there doing it. Be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Those people are not worth the effort (i.e., all talk no action) to even think about.
BBB

That is what seperates us from the average citizen. We are all given talents to use, but some of us are just wired different. We crave the training. Hot, cold, rain, snow, etc. are excuses to most while they are training opportunities for us. I don't know about anyone else but I take pride in that. People I work with always ask me what I have coming up. After telling them I got the usual response, "You're crazy. Why would you do that?" I have always wanted to say, "Because I am strong enough and you're not." Of course I can't say that, but that's what I am thinking.

You're one of the strong ones. Be proud.

There was a dude I used to work with... he insisted he was in the middle of ironman training. The problem was that the guy was easily 15 over normal weight, much less IM weight.

Every race, I'd ask if he was signed up to race anything: "no, i can't do sprints it will mess up my training."

Every weekend, I'd ask if he was gonna show up for the group ride. I would either get a yes followed by a no show, or a line about how he needed to train on his own, but that he could kick my butt anytime.

Same with MTB rides. All talk, no product.

There's one girl at work who says she wants to, but can't find time. I believe she could, and might do rather well. She just needs to get in the pool, as she's already fit and hot. I hate the "I don't have time" excuse.

I will play into their "desire" to do one. If it is real then great - nice to be an ambassador for the sport and bring new people in. However, others will sometimes say that they could do it, but don't have the time. I agree those excuses are the worse. Sometimes it seems that they say that to downplay our accomplishments. So I explain that I have a wife and 4 kids - get up a 4:00 a.m. to train, work long hours, balance in family activities and long training sessions and on and on. Just prove to them that all they have is an excuse - and usually a gut to go with it. A healthy lifestyle is a choice and requires effort to attain. Not as easy as sittin on the couch.

People are funny, we will figure out an excuse to do anything we don't want to do... with me it's cooking! With others it's exercise.... tri's... du's... or whatever.... I had to put myself on restriction today, cuz I make excuses not to get my work done.... so... today I have to make all the calls I need to make, get everything set for two meetings I have tonight, clean the kitchen, mail two packages... etc BEFORE I get to go run and to the gym... is it working??? Well, AFTER I get off Trifuel, I will get all that done LOL!!!

Seriously, I like what someone said before, just encourage them and let them talk, knowing in your heart that you are doing what it takes to be a success in your sport! I do agree it is hard to put up with peoples excuses... I guess I'm used to it, as I help people lose weight for a living and oh my goodness, the excuses I hear!!! I just tell them straight up, well if you are not ready, you are just not ready.... no problem... let me know when you are and I'll be here to help... now if they are talking smack to you.... WELL, THAT is a different story.... LOL, do what ever it takes..... Hee Hee!!!

That's what i love about this site: we're all going thru the same experiences!! And BBB is 100% on; i'm very thankful for what i have: my wife, my health, a great career that pays the bills & still affords me enough time to train....enjoy it while you got it, b/c you never know when it will be gone.

You could always just hit them with a truthful one-liner....which is, "sounds like an excuse to me". You could always do it in a way where it doesn't sound like you're being an ass. More of joking around. That immediately puts them on the defensive where they can put up or shut up.

I'm kinda on the receiving end of this as well. I'm training for my first tri-season (my first tri actually) for next year. I'm focusing on Olympic distances. My ultimate goal would be a 1/2 IM next September. Which is completely do-able. But I haven't committed myself to it and honestly, I just don't want it BAD ENOUGH right now. I'm hoping that after a few Oly distance events, I'll finally "put up". So I guess I'm saying, yeah, anybody COULD do it, but you have to WANT to do it.

This is sooo true. I tell them that in April I was a total couch potato and hadn't competed in sports in at least 4 years. From May to September I trained and finished my first sprint tri in September and am totally hooked. I feel guilty when I don't exercise and feel great when I do.

I have several friends and co-workers who say, "I would love to swim with you" or "lets go biking"...do any of them join me. Heck no! I have a really good friend who wanted to swim with me. I took the time out of my day to go get a cap and goggles with her on a Sunday...that was over 4 weeks ago and she still hasn't come to the pool with me. I go every week to swim...hmm...don't think she is ever going to make it.

I am glad that my butt is getting thinner and more fit and if these people just want to be lazy and talk it up then it will eventually come back to them.

sometimes when the cocky ones talk about how they could, but don't have time, etc, they often ask how I find time. I tell them that I just fit in workouts around my 2 jobs, and tell them something along the lines of "yeah, it was hard for me to get started to... if you ever want to try it, tell me. It's easier when training with someone".

LOL - Kylie that must really make them shut up! Do they know how much you do and then work 2 jobs. They must feel really, really lazy. :)

When people tell me they don't have the time, I tell them about making time - like getting up at 4:30 to go to the gym, riding to work instead of using a car, etc. I also get the "you're nuts" comments. I tell them that I didn't start out that way, that I had to work up to it and anyone can do it. The more you do it, the more you enjoy it, the more you make the time for it. You do what you love and will find a way.

Lisa

I save that for my crushing blow when they give me some lip!! :D

So on a similar note, there is a person I work with that swears that triathletes are not athletes oh and that anyone can do whtat Lance Armstrong does. His reasoning is that because biking, running and swimming take very little to no eye hand cordination you are not an athlete... He claims that an NBA player is a better athlete hand down because of the eye hand cordination. I proceeded to debate with him for about and hour and then challenged him to a 63 mile ride with me the answer "oh well I am not in shape"

I really want to tell the guy where to shove it and call him a whimp (but realized that may not be the best way of getting my point across)

So what do you say to those people who are convinced you are not an athlete. Last time I checked I was won...

Has anyone else had to deal with this???

Oh great quote...

No I tried to go that road and this person is a bit closted minded (if it wasn't obvious already) and was completely shut down...

Because there is no way I could ever so what an active basketball/ football/ect player could do...

So using his rationale of eye hand co-ordination,
someone who knits or crochets, would be a much better athlete that a basketball player.

My mom,
who at 72, walks 4 miles 6-7 days a week, and can crochet a queen size blanket in a week.
has phenomenal eye-hand co-ordination.

Michael Jordan doesn't have the eye hand co-odination to crochet or knit so he is a lesser athlete than my mom.

Yay Mom!!

Next, I would substitute a circus clown who can juggle chainsaws, who has incredible eye hand co-ordination(or he has no hands to co-ordinate with).

Even better than a crochet/knitter!!!

For the last couple of years i've been hiding my Tri-addiction from non-athlete friends and colleagues at work. I've found that this avoids all the banter and 'I could do that, but...' stupid conversations. One of my favourites is when I hear non-athlete people talking about how bad running is for you and how many different types of fungi are found at the gym and swimming pool. Get over it! If they only knew what I did with my free time….. :p

Why am i tired in the morning with sore shoulders and rings around my eyes? Because i sit in a bad position in front of my computer and was up all night watching mindless 'reality' T.V., or because i was at the pool at 6am for my morning swim with goggles pinned to my head?

Why do take the lift up to the 5th floor? Because i'm lazy and think the stairs are for emergency exits only, or because my legs are still a bit sore from my monthly long run the night before?

Why do i eat 4 times as much lunch as them and not get fat? Because i'm a glutton and am lucky enough to have a high metabolism or because the exercise i love doing burns 4 times more calories than they do in day?

Why am i eating sandwiches again at 3pm? Because i love to eat or because i have a bunch ride after work and need the fuel?

Why do i disappear from work on a sunny afternoon and work the night shift to make up for it? Because i felt like a beer, some deep fried treats, and watching the football game at the pub, or because i went for a Mtn Bike ride and a trail run while the sun was shinning?

To my work mates i'm just the guy to eats heaps and rides a beat up old Mtn bike to work to save money on bus fair. To me and those who know better, I'm a Triathlete. I love the feeling of water rushing past me when i push off the wall after a tumble-turn in the pool, i love the sound of my cleats clicking into the pedals on my road bike when i roll down the drive-way for an afternoon ride, and i love the quite nods and the Gid’days that I get from other ‘crazy’ people out for a run at 11 o’clock at night.

Alas, some people will never understand.

I like the idea of being able to eat all day and letting the talkers wonder how we do it.

One rule I always try to adhere to: never argue with idiots. They will always be 'right' because they lack the ability to listen and consider that their perspective could use an adjustment.

Personally I think quilters have it over knitters. Then jugglers, then triathletes. ;)

I'm Pretty Lucky

I don’t get a whole lot of B.S. from the co workers since we do organized group exercises every Mon, Wed, Fri. And since most of that time is spent running they get a first hand look and have learned to keep quite. A few have shown interest or said I could do this or that BUT, and my response to them all is a smile and an invitation to my next race. 0 have stepped up to date. All and all everyone is really respectful and supportive though. It's kind of nice coming in on a Monday and having people you barely know ask you how your race went over the weekend when you’re pretty sure you didn’t say a thing to them about it. Being in the military, especially in the Air Force where the vast majority is out of shape, I've gotten a lot of respect from people now that they recognize all the time spent getting fit

JoseM ~ i argue with people at work about baseball players .. Are they athletes ? I'm not sure. I find some baseball players to be fit but most look out of shape. Looks can be deceiving, but they have some pretty big guts around the waist.

One sjccess story- A man I know here in my small town said"I can do that." Yeah sure whatever, I've heard that before but this guy does two sprints one year and says" I wanna be an Ironman." This guy does the breast stroke only, is not very athletic and his sprint time is just under 2 hours. This guy has done zero races of any sort. I don't give him much encouragement but tell him to get an on-line coach and knock himself out. He did and beat my butt at the IM, not that it is hard to do that but come on, wannabe hasn't paid his dues.
No longer a wannabe, rather a full fledge Ironman, he retires after the race (this was Lake Placid 2000) and has not done a race since.

He could do that! I am still awed by his achievement.

I'm awed by that achievement, but I must say I'm more impressed by the tri-lete who has raced for a few seasons and still keeps trying than the one who takes one year, does an IM, and holds onto it years alter.

Don't get me wrong -- be proud of that IM for life, not many people do it, etc. But just as the "I want to have done a marathon" people who do one race don't impress me as much as lifetime runners, the one-season tri folks don't impress me as much (no matter how long of a race they finished that season.

The "Tri as a way of life" is what I love to see... a true love of fitness, exercise, and being all you can. That takes more than a season.

It is cool to say I did an event.

The events provide me focus so I will train to do them.
The real goal for me is to train and be healthy and live a long healthy life.
If I do that I can be around to be a father to my kids for a long time.
I just want to be a good example to them.

My kids won't remember all the training I did but they will see all the souveniers.
They already think it is cool when I do events.

OOOPs :eek:

I am okay until they figure how to get on the internet. ;)

nicely put anton

Ahhhh the truth, say no more.
BBB

What is this "sun" you speak of? :confused: